Leigh Stephens (Blue Cheer Related)

Leigh Stephens - And A Cast Of Thousands - 1971 - Charisma

Cast Of Thousands is the second solo album release from Blue Cheer frontman Leigh Stephens. Originally recorded and released in the U.K. in 1971 on the Charisma label, this album is dramatically different from his debut, Red Weather. Cast Of Thousands journeys into more of a jazz, AOR style on most of its tracks. The overabundance of horns and female backup vocals makes it rather annoying at times, but Stephens' superb guitar work does manage to shine through in places. This CD has been re-released in a slightly oversize cardboard gatefold sleeve which reproduces the original albums' graphics. For hardcore Stephens fans or Blue Cheer completists only. © Keith Pettipas, All Music Guide

Leigh lets his blues roots show through, but in the bizarre context of show-tune-style female vocals and horns. The riffs are great and there are plenty of signature guitar moments... odd timed chord changes, sonic buffets of tone... with a rough, Stonesy "Sticky Fingers" texture underneath it all. It's just, well, kind of odd. Standout tracks include the bluesy "Simple Song", Zep-meets-Stones "Oh Lord", and the closing track "Chunk of Funk", a joyous jam with chicks singing over and over "Break me off a chunk of funk / Break me off a chunk of funk..." Folks with ADD will appreciate this album more, perhaps; it's chock full of jarring segues and busy layering. It grows on you, though, mostly for the guitar work, which is really solid. [Please respect that this site and its contents which are copyright 2000 - 2006 and are the intellectual property of the webmaster. Please don't use parts of or words from this site without permission from the Webmaster. Thanks! [© http://www.leighstephens.com/discography.htm

Some of the best English “psychedelic” musicians of the sixties and seventies, including Mick Waller, Dick Morrisey, Tony Ashton & Glenn Cornick played with .Leigh Stephens on this album. The album is more progressive than Leigh’s other solo ventures, and despite all the criticisms of the album, Leigh composed some good songs and also played great guitar on "And A Cast Of Thousands". Listen to his "Red Weather" album, and also Blue Cheer's great "Vincebus Eruptum" album

TRACKS

The world famous soul transplant
Medicine man
Simple song
Handful of friends
Oh Lord
Jumping Jack Flash
Sweet Love Of Mine
Chunk Of Funk

MUSICIANS

Leigh Stephens Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Trevor Op, Paul Maintenance Guitar, Vocals
Pete Sears, Kim Gardner, Glen Cornick Bass
Tony Ashton, Bob Andrews Piano
Roy Dyke, Kevin Westlake, Mickey Waller Drums
Dick Morrissey, Dave Quincy, Geoff Peach, Lyle Jenkins, David Jackson Saxophone
Noel Norris, Dave Caswell Trumpet
Peter Ross, Charlene Collins, Aliki Ashman, Elizabeth Legworthy Vocals

BIO

Rock guitarist Leigh Stephens was a founding member of the power trio Blue Cheer, a hard rock band based in San Francisco, along with bassist/vocalist Dickie Peterson and drummer Paul Whaley. The group was signed to Philips Records and released its debut album, Vincebus Eruptum, in January 1968. Containing a Top 20 revival of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues," the LP soared to number 11 in the Billboard chart. Less successful was the follow-up, Outsideinside, released in August 1968, which reached the Top 100. In late 1968, Stephens, who later described himself as the only member of Blue Cheer not to be "chemically challenged" (i.e., using drugs), was asked to leave the group after criticizing the behavior of his bandmates. He signed a solo deal with Philips and moved to Great Britain, where he recorded his debut solo album, Red Weather (February 1969). Returning to San Francisco, he formed a new band, Silver Metre, with singer Jack Reynolds, bass and keyboard player Pete Sears, and drummer Mick Waller. The band signed to National General Records and released one self-titled album, which was notable for containing three Elton John/Bernie Taupin songs, two of which, "Country Comforts" and "Now They've Found Me" (a/k/a "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun") had not yet appeared on an Elton John album. Silver Metre broke up in November 1970, and Stephens recorded a second solo album, Cast of Thousands (1971) for the British Charisma label. He then formed a new band, Pilot, which featured Waller, guitarist Bruce Stephens (who had been a replacement member of Blue Cheer), bassist Neville Whitehead, and Martin Quittenton. They signed to RCA Victor Records and released a self-titled debut album in 1972, after which Leigh Stephens left the group. His next band was called Foxtrot and featured keyboard player George Michalski, bassist/vocalist Gary Richwine, and drummer David Beebe. They signed to Motown Records and recorded an album in 1974, but it was never released. More abortive projects followed during the 1970s and into the ‘80s, but Stephens did not have another legitimate record release until 1998, when he was a member of a band called Chronic with a "K" also featuring singer/keyboardist Melissa Olsen, bassist Ron Stone, and drummer Ryan Goodpastor that released Ride the Thunder on ChroniCorp Records. In 2004, Stephens self-released his third solo album, High Strung/Low Key. © William Ruhlmann, allmusic.com, http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3pftxq95ldde~T1