CHEER 1990

 

Hard-rock and heavy-metal were born in 1968 thanks to the efforts of a trio who relocated to San Francisco. In that year Blue Cheer released two albums with a terrifying sound that staked it all on deafening amplification of the guitar riffs of Leigh Stephens and the bass riffs Dickie Peterson. The group belonged to the psychedelic platoon ("blue cheer" was a name for LSD) and played out its acid trip with a vengeance. Their atomic version of Summertime Blues (1968) by Eddie Cochran, followed by the anthem Out Of Focus (1968), made them famous. 

LOUDER THAN GOD!

 

What can you say about Blue Cheer? You either love them or you hate them. I enjoyed their raw approach to the music they performed. they were the exact opposite of the San Francisco peace and love theme. I was fortunate enough to see them at the Kiel Opera house in St Louis. Their performance that night was plagued by sound problems  but somehow it didn't matter . They were loud. They performed in the form of a power trio and indeed were the proto-punks who created the first heavy metal. lead guitar, bass guitar, drums and a couple of huge Marhall amps.They were for years proclaimed the world's loudest rock band by the Guinness Book of Records By all standards they were indeed Louder Than God!

Track 01 - Red House

Track 02 - Heart Of The City
Track 03 - Nightmares
Track 04 - Out Of Focus
Track 05 - Girl Next Door
Track 06 - Rock Me Baby.
Track 07 - Ride With Me
Track 08 - Livin' Out On The Edge
Track 09 - Summertime Blues
Track 10 - Second Time Around with jam
Track 11 - false encore

DEEP BLUE "C"

 

Blue Cheer - Dining With The Sharks (5/92)
     
Dickie Peterson     bass, guitar, vocals
Dieter Saller     guitar, percussion
Paul Whaley     drums, percussion

Big Noise     4:51     (Bruce Stephens, John Rewind, Dickie Peterson)
Outrider     6:19     (Peterson)
Sweet Child Of The Reeperbahn     4:12     (Saller, Peterson)
Gunfight     6:54     (Saller, Peterson)
Audio Whore     3:54     (Peterson)
Cut The Costs     3:41     (Saller, Peterson)
Sex Soldier     5:06     (Saller, Peterson)
When Two Spirits Touch     3:52     (Peterson)
Pull The Trigger     5:20     (Saller)
Foxy Lady     3:51     (Jimi Hendrix)

Recorded At Foel Studios, Wales
Produced By Roland Hofmann & Blue Cheer
Special Thanks To: Bruce Stephens, Tony McPhee (slide guitar)

 

ONE FOR THE ROAD

This is the last Blue Cheer album made in 2007. I for one will miss Dickie and his approach to his music. I know that he played the music that he wanted to play. So for Dickie PLAY IT LOUD !

BLUE CHEER TRIBUTE

I will end this week's Family session with the Blue Cheer Tribute Cd. This one is a homage to the band by many of today's artists. Were Blue Cheer the first heavy metal band? Were they the loudest band in the world? What would the Cheer have sounded like if Randy Holden had been able to use those giant stacks of Sun Amps? One question only you can answer do you love them or do you hate them? Any way you look at it there is only One Blue Cheer. Thanks Dickie for keeping the monster alive!

DICKIE SOLO

1997 brings us to Dickie's first release without the moniker of BC. He would make another solo effort entitled " Tramp" and then return to BC . The band has made a live one " Live From Tokyo" and a studio effort called " What Doesn't Kill You" Both are readily available around the net and better yet go out and buy it or order it online from one of many outlets.

EUROPEAN BLITZ

1989 gives us the first "official" live recording by the band. Recorded throughout a European tour. Dickie and Paul have been pretty much living their music lives in Germany at the time.
Very much live and raw!

HAPPY FACE

A live show from 1985 from the band at an outdoors venue somewhere in San Francisco. The info I have is sketchy and it states it was recorded in May of 85 .It is an audience recording that really does not sound too bad at all. So drop some of Owsleys best blue cheer and put on that happy face
Thanks to the original uploader for this rare one.

MAXIMUM DECIBAL LEVEL

By now you should have set your volume controls to the highest level possible and be prepared for the return of the Beast. Blue Cheer returns full force in 1984 with this gem. The band is once again a full force power trio with no prisoners taken. Loud ! Did I mention Loud? This LP proves to many why BC were indeed the forefathers of metal and grunge.

THE SECOND TIME AROUND

Blue Cheer seemed to be a thing of the past after the last LP However someone forgot to tell Dickie Peterson. He moved himself off to Germany for many years and continued the every day life of touring and playing. Around 1980 an lp was cut that never got a release. I picked it up from a site that is now gone. I have very little information on the music.There are some redone older Cheer standards and a couple of blues type tunes. The previous posting stated it was Dickie with Paul and an unknown guitarist. I do not know but the lp is obvious that there was more to be heard from Dickie's Cheer Now you can turn your volume up on the music system because from this point things are going up in decibel level

THE TITLE TELLS THE STORY

A last ditch effort by the band as they disappear as we know them. This LP has two great cuts and after that nothing to save it(OMO). The Dickie tune Heart Full Of Soul is very good as He tries his best to stay alive, The cut I'm The Light is one that KSHE radio in St. Louis Played the Hell out of and they deem it as one of their Klassic tunes. I think it's pretty good and breathes a final puff into the last LP. I guess they for pleasantly hoping for a miracle.

LEIGH'S 2ND......AND A CAST OF THOUSANDS

While Blue Cheer struggles to continue. Leigh Gives it a second try with this rare LP. The guitar work is pretty good on this one however after that it's your own opinion. Personally I do not know why this one has been searched out by collectors. To each his own but I will say this would be Leigh's last lp and he disappears from the music scene after this one. Maybe it was the goofy hat? Who knows!

GOOD TIMES SO HARD TO FIND

Another fairly solid outing by the new softer BC but you can feel the weight of lack of commercial success in the overall output. Another member exits, This time Bruce Stephens is replaced by Gary Yoder and the door keeps swinging all the while original member Peterson holds on. Still no sales and it seems like it could be over soon.

BLUE CHEER EVOLUTION

Ah the evolution of Blur Cheer to bona fide rock and roll stars seems complete now. Gone is the three man power trio forever( never say that) and we now have a quartet who can play some pretty good numbers. Success must be on the way! (never say that) as Fool is released as a single. With this LP Paul Whaley has departed the music industry( never say that) and Norman Mayell of the Sopwith Camel takes over the drums. In my opinion this is a great LP and one of my favorites. Don't get me wrong It ain't Blue Cheer as one might expect. Only one problem with this LP. It did not sell. Dickie Peterson is outstanding on this one. His bass is smoothand his vocals let us know that somewhere in this evolution there is still a Blue Cheer to be heard.

LONDON CALLING

So Leigh decides to bolt from the Cheer and heads off to England to record the first of two solo albums. Nicky Hopkins joins him on this LP. Funny how these musicians cross paths. Hopkins would soon go to San Francisco to hook up with Quicksilver Messenger Service. Small World.
Stephens leaves BC to work with Eric Albronda on Red Weather and at the same time Eric is helping put together the next Blue Cheer LP. Ironically this Lp and the 4th Cheer LP are remarkably very similar in style.

EXIT LEIGH ENTER RANDY EXIT RANDY ENTER BRUCE

New and Improved? Maybe. After the dismal showing of Outside/Inside (the Cheer's 2nd LP)
Leigh Stephens leaves the band and is replaced by guitar wizard Randy Holden(Other Half and Sons Of Adam) The band moves to make it's third LP. New and Improved! Half way through the process Randy quits and is replaced by Bruce Stephens on guitar and Burns Kellogg on Keyboards both from the bay area band Mint Tattoo. Interesting change in sound. Softer sound on side one. Side two is pure acid power Cheer. Changing times for Blue Cheer