Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) - PG&E - 1971 - CBS

A really strong set with great rock & soul groove in the best style of some of the other Bay Area crossover groups from the time! The line up here is augmented by some positively soaring backing chorus vocals credited to the Blackberries – a nice counterpoint to the grittier lead vocals of Charlie Allen. The tunes range from an emotive rock & soul vibe to more of a chugging rock groove. Overall it's got some heavy guitar with good wah-wah moments, rock-oriented vocals with a soulful sound! Tracks "When The Sun Shines", "See The Monkey Run", "Short Dogs & Englishmen", "Recall", "Death Row #172", and "The Time Has Come (To Make Your Piece)" and more. © 1996-2011, Dusty Groove America, Inc [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 83.8 Mb] Search this blog for more releases by this band

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Rock And Roller's Lament - Charlie Allen 3:15
A2 Recall - Charlie Allen, Frank Pettricca 4:24
A3 One More River To Cross - D.Moore 2:42
A4 Death Row #172 - Charlie Allen, F. Cook, J. Hill 5:33
A5 Short Dogs And Englishmen - Charlie Allen 6:30

B1 See The Monkey Run - S. Beckmeier 2:34
B2 The Time Has Come (To Make Your Peace) - Ron Woods 3:14
B3 Thanks God For You Baby - Charlie Allen, J.Hill 6:54
B4 When The Sun Shines - Ken Utterback 4:10

MUSICIANS

Ken Utterback - Lead Guitar
Frank Petricca - Bass
Jerry Aiello - Organ
Ron Woods - Drums
Joe Lala - Conga, Timbales
Alfred Gallegos -Tenor Sax
Virgil Gonsalves - Baritone Sax
Stanley Abernathy - Trumpet
Charlie Allen - Vocals
The Blackberries - Background Vocals

BIO (WIKI)

Pacific Gas & Electric was an American rock band, best known for the song "Are You Ready?" released in 1970. The band's history dates from 1967 in Los Angeles. Self-taught guitarist Tom Marshall met bassist Brent Block at a party thrown by Block's former art teacher and formed a band then named "Pacific Gas and Electric Blues Band". It was one of the first multiracial bands to be part of the Los Angeles music scene. An early member was Charlie Allen (May 1, 1942 - May 7, 1990), a drummer from San Francisco, whose vocal abilities were so good that he moved from drums to lead singer, and was replaced on drums by Canned Heat's former drummer, Frank Cook, who had earlier signed to manage the band. In 1968, the band name was shortened to "Pacific Gas & Electric", and included Allen, Cook, Marshall, Block, and guitarist Glenn Schwartz (also of James Gang and All Saved Freak Band). They released their first album, Get It On, that year on the Power record label (it was subsequently released on Big Orange, Kent and United Superior as well). Although it only reached #159 on the album charts, someone at Columbia Records was listening, as they signed the band to a recording contract shortly after their appearance at the Miami Pop Festival in December of 1968. The next album, and the first released by Columbia, was simply called Pacific Gas and Electric (1969). However, it was the next release, Are You Ready, that included their first mainstream hit. The title track reached #14 in the summer of 1970, and featured the backing vocals of The Blackberries. Wholesale changes were in store for the group after recording the Are You Ready album. After a serious car accident, Cook was replaced on drums by Ron Woods, and he stayed on as manager. Schwartz announced his conversion to Christianity onstage during a concert and then later joined the All Saved Freak Band. Marshall also left, and the two were replaced by Frank Petricca on bass and Ken Utterback on guitar, with Brent Block moving to rhythm guitar from bass. This is the line-up that toured in support of Are You Ready. This version of the band recorded a self-titled album in 1971 (minus Block, who had left the band in late 1970), adding Jerry Aiello on keyboards, trumpet player Stanley Abernathy, sax players Alfred Galagos and Virgil Gonsalves, and percussionist Joe LaLa. At the request of the utility company sharing the same name, the band name was shortened to "P G & E". The band did countless concerts, often appearing with other big musical acts of the era. At one P G & E show, writer and film producer Lawrence Schiller filmed his documentary, The Lexington Experience. Disagreements with the owners to the rights to the music caused the film to be shelved after only a few showings, and the only copies known to exist are in Schiller's vault. They made more movie history when they appeared in, and provided music to, the Otto Preminger film Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon, starring Liza Minnelli. Their song "Staggolee" was also featured in the Quentin Tarantino film Death Proof. After 1972, the group's line-up became unstable, resembling more of an Allen solo project. One more album was forthcoming: ...Starring Charlie Allen in 1973 on the Dunhill label, featuring Allen and a host of studio musicians.