10 Underrated Blues Rock Bands of the 1960s

Blues rock burst upon the scene during the most revolutionary period in American cultural history in the second half of the 1960s. It was a result of an integration between ethnically black blues and predominately white rock and roll popularized by mainstream English bands like the Animals and the Rolling Stones. The ’60s decade produced a number of emerging and influential blues rock groups that didn’t stay on the radar in the ensuing decades. Some of them went on to evolve into other bands or produced artists that went on to have successful solo careers of their own.

Here are 10 underrated blues rock bands of the 1960s.

Blue Cheer     

Blue Cheer formed in San Francisco in 1967 and its original lineup included Dickie Peterson – vocals & bass, Leigh Stephens – guitar, and Paul Whaley – drums. I remember the first time I heard Blue Cheer in the spring of 1968 when I was in the army and purchased their debut album Vincebus Eruptum at the PX along with albums by Cream and Electric Flag. Blue Cheer played with an intensity that was unparalleled at the time. Their first album opens with a cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” which sets the pace for insane psycho rock reportedly fueled by Owsley acid. They learned their chops playing for “Hell’s Angels” events and Gut Morgan, their manager at the time, was a known Hells Angels associate. The original power trio produced two albums before Leigh Stephens left the band and after the third release drummer Paul Whaley left.

Blodwyn Pig  

Blodwyn Pig was a short lived English band formed by former Jethro Tull lead guitarist, Mick Abrahams. Abrahams left “Tull” after they released their first album This Was in 1968 because of differences of opinion with Ian Anderson on the band’s musical direction. He formed Blodwyn Pig with Jack Lancaster on flute, sax, and violin, Andy Pyle on bass, and Ron Berg on drums. They released their debut album Ahead Ring Out in 1969 which showcased their blues, jazz, and rock fusion with complex arrangements and improvisation. They were compared to contemporaries like Cream and Fleetwood Mac and released a second album before they broke up over the musical direction they were going in. I saw them perform at the Eastown Theater in Detroit on Halloween 1969 when they opened for Spirit and Canned Heat.

Blues Magoos  

The Blues Magoos were a New York City psychedelic blues rock band formed in 1964 as the “Trenchcoats.” In 1966, they changed their name to the Blues Magoos after playing in the Night Owl Café in Greenwich Village and signing a recording contract with Mercury Records. Their debut album was titled Psychedelic Lollypop and was released in 1966 which featured their #5 hit single on the Billboard charts, “We Ain’t  Got Nothin’ Yet.”  The band’s original lineup was comprised of drummer Geoff Daking, lead guitarist Mike Esposito, bass guitarist Ron Gilbert, Ralph Scala on vocals and keyboards, and Emil “Peppy” Thielhelm on guitar. The original lineup recorded three albums including Electric Comic Book in 1967 and Basic Blues Magoos in 1968 before they disbanded and a new band was formed by guitarist Emil “Peppy” Thielman which recorded two unsuccessful albums.

Blues Project  

The Blues Project was an American band from New York City formed in 1965 during the folk and blues revival occurring in NYC. They played the clubs in Greenwich Village that were in the music scene at the time like the Café Au Go Go and the Village Gate. Original members included drummer Roy Blumenfeld, guitar, harmonica and vocals by Steve Katz, bass guitarist and flutist Andy Kulberg, Al Kooper on keyboards and vocals, and vocalist/guitarist Danny Kalb. After releasing three albums including their debut Live at the Café Au Go Go they played at the historic Monterey Pop Festival prior to San Francisco’s “Summer of Love” in 1967. Shortly thereafter they disbanded and were then unsuccessfully resurrected with new members while former members Steve Kalb and Al Kooper formed Seatrain and Blood Sweat and Tears as a result.

Chicken Shack

Chicken Shack was a British blues rock band formed by Stan Webb in 1965 in Birmingham, England as a power trio. Their name was inspired by jazz artist Jimmy Smith’s 1960 album Back at the Chicken Shack. The band’s lineup during the late 1960s consisted of drummer Alan Morley, future Fleetwood Mac member Christine (McVie) Perfect on vocals and keyboards, Andy Silvester on bass guitar, and band leader, vocalist and guitarist Stan Webb. Their music was a mix of blues, rock and R&B influences and their energetic performances earned them a dedicated fan base in the British blues scene. After Perfect joined the band in 1967 the combination of her soulful vocals and Webb’s incendiary guitar playing got them a record deal with the Blue Horizon record label. Their debut album released in 1968 titled 40 Blue Fingers, Freshly Packed and Ready to Serve was a mix of blues standards and original compositions. Chicken Shack released more than a dozen albums over the decades but their first four are considered the best. After Christine Perfect married John McVie she quit Chicken Shack in 1970 and joined Fleetwood Mac.

Electric Flag     

The Electric Flag was launched by Mike Bloomfield in 1967 after he left the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. At the time Bloomfield was considered to be America’s first electric guitar hero and the band played at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival. Electric Flag consisted of Bloomfield on guitar, Nick Gravenites on vocals and harmonica, keyboardist Barry Goldberg, drummer and vocalist Buddy Miles, and Harvey Brooks on bass guitar. It was among the first of the rock bands to incorporate a horn section with Marcus Doubleday on trumpet, Herbie Rich on baritone saxophone, and Peter Strazza on Tenor saxophone. Their debut album A Long Time Coming was released in 1968 and began with a speech excerpt by then president Lyndon B. Johnson addressing the nation with the greeting “My fellow Americans” to which laughter bursts out with “Killing Floor” by Howlin’ Wolf drowning LBJ out. When I played the album that I bought at the PX I wondered how the army let an album ridiculing the Commander-in-Chief be sold at an army base he commanded, but then such were the times as the age of protest was just beginning. They flamed out by the end of the year and became involved in different music projects.

Groundhogs 

The Groundhogs were a pioneer British blues rock band founded in 1963 by Tony McPhee in London as the “Dollar Bills” and later John Lee’s Groundhogs. Their early sound was heavily influenced by American blues artists like John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Over the years the band lineup changed until they became just the Groundhogs in 1966. In 1968 they released their debut album, Scratching the Surface. More albums followed and the lineup changed but the constant was band founder Tony McPhee. After their debut album, they released seventeen more albums over the decades but the three most successful releases were Scratching the Surface, 1969’s Blues Obituary, and 1971’s Split.

Pretty Things  

The Pretty Things formed in 1963 in London, England during a period of time when American blues and R&B were the rage. New bands were emerging from all the clubs and music venues in the city and the Pretty Things were one of them. Founding member and guitarist Dick Taylor had been an original member of the Rolling Stones and quit the band in 1962 to return to his studies at London Central School of Art. The rest of the founding members were drummer Pete Kitley, vocalist Phil May, guitarist Brian Pendleton, and bass player John Stax. They took their name from Bo Diddley’s 1955 “Pretty Thing” recording and the first incarnation of the band released five albums by 1970 before it broke up. Lead singer Phil May was the only constant original member of the multiple reunions until his death in 2020.

Spooky Tooth

The genesis of Spooky Tooth occurred in the early 1960s in the far North-West of England with the formation of the VIP’s which evolved into ART and by 1967 became Spooky Tooth. The band underwent numerous personnel changes during its existence but the core group during its most successful period included Luther Grosvenor (guitar), Mike Harrison (vocals and keyboards), Mike Kellie (drums), Greg Ridley (bass guitar), and American Gary Wright (keyboards and vocals). They were known for combining blues and rock with the psychedelic sound and progressive elements. Their debut album It’s All About was released on Island Records but their second album Spooky Two was released in 1969 and got them more attention and was critically acclaimed. Some of their most well-known songs were “Better by You, “Better than Me,” and a cover of the popular folk song “Tobacco Road.” By the 1970s, key members left the group, with Gary Wright becoming a successful solo artist with the hit “Dream Weaver” and Luther Grosvenor joining “Mott the Hoople.”

Taste  

Taste is considered to be one of the important pioneers of early blues rock. The band was originally formed in Cork, Ireland in 1966 by Rory Gallagher after he returned from a Showband tour in Hamburg, Germany. Taste had two versions with the first consisting of Gallagher on lead guitar and vocals, with Eric Kitteringham on bass guitar and Norman Damery on drums. Version number two was another power trio but it had more success with Gallagher’s amazing guitar performances propelled by the rhythm section comprised of bass guitarist Richard McCracken and John Wilson on drums. In 1968, Taste relocated from Ireland to London where their dynamic live shows and energetic performances gave them a following and a recording contract. They released their eponymous debut album on Polydor Records in 1969 and then On the Boards, their second and last in 1970. Prior to their demise, they played an amazing set at the historic Isle of Wight festival in August 1970 between sets by Jimi Hendrix and the Who. Rory Gallagher became a solo artist and prior to his death in 1995 and he was considered one of the best blues rock guitarists.