Representative Albums: "The King of Garage Rock", "Flashback", "Stars New Seeds Live at the Orpheum Theatre
Biography
After the breakup of the seminal psychedelic garage punk band the Seeds in 1969, frontman Sky Saxon (born Richard Marsh) embarked on an erratic solo career in between stints as a mystical guru in Hawaii. Much of his post-Seeds work fit the mold of a curious 1960s relic, a hippie acid casualty with a strong cult following, in the mold of Roky Erickson. Saxon began his career under the name Little Richie Marsh, performing sugary, doo wop-influenced teenage pop in 1962. Changing his name to Sky Saxon, he joined two L.A. garage bands, the Soul Rockers and the Electra Fires, before forming the Seeds in 1965. Saxon continued to record under the Seeds' name following the group's official dissolution in 1969, releasing a series of singles that increasingly reflected a drug-induced separation from reality. Beginning in 1976, the late '70s saw the release of several albums credited to variously named outfits: Sky Sunlight, Sunstar, Sky "Sunlight" Saxon, the Universal Stars Band, Star's New Seeds Band, Sunlight and the New Seeds, and so on. 1983 saw the release of a rarities collection, New Fruit From Old Seeds: The Rare Sky Saxon, Vol. 1 (there never was a planned Vol. 2), which contained material dating back to Saxon's pre-Seeds days. Saxon, who had not produced any new albums since 1978, returned on the U.K. Psycho label in 1984 with Starry Ride, which featured support from Steppenwolf's Mars Bonfire (composer of "Born to Be Wild"), as well as former members of Iron Butterfly and Fraternity of Man. The Saxon/Bonfire collaboration reached full fruition in the group Firewall, who debuted with the album A Groovy Thing in 1986 (Destiny's Children features the same songs in a different order). Firewall featured guest appearances from members of such California neo-psychedelic bands as the Dream Syndicate, the Plimsouls, the Droogs, and Yard Trauma, demonstrating Saxon's enduring influence and appeal, particularly among that set of musicians. That same year, Saxon recorded a largely unrehearsed live album with Purple Electricity, a one-off project featuring members of Redd Kross and the Primates, entitled Private Party. Firewall returned in 1988 with In Search of Brighter Colors, which was released in the U.S. as World Fantastic, with several rare '80s cuts replacing the former version's weaker tracks. Saxon has since returned to Hawaii. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Saxon was born Richard Elvern Marsh in Salt Lake City, Utah. Different sources suggest a birth year of 1937,[3] 1945[4] or 1946.[5] His widow has said that his birthday was August 20, but would not confirm the year because he believed age was irrelevant.[6]
He began his career performing doo-wop pop tunes in the early 1960s under the name Little Richie Marsh.[7] After changing his name to Sky Saxon, he formed the Electra-Fires in 1962 and then Sky Saxon & the Soul Rockers.[8] In 1965, Saxon founded the psychedelic flower power band The Seeds with Jan Savage (guitar), Rick Andridge (drums) and Darryl Hooper (keyboards).[9] Hit songs for Saxon and the Seeds included "Can't Seem to Make You Mine", "Mr. Farmer" and "Pushin' Too Hard," which became a top 40 song and enduring rock anthem in 1967. Saxon's singing performance has been dismissed by critics like Lester Bangs as an American imitation of Mick Jagger,[10] while others considered it a more complicated synthesis of Jagger, Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly.[11] The music on the Seeds 1966 albums The Seeds (GNP Crescendo 2023) and A Web of Sound (GNP Crescendo 2033) have been described as "weird psychotic blues highlighting Sky's demented, vocal sermonizing."[8]
A spinoff project, The Sky Saxon Blues Band, recorded one album, A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues, (GNP Crescendo 2040) with members of Muddy Waters' band. Saxon continued The Seeds, recording "Future" (GNP Crescendo 2038) and "Raw and Alive - Merlin's Magic Music Box" (GNP Crescendo 2043). Later, in 1977 producer Neil Norman compiled and released "Fallin' Off the Edge" (GNP Crescendo 2107). an album containing rare "B" sides and unissued material. [8]
After The Seeds
In the 1970s, Saxon became a member of the Source Family religious group, a Hollywood Hills commune led by YaHoWha who gave Saxon the names Sunlight and Arlick.[12][13] In 1998, Saxon orchestrated the release of a 13-CD set of the psychedelic tribal music recorded by the commune's band Ya Ho Wa 13 during the 1970s.[14]
In subsequent years, Saxon released a number of albums under various band names including The Starry Seeds Band, Sky Saxon & Firewall, King Arthur's Court, and Shapes Have Fangs.[8][15] Additionally, Saxon had several times reformed The Seeds with different musician line-ups.
In 2008, Saxon and the Seeds collaborated on some new songs and recordings with Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.[16] Saxon later appeared in the music video of the Smashing Pumpkins' song "Superchrist".[17]
Saxon died unexpectedly on June 25, 2009, in an Austin, Texas hospital. At the time of his death, he had been scheduled to commence a tour of the United States and Canada as part of the "California '66" tour, featuring reformed versions of The Seeds, The Electric Prunes and Love.[18]
Saxon had been hospitalized with what doctors suspected was an infection of the internal organs, but the cause of death has not yet been released. He was initially reported to be 63 years old,[19][20] though other sources listed him as 71.[1][21]
