Sons of Champlin - "Freedom" Rare Concert Footage

[TheCleahr]

Memories of the past.. the Sons picked me up thumbing to the Ludlow Garage in Cincinnati and gave me a ride.....ironically....I was going to see them perform!!

[3272432724]

I have seen this band maybe 6 times from 1974 through 1975. Always in a small place except Winterland Arena on a Tuesday Night Sounds Of The City in 75 right at the stage in front of Haggerty. ie.Foothill College, San Jose St. Auditorium.ect.

[newspapertaxis1]

@3272432724 Wow! been into bill and the boy's since 1970 always thought they were more accomplished then given credit for . Are you from San Francisco area?

[3272432724]

Thats Terry Haggerty on the Gibson Hollow body.

[Rknbkr12]

Personal opinion, but they were NEVER better than this.

[pacific1waters9]

I agree with srhs420. Saw them at Monterey Community College as the opening act for It's a Beautiful Day. Always wondered what happened to them. HAd there album but lost it.

[GreenGardenNJ]

ALL I CAN SAY IS " RIVER CITY " RICO

[geehowdy1]

These fine members  of the Peace Generation,know how to Make Sweet Music!

Everything is Perfect

[thechzman]

Awesome stuff....who would have ever thought he would lower himself and join Chicago??

[3272432724]

@thechzman He played with Chicago before the Sons...then returned.

[thechzman]

@3272432724 He might have played in Chicago...the city, but he never played in Chicago Transit Authority or Chicago band until the 80's.

[pbossa1]

Bring me back is right.  Saw them at Kings Beach, Tahoe 1969. Still does it for me.

[1chizzneff]

Bringing me Back to the Days..Saw the sons of champlin Ans The sons At the filmore west several time and they never disappointed.....

[pkneall]

I've been listening to these guys since '69...saw them at the closing of the Fillmore West billed as Yogi Phlegm...great to see some rare video footage at last. When everybody else was goin' gaga over Chicago, I was diggin' The Sons...how ironic that Bill winded up in that band too !!

[MrSteveEverett]

in nothern minesota we used to have son partys all weeked eraly 70s we where hip and groove ande high now i get high on the muisic

[jan81948]

do not forget Moby Grape, they were a great California band that never made it also

[MrClearlight]

@jan81948 The very best..5 vocalists,5 songwriters impeccable.

[kenneymusic]

Champlin in BS&T? Sacrilege! It was bad enough he joined Chicago- a man's gotta pay his bills. The Sons preceded both of those bands... and IMHO, exceeded both, as well.

[troydante]

Great song ... but those are really irritating visuals!

[CadillacL]

This is my first time hearing Sons of Champlin. Pretty funky :)

[publiccitizen1]

Rare Find!!!! Thanks whoever posted. I think Bill is currently with "Chicago"

If you think you like this, you really need to check out the Sons entire collection.

Hot stuff!....................... and Bill did you ever get the Andrew Murray Syrah I sent you down in San Diego years ago, or did your friends swill it Haha!

[thatmuse76]

Wow, they sound like a slightly jazzier version of Chicago, no wonder Champlin was an obvious choice to join in 1981, although about the time Champlin joined they had become a spineless soft rock band.

[ghdtv40]

Thank You so so so much for posting this!

It takes me back a to such incredible times!! Fantastic!

Nice to see Live performance of material from 'Minus seeds and Stems'

And it reminds me of the 'Lions Share'

THANK YOU !!!

[tomosoos]

for those of us who where there, these fellows seemed to be from a higher level, so powerful and tight without needing to be too loud. a refreshing and strange experience to hear them live. twice for me. my friends and i totally respected the sons

[Curlybird998]

The Sons were so far out of the box the music industry had no ready-made slot for them. Thank God for the Sons of Champlin.

[Bijoux246]

great video, really trippy! i liked the xylophone interlude too, it's funny to see Bill as a young hippie

[bkeesecker]

Saw 'em at Ludlow Garage in Cincy in or around 1968. Huge, huge fan ever since. Have every one of their LP's, their great reunion CD and Bill Champlin's recent CD. What a great band. Get this ... my daughter's boyfriend flew from Pittsburgh to CA just to see one of the reunion concerts around 2007. He was about 23. Flew back the same day. My daughter told him I was a Sons freak and he couldn't believe it. Showed him all my LPs and he went nuts.

[bkeesecker]

Saw 'em at Ludlow Garage in Cincy in or around 1968. Huge, huge fan ever since. Have every one of their LP's, their great reunion CD and Bill Champlin's recent CD. What a great band. Get this ... my daughter's boyfriend flew from Pittsburgh to CA just to see one of the reunion concerts around 2007. He was about 23. Flew back the same day. My daughter told him I was a Sons freak and he couldn't believe it. Showed him all my LPs and he went nuts.

[patsminicooper212]

Awesome band from back in the day!

[sohooded]

Ah, more nostaligic memories of the late Sixties. We will never see such an amazing time again. How I miss those times.....

[clllark]

first exposure... very psychedelic...

[kynyrdskynyrd]

That is just killer.I saw them many times over the year,Hag rules.

[cloudsblues]

i thought everything about that clip was wonderful.i just got my mind blown a little(in a nice way);thanks...

[hashachar70]

That style of screwy filming was hip then, and it drove me crazy then and it drives me crazy now. I want to be able to watch the musicians play their instruments!

What a concept, eh?

These are such great musicians...wish I could see them, doggonit.

*sigh*

[jimmybfan]

Papa can Play

[jimmybfan]

Sons forever. Chateau Liberte

[fanofprotopic]

their songs "You Can Fly!" and "Get High" are considered classics here in Northern California where the band originated.

[OozilyAmeezed]

I don't usually like tricky video editing, but whoever put this together did some exceptional work.

[kc4x4nut]

looking for pictures that have tim in them,

[elaedctr]

Wow! Is that Bill Champlin young!.. It's strange to hear him sing a little out of tune here and there, compared to his perfect intonation from the 80's to the present.

[kc4x4nut]

does any one have any old pics of them

[darbacour]

@kc4x4nut

I don't have pix but I have ALL the LPs my boyfriend gave me over the years we hooked up because that's what it iwas and what kept me interested.

At the time time I worked the Avis counter in San Diego and EVERY rock star tried to hit on me -- I was with the Sons

[SphinxOrb]

Who ever posted this Thanks....this made my night...why didn't I think to look for them on here lot sooner.

[edj403]

Thanks for posting ~Wonderful!

[mmannaxx]

An amazing group. I have their first 3 albums (maybe their only albums but not sure about that part).

[spadecpc]

@mmannaxx You need to check out one they did as a reunion in the mid 90's if you haven't already. Well recorded and they sounded great.

[385Doc]

Sam Andrew (Big Brother and the Holding Company) in an interview with the Marin Times, after acknowledging all the obvious 60's San Francisco bands, states, "I believe the two best bands to come of of the San Francisco scene in the 1960's were The Sons of Champlin and Moby Grape."

[IExposeMormonism]

The SofC often played at the Poppycock club at High and University in Palo Alto Ca. C. 1969. "we",. at age 19 Ran the place. We did the light shows, cleaned it up, ate the food, drank the beer, lived upstairs, booked shows, and we were 19....Then we moved to Medway Forest near Sky Londa where Pranksters, etc did some of the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests. But anyhow, the SofC played at churches in Palo Alto as well.

[AstridZemanova]

saw them in a small club in Saint Louis in 1973

still have the first album as "The Sons" on vinyl

why did they shorten the name?

[Paul186]

Saw them a few times hanging around Berserkly in the

early 70's(?) they were pretty driving. I remember a short haired guy playing a trumpet in a pancho. Oh Yea, their album had to be recalled cuz someone saw a tiny "F-U," on the jacket design (ended up scratching it off each one). Great Band-I Appreciate them more now.

[Fnortner01]

Interesting departure from the album version.

[yongadog]

Why didn't BS&T snatched Bill Champlin up when The Sons broke up the first time?

[thatmuse76]

@yongadog

Yeah, he would have been a much better choice than David Clayton-Thomas who was too Vegas-Lounge for my tastes. I always thought Bill Champlin sounded very similar to Robert Lamm. In fact there were later Chicago songs that I thought Lamm had been singing on that were actually Champlin.

[yongadog]

@thatmuse76 In fact, both he and Laura Nyro should have fronted BS&T. Laura was considered for frontwoman (why not, she was dating Jim Fielder at the time) but her manager nixed. Could you imagine hearing both her and Bill duetting on "Stoned Soul Picnic"?

[thatmuse76]

@yongadog

Yeah, I remember reading that about Nyro. She was managed by David Geffen wasn't she?

[MichaelJudah7]

YO YO YO I was and still am a HIPPY. . .I love The Sons they Rocked my socks off on their Let Get HIGH album vinyl you can get real lost in the High of their music. . .AWESOME Michael Judah

[futsal1958]

Wow, this is the most jazzbeaux side of the Sons that I've ever seen! Many many thanks for sharing.

[doctorkdog]

Anyone out there who has any more Sons stuff will surely win a place in rock heaven by posting it for us mortals. "Jesus Is Coming" was the first 45 I remember around 1965-66. Maybe they wore their spirituality on their collective sleeve, as befitting the fashion of the time, but they still rule as the ultimate psychedelic white-soul band (from San Francisco or anywhere else).

[phildlz]

"He's walking down the road to pray for you and me. He's shouldering the load, can't you see.." Jesus is Coming. Thanks for reminding me. I sent into the Sons and they sent me the 45. I was in 7th grade. I never forgot it.

[singnbob]

oh yeah, awesome band..been waiting too! check out their dvd from a couple years ago! i danced to them til 4am. one nite in berkley in 71.. oh how time flies when your having fun and they had fun.. thanks for posting!!

[srhs420]

Sweet! About time someone post some Sons. The best band from Northern California to never make it.

[thomasbilljr]

@srhs420 love of a woman? anybody have that to post?

[sohooded]

@srhs420 They made it as an underground sort of group. the very besr groups were never very commercial..except perhaps Chicago....

[Lisalee66]

@sohooded The Sons are still kicking ass..check out my page...tons of recent videos from shows I've been to;-)

[sohooded]

@Lisalee66 I am surprised to learn this...thanks for telling me!

[Lisalee66]

@sohooded They've got some dates coming up again Labor Day weekend! Go!

9/4 - Paradise Performing Arts Center - Paradise, CA

9/5 - Concerts At common Beach - Tahoe City, CA

9/6 - Sausalito Arts Festival - Sausalito, CA

[wmn3]

Go Ride The Music (not Go Ride The Wind)!

[wmn3]

Bill Champlin-organ; Terry Haggerty-guitar; Tim Caine-tenor sax; Geoff Palmer-alto sax & vibes; Al Strong-bass; Bill Bowen-drums. They play a medley of Freedom & Nice Time Being (NTB is on Minus Seeds & Stems LP which was never officially released). This is from a 1968 show called West Pole which also featured other Bay Area groups. It's now available on DVD with Go Ride The Wind (featuring Jefferson Airplane & Quicksilver Messenger Service).

[tehama53]

The Sons were bad-ass. You can see the natural progression for Bill to join Chicago.

They really complimented each others style.

I was turned on to LOOSEN UP-NATURALLY in 1970

in Ber-serk-ley at a UC party. That's about

all I can remember. The Purple Owsley was flowing freely along with my grey matter.

[huffbop]

Oh yeah, the BEST BAND EVER out of the BAY. GOLD MINE, what a find. been check'n this band out since 1968. Attention

ALL HEADS FROM BACK IN THE DAY. GRAB YOUR KIDS i-Pod; take off some of that CRAP THEY LISTEN TO and buy them the full SONS OF CHAMPLIN CATALOGUE. SOMEBODY'S GO TO TEACH THEM.

[kynyrdskynyrd]

Wow,I'll say its rare,great stuff. I first saw them for free at Provo Park in Berk. with this line up.Great band always.

[MoneysUncle]

Man, sometimes one forgets how awesome rock was back then. No, no...it wasn't the marijuana. We're just gettin' old, man.

Thanks for posting this great video.

[speakerchef]

That is the Hag on Guitar, and I think that is David on Bass, you could fool me about Geoff but I think whomever they play the

s_ _ _ out of the Vibes! Far as I can go!

[RudeCanal]

I've been looking for this for many years- it's the 1969 SF live performance on KQED TV- performed in the studio, simulcast on KQED FM- part of a series. (I have the audio still on reel-to-reel tape recorded directly by plugging my radio into the tape machine.) Saw these guys a number of times around this period live in Golden Gate Park. Thanks!

[Revlove2000]

OMG Bill is so freakin hot. the Sons ROCK!

[bassandguitarguy]

The Sons of Champlain have a great body of work! If you haven't seen the reunion DVD, Secrets, get it! and the live CD!

[bassandguitarguy]

yeah!

[rtsryder]

Well, a mixture of feelings here....first glad to find this video of Sons of Champlin....but, second, sad not to find more......like 1982A or Everywhere....and so on etc.

[rvfg]

Well, of course the band leader/lead singer is Bill Champlin. Beyond that... for sure that's Geoff Palmer on vibes,Tim Cain on sax along with, perhaps, John Leones. Is that Terry Haggerty on guitar and Bill Bowen on drums? Any others?

[maida1982a]

Reliable source tells me year is 1967 (before recording of first album), and by the time of the recording, the second 1/2 of "Freedom" had been re-worked.

You are right except that Al Strong is on bass and no John Leones (Geoff moves from sax to vibes). Seem right, rvfg??

[rvfg]

Thanks, maida1982a.... Yes, what you've said seems right to me. Thanks to "reliable source" too.

[maida1982a]

Can someone identify the band members and the year this was filmed? I am guessing 1975 or so. Thanks-

Charlie??

[johnthek1234]

I remember when this album came out, what a great video. I saw them a bunch of times back in the sixties...Wow, thanks for the post.

[70sgirl1]

Loved this, thanks!

[juantoletemex]

Thanks for posting!! Saludos!!

[flashpenguin86]

Bill could sing lullabys and I would swoon! Forty years after the fact, Bill still has what it takes to be on the greatest singers of all time. Thanks for posting that rarity with us.

[Lisalee66]

Wow! Now THIS is some funky stuff! What a bunch of hippies! I love it! Hippie or not, Bill's voice is incredible.

Thanks for posting...;-)

Got any more??

[sohooded]

@Lisalee66 You have no idea. There were quite a few of these innovative jazz/rock groups at that time......the music was simply wonderful compared to the boring stuff around today...

[sohooded]

@Lisalee66 Check out Cold Blood, with Lydia Pense; Motherlode,;Blodd Sweat and Tears...very early Chicago....