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Steppenwolf (band)

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This article is about the band. For other uses, see Steppenwolf.
Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf is a rock 'n' roll band, starting out in 1967 and best known for the hits "Born to Be Wild", "Magic Carpet Ride" and "The Pusher". Due to the German background of the band's leader John Kay, they were named after the novel Steppenwolf by author Hermann Hesse.

Background

At the age of 4, John Kay and his mother, after escaping from East Prussia, fled from Soviet occupied East Germany to West Germany (an event recounted in the song "Renegade" on the album Steppenwolf Seven and "The Wall" on the album Rise and Shine), before moving to Canada in 1958.

Steppenwolf had its origins in a Toronto blues band called The Sparrow, which was formed in 1964 and played coffeehouses in Yorkville. By 1967 they had settled in San Francisco, playing high energy mix of blues rock, psychedelia and folk music. Producer Gabriel Mekler of the label Dunhill Records in Los Angeles suggested the band introduce more aggressive beats. With music that pioneered hard rock and heavy metal, they became Steppenwolf. This band's original members were:

Success

Steppenwolf rocketed to world-wide fame after their third single, "Born To Be Wild" as well as their cover of Hoyt Axton's "The Pusher" were used in the cult film Easy Rider (both titles originally were released on the band's debut album). "Born To Be Wild", written by Jerry Edmonton's elder brother Dennis (who was lead guitarist of The Sparrows and the most early Steppenwolf and left them for solo work to be known as Mars Bonfire), reached number 2 on the charts. The song introduced to rock lyrics the signature term "heavy metal" (in fact, not about a kind of music, but about a bike: "I like smoke and lightning, heavy metal thunder, racin' with the wind...").

This was followed by several more hits, including "Magic Carpet Ride" (which reached #3) from Steppenwolf The Second and "Rock Me" (which reached #10) from At Your Birthday Party. Many fans consider their double album Steppenwolf Live (an extended single album in the UK) the best of Steppenwolf's releases, though John Kay expressed a personal dislike for the album in his autobiography, Magic Carpet Ride.

Monster, which criticized US policy of the Nixon-era, and Steppenwolf 7 were the band's most political albums, and are still fondly remembered by fans as two of the best rock & roll snapshots of the attitudes of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Breakup and reformation

The band broke up in 1971 following the release of another political concept album, For Ladies Only, and Kay went on to a successful though inconsistent solo career, scoring a minor solo hit in 1972 with "I'm Movin' On" from his album Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes. Steppenwolf reformed in 1974 with the album Slow Flux, which produced the minor hit "Straight Shooting Woman," then disbanded again in 1976. From 1977 until 1980 Steppenwolf reformed for touring, this time with various former members but without Kay himself. A new studio album, Night Of The Wolf was recorded in 1979 but never released. The new Steppenwolf, according to Kay's autobiography, turned out to be a shell of the original band, and caused the reputation of the band to deteriorate. Lawsuits were fought. To protect the name, John Kay formed a new version of Steppenwolf in the early 1980s and went on tour as "John Kay and Steppenwolf", as well as releasing a solo album in 2001.

The band still tours on a regular basis and enjoys world-wide popularity, and is especially popular in Canada and Ontario, where John Kay began his musical career.

Trivia

In the Neil Young biography, "Shakey", Neil Young attributes his guitar style to the influence of John Kay. Young and Kay are both Canadians. Former founding Steppenwolf member Goldy McJohn once played in a band with Young and Rick James known as The Mynah Birds.

In 2004, John Kay was inducted onto Canada's Walk of Fame, in recognition of his early years as a Canadian citizen and the beginnings of his musical career in Toronto. Whereas any celebrity that meets criteria can finance their way into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, inductees to Canada's Walk of Fame are selected via a supervising committee, and thus must earn their honour. John Kay was present at the induction ceremony in Toronto, and reiterated his strong affection for Canada.

Discography

File:Steppenwolf - At the Whiskey A-Go-Go.jpg
Membership of Pre-Steppenwolf Bands
Band Name Vocals Guitar Bass Keyboards Drums Years
Jack London & The Sparrows I Jack London Dennis Edmonton Bruce Palmer CJ Feeney Jerry Edmonton
Jack London & The Sparrows II Jack London Dennis Edmonton Nick St. Nicholas CJ Feeney Jerry Edmonton
Jack London & The Sparrows III Jack London Dennis Edmonton Nick St. Nicholas Art Ayre Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrows Jerry Edmonton Dennis Edmonton Nick St. Nicholas Art Ayre Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrow I John Kay Dennis Edmonton Nick St. Nicholas Art Ayre Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrow II John Kay Dennis Edmonton Nick St. Nicholas Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrow III John Kay Michael Monarch ??? Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrow IV John Kay Michael Monarch Rushton Moreve Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton


Membership of Steppenwolf
Band Name Vocals Guitar Bass Keyboards Drums Years
Steppenwolf I John Kay Michael Monarch Rushton Moreve Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf II John Kay Michael Monarch Rob Black Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf III John Kay Michael Monarch Nick St. Nicholas Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf IV John Kay Larry Byrom Nick St. Nicholas Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf V John Kay Larry Byrom George Biondo Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf VI John Kay Kent Henry George Biondo Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton
John Kay Band I John Kay Kent Henry George Biondo Hugh O'Sullivan Penti 'Whitey' Glan
John Kay Band II John Kay Danny Kortchmar Lee Sklar Mike Utley Russ Kunkel
Steppenwolf VII John Kay Bobby Cochran George Biondo Goldy McJohn Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf VIII John Kay Bobby Cochran George Biondo Andy Chapin Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf IX John Kay Bobby Cochran George Biondo Wayne Cook Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf X John Kay Bobby Cochran Jack Ryland Wayne Cook Jerry Edmonton


Membership of New Steppenwolf without John Kay
Band Name Vocals Guitar Bass Keyboards Drums Years
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. I Tom Pagon Kent Henry Nick St. Nicholas Goldy McJohn Tony DeSanti
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. II Tom Pagon Kent Henry/
Jamie James		 Nick St. Nicholas Goldy McJohn Tony DeSanti
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. III Tom Pagon Tony Flynn/
Jamie James		 Nick St. Nicholas Goldy McJohn Tony DeSanti
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. IV Larry Green Jamie James Nick St. Nicholas Evan Smith Jack White
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. V Bob Simpson Kent Henry Rushton Moreve John Hall Jerry Posin
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. VI Bob Simpson Ruben Raven Nick St. Nicholas Armond Blackwater Frankie Banali
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. VII Bob Simpson Ruben Raven Nick St. Nicholas Armond Blackwater Jack White
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. VIII Bob Simpson Ruben Raven Nick St. Nicholas Geoff Emery Dick Jurgens
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. IX Bob Simpson Ruben Raven Nick St. Nicholas Geoff Emery Jack White
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. X Tommy Holland Ruben Raven Nick St. Nicholas Geoff Emery Jack White
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. XI Tommy Holland Ruben Raven Nick St. Nicholas Geoff Emery Steve Riley
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. XII Tommy Holland Tony Flynn Nick St. Nicholas Geoff Emery Steve Riley
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. XIII Peter McGraw Paul Nauman Rick Reed Goldy McJohn Robbie Roberti
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. XIV Nick Graham Kent Henry Paul Conroe Goldy McJohn Lawrence Hammock


Membership of John Kay's Bands
Band Name Vocals Guitar Bass Keyboards Drums Years
John Kay Band III John Kay Larry Byrom Bob Wray Clayton Ivey Roger Clark
John Kay & Steppenwolf I John Kay Michael Palmer Kurtis Teel Danny Ironstone Steven Palmer
John Kay & Steppenwolf II John Kay Michael Palmer Chad Peery Brett Tuggle Steven Palmer
John Kay & Steppenwolf III John Kay Michael Palmer Welton Gite Michael Wilk Steven Palmer
John Kay & Steppenwolf IV John Kay Michael Palmer Gary Link Michael Wilk Steven Palmer
John Kay & Steppenwolf V John Kay Rocket Richotte Michael Wilk Michael Wilk Ron Hurst
John Kay & Steppenwolf VI John Kay Les Dudek Michael Wilk Michael Wilk Ron Hurst
John Kay & Steppenwolf VII John Kay Steve Fister Michael Wilk Michael Wilk Ron Hurst
John Kay & Steppenwolf VIII John Kay Danny Johnson Michael Wilk Michael Wilk Ron Hurst
John Kay Band IV John Kay Danny Johnson Guy DeVito Michael Wilk Ron Hurst

See also

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