Joel Larson

Last updated
Joel Larson
Born (1947-04-29) April 29, 1947 (age 75)
San Francisco, California, USA
Genres Folk, rock, pop
Instrument(s) Drums, percussion
Years active1965–present
Labels Dunhill, ABC, Columbia, A&M, Haven
Website Joel-Larson.com

Joel Larson (born April 29, 1947) is an American rock drummer and percussionist who is known as a founding member of The Merry-Go-Round and for being associated with The Turtles and The Grass Roots.

Contents

Early life

He lived near Lincoln Park until he was 12 years old. He took up drumming at the age of 12 and moved near Avalon Park until he was 17. During these five years he honed his skills in the rock music scene of the early sixties. He later joined The Grass Roots. [1]

The Bedouins

In 1965, Larson joined a band called The Bedouins and helped them win a Battle of the Bands in San Mateo. Word began to spread about the band. In late 1965, they were asked to come to an audition at the San Francisco Whisky A Go Go. They performed for nightclub owner Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler who was the head of the new label Dunhill Records in Los Angeles. They were selected to become The Grass Roots, a new folk rock group created by Adler and producer/songwriters P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri. [1]

The Grass Roots

The original Grass Roots were Denny Ellis on rhythm guitar, Willie Fulton on vocals and lead guitar, Larson on drums and Dave Stensen on bass. They moved to Los Angeles and took part in recording sessions and played live performances in the exploding LA music scene. They were one of the first house bands for The Trip on the Sunset Strip. All of The Grass Roots were under the age of 18 so their parents had to sign their contracts with Dunhill Records. They performed as the back up band for The Mamas & the Papas and Johnny Rivers. They appeared on the first color broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show . They performed with Barry McGuire in support of his number one hit "Eve of Destruction". After about a year of live performances and networking in the Los Angeles rock music scene, the group wanted to have more creative control and input on the selection of songs to perform and record. Dunhill Records had a formula for the group already in mind and did not want to vary from it. The group minus Larson returned to San Francisco and continued to perform until Dunhill Records decided to replace them. Larson was offered to continue with new group members but decided to take an opportunity to play with Gene Clark of The Byrds fame. [1]

The Merry-Go-Round and others

Larson then met Emitt Rhodes and formed The Merry-Go-Round in early 1967. The Merry-Go-Round performed at the Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival in 1967 on both days of the music festival. They closed the show on Saturday June 10 and were the second to the show closer on Sunday June 11. This music festival is important because it occurred before The Monterey Pop Festival but did not have a movie to document it for the ages (see List of electronic music festivals). Larson also played with The Turtles in the late 60s. Starting in 1970, he played with Lee Michaels and helped produce the huge radio hit "Do You Know What I Mean". [1]

Rejoined The Grass Roots

In 1971, Larson rejoined The Grass Roots and played with them through the end of their heyday in 1975. He toured nationwide with the group on a heavy schedule in support of Their 16 Greatest Hits , Move Along, Alotta' Mileage and The Grass Roots (Haven Records) albums and associated singles. He also recorded with the group in the studio when returning from the road. [2] From 1976 on, he continued to tour performing their hits in support of the group's last greatest hits album titled The ABC Collection until the early eighties. [1]

Later happenings

In the new wave era, he worked as a dance night promoter in Los Angeles with live broadcasts through radio. He then entered into property management and real estate investment while continuing as a musician in Los Angeles playing with members of The Buckinghams and Paul Revere & The Raiders. [1]

In 2000, Larson started working behind the scenes in the movie and TV entertainment industry as a driver and transportation coordinator. He has built a long list of credits which include major motion pictures such as Mission: Impossible III (2006), The Bucket List (2007), Iron Man (2008), I Love You, Man (2009), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011) and The Avengers (2012). In television, he has worked for multiple years on the Chuck Lorre hit shows Two and a Half Men , The Big Bang Theory , Mike & Molly and Mom . [3] Larson continues as a musician playing live performances with other notable musicians in the Los Angeles area to the present day.

Revisiting classic music groups

In 2009, Larson was playing and recording with The Merry-Go-Round co-founder and solo artist Emitt Rhodes and Counting Crows co-founder Matt Malley. In 2010, Larson took part in the US Premiere screening for "Emitt Rhodes - The One Man Beatles" film at the Rhino Records Pop Up Store in Westwood, California. In 2011, former Gene Clark Group members Chip Douglas, Bill Rinehart and Larson took part in the High Moon Records label launch party at the Roxy in Los Angeles. They celebrated the release of Gene Clark's "Two Sides To Every Story" and Love's "Black Beauty". There was a musical tribute to Gene Clark and Arthur Lee. [1] In 2014, Larson participated with a panel of music celebrities including Henry Diltz, Danny Hutton, Micky Dolenz and Gail Zappa at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles discussing the new exhibit "California Dreamin', The Sounds of Laurel Canyon 1965 - 1977". [4]

Larson was in the heat of the action in the rock music and cultural explosion that took place in California in the 60s. He has left a musical legacy by his work in many rock groups that will be enjoyed by listeners for many years to come. He continues in the entertainment industry helping to coordinate the smooth production of film and TV offerings. [1]

Discography

Singles

(All singles are with The Grass Roots except as noted)

Release dateTitleFlip sideRecord labelChart positions
US Billboard US Cashbox UK
1966Mr. Jones (Ballad Of A Thin Man)You're A Lonely GirlDunhill121
Where Were You When I Needed YouThese Are Bad TimesDunhill2833
Only When You're LonelyThis Is What I Was Made ForDunhill9677
1967Tip Of My TongueLook Out GirlDunhill
LiveTime Will Show the WiserA&M - The Merry-Go-Round 63
You’re A Very Lovely WomanWhere Have You Been All My LifeA&M - The Merry-Go-Round 94
She Laughed LoudHad To Run AroundA&M - The Merry-Go-Round
1968Listen ListenGonna Leave You AloneA&M - The Merry-Go-Round
'Til The Day AfterHighwayA&M - The Merry-Go-Round
1970Uummmm My LadyWhat Now AmericaA&M - Lee Michaels
1971Do You Know What I MeanKeep The Circle TurningA&M - Lee Michaels 6
Can I Get a WitnessYou Are What You DoA&M - Lee Michaels 39
1972Glory BoundOnly OneDunhill3422
Runway, TheMove AlongDunhill3929
Anyway The Wind BlowsMonday LoveDunhill107
1973Love Is What You Make ItSomeone To LoveDunhill55
Where There's Smoke There's FireLook But Don't TouchDunhill
We Can't Dance To Your MusicLook But Don't TouchDunhill
Stealin' Love (In The Night)We Almost Made It TogetherDunhill
1975MamacitaThe Last Time AroundHaven71
Naked ManNothing Good Comes EasyHaven
1976Out In the OpenOptical IllusionHaven

Albums

(All albums are with The Grass Roots except as noted)

Release dateTitleRecord labelChart positions
US Billboard US Cashbox UK
1966 Where Were You When I Needed You Dunhill
1967 Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers Columbia
The Merry-Go-RoundA&M190
1970 Lee Michaels - Barrel A&M51
1971 Lee Michaels - 5th A&M16
Emitt Rhodes - The American Dream A&M194
1972Move AlongDunhill86
1973Alotta' MileageDunhill222
1975Self TitledHaven
1976The ABC CollectionABC

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. F. Sloan</span> American singer and songwriter (1945–2015)

Philip Gary "Flip" Sloan, known professionally as P. F. Sloan, was an American singer and songwriter. During the mid-1960s, he wrote, performed, and produced many Billboard Top 20 hits for artists such as Barry McGuire, the Searchers, Jan and Dean, Herman's Hermits, Johnny Rivers, the Grass Roots, the Turtles and the Mamas and the Papas.

Dunhill Records was started in 1964 by Lou Adler, Jay Lasker, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts as Dunhill Productions to release the music of Johnny Rivers on Imperial Records. It became a record label the following year and was distributed by ABC Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Hillman</span> American musician

Christopher Hillman is an American musician. He was the original bassist of and one of the original members of the Byrds, which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby and Michael Clarke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curt Boettcher</span> American singer-songwriter

Curtis Roy Boettcher, sometimes credited as Curt Boetcher or Curt Becher, was an American singer, songwriter, arranger, musician, and record producer from Wisconsin. He was a pivotal figure in what is now termed "sunshine pop", working with the Association, the Millennium, Sagittarius, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Tommy Roe, Elton John, Gene Clark, Emitt Rhodes, Tandyn Almer, the Beach Boys, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Grass Roots</span> American pop rock band

The Grass Roots are an American rock band that charted frequently between 1965 and 1975. The band was originally the creation of Lou Adler and songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri. In their career, they achieved two gold albums, two gold singles and charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100 a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they achieved Top 10 three times, Top 20 six times and Top 40 fourteen times. They have sold over 20 million records worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Adler</span> American record producer

Lester Louis Adler is an American record and film producer and the co-owner of the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California. Adler has produced and developed a number of iconic musical artists, including The Grass Roots, Jan & Dean, The Mamas & the Papas and Carole King. King's album Tapestry, produced by Adler, won the 1972 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and has been called one of the greatest pop albums of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chip Douglas</span> American songwriter, musician, and record producer

Douglas Farthing Hatlelid, better known as Chip Douglas, is an American songwriter, musician, and record producer, whose most famous work was during the 1960s. He was the bassist of the Turtles for a short period of time and the producer of some of the Monkees biggest hits, including "Daydream Believer" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creed Bratton</span> American actor and musician

Creed Bratton is an American actor, singer and musician. A former member of the rock band the Grass Roots, he is best known for playing a fictionalized version of himself on the NBC sitcom The Office, which earned him five nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Lawrence William Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist who was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles-based session musicians who worked with such renowned artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, the Beach Boys, the Mamas & the Papas, the Monkees, the Partridge Family, Billy Joel, the Doors, the Grass Roots, Jerry Garcia, and Elvis Presley, and as a member of the 1970s band Bread.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emitt Rhodes</span> American singer-songwriter (1950–2020)

Emitt Lynn Rhodes was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer. At 14 years, Rhodes began his career in musical ensembles the Palace Guard as the group's drummer before joining the Merry-Go-Round as a multi-instrumentalist. He has been called the "One-Man Beatles" due to the style and skill of his songwriting and instrumentation.

<i>The American Dream</i> (Emitt Rhodes album) 1970 studio album by Emitt Rhodes

The American Dream is Emitt Rhodes' first album. It was recorded from 1967 to 1969, but released in 1970 as a contractual obligation to A&M Records. The album was reissued in 1971 in response to the success of his self-titled debut album on Dunhill Records.

The Merry-Go-Round was an American psychedelic rock, Los Angeles based band, best known for the singer-songwriter Emitt Rhodes and featuring Joel Larson on drums, Gary Kato on lead guitar, and Bill Rinehart on bass. The group gained inspiration from bands like the Beatles, the Byrds, and the Left Banke for its vocal harmonies and instrumental acquisitions. They used their contemporaries' styles to create their own sound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Grill</span> American singer-songwriter

Robert Frank Grill was an American singer, songwriter and bass guitarist, best known as lead singer and bassist of the rock and roll group The Grass Roots. Though not a founding member, Grill was the longest-serving member of the band prior to his death in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival</span>

The KFRC Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival was an event held June 10 and 11, 1967, at the 4,000-seat Sidney B. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre high on the south face of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California. Although 20,000 tickets were reported to have been sold for the event, as many as 40,000 people may have actually attended the two-day concert, which was the first of a series of San Francisco–area cultural events known as the Summer of Love. The Fantasy Fair was influenced by the popular Renaissance Pleasure Faire and became a prototype for large scale multi-act outdoor rock music events now known as rock festivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Provisor</span> American musician and songwriter (born 1943)

Dennis Provisor is an American musician and songwriter. He recorded on several different labels, including 20th Century Fox and Valiant, under the name of Denny Provisor. He released some soulful singles as a solo artist. He later joined the groups The Hook, Blue Rose, and The Grass Roots. Provisor is a lead singer, keyboard player and songwriter.

<i>Where Were You When I Needed You</i> 1966 studio album by The Grass Roots

Where Were You When I Needed You is the debut studio album by the American rock band The Grass Roots, released in October 1966 by Dunhill Records. Most of the album is performed by the songwriter/producer duo of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. Some of the album features members of a San Francisco band that became the first Grass Roots. The members who recorded are vocalist Willie Fulton and drummer Joel Larson. The A and B side singles released are "Mr. Jones ", "You're a Lonely Girl", "Where Were You When I Needed You", "(These Are) Bad Times", "Only When You're Lonely", "This Is What I Was Made For", Tip of My Tongue" and "Look Out Girl".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Hoh</span> American rock drummer

Edward Hoh was an American rock drummer who was active in the 1960s. Although primarily a studio session and touring drummer, Hoh exhibited a degree of originality and showmanship that set him apart and several of his contributions have been singled out for acknowledgment by music critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Lambert</span> American record producer

Dennis Earle Lambert is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.

"Live" is a song by the American rock band The Merry-Go-Round, written by band member Emitt Rhodes for their only album, The Merry-Go-Round (1967).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Palace Guard</span> American garage rock band

The Palace Guard was an American garage rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. Though the band never obtained national success, they made a huge splash in Southern California with their song "Falling Sugar". The group is also notable for featuring the first commercial appearance of Emitt Rhodes, later a member of the Merry-Go-Round.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 http://joel-larson.com/html/biography.html/ Archived 2018-08-21 at the Wayback Machine Joel Larson's official website
  2. http://joel-larson.com/html/interview.html Joel Larson Official Interview
  3. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1211786/ Filmography [ user-generated source ]
  4. http://www.grammymuseum.org/on-display/special-exhibits/laurel-canyon/ Grammy Museum Exhibit