canned heat

Biography

Canned Heat is an American blues rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965 by two dedicated blues enthusiasts and record collectors, Alan Wilson and Bob Hite. The band's name was derived from Tommy Johnson's 1928 blues standard "Canned Heat Blues," a song about an alcoholic who turned to drinking Sterno during prohibition. Wilson and Hite founded the group within a vibrant community of blues collectors, with Wilson's house in Topanga Canyon serving as a meeting place for musicians and fans passionate about blues music. The band's initial lineup included Bob Hite on vocals, Alan Wilson on bottleneck guitar, Mike Perlowin on lead guitar, Stu Brotman on bass, and Keith Sawyer on drums, though this configuration evolved significantly in their early years.

Canned Heat achieved their classic and most influential lineup by early 1967, consisting of Bob Hite (vocals), Alan Wilson (guitar, harmonica, and vocals), Henry Vestine or Harvey Mandel (lead guitar), Larry Taylor (bass), and Adolfo de la Parra (drums). The band began recording in April 1967 for Liberty Records and released their self-titled debut album in July 1967, which reached #76 on the Billboard chart. Their reputation grew substantially following performances at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival and a headlining slot at Woodstock in 1969. Canned Heat achieved three worldwide hits with "On The Road Again," "Going Up The Country," and "Let's Work Together," establishing themselves as significant figures in blues rock. However, the band's trajectory was dramatically altered on September 3, 1970, when co-founder Alan Wilson died from a barbiturate overdose, fundamentally changing the group's musical direction and never allowing them to fully recapture their earlier creative force.

Despite Wilson's death, Canned Heat persisted through various lineup changes and continued recording and performing for decades. The band maintained their commitment to promoting blues music and its original artists, serving as important ambassadors for the genre during the rock era. Their legacy encompasses not only their commercial success and festival performances but also their role in introducing blues music to wider audiences and their collaborations with blues legends. The classic period of Canned Heat, spanning from March 1967 to September 1970, remains their most celebrated era, representing a unique moment when passionate blues enthusiasts successfully bridged traditional blues with contemporary rock audiences.

Fun Facts

• The band's name came from a euphemism for Sterno, a cooking fuel that desperate alcoholics drank during prohibition. Tommy Johnson's 1928 blues standard 'Canned Heat Blues' told this story, and Wilson and Hite chose this name to honor the blues tradition they were reviving.
• Early in their career, a Liberty Records executive suggested the band wear overalls on stage, thinking that's what Delta blues musicians wore. In reality, Black bluesmen typically wore their Sunday best when performing. The band complied, and roadie Barry Hansen's job included finding laundromats to wash the overalls between gigs.
• Alan Wilson, the band's co-founder and creative heart, was born on July 4, 1943, and earned the nickname 'Blind Owl' despite not being blind. He died tragically at just 27 years old on September 3, 1970, from a barbiturate overdose on a hillside behind Bob Hite's home, fundamentally altering the band's trajectory.
• Henry Vestine was fired from Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention because he lacked the feel for Zappa's complex material and, according to Zappa, enjoyed his drugs too much. He went on to become one of the best blues guitarists in Los Angeles and a key member of Canned Heat's classic lineup.

Members

• Kenny Edwards - guitar (from 1965 until 1965)
• Ron Holmes - additional, membranophone (from 1965 until 1965)
• Mike Perlowin - guitar, original (from 1965 until 1965)
• Keith Sawyer - membranophone, original (from 1965 until 1965)
• Stuart Brotman - bass guitar, original (from 1965 until 1966)
• Frank Cook - drums (drum set) (from 1965 until 1967)
• Henry Vestine - guitar (from 1965 until 1969)
• Alan Wilson - guitar, harmonica, lead vocals, original (from 1965 until 1970)
• Bob Hite - lead vocals, original (from 1965 until 1971)
• Mark Andes - bass guitar (from 1966 until 1967)
• Larry Taylor - bass guitar, guitar, lead vocals (from 1967 until 1970-05)
• Fito de la Parra - lead vocals, membranophone (from 1967)
• Harvey Mandel - guitar family (from 1969 until 1971)
• Antonio de la Barreda - bass guitar (from 1970 until 1972)
• Joel Scott Hill - guitar (from 1970 until 1972)
• Henry Vestine - guitar (from 1970 until 1974)
• Ed Beyer - keyboard (from 1972 until 1974)
• James Shane - guitar (from 1972 until 1974)
• Richard Hite - bass guitar (from 1972 until 1977)
• Jock Ellis - additional, trombone (from 1974 until 1974)
• Clifford Solomon - additional, saxophone (from 1974 until 1974)
• Gene Taylor - keyboard (from 1974 until 1976)
• Chris Morgan - guitar (from 1974 until 1977)
• Stan Webb - additional, guitar (from 1976 until 1976)
• Mark Skyer - guitar (from 1976 until 1977)
• Richard Exley - bass guitar (from 1977 until 1978)
• Ronnie Barron - keyboard (from 1978 until 1978)
• Hollywood Fats - guitar (from 1978 until 1980)
• Jay Spell - keyboard (from 1978 until 1980)
• Larry Taylor - bass guitar, guitar, lead vocals (from 1978 until 1980)
• Jon Lamb - bass guitar (from 1980 until 1980)
• Henry Vestine - guitar (from 1980 until 1981)
• Mike Halby - guitar (from 1980 until 1984)
• Ernie Rodriguez - bass guitar (from 1980 until 1985)
• Richard Kellogg - harmonica, lead vocals (from 1981 until 1985)
• Rick Kellogg - lead vocals (from 1981 until 1985)
• Rick Kellogg - harmonica (from 1981 until 1985)
• Walter Trout - guitar (from 1981 until 1985)
• Skip Jones - bass guitar (from 1985 until 1987)
• Henry Vestine - guitar (from 1985 until 1988)
• James Thornbury - guitar, harmonica, lead vocals (from 1985 until 1995)
• Ronnie Barron - keyboard (from 1987 until 1988)
• Larry Taylor - bass guitar, guitar, lead vocals (from 1987 until 1992)
• Junior Watson - guitar (from 1988 until 1990)
• Harvey Mandel - guitar (from 1990 until 1992)
• Ron Shumake - bass guitar (from 1990 until 1996)
• Becky Barksdale - guitar (from 1992 until 1992)
• Smokey Hormel - guitar (from 1992 until 1992)
• Henry Vestine - guitar (from 1992 until 1997)
• Junior Watson - guitar (from 1992 until 1997)
• Robert Lucas - guitar, harmonica, lead vocals (from 1995 until 2000)
• Mark "Pocket" Goldberg - additional, bass guitar (from 1996 until 1996)
• Larry Taylor - bass guitar, guitar, lead vocals (from 1996 until 1997)
• Harvey Mandel - guitar (from 1996 until 1999)
• Greg Kage - bass guitar (from 1996 until 2010)
• Paul Bryant - guitar (from 1997 until 2000)
• Stanley Behrens - flute, saxophone (from 2000 until 2005)
• Dallas Hodge - guitar, lead vocals (from 2000 until 2005)
• John Paulus - guitar (from 2000 until 2006)
• Robert Lucas - guitar, harmonica, lead vocals (from 2005 until 2008)
• Barry Levenson - guitar (from 2006 until 2010)
• Dale Wesley Spalding - bass guitar, guitar, harmonica, lead vocals (from 2008)
• Larry Taylor - bass guitar, guitar, lead vocals (from 2010 until 2019-08-19)
• Harvey Mandel - guitar (from 2010)

Original Members

• Fito de la Parra - lead vocals, membranophone
• Dale Wesley Spalding - bass guitar, guitar, harmonica, lead vocals
• Harvey Mandel - guitar

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Tommy Johnson - Blues standard composer whose 1928 song 'Canned Heat Blues' inspired the band's name and represented the blues tradition they sought to honor (Canned Heat Blues (1928)) [1928 (song); band formed 1965]
• John Lee Hooker - Blues legend and direct collaborator; the band recorded the double album 'Hooker 'N' Heat' with him, representing a mentorship through collaboration (Hooker 'N' Heat album) [1970]
• Sunnyland Slim - Blues pianist who collaborated with the band in the studio; Wilson and Hite convinced him to record again after meeting him by chance (Slim's Got His Thing Goin' On; Turpentine Moan) [Spring 1968]

Key Collaborators

• Alan Wilson - Co-founder, guitarist, harmonica player, and principal songwriter; the creative heart of the band (All classic period recordings) [1965-1970]
• Bob Hite - Co-founder and vocalist; blues record collector whose house served as the band's meeting place (All recordings and performances) [1965-1981]
• Henry Vestine - Lead guitarist known as one of the best blues guitarists in Los Angeles; former member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention (Classic lineup recordings 1967-1969) [1966-1969, 1970]
• Harvey Mandel - Lead guitarist who replaced Vestine; brought different stylistic approach to the band (Later 1960s and 1970s recordings) [1969-1970]
• Larry Taylor - Permanent bassist from March 1967 onward; previously backed Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry (Classic period and later recordings) [1967-1970s]
• Adolfo de la Parra - Drummer who joined officially December 1, 1967; came from Bluesberry Jam which evolved into Pacific Gas & Electric (Classic period and later recordings) [1967 onwards]
• Walter Trout - Lead guitarist during later period of the band (1980s recordings) [1981-1985]
• James Thornbury - Slide guitarist and vocalist; friend of Henry Vestine who joined after Trout's departure (Albums including Reheated and Burnin' Live) [1985-1995]

Artists Influenced

• Rock and Blues Audiences - Canned Heat served as important ambassadors introducing blues music to wider rock audiences through their performances at major festivals (Monterey Pop Festival (1967), Woodstock (1969)) [1967-1969]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Going Up The Country
2. On the Road Again (On the Road Again)
3. Going Up The Country (On The Road Again)
4. Let's Work Together (Future Blues (Expanded Edition))
5. On The Road Again
6. Time Was (Hallelujah)
7. Let's Work Together (Future Blues (Expanded Edition))
8. On the Road Again (Canned Heat)
9. On The Road Again (Boogie With Canned Heat)
10. Bullfrog Blues (Canned Heat)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #blues, #blues-rock, #boogie-rock