Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
Encyclopedia
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is an American country rock
band founded in 1967. Core members included founder George Frayne, John Tichy, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen
, Andy Stein
, Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow, Lance Dickerson, and Bobby Black.
The band’s style mixed country music
, rockabilly
, and blues
, on a foundation of boogie-woogie
piano. It was among the first country-rock bands to take its cues less from folk-rock and bluegrass and more from barroom country of the Ernest Tubb
and Ray Price
style. A pioneer in incorporating Western swing
into its style, the band became legendary for marathon live shows.
, with Frayne (b. July 19, 1944 in Boise, Idaho
) taking the stage name Commander Cody. The band’s name was inspired by 1950s film serial
s featuring the character Commando Cody
and from a feature version of an earlier serial, King of the Rocket Men
, released under the title Lost Planet Airmen.
After playing for several years in local bars, the core members migrated to San Francisco (along with the similar Asleep at the Wheel
) and soon got a recording contract with Paramount Records
. The group released their first album in late 1971, Lost in the Ozone
, which yielded its best-known hit, a version of the Rockabilly Hot Rod Lincoln
, which reached the top ten on the Billboard singles chart in early 1972. It then moved to Texas; the band's 1974 live recording, Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas
features cover art of armadillos by Jim Franklin
. The band released several moderately-successful albums through the first half of the 70s. After appearing in the Roger Corman
movie Hollywood Boulevard, Frayne disbanded the group in 1976.
John Tichy subsequently earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan
and became head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(RPI) in Troy, New York,
"Hot Rod Lincoln", the band's most famous recording, was voted a Legendary Michigan Song in 2008. The following year Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Geoffrey Stokes' 1976 book Star-Making Machinery featured Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen as its primary case study of music industry production and marketing. Stokes relates the difficulties the band had recording its first album for Warner Bros. Records
. The label wanted a hit album along the lines of the soft country-rock of The Eagles, but the band was not inclined to change its raw-edged style.
Frayne is also an artist. He received a bachelor's in design from the University of Michigan
in 1966 and a master's in Sculpture and Painting from the Rackham School of Graduate Studies of the University of Michigan in 1968. He taught at University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
, and has had his art exhibited at numerous shows. He is a student of cinematography
, and has a feature film in the Museum of Modern Art
's permanent video archive. His paintings are oversized, and present photorealistic images from popular culture.
George's brother Chris Frayne is credited with the cover art
for Lost in the Ozone
, Sleazy Roadside Stories, and Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers' Favorites
albums. He shared credit with George for the album cover for Aces High, and designed other album covers in the music industry. He also wrote songs, including "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read
" (on Asleep at the Wheel
's album Take Me Back to Tulsa
) and produced albums such as Comin' Your Way by John Mooney
. Chris died in 1992 of multiple sclerosis
. As can be discerned by their art as well as their music, both brothers were interested in hot rod
s.
Jam bands
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
band founded in 1967. Core members included founder George Frayne, John Tichy, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen
Bill Kirchen
Bill Kirchen is an American rockabilly guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was the guitarist with the original Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen from 1967 to the mid 1970s, although, in reality, his time with the Commander accounts for only a portion of his career...
, Andy Stein
Andy Stein
Andy Stein is a saxophone and violin player in the United States best known for his appearances with the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. He is also known for the Guy's All-Star Shoe Band on the radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" and the movie. He has played on a...
, Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow, Lance Dickerson, and Bobby Black.
The band’s style mixed country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
, and blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, on a foundation of boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie (music)
Boogie-woogie is a style of piano-based blues that became popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but originated much earlier, and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music, and even gospel. Whilst the blues traditionally depicts a variety...
piano. It was among the first country-rock bands to take its cues less from folk-rock and bluegrass and more from barroom country of the Ernest Tubb
Ernest Tubb
Ernest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
and Ray Price
Ray Price (musician)
Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
style. A pioneer in incorporating Western swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
into its style, the band became legendary for marathon live shows.
History
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen formed in 1967 in Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, with Frayne (b. July 19, 1944 in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
) taking the stage name Commander Cody. The band’s name was inspired by 1950s film serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
s featuring the character Commando Cody
Commando Cody
Commando Cody was the hero in a 12-episode science-fiction serial made in 1952 by Republic Pictures entitled Radar Men from the Moon, which was followed up 1953 with the 12 episode Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe....
and from a feature version of an earlier serial, King of the Rocket Men
King of the Rocket Men
King of the Rocket Men is a 1949 Republic movie serial, in twelve chapters, notable for introducing the "Rocketman Character" who reappeared under a variety of names in later serials Radar Men from the Moon, Zombies of the Stratosphere and the semi-serial Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the...
, released under the title Lost Planet Airmen.
After playing for several years in local bars, the core members migrated to San Francisco (along with the similar Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
) and soon got a recording contract with Paramount Records
Paramount Records (1969)
Paramount Records was a record label started in 1969 by Paramount Pictures after acquiring the rights to the name from George H. Buck. The previous label with the same name had been unconnected to Paramount Pictures. The new Paramount label reissued pop releases by sister label Dot Records, which...
. The group released their first album in late 1971, Lost in the Ozone
Lost in the Ozone
Lost in the Ozone is the debut album by the Country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen that contains their hit cover version of "Hot Rod Lincoln" as well as the band's live staples, "Lost in the Ozone" and "Seeds and Stems ."...
, which yielded its best-known hit, a version of the Rockabilly Hot Rod Lincoln
Hot Rod Lincoln
"Hot Rod Lincoln" was recorded in 1955, as an answer song to "Hot Rod Race", a 1951 hit for Arkie Shibley and his Mountain Dew Boys. Hot Rod Race tells the story of a late-model Ford and Mercury who end up racing along the highway, neither driver gaining an advantage, and staying "neck and neck"...
, which reached the top ten on the Billboard singles chart in early 1972. It then moved to Texas; the band's 1974 live recording, Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas
Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas
Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas is the fourth album by the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. It was recorded live at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas, and features cover art of armadillos by Jim Franklin. Unlike many live albums, it is mostly new...
features cover art of armadillos by Jim Franklin
Jim Franklin (artist)
Jim Franklin is an artist best known for his poster art created for the Armadillo World Headquarters, a former Austin, Texas music hall....
. The band released several moderately-successful albums through the first half of the 70s. After appearing in the Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
movie Hollywood Boulevard, Frayne disbanded the group in 1976.
John Tichy subsequently earned a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and became head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
(RPI) in Troy, New York,
"Hot Rod Lincoln", the band's most famous recording, was voted a Legendary Michigan Song in 2008. The following year Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.
Geoffrey Stokes' 1976 book Star-Making Machinery featured Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen as its primary case study of music industry production and marketing. Stokes relates the difficulties the band had recording its first album for Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. The label wanted a hit album along the lines of the soft country-rock of The Eagles, but the band was not inclined to change its raw-edged style.
George Frayne
Retaining his stage name of Commander Cody, Frayne had a subsequent solo career, touring and releasing albums from 1977 on. He released some later albums under the Lost Planet Airmen name. Recent releases have been as The Commander Cody Band. In addition to Frayne, current members of the band include Steve Barbuto on drums and Mark Emerick on guitar.Frayne is also an artist. He received a bachelor's in design from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1966 and a master's in Sculpture and Painting from the Rackham School of Graduate Studies of the University of Michigan in 1968. He taught at University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers both bachelor and master degrees...
, and has had his art exhibited at numerous shows. He is a student of cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
, and has a feature film in the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
's permanent video archive. His paintings are oversized, and present photorealistic images from popular culture.
George's brother Chris Frayne is credited with the cover art
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
for Lost in the Ozone
Lost in the Ozone
Lost in the Ozone is the debut album by the Country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen that contains their hit cover version of "Hot Rod Lincoln" as well as the band's live staples, "Lost in the Ozone" and "Seeds and Stems ."...
, Sleazy Roadside Stories, and Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers' Favorites
Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers' Favorites
Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers' Favorites is the 2nd album by the Country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. The album is an ode to truckers and songs about trucking, mixing classics of the genre like "Truck Drivin' Man" and "Looking at the World Through a Windshield" with the...
albums. He shared credit with George for the album cover for Aces High, and designed other album covers in the music industry. He also wrote songs, including "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read
The Letter That Johnny Walker Read
" Letter That Johnny Walker Read" is the title of song written and recorded by the American country music band Asleep at the Wheel. It was released in August 1975 as the lead single from their album Texas Gold. The song's title is a reference to the Johnnie Walker "Red Label" Scotch whisky...
" (on Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
's album Take Me Back to Tulsa
Take Me Back to Tulsa
"Take Me Back To Tulsa" is a Western swing standard song. Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan added words to one of Bob Wills old fiddle tunes in 1940. The song takes its name from the chorus:The song is a series of unrelated, mostly nonsense, rhyming couplets, i.e.:Modern covers of the song, in order to...
) and produced albums such as Comin' Your Way by John Mooney
John Mooney (musician)
John Mooney is an American blues guitarist and singer based in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has developed a unique music style by combining Delta blues, with the funky second line beat of New Orleans...
. Chris died in 1992 of multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. As can be discerned by their art as well as their music, both brothers were interested in hot rod
Hot rod
Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
s.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Country | CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
|||
| 1971 | Lost in the Ozone Lost in the Ozone Lost in the Ozone is the debut album by the Country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen that contains their hit cover version of "Hot Rod Lincoln" as well as the band's live staples, "Lost in the Ozone" and "Seeds and Stems ."... |
82 | — | 75 | Paramount |
| 1972 | Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers Favorites | 94 | — | — | |
| 1973 | Country Casanova Country Casanova Country Casanova is the third album by the band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. It was released in 1973 on Paramount Records.The album was originally available on LP and 8-track, and later cassette... |
104 | 47 | — | |
| 1974 | Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas is the fourth album by the country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. It was recorded live at the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas, and features cover art of armadillos by Jim Franklin. Unlike many live albums, it is mostly new... |
105 | — | — | |
| 1975 | Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen (album) Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is the fifth album by the Country rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. It was their first album for Warner Bros... |
58 | — | 95 | Warner Bros. |
| Tales from the Ozone | 168 | — | — | ||
| 1976 | We've Got a Live One Here! | 170 | — | — | |
| 1977 | Rock 'N Roll Again (Midnight Man) | 163 | — | — | Arista |
| 1978 | Flying Dreams | — | — | — | |
| 1980 | Lose It Tonight | — | — | — | Line |
| 1986 | Let's Rock | — | — | — | Blind Pig |
| 1988 | Sleazy Roadside Stories | — | — | — | Relix |
| 1990 | Aces High | — | — | — | |
| Too Much Fun: The Best Of | — | — | — | MCA | |
| 1994 | Worst Case Scenario | — | — | — | Aim |
| 1996 | The Tour from Hell (1993) | — | — | — | |
| 2000 | Live at Gilley's | — | — | — | Atlantic |
| 2002 | Command Performance | — | — | — | BMG |
| 2003 | King Biscuit Flower Hour Archive Series: Greatest Hits Live | — | — | — | KBFH Records |
| 2005 | All the Way from Turkey Trot | — | — | — | Fa-Ka-Wee |
| 2009 | Dopers, Drunks and Everyday Losers | — | — | — | Blind Pig |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
CAN Country | CAN AC | |||
| 1971 | "Lost in the Ozone" | — | — | — | — | — | Lost in the Ozone |
| 1972 | "Hot Rod Lincoln" | 9 | 51 | 7 | — | — | |
| "Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar" | 81 | — | 87 | — | — | ||
| "Truck Stop Rock" | — | — | — | — | — | Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers Favorites | |
| 1973 | "Semi-Truck" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)" | 94 | 97 | — | 99 | 37 | Country Cassanova | |
| 1974 | "Diggy Liggy Lo Diggy Liggy Lo "Diggy Liggy Lo" is a single by American country music duo Rusty & Doug. Released in 1961, their version peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Doug Kershaw, one half of the duo, released a solo version of the song in 1969 that peaked at number 70 on the Billboard Hot... " |
— | — | — | — | — | Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas |
| "Riot in Cell Block No. 9" | — | — | — | — | — | single only | |
| 1975 | "Don't Let Go" | 56 | — | 85 | — | — | Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen |
| "It's Gonna Be One of Those Nights" | — | — | — | — | — | Tales from the Ozone | |
| 1981 | "2 Triple Cheese (Side Order of Fries)" | — | — | — | — | — | Lose It Tonight |
| "Roll The Dice" | — | — | — | — | — |
External links
- Official Site
- Commander Cody at awpi.com
- CCandhisLPA Amsterdam 1976 – live pics
- Official Myspace Page
- Commander Cody Live in New York City on March 14, 1976
- Commander Cody Live at the Bottom Line on August 15, 1977
- 2005 Interview at classicbands.com
Jam bands