The Poor (American band)

Last updated
The Poor
The Poor (California band).jpg
Background information
Origin Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres
Years active1960s
Labels Loma, York, Decca

The Poor were an American rock band from Los Angeles, California who were active in the 1960s. Included in their roster were Randy Meisner, who went go on to achieve fame with the Eagles and Poco in the 1970s, as well as Allen Kemp and Pat Shanahan, who later joined New Riders of the Purple Sage.

Contents

History

The Poor formed out of the remnants of the Soul Survivors, a garage rock group from Denver Colorado (not to be confused with the Philadelphia group), who had recorded several singles in 1965 and 1966. [1] [2] Allen Kemp, Pat Shanahan and John Day had been in the Soul Survivors. [1] [2] They moved to Los Angeles, California and when upon arriving teamed up with Randy Meisner, previously of the Esquires and later to gain fame in the Eagles and Poco, and Randy Naylor to form the Poor. [1] [2] They were able to sign under the management of Charlie Green and Brian Stone, who handled Sonny & Cher and Buffalo Springfield. [1]

They cut their debut single, "How Many Tears" b/w "Once Again," which was released on the Loma label in October, 1966 and was produced by Barry Friedman, who had worked with Buffalo Springfield and Paul Butterfield. [1] [3] Freidman produced their next two singles, including their follow-up "She's Got the Time, She's Got the Changes," written by Tom Shipley and Michael Brewer, b/w "Love is Real" and "My Mind Goes High" b/w "Knowing You, Loving You," which both were released on the York label in 1967. [1] [3] [4] None of their records received much airplay except "She's Got the Time, She's Got the Changes," which became a minor hit reaching #133 in the charts and has been described by music writer Bruce Eder as "...showing real garage punk attitude as well as a ton of virtuosity and style..." [1] [3] [5] In May 1968, the group released a single on Decca Records "Feelin' Down" b/w "Come Back Baby," but it failed to chart. [1] [3] The group broke up shortly thereafter. [1]

Following the breakup of the Poor, Randy Meisner went on to join country rock band Poco, appearing on their first album “Pickin’ Up the Pieces”, before departing the band prior to that album's release. After Meisner's departure from Poco, he, Kemp, and Shanahan played in Rick Nelson's backing group, the Stone Canyon Band. [1] Kemp and Shanahan later joined New Riders of the Purple Sage. [1] Meisner then became one of the founding members of popular 1970s rock group the Eagles. [1] Day joined the short-lived group Two Guitars, Piano, Drum and Darryl. All of the Poor's singles were compiled on the 2003 CD compilation The Poor, which also includes the two singles by the Soul Survivors. [1] [6] The Group's complete recordings are included on the Sonic Past Music anthology, Help the Poor: The Complete Recordings of the Poor Featuring Randy Meisner. [5] [7]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eagles (band)</span> American rock band (formed 1971)

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s in North America. Founding members Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner were recruited by Linda Ronstadt as band members, some touring with her, and all playing on her third solo album, before venturing out on their own on David Geffen's new Asylum Records label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boz Burrell</span> British singer and bassist

Raymond "Boz" Burrell was an English musician. Originally a vocalist and guitarist, Burrell is best known for his singing with King Crimson (1971–1972) and bass playing in Bad Company. He died of a heart attack in Spain in 2006, aged 60.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty Young (musician)</span> American guitarist (1946–2021)

Norman Russell Young was an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, best known as one of the frontmen in the influential country rock and Americana band Poco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poco</span> American country rock band

Poco was an American country rock band originally formed in 1968 after the demise of Buffalo Springfield. Guitarists Richie Furay and Jim Messina, former members of Buffalo Springfield, were joined by multi-instrumentalist Rusty Young, bassist Randy Meisner, and drummer George Grantham. Meisner quit the band whilst they were recording their first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, though his bass and backing vocal parts were kept in the final mix. He was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit in 1969, and Messina left in 1970 to be replaced by Paul Cotton. The line-up would change numerous times over the next several decades, with Rusty Young being the only constant member. A reunion of the founding members occurred in the late 1980s-early 1990s, and the band has continued in some form through 2021, though they retired from active touring in 2013, with Young citing health concerns as the primary cause of his retirement. Young died from a heart attack in April 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richie Furay</span> American musician

Paul Richard Furay is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member. He is best known for forming the bands Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey Martin, and Poco with Jim Messina, Timothy B. Schmit, Rusty Young, George Grantham and Randy Meisner. His best known song was "Kind Woman," which he wrote for his wife, Nancy.

<i>Out of Our Heads</i> 1965 studio album by the Rolling Stones

Out of Our Heads is a 1965 album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released in two editions with different covers and track listings. In the US, London Records released it on 30 July 1965 as the band's fourth American album, while Decca Records released its UK edition on 24 September 1965 as the third British album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy B. Schmit</span> American musician

Timothy Bruce Schmit is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He has performed as the bassist and vocalist for Poco and the Eagles, having replaced bassist and vocalist Randy Meisner in both cases. Schmit has also worked for decades as a session musician and solo artist. In 1998, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Meisner</span> American musician (1946–2023)

Randall Herman Meisner was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and founding member of the Eagles. Throughout his professional musical career, Meisner's main role was that of bassist and backing high-harmony vocalist as a group member and session musician. He co-wrote and sang lead vocal on the Eagles hit song "Take It to the Limit".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Peanut Butter Conspiracy</span> American rock band

The Peanut Butter Conspiracy was an American, Los Angeles-based, psychedelic pop/rock group from the 1960s. The band is known for lead singer Barbara Robison and for briefly having Spencer Dryden of Jefferson Airplane as a band member.

<i>In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969</i> 1970 live album by Ricky Nelson and The Stone Canyon Band

In Concert at the Troubadour, 1969 is a live country rock album by Ricky Nelson recorded in Los Angeles during four dates at The Troubadour in late 1969. The album featured the debut of the Stone Canyon Band, which included Randy Meisner, Tom Brumley, Allen Kemp, and Patrick Shanahan, and was Nelson's highest-charting release in three years. The album contains four songs written by Nelson and three Bob Dylan compositions, as well as other songs by Eric Andersen and Tim Hardin. The performances were attended by many fellow musicians and songwriters.

<i>Garden Party</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Rick Nelson and The Stone Canyon Band

Garden Party is Rick Nelson & the Stone Canyon Band's country rock album from 1972. The title song tells the story of Nelson being booed at a concert at Madison Square Garden.

<i>Pickin Up the Pieces</i> (Poco album) 1969 studio album by Poco

Pickin' Up the Pieces is the debut album by country rock band Poco, released in 1969. It was one of the earliest examples of the emerging genre of country rock. Several of the songs date back to Richie Furay's days in Buffalo Springfield. An early version of "What a Day" was included on the Buffalo Springfield box set in 2001.

<i>Poco</i> (album) 1970 studio album by Poco

Poco is the second album by American country rock band Poco. This is the band's first album to feature Timothy B. Schmit who replaced Randy Meisner on electric bass. The Messina-penned "You Better Think Twice" became a signature song for the band. A copy of this album hangs in the Poco exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville along with the jacket Rusty Young wears on the back cover. The album was dedicated to David Geffen who "picked up the pieces".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take It to the Limit (Eagles song)</span> 1975 single by Eagles

"Take It to the Limit" is a song by the Eagles from their fourth album One of These Nights from which it was issued as the third single on November 15, 1975. It reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was also the Eagles' greatest success to that point in the UK, going to No. 12 on the charts. Billboard ranked it as the No. 25 song for 1976.

<i>A Good Feelin to Know</i> 1972 studio album by Poco

A Good Feelin’ to Know is the fourth studio album by the American country rock band Poco. The title track became the band's most recognizable tune from its early days. However, the album did not do as well commercially as expected, discouraging Richie Furay, who would leave the band after the release of the band's next album Crazy Eyes.

<i>Crazy Eyes</i> 1973 studio album by Poco

Crazy Eyes is the fifth studio album released by the American country rock band Poco. Released in 1973, Crazy Eyes was the album with which founding member Richie Furay ended his original tenure with the group.

Jimmy Powell was a British soul and rhythm and blues singer who recorded and performed throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, and is best remembered as the lead singer of Jimmy Powell and the 5 Dimensions, a group that briefly included Rod Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Soul Survivors (Denver band)</span> American garage rock band

The Soul Survivors were an American garage rock band from Denver, Colorado, who were active in the mid-1960s. Included in their roster were Allen Kemp and Pat Shanahan, who later become members of the Poor before joining Ricky Nelson as members of his "Stone Canyon Bad" and later the New Riders of the Purple Sage in the late 1970s. They are not to be confused with the Philadelphia group of the same name.

Arlie Dean Neaville, also known as Dean Carter, was an American gospel singer and songwriter who was active in music from the early 1960s. For several years during the 1960s he recorded and performed as Dean Carter, specializing in rockabilly and soul influenced garage rock displayed in songs such as "Rebel Woman" and a version of "Jailhouse Rock", but in the early 1970s he switched to gospel.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Unterberger, Richie. "The Poor: Artist biography". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Unterberger, Richie. "Soul Survivors: Review". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Markesich, Mike (2012). Teen Beat Mayhem (First ed.). Branford, Connecticut: Priceless Info Press. p.  190. ISBN   978-0-9856482-5-1.
  4. Warburton, Nick. "Down In LA – The Brewer and Shipley interview – part 2". The Strange Brew. The Strange Brew.com. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Eder, Bruce. "The Poor - Help the Poor: Review". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  6. "The Poor – The Poor". Discogs. Discogs®. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  7. "The Poor – Help The Poor". Discogs. Discogs®. Retrieved November 24, 2015.