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STONEGROUND started in San Francisco as a ROCK & ROLL GYPSY CARAVAN, went on a nationwide trek that was captured on film for a major motion picture that nobody saw, ended up in England for a series of BBC radio broadcasts, played Hyde Park and cut their first album (still unreleased), returned to the States and released 3 records to critical raves, earned the loyalty of legions of fans, and splintered apart at the height of their amazing abilities as a musical unit! Whew! Stoneground was literally a stage full of musicians that were, if nothing else, a band that delivered the goods. Similar in scope, and concept, to Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen, these were freaks who had their chops down. They knew how to rock, and they knew that they knew! The Mad Hatter who made all the Stoneground magic possible was local underground DJ Tom “Big Daddy” Donahue. Donahue ruled Top 40 radio before pioneering a new laid-back, album-oriented form on the underused FM dial at KMPX and KSAN. He had started a concert production company and a record label (Autumn Records) that hosted local bar bands like the Beau Brummels, The Tikis, The Vejetables and The Mojo Men. He had taken local guitar slinger Tim Barnes under his wing and given him free studio time. Donahue also had a personal management contract with Sal Valentino; the North Beach lead singer with the matinee idol good looks who had pushed the Ron Elliott-driven Beau Brummels to the top of the charts with “Laugh Laugh”, “Still In Love With You Baby”, “You Tell Me Why”, and more. In the summer of 1972 Donahue put together a film deal with Warner Brothers. His vision was to load a bunch of freaks into a converted school bus, and travel across the country staging impromptu concerts and filming whatever happened. Believe it or not, it was a saleable concept at the time. (Did somebody slip some acid into the drinks of the Warner Brothers executives?) Tom was set to roll out onto the Great Highway when, a week before the scheduled departure, the house band pulled out. That group, which turned down such a unique opportunity at stardom, was called the Grateful Dead. Donahue was frantic and turned to Sal Valentino. Sal and his new trio, including Barnes, were game. In days, as if by magic, four ladies appeared from disparate locales, a few more musicians were recruited, and the wholly unique sound of Stoneground was born. Their assignment was to be the traveling house band for whatever guest artists would play a series of sponatneous mini-festivals booked from coast to coast, and ultimately England. By the time filming wrapped in England, Stoneground had become a force! As Valentino recollects, “When the film was over we were a band, everybody chose to stay together.” The first show on the road was in New Mexico with the B.B. King Orchestra and Rhinocerous. Other shows on the cross-country trek included Alice Cooper, the “Jimi Hendrix of the fiddle”, Doug Kershaw, Delaney & Bonnie, and the Youngbloods. They wound there way across the U.S. and eventually sailed to England where they established a home of sorts. Donahue got them on the BBC for interviews and live performances, then into clubs and outdoor festivals. From England, Stoneground travelled to Scotland, Paris and Amsterdam. They not only picked up a loyal public following but Justin Hayward and Graham Edge of the Moody Blues were showing up at gigs. They also caught the attention of Beatle George Harrison who was a regular follower. Eventually, Stoneground returned to Los Angeles and to a whole different reality. Warner Bros rejected the album they recorded in England and a new first album was quickly recorded at the Record Plant. Although this self-titled debut was filled with impressive numbers such as “Colonel Chicken Fry”, “Stroke Stand” “Added Attraction, (Come and See Me)” and “Bad News” , no singles were issued and there were no hits. By the next year, the band had experienced some changes adding Cory Lerios and Steve Price [later of Pablo Cruise]. The shows got even better and the crowds larger. A live KSAN broadcast from the Sausalito record Plant was made into the second Stoneground release: a double LP called “Family Album”, featuring crowd-pleasers and FM favorites such as Sal’s reworkings of the Johnny Cash standards “Get Rhythm” and “Big River” and Tim’s powerhouse delivery of Swamp Dogg’s “Total Destruction To Your Mind”. Lynne Hughes’ “Passion Flower” even sneaked into the Top 40! The band hit the road for their first full scale national tour where they honed the songs into shiny diamonds. But, by the time they got back home, fractures and dissension in the group had started to develop. Then the other shoe dropped when Warner Brothers cut them from the roster. The support checks from Big Daddy Donahue stopped coming. It was over. Stoneground had all given it their best shot, but rock & roll can be like that. One obligation remained: a sold-out concert at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. No band was ever like this! Eleven musicians that got every crowd to its feet. The DIG Music release is the last night the full group played together. The very last performance of the original 11-piece Stoneground band was amazing. The set includes a turn at the mic by all four ladies, screaming guitar from Tim Barnes, and several Sal Valentino performances including a breathtaking 10 minute medley of Dylan and Hardin. Cover by Randy Tuten Song Samples: |
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