When I was a little kid, one of my first memories, (born in 1965) Leigh Stephens, the original guitarist and my dad were best friends. Leigh lived in SF and with his new money bought a brand new Corvette and drove up to Portland and stayed with us for a weekend. I remember washing his car and how cool it was and remember he and dad went out partying and when they came home they were being hilarious. Cool memories. I had no idea that dude was a rock star, he was just dad's friend. And my dad made Leigh my godfather. So the godfather of heavy metal is my actual godfather. LOL, whoa!! Mind Blown
I had the chance to see and talk to them on this last tour in Hanover (Blues Garage)! Great guys! When I remember it I´m still flashed!!! R.I.P., Dickie!!!
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa man,good recording,this Rockplast stuff rules................................go boys go,Paul Whaley still kickin it out on those skins and Dickie sounded good,God bless his soul......................I love it..............yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hya hya Hell yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blue Cheer!! One of the great memories from 1969-70. I always knew these guys would be important somehow! Here they are the "fathers of heavy metal" or something like that. Pretty goddamm close, I'd say!! Still a great band even if most of them are probably dead but Dickie Petersen is still alive and well and screamin'. At least till 2005 that is. Anyway, Blue Cheer are still one of the best bands ever!!!
I was lucky to see Blue Cheer in concert around 1968. They sound pretty much like they did back then in this video. I saw them again right around when this video was made. Dickie Peterson and Paul Whaley here are original members. I don't know the name of the guitar player here in this video but he's great. He was with them the last time I saw them. they said that he had been playing with them for about 35 years. Years ago when Paul Whaley first left the band and before they found a permanent replacement Mitch Mitchell filled in for a short tour in 1969. Paul Whaley came back to Blue Cheer in mid 1969 but left again in 1970. Paul didn't return to the band until 1990. in 2005 Leigh Stephens came back for a short while and Prarie Prince played drums while Leigh was in the band. Too bad Paul didn't rejoin then for a an all original reunion.
The original guitarist and the one who recorded with them is Leigh Stephens. I knew that dude when I was a little kid. He stayed at our house when he came to Portland
Holy sheep shit I love this band! The originators of hard core rock; listen to this whole video and go back and check out their records! You will be surprised how many riffs/cords were lifted from this relatively unknown band by the biggies in the industry. Summertime blues may have been their weakest tune!
Wow!! That drummer had to remember the intro to the next tune! Even when it was so totally different than the last one! I am really impressed. You guys are crazy maniac musicians and worthy of every compliment and award there is!! Just trying to follow you on RU-vid is giving me a headache! Anyone who thinks Blue Cheer is a dead band is truly misguided!! I love you guys! Keep rockin',boys. You're keepin' music alive!!
I saw them here in Dallas Texas at the Granada Theater I believe it was on this trailer because Dicky have a skull and crossbones and I see that in this film. After the show drummer Whaley told me that he was getting tired up there under the Hot Lights, I assumed what he meant was that it was hard for a 60-something year old drummer as opposed to when he was in his twenties. I have their album outside in and new and improved 40 or so years ago and I also had Randy Holden population II he was one of their guitar players for a while. The night I saw them here in Dallas they were unbelievably loud.
I grew up listening to this band from the 60's. That said, this is an ok tribute to the past but I wish this concert had been performed with Leah Stephens on guitar playing a Gibson SG like the old days!
And it would be cool if they kept that "60's fuzz guitar sound you get out of the Fender Twin Reverb amps that were popular then. Too much Marshall distortion in this sound
I understand what you are saying but that said. Leigh Stephens was the guitar player for the time of the original band. As such his playing fit what they were doing at that time. McDonald maybe was technically better ...BUT He was a replacement. IMO The band wasnt the same afterwards... BTW you can always find more musically accomplished players to fill in or replace those who leave a band BUT that doesnt mean BETTER.
I disagree. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Budgie and Sir Lord Baltimore were the first true pioneers of Heavy Metal but BC were definitely pre cursors to Heavy Metal.
I'm pretty sure that is Paul Whaley on drums. I saw them about 2 years before Dickie Peterson died and Paul Whaley was on drums and he looked like this drummer so I think that's Paul Whaley on drums.
Blue cheer in reference to a type of LSD. Also blue wedge purple haze white lightening Sandose and Owsley. Tim Leary wrote in his guide book turn on tune in drop out.history most turned on did not tune in and dropped out. So went down the 60s.
Stimmt nicht ganz. Das komplette Rockpalast Konzert hat 85 Minuten gedauert, das erste Stück "Babylon" fehlt hier komplett. Not really true. The complete rockpalast concert had a duration of 85 minutes. the first track "Babylon" is missing.
+Stephen Kane You got it. I grew up with them in the 60s. I used to listten to Blue Cheer all the time back then. From my perspective, they were the first heavy metal band. Then I think Black Sabaath. Unless you want to put in Led Zeppelin is heavy metal category. [Listen to Blue Albums 1 through 4 or 5. these guys first few through the New!! Improved!! album were pretty heavy. The heaviest at the time. The rawest rock and the loudest with roots in blues and rock. Even a little jazz.
Personally, Blue Cheer might have had a heavy sound but they weren't truly "Metal" per se. They were hugely influential in influencing early Metal but I wouldn't call Blue Cheer the first Metal band nor the first to play Metal (I could call the first two BC albums "Proto Metal" though). In my opinion, Black Sabbath along with Deep Purple, Budgie and Sir Lord Baltimore are the first true pioneers of Heavy Metal.
who is drumming? I knew Paul Whaley a long time ago the original drummer. And Gary Yoder after the originally 3 split up. Well, the drumming is awesome whoever it is. And I like the guitar solos as well. Fuzz box and choice of guitars- well still sounds ok to me.
Seconds on the drumming: Paul was a big influence to me back in the 60s. I had the spread on Outsideinside on my bedroom wall as a kid, and I still have it stashed away. I even bought a Rogers Drum set in part due to that
Craig DeWolf I knew Paul in Davis when he wasn't playing. Love seeing him back. And he was born n raise in Winters, not Davis. We had a good time, I produced one Blue Cheer track in S. F. which at the time went nowhere, but I was working with a great sound engineer, whom did a lot for the S.F. sound during the heyday. So, gope ypur still playing-where are you located now? Lew
Lew Snyder I'm in Castro Valley CA--and Still have a BUNCH of Roger Drums and play all the time-, a lot of classic rock with some friends each month--and occasionally play out
+spacepatrolman I'm sure Duck is keeping busy. He brought so much to the band. But , he and Paul formally announced that Blue Cheer is over. Maybe some of the surviving ex - members will play a show in Dickie's memory (I don't think one was ever held.), but it's agreed it's not Blue Cheer without Peterson. Tony Rainier did try to put together a verison of B.C., claiming ownership of the name , but , that did'nt get out of teh starting gate. DICKIE OWNED THE NAME , THO' THERE WAS SOME DISPUTE....
they were great and not the kind of heavy metal that sux so bad..like all todays garbage,metallica an goo goo dols an green day an fooey fighters,what a joke..all good musick is mostly 35 or so years old.steppenwolf,an three dog nite,old black sabbath etc........
