Originating out of Richmond California, a tough shipyard town across the bay from San Francisco, influenced by British bands such as Cream, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and The Yardbirds, it's not surprising the Savage Resurrection have a nice hard edged sound. They have played on both sides of the Bay, including The Fillmore, The Avalon, The Red Devil Lounge with Blue Cheer, and 19 Broadway, in Fairfax.
The Savage Resurrection was one of the youngest bands to be signed to a major record deal, signing with Mercury Records in 1967. They soon released their self-titled record 'The Savage Resurrection' which is widely considered to be one of the best albums of 1968 and is played all around the world today. The single also released at that time, "Thing in 'E", is on the recent Grammy nominated 'Love Is The Song We Sing SF Nuggets '65-'70'.
The Savage Resurrection
On their only album, the Savage Resurrection mined a psychedelic sound that was not as heavy and metallic as Blue Cheer (also produced by Abe "Voco" Kesh), but at the same time more garagey in feel than that of the average Bay Area psychedelic band. Sometimes it's pedestrian blues-rock with overlong riffing, as on the accurately titled "Jammin.'" At its best, it has the spacier, folkier, and more melodic feel that was characteristic of much '60s Californian psychedelic music, as on "Someone's Changing."
More dissonant and Middle Eastern influences make themselves known on "Every Little Song" and "Tahitian Melody," and the backup vocals on "Remlap's Cave, Pt. 2" indicate that they did their share of listening to the Who's "A Quick One, While He's Away." Randy Hammon and John Palmer create an intense and thick dual-guitar sound throughout (separated so that Hammon's playing is on the left channel, and Palmer's on the right).
by Richie Unterberger
Tracks
1. Thing In "E" (John Palmer) - 3:06
2. Every Little Song (Randy Hammon) - 1:51
3. Talking To You (John Palmer, Bill Harper) - 2:45
4. Tahitian Melody (John Palmer) - 3:45
5. Jammin' (John Palmer, Randy Hammon) - 8:07
6. Fox Is Sick (John Palmer) - 2:42
7. Someone's Changing (John Palmer, Randy Hammon) - 2:35
8. Remlap's Cave (Part II) (John Palmer) - 2:55
9. Appeal To The Happy (John Palmer, Bill Harper) - 4:20
10.Expectations (John Palmer) - 4:59
11.Thing In "E" (John Palmer) - 3:30
12.Tahitian Melody (John Palmer) - 3:39
13.River Deep Mountain High (Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich) - 3:29
Bonus Tracks 10-13
The Savage Resurrection
*Bill Harper - Lead Vocals, Percussion
*Randy Hammon - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*John Palmer - Lead Guitar, Vocals
*Steve Lage - Bass, Vocals
*Jeff Myer - Drums