People!

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People!
Background information
Years active	1965 - 1971

People! was a rock band originally formed in San Jose, California in 1965. They started out playing "Top 40" music like most artists but ended up releasing three albums of original material. Their greatest success came with a minor key hit single "I Love You", a song written by Chris White and recorded by The Zombies that never charted in the United States. The People! version of "I Love You", on the other hand, rose to number one in Japan (twice), Israel, Australia, Italy, South Africa, and the Philippines, and peaked at #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1968. They are notable for incorporating two drummers in their live show before The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, The Doobie Brothers, or Genesis. They were also the first rock band to present a dramatic rock opera onstage with the creation of "The Epic".

Band members

• Larry Norman^[1] - singer (1966-1968), later a prominent Christian rock musician
• John Riolo^[2]- drums, singer (1965-1966), later a prominent Hindu/Jewish/Zen Drum builder
• John Tristao^[3] - drums, singer (1970-1971)
• Geoff Levin^[4]- band leader, guitar, singer (1965-1969)
• Albert Ribisi^[5] - keyboards, guitar, singer (1965-1971)
• Denny Fridkin^[6] - drums, singer (1966-1971)
• Robb Levin^[7] - bass guitar, singer (1965-1971)
• Gene Mason^[8] - singer (1966-1969)
• David Anderson^[9] - guitar, singer (1965)

History

People! originated when bluegrass/folkies Geoff Levin, David Anderson, and Robb Levin teamed up with surf music/British Invasion music fans Al Ribisi and John Riolo of the Aardvarks. Founding member David Anderson, who came up with the name "People!" and the bands original logo art work, was with the group for about a year and then left to start his own band "Tree of Life."

Al,Dave,Robbie,Geoff,John

Geoff Levin, who gave guitar lessons to local DJ Mike Hunter, asked Mike if he would like to manage the group. Extensive Early History Here About that same time, People! performed at Asilomar Conference Grounds in Monterey, California where Larry Norman was the opening act. The featured event that night was a prominent speaker "The Father of Geodesics", Buckminster Fuller and the musical acts came afterward. Several days after seeing Larry's performance there, Levin contacted Norman about joining the band, and he said he would certainly like to if his best friend Gene Mason could also be included. Levin, the leader of the band, approved after meeting Mason and hearing them sing together. The six members set out to work.

Levin and Norman had considerable experience behind them with their own folk group The Back Country Seven, but fronting a rock and roll Bband would present bold new challenges that they would certainly have to work out. After many long rehearsals, the new line up of People! started to make public appearances. Mike Hunter used his radio prominence to freely promote all the band's engagements. First there were dances at churches, schools, teen clubs, roller rinks, recreation clubs, battle of the bands, private parties, and even a place called "The Wahtzit Club". After two years of hard work, People! was playing to large crowds, and the group began making appearances at major rock concerts and festivals on the West Coast.

Early People! with David Anderson on Guitar

Backcountry7 (click to enlarge all)

Back:Robbie,Denny, Al, Geoff/Front:Gene,Larry

Gene Mason and Larry Norman

When John Riolo left the band to finish high school, Denny Fridkin stepped in with his drumming, vocal, and writing abilities to join the rapidly blooming writing talents of Larry Norman and Geoff Levin. All three honed their writing skills and encouraged the other band members to write and collaborate. Five of the six members were writing songs by the time of the first album, which contained a variety of styles, including straight ahead rock, hard rock, country rock, psychedelic rock, and classical rock.

In 1966 People! was first signed to Capitol Records and released Larry's double–sided single "Organ Grinder"/"Riding High", which sold lightly. They began working on a first album, recording one song at a time, as finances permitted. As a favor to People! fan club president Cathy Stashuk, the band listened to a record called "I Love You" and added it to their live show. People! later recorded it, and it was released by Capitol Records as a single. "I Love You" was written by Chris White and originally released by his group The Zombies in 1965. The single took off into the US Top 10 for weeks, reaching number #1 in every major market. People! toured and did sold out concerts in major US cities when they were at the top of the charts. The single sold over one million copies, and managed to reach #1 in other countries, such as Japan (where it was number #1 twice, and years apart), Israel, Australia, Italy, and South Africa. It would have been a #1 single in America if it had hit all the markets at the same time and sold during a two week period instead of over several months. In the US, the single was on Billboard Magazine's top-twenty list for ten weeks, peaking at #14 on 17 June 1968. The band changed labels several times, releasing singles first with Capitol Records, Paramount, and finally Polydor. In 1967 they recorded one of the first MTV–style rock videos, which debuted on the Dick Clark show, "American Bandstand".

The Epic was a rock opera written by Larry Norman and Dennis Fridkin, which rock historian Walter Rasmussen claims Pete Townshend has acknowledged as the inspiration for The Who's Tommy, providing him with both the basic idea of "rock opera" and also an essential plot line (involving a misunderstood messianic leader)."^[10] Larry Norman's liner notes for the 2007 Korean re-release of People!'s first album on his Solid Rock label again claim its influence on The Who's Peter Townshend, and reiterate the claim that "The Epic" was "The first rock opera ever written". In discussing Townshend's changing claims regarding the inspiration for Tommy, Norman writes: "It's show biz, baby. You can't admit you nicked the idea off an obscure, one hit wonder."^[11].

In April 1968, all of the band (except Mason and Norman) converted to Scientology at the Santa Clara Scientology Center.

According to Jesus Music historian David Di Sabatino, "Larry Norman left People! on the very day of their first album's release, citing interference from the record label, including censorship of songs and changing the name of the album from a potentially controversial title, We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus and a Lot Less Rock 'n' Roll to a more commercially acceptable I Love You.

The People! second album, Both Sides of People! (1969) (Capitol ST-151), contained one song written by Norman, "She's a Dancer." The rest of the album consisted of one cover song, one composition by Gene Mason and two new songs: "Lucky John" and "Pirate Bill".

Third album and after

Before the release of their third album, There are People and There are People (1970) (Paramount PAS-5013), the group lost Gene Mason on lead vocals, and Geoff Levin on lead guitar. The addition of brass consequently changed their sound considerably. Bruce Eason sang for the band for about three months, including several television appearances, and left before their third album. Eason recalls, "I appeared as lead singer for the band on American Bandstand and Sam Riddle's "9th Street West". I used the stage name Scott Eason on the shows. I also participated in some unreleased studio recording that we did at Rainbow Studios in Hollywood as well." ^[12]

The band regrouped one more time without Robb Levin, but, achieving no further success, disbanded permanently in 1971. In 1974, Norman and Mason reunited for a one-night only concert at UCLA to raise funds for The Israeli Fund. This concert was recorded live and released in 1980 as Larry Norman and People! - The Israel Tapes - 1974 A.D.. In the summer of 2006, Dennis Fridkin, Gene Mason, and Larry Norman got together to perform a People! reunion concert at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. The concert was recorded and released on Norman's Solid Rock label.

John Tristao^[3], who joined People! after the departure of Norman and Mason, was inducted into the San Jose Rocks Hall of Fame in its inaugural class in October 2006. On October 19, 2007, People! was inducted into the San Jose Rocks Hall of Fame and the most successful lineup (including Larry Norman, Gene Mason, Denny Fridkin, Albert Ribisi, Robb Levin, John Riolo, and Geoff Levin performed together for the first time since 1969)^[13][14]

After break-up

• Larry Norman had started performing his self–written songs in 1956. He went on to perform for Ted Mack's Amateur Hour TV show when he was thirteen, signed with Capitol Records when he was eighteen, and opened for Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Byrds, and others with People! In 1968, Norman left People! and moved to Hollywood. He was asked to be one of the leads in Hair, and also offered a solo contract from Capitol Records. He passed on Hair and released his first solo album entitled Upon This Rock. He went on to long career in music before dying of heart disease in February 2008.

• Dennis Fridkin once said he had come to San Jose State for pre–med studies "because it was the only college that would accept me." Two hours after his arrival at the bus terminal, long haired rocker Larry Norman approached him in an electronics store and asked if he played drums. In merely two weeks, Fridkin was drumming for a full house with People! at the San Jose Civic Auditorium, opening for Paul Revere and the Raiders. When People! turned down an extensive Australian tour, Fridkin decided to go his own way and he retired from People!. He went back to school and completed his medical degree and opened up his own clinic for chiropractic and holistic health, and successfully ran the business for twelve years. He later returned to showbiz, this time writing several musicals, which were performed in Las Vegas and Palm Springs. In 2005 he re–united with Norman and toured parts of Europe and America as Norman's musical director and keyboardist.

• Gene Mason went on to form his own very successful band Carrousel in California and was very successful in Los Angeles and in the San Francisco Bay Area after retiring from People! Mason also became the lead guitarist for Carrousel, and continued to record with his own group and People! vets Denny Fridkin and Larry Norman. Norman and Mason actually reformed People! in 1974 for recording sessions and a benefit concert for The Israel Fund. Mason's love for bluegrass never died, however, and he gravitated back into several prominent groups throughout California, including the Stoney Hill Bluegrass Band, Western Lights, and The Borderline Bluegrass Band. Mason later moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and played lead guitar and sang for various country and western bands.

• Geoff Levin is a founding member of the internationally popular "storytelling and music group" Celestial Navigations^[15] and has toured and released CD performances with the group for over 25 years. Geoff is also an award-winning composer, orchestrator and songwriter equally at home writing on guitar or keyboards. Mr.Levin has numerous TV and cable shows and series to his credit, including a three-part series for The Learning Channel called Science at the Edge, National Geographic's Quest for K2, and the Discovery Channel's special Valley of the T-Rex. He has provided additional music for Friends, Saturday Night Live, The Sopranos, Roswell, All My Children, Family Matters, Good Morning America, and 20/20, and has scored over 30 films and countless television presentations. Geoff was an early participant in Scientology's Celebrity Center and spent time with L. Ron Hubbard on the Sea Org.

• Robb Levin was actually in the band longer than any other member and became leader of People! after the other founding members moved on. The name People! was eventually changed to Rocking Horse, and Levin continued to tour and record extensively. Later Levin toured with the Rick Springfield Band. In his spare time, he became a very successful clothing manufacturer, property developer, and owner of the Sorrel River Ranch^[16] Resort near Moab, Utah.

• Albert Ribisi is a family man and is now married to Lyn Ribisi. He writes comedic and insightful articles for magazines, and owns and manages a very successful venture called L.A. Publishing, a printing company that specializes in lightening fast service and can print ANYTHING! Al's son Giovanni and both of his daughters Marissa and [Gina Ribisi|Gina]] are professional television and film actors.

• John Tristao is currently the frontman for Creedence Clearwater Revisited, with original CCR bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford. Before being tapped by Creedence, Tristao had logged many years with the west coast Daddy-O. Tristao has also released several of his own albums, including Big Hat, No Cattle^[17], and his double edged CD/DVD release Feed the Need.^[18]. He was inducted into the San Jose Rocks Hall of Fame in October 2006.

• David Anderson^[9] came up with the name People! and was an original founding member. He has been a fixture in the Bay Area music scene for years as a writer and a performer, and has showcased at the KPIG Fat Fry, The San Francisco Folk Festival, and The High Sierra Folk Festival.

• John Riolo's^[2] continued to play drums, keyboards, guitar, and sing professionally after leaving People!, and worked in various rock bands around the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the Western United States. He produced his own music in San Francisco, Johnny and the Soulbirds,^[19] playing all instruments. Riolo was part of the San Francisco Rock Music scene for many years, constructed and lived in his massive tree house for eleven years in Oregon, and now owns a Custom Drum Company specializing in rock and roll drum sets, Riolo Custom Drums^[20]

Discography

Singles (45 rpm)

Title (A Side/B Side) (Label Number) Year

• "Organ Grinder"/"Riding High" (Capitol 5920) 1967^[21]
• "I Love You"/"Somebody Tell Me My Name" (Capitol 2078) 1968
• "Apple Cider"/Ashes Of Me (Capitol 2251) 1968
• "Ulla"/Turnin' Me In (Capitol 2449) 1969
• "Turnin' Me In"/Ulla (Capitol 2499) 1969
• Love Will Take Us Higher & Higher/Living It Up (Paramount 0005) 1969
• Sunshine Lady/Crosstown Bus (Paramount 0011) 1969
• For What It's Worth/Maple Street (Paramount 0019) 1970
• One Chain Don't Make No Prison/Keep It Alive (Paramount 0028) 1970
• Chant For Peace/I Don't Carry No Guns (Polydor 14087) 1971
• I Love You (Re-Issue)/Nobody But Me (The Human Beinz) (Capitol P4482 and X-6224)

Albums

• I Love You (1968) (Capitol ST-2924) CD Re-Release (1994) (Capitol CDP-29797)^[22]

Songs: 1000 Years B.C./ Nothing Can Stop the Elephants/ Ashes of Me/ Crying Shoes

I Love You/ What We Need is a Lot More Jesus (And a Lot Less Rock & Roll)/ The Epic

• Both Sides of People (1969) (Capitol ST-151)^[23]

Songs: I've Got You On My Mind/ Hasty Heart/ You'll Never Know For Sure/ Think/ Hey Sweetheart/

Lucky John/ She's A Dancer/ Pirate Bill

• There Are People and There Are People (1970) (Paramount PAS-5013)

Songs: For What It's Worth/Crosstown Bus/How Does It Feel/We're Off To See The Wizard/There's A Man

Miss Jane/The Other Side/Maple Street/Sunshine Lady/It's Making Me Crazy/The Willie Tell Experience

• Larry Norman and People! - The Israel Tapes 1974 A.D. (1980) (Phydeaux WOOF-999-1)^[24]

Songs: Fly, Fly, Fly/ I Love You (Chris White)/ I Love You (Larry Norman/ Randy Stonehill)/

I Am The Six O'clock News/ Lonely By Myself/ Baroquen Spirits/ You Knew What You Were Doing/

Forget Your Hexagram/ I've Searched All Around The World/ Sweet Song Of Salvation

• Best of People Vol. 1 - 40 Year Anniversary (2006) (Solid Rock CD-SRP-001)^[25]

Songs: Riding High/ Organ Grinder/ Hasty Heart/ I've Got You on My Mind/ Somebody Tell Me My Name/

I Love You/ Ashes of Me/ She's a Dancer/ Crying Shoes/ The Epic

• Best of People Vol. 2 - 40 Year Anniversary (2006) (Solid Rock CD-SRP-002)^[26]

Songs: 1000 Years Before Christ/Hey Sweetheart/Nothing Can Stop the Elephants/Opposite Me/

We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus/Giant Man/She's a Dancer/Think/Apple Cider/Hungarian Rhapsody

• People! The Reunion Concert 2006 (2007) (Solid Rock)

Songs: I Love You/ Riding High/ Cryin' Shoes/ Somebody Tell Me My Name/ She's A Dancer/

Hey Sweetheart/ I've Got You On My Mind/ We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus/ Hasty Heart/

Why Don't You Look Into Jesus/ Twelve Good Men

• I Love You Korea (2007) (Solid Rock ILY-001)

Songs: 1000 Years Before Christ/ Nothing Can Stop the Elephants/ Ashes of Me/ Crying Shoes

I Love You/ What We Need is a Lot More Jesus And a Lot Less Rock & Roll/ The Epic

This album is a high quality Japan and South Korea release from the original Capitol Records CD re-release of 1994 of their inaugural album "I Love You." Liner notes are written by Larry Norman and explain the origin and significance of each song.

References

Further reading

• The Best of People! 40 Year Anniversary Vol. 1 Songbook with Lyrics and Notes (2006)
• The Best of People! 40 Year Anniversary Vol. 2 Songbook with Lyrics and Notes (2006)

External links

• Larry Norman's official website
• John Riolo's Custom Drum Building Website
• Geoff Levin - Film and TV composer
• Collection of People! promo items
• John Tristao's biography at San Jose Rocks Hall of Fame website