Saturday Night Attitude Dancing at the 2024 Birthday for Guitar Wizard Randy California of Spirit

by Robert Wilkinson

Our Saturday dance features some amazing music courtesy of the legendary lead player of one of the most original and exciting bands of the 60s and 70s, Spirit! Because this music is so great, we begin early. Get ready for some awesome guitar and drum work!

Today would have been the 73rd birthday of an awesome musical force majeure, Randy California (born Randy Wolfe (February 20, 1951 – January 2, 1997), lead guitarist and co-founder with his jazz drumming legend step-father Ed “Cass” Cassidy of the Southern California progressive rock band Spirit. From wiki, “He was 15 years old when his mother Bernice Pearl and new stepfather, Ed Cassidy … moved to New York City in the summer of 1966 because Cassidy had a number of jazz gigs lined up. It was there, at Manny's Guitars, that Randy met Jimi Hendrix.

He played in Hendrix's band Jimmy James and the Blue Flames that Summer. California, Cassidy and Pearl lived in an apartment building in Forest Hills (Queens), New York called the Balfour, whose other residents included future Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker, who cites California's blues-based guitar style as an influence on his own playing.

The stage name "Randy California" was given to him by Hendrix to distinguish him from another Randy in the band, Randy Palmer, whom Hendrix dubbed "Randy Texas". When Hendrix and California were invited to come to England by Chas Chandler, former bassist of British Invasion band the Animals—who became Hendrix's manager and producer—Randy's parents refused to allow him to go, insisting the 15-year-old stay and finish high school…."

Together with Cassidy, songwriter/front-man Jay Ferguson (May 10, 1947), bassist Mark Andes (February 19, 1948) with whom California and Cassidy initially had formed a band called the Red Roosters, and keyboardist John Locke (September 25, 1943 – August 4, 2006), California founded the band Spirit. Their first, self-titled, album was released in January 1968, a month before California's 17th birthday.

He then wrote the band's biggest hit, 1968's "I Got a Line on You" for Spirit's second album, The Family That Plays Together. He also wrote the single "1984", released in early 1970 and banned from most AM radio stations at that time. He also penned Spirit's other hit, "Nature's Way", for the band's best-selling album, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus….”

I saw them 3 times in Austin, and they were truly a great band, regardless of the lineup, which always featured Randy and Ed! For your enjoyment, Spirit!

We begin with Spirit on French tv in 1970 performing their hit from their first album “Fresh Garbage” From the same gig, another great performance! Here are two gems written by Randy California! “1984” and “I Got A Line On You.”

Here’s the very exciting music video of “I Got A Line On You”

A gem! It's the original lineup in an exciting psychedelic video made in LA in 1970 cranking out “1984” This year I found it again! Here’s a great live clip from 1970 on Beat Club of Spirit doing “1984”

It’s back! For your enjoyment, their 43 minute audio set from the legendary 1969 Texas International Pop Festival! Spirit At the Texas International Pop Festival – 1969. (This had just happened when I hit the UT campus in September of 1969, and people were buzzing!)

Here’s a great 2+ hour live show from the Fillmore West in May, 1970! Spirit At the Fillmore West - 1970

Last year I also had a great hour and 23 radio broadcast from New Year’s Eve 1971 featuring the original line up, but this year it’s gone. However, from that show I did find “Hey Joe”

From the Silver Dollar Saloon in Lansing in 1975, a rocking version of “Dark Eyed Woman” (the 8+ minute clip of “Elijah” has disappeared.)

From Glastonbury in 1982, Randy's very live grinding out "Second Child" and the very rocking "This Is It."

From 1984 in SF, a great live performance of their first hit, the very hypnotic “Mechanical World”

From their 1989 European tour, we have some great videos from various shows! “Ship of Fools” which we’ll follow with “Tent of Miracles.” We now move into “Stuttgart Says Goodbye” followed by “Old Black Magic”

We continue the show with “Borderline” and “Zandu” and bring it home with “Burning Love” and “Deep in this Land”

To get a sense of how Spirit was so different from other bands of the era, here are some of their early albums that blew the doors down!

Their first album was revolutionary, since it created a sound that was never known before then! The first three songs (“Fresh Garbage,” “Uncle Jack,” and “Mechanical World”) are a seamless suite of rock, jazz, and psychedelia! The fourth, “Taurus,” is what Jimmy Page reworked in “Stairway to Heaven.” For your enjoyment, Spirit

A brief aside! I found this early demo clip from 1967, very much in the Spirit of what they were about! Randy was very young when they cut “If I Had A Woman” and “I Can’t Stand It”

From their first album, one of my all-time favorites titled "Elijah."

From their second album, a tune Ed and Randy wrote! "It's All the Same."

From 1968, their second album which rocks! The Family that Plays Together

From 1969, their third album! Clear Spirit

From 1970, their 4th legendary album, The 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus

Randy and Ed hung together after the breakup of the original lineup. Remember that Randy and Jimi were tight, and Jimi was on record that Randy was his favorite guitarist. When Jimi died, it hit Randy very hard and he left Spirit to do a few solo albums. This was his first, a 1972 album where he went all out Hendrix tribute on us with Ed and Noel Redding of the Experience! Most have never heard this magnificent guitar tribute, so get ready for pure psychedelia! Kapt Kopter and His (Fabulous) Twirly Birds

To give you a sense of how far out he got, this one has Cass on drums and Fuzzy Knight on Bass. It is definitely the most psychedelic version of this song you'll ever hear! "Mother and Child Reunion"

From 1981, a 26 min. radio interview by Jeff Gold with Ed and Randy about the 1971 Potatoland years when Randy and Ed were Kaptain Kopter & The Fabulous Twirlybirds. Jeff Gold Interviews Ed Cassidy and Randy California - 1981

From a few years later, an equally trippy offering! The Original Potatoland

Here was a live 47 minute album released from that period. For your enjoyment, Spirit Live.

The original group got back together for a reunion album in 1983. This was the result. Spirit ‘84

From 1989, their last "proper" album with all new tracks! It rocks! Jay's missing, and Mark only plays on 2 tracks, but it's still Spirit! Rapture in the Chambers

The album after that was a Randy/Ed production, Tent of Miracles Bonus! After the album, there are a lot more clips from a bunch of their live shows, so you’ll get great stuff on this one!)

Recorded in 1993 in Encinitas, a town I once lived in and loved! This is live video featuring Randy and Ed with an appearance by John Locke. For your enjoyment, an hour and 33 of Spirit Live at La Paloma

Here was their last album, as Randy died shortly after its release. California Blues

Time for some final performances!

These three videos from 1989 in Toledo are great! The first two are from Sardonicus, the very tuned-in “Nature’s Way” and one which was written for Ed Cassidy, the great “Mr. Skin.” Our third clip from that show was their encore, a cover of Bob Dylan’s classic “Like A Rolling Stone”

Because the song is so cool, from Rockpalast in 1978, an audio version of “Mr. Skin” (The whole show is one of our encores!)

Last year I had a great audio-only clip from Huntington Beach in 1978 of “Stone Free” but it’s disappeared. As I told you earlier, Randy California played second lead as a teenager in Jimi’s band in NY, before the Experience. It is said he was Jimi’s favorite guitarist, and so this tribute clearly shows the bond of respect from Randy to the Guitar Master. However, even though the magnificent 7 minute clip of Ed and Randy performing the electrifying “Stone Free” is gone, I found this performance from March 1978 at the Rainbow in London of “Stone Free”

Still cranking in 1992 on Dennis Miller, Spirit getting it on with their biggest hit “I Got A Line On You”

From 1988’s “Night of the Guitar” tour, a great 6 minute clip of Randy talking about meeting Jimi and being asked to join the band, followed by his tribute performance of “Hey Joe” From the same event, with Steve Hunter on second lead, “Groove Thing.”

Here’s the finale of that show, featuring Randy and four other very famous smokin’ guitarists on that “Night of the Guitar” tour. This one has awesome solos by Randy, Robbie Krieger (Doors), Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash), Steve Howe (Yes), and Pete Haycock (Climax Blues Band) in that order. This is some serious guitar work!

It’s easily the best performance of this song I’ve ever heard. Wow. For your amazement, five great guitarists performing a tune written by Lucky Wilbury, “All Along the Watchtower.”

Our finale is some sort of “Star Trek Dreaming.” From the 1977 Future Games album, this one’s out there! For your enjoyment, “All Along the Watchtower.”

Our first encore is a great video, and features Ed from the first beat! For your enjoyment, a full hour and 49 from 1978! Spirit Live at Rockpalast - 1978

Our second encore is an hour and 13 audio-only radio broadcast from 1974 in Denver. Randy California and Spirit – Denver 1974 (Set list: love will open your door * stormy night * america the beautiful * the times they are a changin * happy birthday for sam * my imagination * natures way * satisfaction * kristi * my road * same old thing * urantia * veruska * better run * sunrise * guide me * so little time to fly * go down * its all the same * i got a line on you.)

Here’s a 9 minute mini-documentary of when Randy California met Jimi Hendrix

Here’s a one hour documentary about Ed “Cass” Cassidy, the "oldest performing rock drummer in the world!" Ed Cassidy – the Story of Spirit

Thanks for the years of great music! You turned me on at 16, and your death saving your son shook me. Aum and blessings, Randy, from another of our vintage.

© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson

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