Blue Mountain Eagle (band)

Blue Mountain Eagle was a short-lived American rock group that evolved out of New Buffalo Springfield in August 1969 and recorded a lone album for Atlantic/Atco Records, which they were personally signed to by label founder Ahmet Ertegun.

Origins

Rhythm guitarist/vocalist David Price (born on September 23, 1944 in Ballinger, Texas) and drummer/vocalist Don Poncher (born on July 29, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois) were original members of The New Buffalo Springfield, formed in September 1968 by Dewey Martin, the drummer in the original Buffalo Springfield.

David Price had previously played with Austin, Texas group, The Chelsea in the mid-1960s and (briefly), L.A-based Armadillo in mid-1968. Price was also Davy Jones's stand-in in The Monkees TV show thanks to his connections with his old friend Mike Nesmith. Don Poncher, who'd worked with Tex Williams when he was 16 years old, had also played with Brothers Keepers in the San Fernando Valley in the mid-1960s.

The new version of the legendary group, which also included lead guitarist Gary Rowles, bass player Bob Apperson and horn player Jim Price, played extensively between November 1968 and February 1969 before imploding when Stephen Stills and Neil Young took legal action to prevent Martin from using the "Buffalo Springfield" name.

In spring 1969, Dewey Martin and David Price formed a second version of New Buffalo Springfield with bass player/vocalist Randy Fuller (born on January 29, 1944 in Hobbs, New Mexico) (formerly of Bobby Fuller Four) and lead guitarist/vocalist Bob BJ Jones (born on November 9, 1942 in Woodbury, New Jersey), who'd worked with Little Richard briefly. The new line up, now going by the name Blue Buffalo, recorded some tracks for Atlantic which were never completed and in June added second lead guitarist Joey Newman from L.A band, Touch.

Joey Newman (real name: Vern Kjellberg) was originally from the North West and had previously worked with Don & The Good Times, The Liberty Party and Merilee Rush & The Turnabouts. After a tour of the North West (billed as New Buffalo Springfield) in July 1969, the musicians sacked Dewey Martin and returned to Los Angeles where they added Don Poncher from the earlier line up.

Signs to Atlantic Records

In August, the group adopted the name Blue Mountain Eagle, which the musicians had taken from a newspaper in Grant County, Oregon during their time with Dewey Martin. After Ahmet Ertegun personally signed them to Atlantic Records, the band recorded its lone album live in one session at Wally Heider's studios in Los Angeles in December 1969. The group toured extensively, opening for Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Love, Pink Floyd and many others.

During April 1970, Randy Fuller left to briefly join Dewey Martin's Medicine Ball and the band recruited bassist David L. Johnson (born on October 21, 1945 in Burbank, California) from Dr John's touring band. The following month, Atlantic released the group's eponymous lone album which only sold a few thousand copies. The group then recorded a version of Stephen Stills's "Marianne" as a single but when that failed to become a hit, the group disbanded around September 1970.

BJ Jones and Johnson went on to form Sweathog (band) in 1971. Newman went on to Stepson and Poncher did numerous sessions.

Sources

Nick Warburton's interviews with David Price, David Johnson, Randy Fuller, Bob Jones and Don Poncher, March-April 2008

External links

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