by Robert Wilkinson
Today we begin our musical weekend celebrating the birthday of legendary guitarist Jerry Miller of Moby Grape, and dance to Bay Area rock!
Jerry Miller (born July 10, 1943), was THE guitarist for Moby Grape and after that legendary SF group, the Jerry Miller band. He was voted #68 in the top 100 guitarists in history by Rolling Stone readers, ahead of Eddie Van Halen, Johnny Winter, Robbie Robertson, David Gilmour, Neil Young, Robbie Krieger, and many others. He’s given us some great tunes across the years. From Wikipedia:
… Eric Clapton called Jerry the "best guitar player in the world" when he first came to the U.S. Robert Plant cites Jerry as a major influence for Led Zeppelin – the band even played Moby Grape songs at its first rehearsal. Led Zeppelin and the Grateful Dead are just two of the famous bands that have covered Jerry Miller songs live and on record.”
Tonight we have some of the great cuts he wrote and/or played on which show this guitar slinger at his best! As his bandmate Peter Lewis (July 15, 1945) is also a Cancer, I’ve included some of his contributions as well.
First, from his days with Moby Grape, here’s a great live performance in 1967 on Steve Paul's The View, of two great examples of Bay Area vibe! “Hey Grandma” and "Sittin' By A Window"
A great score which shows you how exciting their live act was! They, Quicksilver, and the Buffalo Springfield were the first groups to feature three guitars all cranking at the same time. Here’s the video of their performance at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival in the 1967 Summer of Love! For your enjoyment, Moby Grape live at Monterey cranking out “Hey Grandma”
For more of that legendary performance, here’s an audio-only clip of “Indifference,” “Sitting By The Window,” and “Omaha”
Live at the Avalon Ballroom, here’s a great 11+ minute audio-only clip by Moby Grape from June 1967 right after Monterey performing "Rounder,” “Looper,” “Bitter Wind,” and “Changes"
Live on The Mike Douglas Show, a lousy video of Moby Grape performing “Omaha” and “8:05.” From that same show, a better video of MG performing Jerry’s tune “8:05”
Here’s a very exciting live performance shot in an LA club as part of the beach hippie drug movie The Sweet Ride. Welcome to a slice of the 60s in the rocking rave up “Never Again”
This 1968 live video performance was shot after Skip became an acid casualty, so there’s only 4 of the original 5. Enjoy their gentle sound of “It’s A Beautiful Day Today”
I found it again! Here the 29 minute clip of their NY meltdown at the Café A Go Go in 1968. Moby Grape Live at the Café A Go Go - 1968 (After this gig, Skip left, followed by Bob Mosley in 1969. Still, Jerry kept on touring, with various original and new members.
From Oct 1968, an hour and 14 audio-only performance! Moby Grape Live at SUNY Stonybrook - 1968
From a SF show at the Great American Music Hall in 1974, here’s an hour and 49 of Moby Grape Live in SF - 1974
From their remarkable first studio album released June 6, 1967, here are a few that show off just how amazing this band was!
“Hey Grandma” (Miller-Stevenson)
“8:05” (Miller-Stevenson)
This was a big hit from the first album, showing what a “three guitar attack” can sound like at its best. (Buffalo Springfield was also extraordinary in their interwoven 3 guitar arrangements). For your enjoyment, “Omaha” (Skip Spence)
“Naked If I Want To” (Miller)
“Ain’t No Use” (Miller-Stevenson)
“Someday” (Miller-Stevenson-Spence)
“Sittin’ By The Window” (Lewis)
“Indifference” (Skip Spence)
From their second album, their most famous tune! “Murder in My Heart for the Judge” (Miller-Stevenson)
“Bitter Wind” (Mosley)
“Can’t Be So Bad” (Miller-Stevenson)
“Naked if I Want To” Second Version (Miller)
Live in 1968, here’s the audio-only track “Miller’s Blues”
From Moby Grape ‘69 Jerry’s county loping groove of “Ain’t That A Shame” (no, it’s not the Fats Domino tune of the same name!)
From the same album, Jerry’s “Captain Nemo”
Here’s the whole album! Moby Grape ‘69
From 1971, MG’s studio version of “Apocalypse”
This year in a peculiarity two sides of Moby Grape Hot Apple Pie are still blocked in the US. These were tracks from Wow many of which were unreleased. Side 1 is gone (25 minutes) and side 4 is gone (21 minutes). Still here are two good sides which still work!
The next part is 33 minutes. Moby Grape Hot Apple Pie Side 2
Side 3 is 24 minutes, and begins with one of my favorites! Moby Grape Hot Apple Pie Side 3
From their 1984 reunion, Moby Grape’s studio version of “American Dream ‘84”
From 2006, Jerry, Peter Lewis, and Bob Mosley reunited to perform “Hey Grandma”
Though this is a celebration of Jerry, I found this clip where Peter Lewis appears live with the Explosives in Austin in 2010 performing his tune from MG’s first album, “Fall On You”
Jerry Miller live! Here’s 7+ minutes of Jerry Miller Live at Uncle Sam's Amphitheater, Spanaway, Washington Dec 2011
From April 2012, The Jerry Miller Band with Terry Haggerty performing at Don Quixote's International Music Hall in Felton California. I found 7 clips with 10 songs from that show!
“Murder In My Heart for the Judge,” “Hey Grandma,” and “8:05”
“Back On The Road Again” and “I Love You So Much”
For another look at what Jerry’s doing, here he is live with Don Stevenson in a full show! Jerry Miller and Don Stevenson at the Children's Music Foundation and Music Aid NW. (let it buffer or it'll stop from time to time.)
For our closer and encore, Moby Grape live in 2010 in Austin at SXSW! This incarnation is fantastic, including original members Jerry Miller, Bob Mosley and Peter Lewis, along with Skip Spence's son Omar joining on vocals and Jerry Miller's son Joseph on drums!
From VH1 in 2000, here's Jerry talking about Moby Grape. Moby Grape - Where Are They Now
Thanks for the tunes over the years, Jerry. Keep rocking!
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For a few laughs, we'll bring this novelty hit back for a spin, because Jerry shares a July 10 birthday with Jumpin’ Gene Simmons (July 10, 1933 – August 29, 2006). Jumpin' Gene is known for one brief gigantic moment in the spotlight, so to close this rockin’ set, here’s the classic “Haunted House” (Yes, the KISS bass player took his name from this one hit rockabilly wonder.)
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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