"Stormy Times" Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E)

Recorded in Miami in 1969, this is a rare look at the band. Notice no drum kit. The seeds of Pacific Gas & Electric were sown in Los Angeles back in 1966 when self-taught guitarist Tom Marshall formed Bluesberry Jam, whose ranks included drummer Charlie Allen. Allen turned out to be such a fine vocalist that he ended up becoming the frontman; his drum chair was filled by Adolfo de la Parra in 1968. Later that year, de La Parra left to join Canned Heat, replacing Frank Cook who then joined Bluesberry Jam. After adding guitarist Glenn Schwartz and bassist Brent Block later in 1968, the group changed their name to Pacific Gas & Electric.Their first album, Get It On, was released by Kent in 1968, but failed to make much of an impact. However, following their appearance at the Miami Pop Festival in late 1968, Pacific Gas & Electric signed with Columbia, who released Pacific Gas & Electric in 1969. Their next album, Are You Ready, supplied their first hit, the title track, which made it into the Top 20 in the summer of 1970. Despite this success, all the bandmembers left, forcing Charlie Allen to build a new Pacific Gas & Electric around him. Enter guitarist Ken Utterback, bassist Frank Petricca, Ron Woods on drums, Jerry Aiello on keyboards, trumpet player Stanley Abernathy, sax players Alfred Gallegos and Virgil Gonsalves, and percussionist Joe Lala. Around this time, the Pacific Gas & Electric Utility Company asked the band to change their name, which was shortened to PG&E, also the title of their 1971 album. They also appeared in and provided music for the Otto Preminger film Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon starring Liza Minnelli.After 1972 or so, PG&E basically turned into a solo Charlie Allen vehicle. They released Starring Charlie Allen on Dunhill in 1973, then called it quits.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• stormytimes
• PG&E
• pacific
• gas
• electric
• blues
• rickshawshow
• 60's
• oldies
• sixties

[Xaffax]

They are among other things a really good Blues Band...really really good. I mean the stones and the blues breakers were pretty good but they never played blues on this level.

[itchiray]

I saw them live in Houston about 1968 in a great club called The Catacombs. I still have the great vinyl LP.

[74LesPaul]

Great name for a Bay Area Band as Pacific Gas & Electric is also the name for the utility service for the area. "PGE" as we call it. These guys had some good stuff but they never seemed to really take flight as I had hoped they would have back in the day.

[psychedelicsam1]

tom marshall is his name

[progjazzfusion]

@vintageguitarworld - not swartz, but tom the other guitarist is homeless. says so on the pg&e website made by ex members.

[imajeepster]

@vintageguitarworld

one of them ended up homeless...can't recall which, but anyways, it was very sad.

[vintageguitarworld]

@imajeepster Nope, the guitar player was Glenn Swartz who is still alive and playing in a bar in Cleveland Ohio every Thursday night. He was in the original James Gang.

A friend of mine owns that guitar which is lengendary in C-Town.

It's a '66 Epiphone Rivera. The stickers and stuff are gone, buts it's still essenially the same as it was in this video. Nice guitar.

[MrGUITARIC]

THE DRUMMER FRANK CLAYMAN COOK IS PLAYING THE ORGAN BECAUSE HE DID'NT FEEL LIKE BRINGING HIS DRUM KIT SO HE JUST PLAYED ON THE ORGAN. THATS PRETTY BRAVE IF YOU ASK ME. HE'S EVEN BETTER NOW. CHECK OUT THE STELLAR OWLS WITH RANK CLAYMAN COOK & AL ANDERSON @ THE GOOD HURT ON YOU TUBE SO SEE 2009 FOOTAGE OF FRANK @ TOPANGA DAYS AND IS PLAYING ON 6-22-11 @ THE GOOD HURT IN WEST L.A. WITH THE STELLAR OWLS @ 9;00 PM!

[mightycujo]

@imajeepster

Kenny Utterback took his place and is alive and well in Nashville. He also played on the reunion.

[imajeepster]

@mightycujo that's really sad...and apparently the guitarist ended up on the skids.