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What Happened to... (in this case Steppenwolf)?

Natasha Bell

Natasha Bell

The Adcom Girl
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I found this amazing YouTube channel, where the narrator investigates the ups and downs of some of the greatest Rock 'n' Roll bands. As someone who loves Rock music from the late 1960s through mid 1980s especially... I was flabbergasted to be informed that Steppenwolf performed, in various configurations, until 2014. :yikes: I had thought they had disbanded in the mid 1970s :oops:

 
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John Kay called into our radio station where I once worked (in another life, it seems).

That guy went on for about 16 minutes, if memory serves, about every topic in the book. Aliens, JFK, Illuminati, you name it.

We just let him go, because interrupting it was both impossible and would have been artistically short-sighted.

HEEE-STERICAL. Guy is absolutely bonkers, but dammit if it wasn't entertaining.
 
onwardjames said:
John Kay called into our radio station where I once worked (in another life, it seems).

That guy went on for about 16 minutes, if memory serves, about every topic in the book. Aliens, JFK, Illuminati, you name it.

We just let him go, because interrupting it was both impossible and would have been artistically short-sighted.

HEEE-STERICAL. Guy is absolutely bonkers, but dammit if it wasn't entertaining.
Click to expand...

https://mauekay.org/about-us/john-kay-jutta-maue-kay-bios
 
One of the first bands I ever saw at Merriweather Post Pavilion in the summer of 1970 was Steppenwolf!
I was 16 that year, - and it was the 2nd year for shows at the venue (They'd had Hendrix and Joplin in 1969!)
The other 2 shows were The Association (I've always been a sucker for good harmonies),
and The Who (doing most Tommy, but also Who's Next).
 
Saw them at the HIC Arena in Honolulu in 1970. I have a distinct memory that the live version of "Monster" went on forever.

Also, the hippie chick that tagged along with us reviewing the show: "It just wasn't good, y'know, because they didn't get into it."

She was right, but that doesn't mean they weren't one of the most underrated bands of the late '60s-early '70s ... John Kay conspiracy theories notwithstanding.
 
I saw John Kay and Steppenwolf perform at a county fair in the late '90s or early '00s. It was a long time ago. It was a sad experience, watching them perform in front of a small, outdoor audience with minimal equipment. I rely upon their albums to remember them as they were.
 
hjames said:
One of the first bands I ever saw at Merriweather Post Pavilion in the summer of 1970 was Steppenwolf!
I was 16 that year, - and it was the 2nd year for shows at the venue (They'd had Hendrix and Joplin in 1969!)
The other 2 shows were The Association (I've always been a sucker for good harmonies),
and The Who (Most Tommy, but also Who's Next).
Click to expand...
Ha... I saw Steppenwolf at the same venue, some years later in '86! They were part of a kind of oldies package tour along with The Guess Who and Hot Tuna. I remember all bands being OK, but liking Hot Tuna the best as they seemed a little less pat and did their usual improvising thing, which to me makes the music sound more fresh. The one thing that sticks in my mind about Steppenwolf is that they didn't have a bass player. They sounded OK without it as the keyboard player must have been playing the bass parts via left hand or pedals.

I grew up in the town Columbia with the MPP, which was one of the very best things about it. Over the years I got to see many shows (in the 80s) and many of those were great.

As for the band playing for so long, I'm not really surprised as there seems to be many bands who were once very popular that for many years end up touring the oldies/state fair circuit. On the one hand, I find this a little bit sad as I think that playing mostly decades old music must get boring for the band and as I fan, it's not something that interests me much. I like to hear music that's more vital than something that seems to be mostly about nostalgia. Still, I can sort of understand why folks might follow that path. If your star has fallen and you're no longer creating music that gets on the radio but you still love to play music, then touring a band that plays old music like that might not be such a bad thing. If it's that or working in an office or selling used cars, I might go for the "oldies musician" option as well. If the pace of the tour is relaxed enough, it may be an opportunity to enjoy traveling and get paid for it...
 
I saw them about 85 or 86 at my favorite 200 or less capacity bar that got national acts to play on their 12 foot square stage.

I remember thinking that John Kay looked exactly the same as he did in the late 60's.
 
I wonder if there was anyone lelt from the original band but Kay when they performed in 2014. That happens a lot. Savoy Brown has put out a few blues albums in the last few years and I'm not sure if any of the original band plays on them.
 
parman said:
I wonder if there was anyone lelt from the original band but Kay when they performed in 2014. That happens a lot. Savoy Brown has put out a few blues albums in the last few years and I'm not sure if any of the original band plays on them.
Click to expand...

For probably the last 35 years, Savoy Brown has been the Kim Simmons Band; Kim + bass and drums. The change really started when Lonesome Dave, Tone, and Roger split to form Foghat, but the first LP without them, Street Corner Talking, may have been the most successful Savoy Brown ever. Hellbound Train followed that and then things got messy with all sorts of new lineups and I stopped following them.

I saw them at a local club maybe 20 years ago and they do a show of old faves and new material, that was ok, but not the classic Savoy Brown I grew up with back in the day.
 
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I saw Steppenwolf live in about 1997. Billed as "John Kay and Steppenwolf", and he was the only original member. It was called the Summer Daze Tour, and included Steppenwolf, Blue Oyster Cult, Foghat, and The Pat Travers Band.
My brother was a teenager, and in his Classic Rock period, so insisted that we go. It was quite a scene.
 
In July1989, there was a Vietnam Veterans appreciation day in Houston's Herman Park and Miller Outdoor Theater [a friend of mine was a Vet.]. I noticed a flyer that said Steppenwolf would play for free late that afternoon. I got there early, stood at the edge of the stage, and it was extremely hot. The band absolutely rocked the capacity crowd, and I remember John Kay giving a special welcome to the Veterans, who seemed very appreciative. The vocals and guitar work were easily recognizable and they were a tight group. John Kay and the band were wiping sweat off their faces between songs, but just seemed to shrug it off. I was glad to have been there. That night, I bragged to an older hippie friend I had seen Steppenwolf. He corrected me: "No, you saw one-fifth of Steppenwolf."
By the way, in the chorus of 'Sookie Sookie', it sounds as if he is saying "Suck me, suck me, suck me, suck me, suck me, suck me SUE!" ...maybe a mis-heard lyric, or a clever way to include it..?
 
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Steppenwolf Seven is one of my favorite albums with all great tracks

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The guitar work on Renegade is truly awesome

You don't find lyric like this anymore

And the land was free, until the tanks came

I heard that the others gave up their rights to the music in order to be able to tour as Steppenwolf

John Kay ended up with the rights and then CDs came out and he got his payday
The others tried to sue but failed
 
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Reconstructing older classic rock bands with at least one original member seems quite common.

Years ago at Foxwoods casino, I saw a concert with Jefferson Airplane/Starship, and they had only one original member, Paul Kanter; he looked very disinterested.

Ten Years After had all the original members except for Alvin Lee, he may have been deceased at that time. We met them outside after the show; Ric Lee was a really funny guy.

Canned Heat had all of its original members, which I seem to think is rare for those acts.
 
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