365 Days #099 - The Hoover High Stage Band - Good Times, Bad Times (mp3)

MP3:
The Hoover High Stage Band - Good Times, Bad Times (2:56)

Good lord! Those wastrels from Hoover High must have been dipping into the orange sunshine!

This has been on a few psych lists over the years and for the most part, the bulk of the LP is fair to decent, with the usual high school covers of "Spinning Wheel," "Stormy," and even some Bach. However, the classic cut is their rockin’ Zep cover (although their lumbering version of Jethro Tull’s "Nothing Is Easy" is good for a spin) for it's studied, imitation Bonham beats, and its screechy vocal distortion.

I believe these kids hailed from the San Diego area, and their full-length on the ubiquitous Century Records is titled "The Hoover High Stage Band Gets It On" from 1970.

- Contributed by: Jonathan Ward
Images: Cover

Media: LP
Album: The Hoover High Stage Band Gets It On
Date: 1970

Comments

[pea hix]

this is indeed from san diego! hoover high is a few miles from my house. i have a copy of this record- a nice detail is the "led leplin" typo on the label!

[detroitsuperfly]

Man, I expected this to have irony value, but its actually damn goo.

Does anyone have more MP3s?

[DC Carter]

Terrific version of this song, despite the lousy recording equipment and mics, they really rock it out. Here's the most amazing thing; I downloaded the song to my i-pod and i-Tunes has the album art for this record!! Amazing!

[365]

All 365 Days mp3s have cover art embedded into the ID tags. We do it when adding the tags. Since it adds to the filesize we usually only include the front cover or main image for the day. Looks nice in the new iTunes with the cover flow.

[DC Carter]

Nice touch, makes the song all the more enjoyable. I'm new to the site (obviously), James Lileks gave you a link and nice plug today.

[Pyles]

Going to play it on my all local radio show this Sunday! It's on from 8 to 10pm in San Diego on FM94/9 or www.fm949sd.com! The Local 94/9 must have more of this to play! Anybody? I support local music!

[Gus Beaudoin]

I just heard about all this bruhaha about this recording a cpl. days ago. I'm the bass player on this album. FYI-on guitar is Bram Peterson,on drums is Mel Love,with David Hagen on vocals. The LP was recorded live in the HHS auditorium as a free concert during lunch period. I doubt more than 100 copies were ever sold. All this attention is REALLY COOL! I can't wait to tell the guys!

[Jonathan Ward]

Wow, Gus. That is amazing! Thanks so much for getting in touch!

[Shana Love]

I just want to know when the reunion show is now that they're gettig all this attention. I would love to see the old gang back together again.

[Archie Thompson]

This is a great example of the vibrant teen-band scene of the 1960's and 1970's in San Diego. There were dozens of really great young bands gigging all over town. Lots of Navy/Marine bases to play and all! Those were the days.

Archie Thompson

[Bill Thomson]

I was just emailed this link. I've been hunting for a copy of Hoover High forever. It seems impossibly rare & I have some incredibly rare l.p.'s. I've never even seen a Hoover for sale. From what I read I thought the whole l.p. was Zeppelin which would have been amazing. I love collecting bands who do zep cpvers. I have an l.p. from France by Phoenix which is all Zep covers & is quite good. I aslo have a 45 by Sonic Prysm with Good Times Bad Times on one side with femme vocals. Anyone know where I could score a copy of Hoover High ? For now a tape or c.d.r. would be nice ! Bill.

[Mark]

So, who's going to post the rest of the album? Will someone please? Or at least post it on a blog or give me info where I could please get a copy? Mark

[JB]

I'm currently a teacher at Hoover High, and would LOVE to get copies of these MP3s to share with the current band teacher & students. PLEASE contact me ASAP if you have the full set of MP3s...

SubBass49@yahoo.com

[JB]

UPDATE: I talked with the school librarian today and he had a PRISTINE shrink-wrapped (open on the business-end) copy of this stashed away in a secret locked location. I have borrowed it and am digitally archiving it as a 192kbps MP3 (along with some other Hoover High School records from the same time period) using my ION USB turntable. When I am done I will be returning the vinyl to the school for safe keeping.

I will be giving a copy of the records I archive to the librarian for his personal collection, and to serve as a master copy for those seeking to hear the tracks. There are some real gems in there though, if I do say so myself. Some AMAZING tracks, especially considering they came from a high school band.

[Tim Dewey]

I was there ! I played 2nd clarinet in the school marching band. All of those guys were from the stage band were awesome. I will never forget them. They all set a standard for what was kinda expected of anyone trying to make it into the music business. Where are they all now. Evaporated into anonymity I guess, like the rest of us. Long live Dan Jordan. He became a legend in his own time. Gus was an incredible bass player. Bram Peterson was also a legend. Hail Herbert Hoover High.

[John Jensen]

1970...What a year to remember! I'm John Jensen and I was the drummer in the Stage Band. There was one other drummer who would fill in, his name was Richard Augustine. Whenever another band needed a drummer, Richard and I would battle for that spot. We were both in bands outside of school. I was in B Street Blues Band and he was in Emergency Exit. After Richard left his band, he moved to LA to pursue his music career. Sad to say he lost his life due to an illness in 2000. I took this pretty hard, thinking that he would make it big one day. One day, I went to Fallbrook to fill in as a drummer, a good friend of mine named Spider (also a drummer) came along to help me. He asked if he could sit in .....And I said, sure. As I was sitting having a cocktail, I was drawn to the bass player. He was really in your face, just the way I like my bass player to play! As I watched his technique, I stood up and said...Gus Bowdwin! He said yes! I said, I'm John Jensen.....he said , no shit! and we embraced each other. Gus was my firsy bass player in my first band in 1966 at Wilson Jr. High School. Also in my first band was Bram Peterson...lead guitar and vocals. The last band I played in was Coldfire....2003 - 2010. I came down with an illness that restricts me from playing, but I still practice weekly. Boy...what I would give to get those days back!!!! 5/27/13