"THE SAVAGE RESURRECTION - THE SAVAGE RESURRECTION" (PSYCHEDELIC US 1968)

"The Savage Resurrection" were "Randy Hammon" (lead guitar, vocals) (whose cousin "Paul Whaley" was in "Blue Cheer" and "Oxford Circle"), "John Palmer" (lead guitar, vocals), "Bill Harper" (lead vocals, harp, percussions), "Jeff Myer" (drums), "Steve Lage" (bass guitar, vocals).Formed in 1967 in the East Bay town of Richmond, CA (near Berkeley) by members of Garage Rock groups "Button Willow", "Whatever's Right", "The Plague", "The Blue Boys" and others.
"The Savage Resurrection" were one of the youngest Psychedelic bands working the Bay Area circuit.

The Savage Resurrection from left to right: Steve Lage, Jeff Myer, Bill Harper, Randy Hammon, John Palmer

"The Savage Resurrection" were signed to "Mercury Records" by "A&R" man "Abe 'Voco' Kesh", most famous for his work with fellow Bay Area-based acts "Blue Cheer" and "Harvey Mandel".


"Abe 'Voco' Kesh" produced their lone, "The Savage Resurrection" album over the course of three days, capturing a group that sounded rawer and punkier than most Psychedelic bands, which could be an advantage or a hindrance.

Some numbers on the resulting LP were humdrum Heavy Blues-Rockers; others had more unexpected chord shifts and song structures to anchor their molten-intensity lead guitar riffing, though even then they could sound derivative of more accomplished groups such as Love and the "Jimi Hendrix Experience".

The Savage Resurrection at Avalon Ballroom with Kaleidoscope, 22, 23, 24 March 1968

There were flashes of promise, especially considering their extreme youth ("Randy Hammon" was only sixteen when they recorded their album), but these were not fulfilled, as lead singer "Bill Harper" and bassist "Steve Lage" left shortly after the album came out.
With replacements "The Savage Resurrection" only managed to do a little touring in the Midwest before breaking up later in 1968.

Bill Harper, Steve Lage on stage

What makes the album so cool is that they have not one but two WILD guitarists, and the dual lead guitars spew Fuzz and Feedback brilliantly throughout.
If the songwriting had been up to the level of the guitar playing this would have been as good as Morgen.
The one common criticism is that it's yet another one of these records with a looong Blues jam on it, but the guitar playing at least makes the jam more enjoyable than most others in the style [AM].

Mercury Records Psychedelic Promotional poster

At its best, it has the spacier, folkier and more melodic feel that was characteristic of much 60s Californian Psychedelic music, as on "Someone's Changing".

The Savage Resurrection's single: "Thing in E" / "Fox is Sick" "Mercury Records" 72778

More dissonant and Middle Eastern influences make themselves known on "Every Little Song" and "Tahitian Melody" and the backup vocals on "Remlap's Cave Part II" indicate that they did their share of listening to "The Who"'s "A Quick One, While He's Away".

Randy Hammon and John Palmer: twin lead guitars

They create an intense and thick dual-guitar sound throughout (separated so that "Randy Hammon"'s playing is on the left channel, and "John Palmer"'s on the right).