The Ridgerunners

We Five grew out of a folk group called the Ridgerunners that began as a duet with Michael Stewart and Jerry Burgan. It went through several variations between 1961 and 1965. Michael's dad came up with the name (a semi-loving reference to Kentucky mountaineers and horse thieves). Originally a Kingston Trio copy, the character and dynamic of the group changed in 1962 when Sue Ellen Davies joined the group. She had a Beautiful soprano voice and brought a new kind of energy to the traditional folk sound when she sang in her 'ballsy' alto range.  While still in high school, the group was playing regularly at a coffee house in Upland, California called the Meeting Place that gave birth to some very innovative musicians including the Pair Extraordinaire, and Chris Darrow's Reorganized Dry City Players.  During this time, bassist Peter Fullerton would often sit in with the band while still a member of other groups in the area.

When Peter, Paul and Mary broke onto the scene, John arranged an audition for the Ridgerunners at Capitol Records with producer Nick Venet.  In their first professional recording session, done at Capitol's Studio A around 1962, they recorded The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (taken from Ewan McCall's acapella version), and Big River Rising. Nick left Capitol, shortly thereafter, so the contract was never finalized and the recording was lost.

The Ridgerunners played several school concerts with John Stewart during his Quiet Fight period. John would go to schools in areas where the Kingston Trio was performing and do afternoon concerts based on folk music, his love of American history, and his strong sense of social issues. It was a great way to get high school kids plugged into their links with history and social responsibility. The group recorded a couple of other songs including Railroad Bill, that got airplay on a label in New Zealand--but their biggest distribution came when the record was used as a free offer on Johnstone pies.  

The pinnacle they reached was performing with John Stewart, John Phillips and Scott MacKenzie (after the Journeymen and before the Mamas and Papas) on the sound track for With Their Eyes On The Stars.  It was a film short produced by North American Aviation and NASA to help maintain awareness of the American Apollo space program. The story line drew parallels between the New Frontiers discovered in the discovery and exploration of the new world, and the exploration of space. The visuals were terrific and the songs provided all of the narration. You can hear both Sue and Eileen singing the female parts on the soundtrack.   

By 1964 Bob Jones and Beverly Bivens had both joined the group; and, what would become We Five's personnel was essentially in place. However, folk music was becoming passé so the name was changed.  They started doing different kinds of music, but still performed in a folk style under the name Mike Stewart Quintet (MSQ).  The Kingston Trio's manager, Frank Werber, booked MSQ into the Hungry i in San Francisco.  When the group arrived for the job, they saw the name We Five painted on the marquee.  Frank had been the driver in reinventing the Gateway Singers as the Kingston Trio, so no one could argue with his record of success and the name stuck. Frank began recording the group in the Trio's new studio across the street from the Hungry i in spring of 1965, and by June, the Ridgerunners were ancient history and You Were On My Mind was the # 1 song in San Francisco.

The primary players in the Ridgerunners were:

Michael Stewart (1960 - 1964 )
Jerry Burgan (1960 - 1964 )
Michael Strub (1961 - 1962 )
Sue Davies (1962 - 1963)
Pete Fullerton (1962 - 1964 )
Eileen Duffy (1963 - 1964 )
Bob Jones (1963 - 1964 )
Beverly Bivens (1964)

Others from the Claremont, California and University of San Francisco periods who played with the group at one time or another (not necessarily under the name of the Ridgerunners) included :

Terry Kirkman -- Tended bar at the Knight's Rest, joined us for encores, dated Bev's sister, introduced us to Beverly, wrote 'Cherish'
Michael Elley -- Extordinary Tenor voice
Kevin Shipman -- From the Yachtsmen at Disneyland.  Sold Michael the D-28'S used on all the We Five sessions as well as during his time as a studio musician backing the likes of Paul Anka, Tom Jones, and Bobby Sherman.
Andy Moyce -- had to choose between the Ridgerunners and medical school.  He's now a very successful doctor, but he still plays bass!

Michael also worked as an arranger for Doug Weston on a group started at the Troubador called The Men that evolved into the Association

Jerry and Michael both worked with a Glendora folk trio (where Jerry met his wife and bandmate Debbie), called The Legendaires.