A.B. Skhy

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A.B. Skhy
Also known as New Blues
Origin Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Genres Electric blues
Years active 1968–Early 1970s
Labels MGM
Past members Terry Anderson
Dennis Geyer
Jim Marcotte
Howard Wales
James "Curley" Cooke
Rick Jaeger

A.B. Skhy (originally New Blues) was an American electric blues band from Milwaukee formed in 1968. They recorded two albums before splitting up in the early 1970s.

History

Formed in Milwaukee in the late 1960s as New Blues, the band comprised Dennis Geyer (guitar, vocals), Jim Marcotte (bass guitar), Terry Anderson (drums), and Howard Wales (keyboards).[1] Wales had previously played with artists such as James Brown and Freddie King.[2] They relocated to San Francisco and changed the band name to A.B. Skhy, building a following with live performances.[1] They were signed by MGM Records and worked with producer Richard Delvy on their self-titled debut album, released in 1969.[1] The album featured contributions from guitarist Russell DaShiell, harmonica player Jim Liban, and flautist Otis Hale and spawned the single "Camel Back", which reached number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1][3]

The group then split, with Andersen and Wales leaving, the latter going on to play with Harvey Mandel, Jerry Garcia, and The Grateful Dead.[1][2] Geyer and Marcotte recruited drummer Rick Jaeger and guitarist James "Curley" Cooke (formerly of The Versitones and The Steve Miller Band), and the new lineup recorded a second album, Ramblin' On, in March 1970 with Kim Fowley and Michael Lloyd producing.[1][3] The album included a mixture of cover versions and original songs by Cooke.[1]

A third album was started but the band split up before it was completed.[1][3] Cooke went on to play in Cat and the Fiddle and with Boz Scaggs and Ben Sidran (who had played harpsichord on Ramblin' On), and released the solo album Gingerman in 1980.[1] Jaeger joined DaShiell in Crowfoot and recorded with several artists as a session player.[1]

Discography

Albums

  • A.B. Skhy (1969), MGM
  • Ramblin' On (1970), MGM
Compilations
  • A.B. Skhy featuring Howard Wales, One Way
  • Clear Blue Sky (2010), K-Tel

Singles

  • "Camel Back"/"Just What I Need" (1969), MGM - US no. 100

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Joynson, Vernon (2004) Fuzz Acid and Flowers Revisited, Borderline Productions, ISBN 1-899855-14-9, p. 2
  2. 2.0 2.1 Jackson, Blair (2000) Garcia: an American Life, Penguin Books Australia, ISBN 978-0140291995, p. 186
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Ruhlmann, William "A.B. Skhy Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved June 30, 2013