| Goose Creek Symphony | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Phoenix, Arizona, United States |
| Genre: | Progressive, country, acid rock, folk, surf, rock |
| Years Active: | 1968–1976, 1985, 1990–present |
| Label: | Capitol, Columbia |
| Current Members: | West Coast Line Up Charlie Gearheart (Acoustic Guitar-Percussion-Vocals) Paul "Pearl" Spradlin (Electric & Acoustic Guitars-Jews Harp-Vocals) Bob "Willard" Henke (Electric & Acoustic Guitars-Bass-Keyboards-Percussion-Jews Harp-Vocals) Jon Parry (Fiddle) Pat Moore (Bass) Dennis Kenmore (Drums) East Coast Line Up Charlie Gearheart (Acoustic Guitar-Percussion-Vocals) Paul "Pearl" Spradlin (Electric & Acoustic Guitars-Jews Harp-Vocals) Bob "Willard" Henke (Electric & Acoustic Guitars-Bass-Keyboards-Percussion-Jews Harp-Vocals) Jon Parry (Fiddle) Dan McGlamery (Electric & Acoustic Guitars-Mandolin) David Heyer (Drums-Percussion) Doug Habbena (Bass-Vocals) |
| Past Members: | Rick Gilbreath (Piano-dec.) Bob James (Bass) Paul Byes (Drums-Vocals-dec.) Dave Birkett (Bass) Mickey McGee (Drums-dec.) Mike McFadden (Guitar-Vocals) Doug Haywood (Bass-Vocals) Fred Weisz (Fiddle-Banjo-Vocals-dec.) Ed Black (Bass-Pedal Steel-Vocals-dec.) Chris Lockheed (Drums) Jim Tolles (Fiddle-Mandolin-Vocals) Harold Williams (Alto-Tenor-Baritone Sax-dec.) Randall Bramlett (Soprano-Alto-Tenor Sax) Gene Elders (Fiddle) Ellis Schwied (Fiddle) Chris Mostert (Sax-Flute) Clarke Pierson (Drums) Jack Schroer (Sax-dec.) Ray Trainer (Bass-Guitar-dec.) Cleon Nalley (Bass-Vocals-dec.) Matt McClure (Drums) Scott Carter (Bass) Vince Micko (Guitar-Vocals) Gary Mackey (Fiddle-dec.) Sid Walker (Fiddle) Gary Oleyar (Fiddle) Eric Day (Guitar-Dobro) Dave Duncan (Guitar) Roy Agee (Trombone-Comedic Relief) |
The Goose Creek Symphony is an American rock band with roots in Arizona and Kentucky. They were formed in 1968[1] in Phoenix, Arizona as an outlet for the songs of Charlie Gearheart, aka Ritchie Hart, and were best known for their 1972 cover of Janis Joplin's song, "Mercedes Benz".
The band recorded their first album at Audio Recorders in 1968-69 and were subsequently signed to Capitol Records in 1970. They continued recording until 1976, then reformed in 1990. The band is considered one of the tightest, musically, of its genre and has continued touring to popular acclaim.
The band appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show with Bobbie Gentry and shared the stage with Jimi Hendrix and The Allman Brothers Band among others at the 1970 Atlanta Pop Festival. Charlie Gearheart performed on American Bandstand as Ritchie Hart in 1959. The Goose Creek Symphony has been inducted into "The Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame" class of 2011.
In the '70s they fit into a country rock mode, but were more esoteric than many of their contemporaries and they had a rawer, less commercial sound. The band recorded three eclectic albums for Capitol, Goose Creek Symphony Est. 1970, (1970) Welcome to Goose Creek (1971)[1] and Words of Earnest (1972). All were moderately successful with the last boasting a hit single cover of Janis Joplin's “Mercedes Benz.” Re-mastered versions of these discs are available on the group's website (http://www.GooseCreekSymphony.com). In 1974 the band moved over to Columbia Records and recorded, to less success, Do Your Thing But Don't Touch Mine. Shortly thereafter the band took a hiatus which lasted almost 17 years.
In the years since they resurfaced, they have played many festivals and released several albums, including a live set, The Goose Is Loose, in 1995, which highlights their extended jamming, witness the meandering 20 minutes or so of “Talk About Goose Creek and Other Important Places.” Also released is the Acoustic Goose live album, as well as studio albums, including Going Home (1998) and I Don't Know (2003). They have also released a couple of lost albums, such as Head For the Hills (recorded in 1975-76 and released in 1997) and recently The Same Thing Again (one music CD and a bonus DVD). The latter was recorded in the mid-70s and essentially forgotten for three decades. Ironically the title cut has Gearheart singing, “If I could live my life over I'd do the same thing again, for 20 long years I’ve picked and I’ve sung.”
Goose Creek's mixed genre versatility is demonstrated in their 2003 appearance as sole guest on show 259 of the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour. The WoodSongs Archive has both the radio program and a 111-minute video of the show which includes 20 minutes of performance not included in the hour-long radio show.