Ten Wheel Drive
Encyclopedia
Ten Wheel Drive were an American
Jazz fusion
band
that existed from 1968 to 1974.
Goldie & The Gingerbreads
, Genya Ravan
was looking for a new band, as were two New Jersey
musicians and songwriters, Michael Zager
and Aram Schefrin. Acquainted by their managers, the three musicians would become the nucleus of the new band. Their origins and artistic backgrounds were very different and at first the music was not to Ravan’s liking.
More musicians had to be found for the rhythm
and brass
sections. With the exception of Ravan, only people who were able to read sheet music
were hired. In 1969 the band started to perform regularly and attract positive reviews, and comparisons were drawn between Ravan and Janis Joplin
.
At the same time, Polydor Records
was forming an American division. Its new President, Jerry Schoenbaum, closed a deal with Ten Wheel Drive, and together with producer
Walter Raim the band released its first album
, Construction #1.
Ten Wheel Drive's first big concert
appearance was in 1969 at the Fillmore East
in New York City
. Apart from the band's intense musical presence, Ravan caused some excitement when she took off her transparent vest and continued the performance half-naked with painted breasts and shoulders.
In the summer of the same year, Ten Wheel Drive appeared at the Atlanta Pop Festival
. On this occasion Ravan and Janis Joplin, who had previously often been compared, met in person for the second time, having first met at Steve Paul's club The Scene when Joplin sat in with the band.
In 1970, Ten Wheel Drive released their second album, Brief Replies, with producer Guy Draper. By then many of the brass musicians had also been replaced. 1971 saw Ten Wheel Drive performing at Carnegie Hall
. The project consisted of a rock opera based on the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the history of the Native North American
peoples. The American Symphony Orchestra
and a choir participated in the project. Polydor finally decided against the recording
of the event and was later criticized for its bad judgment.
Also in 1971, the band's third album Peculiar Friends appeared, for the first time produced by Schefrin and Zager. Ravan’s decision to leave the band and start her solo career at this time was presumably influenced by the record company’s attitude towards the Carnegie Hall concert. She was replaced by Annie Sutton of The Rascals
. Schefrin and Zager later contributed to Ravan’s first solo album.
Ten Wheel Drive left Polydor and their fourth and final album, Ten Wheel Drive (1974), was released by Capitol Records
. The album includes one song which had earlier been composed
by Ravan with Schefrin and Zager, "Why Am I So Easy to Leave". With this record the already loose cooperation between the band's musicians ended.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion
Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
that existed from 1968 to 1974.
History
In 1968, after the final break-up of the all-female rock bandRock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Goldie & The Gingerbreads
Goldie & the Gingerbreads
Goldie & the Gingerbreads was an all-female American rock band from 1962 to 1967 consisting of 3 musicians and a singer. They were the first all-female rock band signed to a major record label....
, Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan
Genya Ravan, aka Goldie Zelkowitz is an American rock singer and producer. She is the former lead singer of The Escorts, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive....
was looking for a new band, as were two New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
musicians and songwriters, Michael Zager
Michael Zager
Michael Zager has produced, composed, and/or arranged original music in a wide range of musical idioms, including commercials, albums, network television, and as a source for theme music for films....
and Aram Schefrin. Acquainted by their managers, the three musicians would become the nucleus of the new band. Their origins and artistic backgrounds were very different and at first the music was not to Ravan’s liking.
More musicians had to be found for the rhythm
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
and brass
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
sections. With the exception of Ravan, only people who were able to read sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
were hired. In 1969 the band started to perform regularly and attract positive reviews, and comparisons were drawn between Ravan and Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
.
At the same time, Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
was forming an American division. Its new President, Jerry Schoenbaum, closed a deal with Ten Wheel Drive, and together with producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Walter Raim the band released its first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Construction #1.
Ten Wheel Drive's first big concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
appearance was in 1969 at the Fillmore East
Fillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Apart from the band's intense musical presence, Ravan caused some excitement when she took off her transparent vest and continued the performance half-naked with painted breasts and shoulders.
In the summer of the same year, Ten Wheel Drive appeared at the Atlanta Pop Festival
Atlanta International Pop Festival (1969)
The first Atlanta International Pop Festival was a music festival held at the Atlanta International Raceway on the July Fourth and weekend, 1969, more than a month before Woodstock. It was organized by Alex Cooley, who later went on to organize the Texas International Pop Festival. The crowd...
. On this occasion Ravan and Janis Joplin, who had previously often been compared, met in person for the second time, having first met at Steve Paul's club The Scene when Joplin sat in with the band.
In 1970, Ten Wheel Drive released their second album, Brief Replies, with producer Guy Draper. By then many of the brass musicians had also been replaced. 1971 saw Ten Wheel Drive performing at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
. The project consisted of a rock opera based on the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the history of the Native North American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
peoples. The American Symphony Orchestra
American Symphony Orchestra
The American Symphony Orchestra is a New York-based American orchestra founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski, then aged 80. Following Maestro Stokowski's departure, Kazuyoshi Akiyama was appointed Music Director of the American Symphony Orchestra from 1973-1978. Music Directors during the early...
and a choir participated in the project. Polydor finally decided against the recording
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
of the event and was later criticized for its bad judgment.
Also in 1971, the band's third album Peculiar Friends appeared, for the first time produced by Schefrin and Zager. Ravan’s decision to leave the band and start her solo career at this time was presumably influenced by the record company’s attitude towards the Carnegie Hall concert. She was replaced by Annie Sutton of The Rascals
The Rascals
The Rascals were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the U.S. #1 hits "Good Lovin'" , "Groovin'" , and "People Got to Be Free"...
. Schefrin and Zager later contributed to Ravan’s first solo album.
Ten Wheel Drive left Polydor and their fourth and final album, Ten Wheel Drive (1974), was released by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. The album includes one song which had earlier been composed
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
by Ravan with Schefrin and Zager, "Why Am I So Easy to Leave". With this record the already loose cooperation between the band's musicians ended.
Line-up
| Founding Members | |
| vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... , Harmonica Harmonica The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... , Tambourine Tambourine The tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all.... : |
Genya Ravan Genya Ravan Genya Ravan, aka Goldie Zelkowitz is an American rock singer and producer. She is the former lead singer of The Escorts, Goldie & the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive.... |
| Guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... , vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... , Banjo Banjo In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new... , Percussion Percussion instrument A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... : |
Aram Schefrin |
| Organ Organ (music) The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with... , Piano Piano The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... , Clarinet Clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed... : |
Michael Zager Michael Zager Michael Zager has produced, composed, and/or arranged original music in a wide range of musical idioms, including commercials, albums, network television, and as a source for theme music for films.... |
| Various musicians on other instruments | |
| Bass Bass (instrument) Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles... : |
Bill Takas, Bob Piazza, Blake Hines |
| drums Drum kit A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... , Percussion Percussion instrument A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... : |
Leon Rix, Allen Herman, David Williams |
| Cello Cello The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is... : |
Leon Rix |
| Flute Flute The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening... : |
Jay Silva, Louie Hoff, Dave Liebman Dave Liebman Dave Liebman is an American saxophonist and flautist. In June 2010, he received a NEA Jazz Masters lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts.-Biography:... |
| Trumpet Trumpet The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air... : |
Jay Silva, Richard Meisterman, Peter Hyde, Steve Satten, John Gatchell, John Eckert, Dean Pratt, Danny Stiles, Frank Frint (NOT a real musician, some other players were in this spot) |
| Saxophone Saxophone The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... : |
Louie Hoff, Dave Liebman |
| Trombone Trombone The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate... : |
Dennis Parisi, Bill Watrous Bill Watrous William Russell Watrous III is a jazz trombonist. He is perhaps best known by casual fans of jazz music for his rendition of Sammy Nestico's arrangement of the Johnny Mandel ballad "A Time for Love," which he recorded on a 1993 album of the same name... , Tom Malone Tom Malone (musician) Tom "Bones" Malone is an American jazz musician. As his nickname implies, he specializes on the trombone, but also plays trumpet, tuba, tenor sax, baritone sax, flutes, piccolo, and other instruments.... |
| Flugelhorn Flugelhorn The flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus... : |
Jay Silva, Peter Hyde, Richard Meisterman, Steve Satten, John Gatchell, John Eckert |
| Woodwinds Woodwind instrument A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate... : |
Alan Gauvin |
| Last line-up | |
| vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... : |
Annie Sutton |
| Organ Organ (music) The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with... , Clarinet Clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed... , Keyboards Keyboard instrument A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... , Vibraphone Vibraphone The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family.... : |
Michael Zager |
| Guitar Guitar The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... , vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... : |
Aram Schefrin |
| Piano Piano The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... , Keyboard Keyboard instrument A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... : |
Don Grolnick Don Grolnick Don Grolnick was an American jazz and pop pianist and composer, most noteworthy for his work with artists such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Billy Cobham, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Bob Mintzer, Dave Holland and Steely Dan... |
| Trombone Trombone The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate... : |
Gerry Chamberlain |
| drums Drum kit A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... , Percussion Percussion instrument A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... : |
Barry Lazarowitz |
| Bass Bass (instrument) Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles... , Violin Violin The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello.... : |
Harry Max |
| Trumpet Trumpet The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air... , Flugelhorn Flugelhorn The flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus... , Horn Horn (instrument) The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player .... : |
Dean Pratt, John Gatchell |
| Woodwinds Woodwind instrument A woodwind instrument is a musical instrument which produces sound when the player blows air against a sharp edge or through a reed, causing the air within its resonator to vibrate... : |
Ed Xiques |
| Choir Choir A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus... : |
Daryl Hall Hall & Oates Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."... , John Oates Hall & Oates Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."... , Tom Cosgrove, Joey Ward |
Discography
- Construction #1 - 1969, Polydor
- Brief Replies - 1970, Polydor
- Peculiar Friends - 1971, Polydor
- TWD - 1974, Capitol Records
External links
- [ Ten Wheel Drive entry at allmusic.com]
- Michael Zager biography
- Ten Wheel Drive on Genya Ravan's website
- Podcast - The Ten Wheel Drive Chronicles (rss file)
- Horn Rock Heaven blog
- Horn Rock Heaven at MySpace