|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCHARLATANSTwo pop groups, one formed in San Francisco '65; another in Manchester, England late '80s. The SF lineup had Sam Linde on drums, replaced by Dan Hicks on drums, guitar, vocals; Richard Olsen, on bass; Michael Ferguson, keyboards; Mike Wilhelm, guitar, vocals; George Hunter, vocals. They claimed to be the original SF hippy band playing country rock dressed as gold-rush dandies, learning their trade in Carson City NV and returning to Haight-Ashbury to ride the wave of drug counterculture, among the first to play at Family Dog, the original Fillmore. Bay Area disc jockey Tom Donahue made demos with them; album prod. for Kama Sutra by Lovin' Spoonful alumnus Erik Jacobsen was not released, though '67 single 'The Shadow Knows' came out. Ferguson replaced '67 by Patrick Gogerty, who was replaced '68 by Darrel Devore; Hicks moved to guitar (Terry Wilson played drums), then left '68, as did Hunter, a designer whose visual flair had been important. Eponymous LP on Philips '69 had Olsen, Wilhelm, Devore, Wilson; then they split up. Strong visually in histories of the era (Rick Griffin posters etc). Hicks formed Hot Licks (see his entry); Wilhelm fronted Flamin' Groovies and had a brief solo career; Olsen sessioned on clarinet for It's a Beautiful Day, then prod./played on Wilhelm, a '76 LP released by UK fanzine Zig-Zag, for whom the mystique lingered. The Amazing Chalatans '96 on Big Beat was a good compilation. Ferguson went blind from diabetes, d late '70s; Olsen formed the Richard Olsen Orchestra, playing '40s big-band swing. In Manchester in the late '80s enough time had gone by since the Swinging Sixties so that it could be re-created; among others the 'Madchester' scene threw up a new Charlatans: singer Tim Burgess, bassist Martin Blunt, Jon Baker on guitar (replaced by Mark Collins), Rob Collins on keyboards (especially Hammond organ) and drummer Jon Brookes (all b '65-- 9) released 12]im[ single 'Indian Rope' on their own label '90 and were picked up by Beggars Banquet. Soon written off by critics, they entertained fans well enough 'with an almost-good tune and a fat, feelgood groove' (David Sinclair) to score a no. 1 UK album The Charlatans and a sold-out tour late '95. Earlier albums incl. Some Friendly '90, Between 10th And 11th '92, Up To Our Hips '94. Rob Collins served four months in jail '92 for driving the getaway car in a bizarre robbery; he was killed in a car crash 22 July '96 after a drinking session in a pub. Tellin' Stories '97 incl. Collins's last work and was their best album so far, their fan base growing with their resilience; it was followed by Melting Pot '98. |