1967: Canned Heat, Liberty
1968: Living The Blues, Liberty
1968: Boogie With Canned Heat, Liberty
1968: Hallelujah, Liberty
1969: Canned Heat Cookbook, Liberty
1970: Live In Europe, Liberty
1970: Live At Topanga Canyon, Liberty
1970: Future Blues, Liberty
1970: Vintage Canned Heat, Janus
1971: Memphis Heat, Barclay
1971: Hooker 'N Heat, Liberty
1971: Collage Sunset,
1972: Portrait - Vol. 1 & 2, UA
1972: Historical Figures & Ancient ..., UA
1972: Best of Canned Heat, EMI
1973: Very Best of Canned Heat, UA
1973: New Age, UA
1974: One More River to Cross, Atlantic
1974: Masters of Rock, UA
1976: Live At The Topanga Corral, Wand/DJM
1978: Human Conditions, Takoma
and some more...
Blues as a form in it self has a history checkered with exceptional, innovative musicians who tragically died young. Robert Johnson, John Lee 'Sonny Boy' Williamson, Little Walter, Beesie Smith and J.B Lenoir are a mere few of those whose abrupt end mirrored their recordings. White Blues which evolved out of young musicians who admired their Black counterparts, similarily had its casualities; in Michael Bloomfield, Janis Joplin and two members of the group herein, Alan Wilson and Robert Hite.
Canned Heat were first formed late in 1965 in Los Angeles. Hite and Wilson were its prime movers, two Blues fanatics, but opposites in temperament and appearence. Alan Wilson was born in Boston, Massachusetts on Independence Day 1943. A quiet, introverted individual, he acquired the nickname 'Blind Owl' after the heavy spectacles his poor eyesight made obligatory. He was, however, an accomplished musician, both as a slide guitarist and a superb harmonica player; " the best goddamn harp player there is", proclaimed guitarist Michael Bloomfield several years later. Wilson majored in music at Boston University, and at the same time became involved in the flourishing folk and blues scene in and around the city. The mid-sixties was also a great time for 'rediscovery' where many country blues artists were pulled from years of neglect and obscurity to find a whole new audience on white campuses. Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Bukka White, Son House and Robert Pete Wilkins are only some or the great originators who found fame late in life, and those who appeared in Boston often had Alan Wilson as an accompanying musician. It was in this role that he could be found on Son House's 'Farther of Folk Blues' album, where his playing was already special.
However, it was on the West Coast that Wilson would next appear, having struck up a friendship with Bob Hite. Hite was also granted a pseudonum, 'The Bear', in defference to his enormous size and wild beard growth. He was a natural extrovert, Blues enthusiast who spent his time working in the Rancho Music Shop, one specializing in pre-war releases. The two men shared a passion for such recordigns, with voracious appetites for collecting. With Wilson's proven abilty as a musician, it seemed only natural the two would form a group, which they did with the arrival of drummer Frank Cook. In keeping with their passion for Country styles, it would be a jugband rather than the electric combo popularized by other white enthusiasts such as Paul Butterfield and Charley Musselwhite. This early line-up was in truth, an occasional sideline, playing every once in a while at the Ashgrove Corral in Los Angeles. Indeed they would split for eight months before reforming again, but still with Hite, Wilson and Cook. Alongside them this time was guitarist Henry Westine, nicknamed 'Sun', and the veteran of several of the city's groups including the Mothers of Invention, whom he left before recording in pursuit of Blues, a greater passion. (He does however, get a name check on 'Freak Out'.) On bass was Larry Taylor, who had previously played with Jerry Lee Lewis, and these new additions indicated that the group would play now play a more contemporary music. They retained their previous name though; Canned Heat, itself a homage to their earlier inspiration, taken from an old Tommy Johnson 78, 'Canned Heat Blues'.
For the next year Canned Heat played solidly up and down the West Coast, building a strong a reputation in San Fransisco as they had in L.A. They also made several recordings around this time, none of which would see the light of day until the group was successful elsewhere. Studio try-outs would later be collected 'Vintage Heat', released here on Pye International , and 'Live at the Topanga Corral' was one of several in concert recordings coming from from this period. It was not until 1967 that Canned Heat secured a 'proper' deal when they signed with Liberty. Their debut album, simply titled 'Canned Heat' followed later in the and caught their transition from earnest scholars to interpreters. It contained the usual standards, 'Rolling and Tumbling', 'Bullfrog Blues', 'Dust my Blroom', all adequately played, but it lacked a little spark. Canned Heat were also caught on film from this period, live at the Monterey Pop Festival, where their checked shirts and scholarly approach seemed a little out of place.
It was, however, rectified and by the turn of the year they had grown in both confidence and stature. A new drummer had come in Adolfo (Fito) De La Parra, and their second album, was a remarkable progression from their first. Here was a group oozing control, showing they could legitimately hold a place alongside the best of the 'Blues Boom', Fleetwood Mac, the Butterfield Blues Band and John Mayall. Mayall, in fact, was moved enough to write 'The Bear' in tribute to Canned Heat's lead vocalist.
The new impetus within the group resulted in 'Livin' The Blues', a sprawling double album set which followed later in the year. One whole album was given over to a wildly indulgent 40 minute 'Refried Hockey Boogie', recorded live at the Shrine in Los Angeles. while theother featured studio recordings of a remarkable ambition. There was Charley Patton's 'Pony Blues', the exquisite 'MyMistake', the rumbustious 'One Kind Favour' and 'Walking by myself', and the wonderous 'Goin' Up The Country', another Alan Wilson highlight, where he took another traditional song, 'Bulldoze Blues', by Henry Thomas, kept the tune, changed the words and made sure that the quills (panpipes) of the original were maintained. Equally impressive was the 19 minute 'Parthenogenesis', an exercise in psychedelic Blues which would require more space than I have here to discuss. It completed Canned Heat's most ambitious release; in truth they would never touch it again.
'Hallelujah', their next album, was good but lacked the sense of purpose and experiment of the previous two albums. They released 'Live in London' and another studio set 'Future Blues', which in turn was followed by two hit singles 'Let's work together' and 'Sugar Bee'. Those Boogies had to come at last. Sadly however, this activity became Alan Wilson's swan-song. On the morning of September the 3rd 1970, his body was found in the backyard of Bob Hite's home. He had camped out overnight under his beloved redwood trees (Wilson was an active ecologist), something he did regularly. His death was a body blow to Canned Heat. No only had they lost a friend, thay had also lost an inspiration, and despite the return of Henry Vestine (who had left earlier), the group began a succession of personal cahnges which inevitably had a detrimental effect on their music.
Bob Hite worked hard to keep his group afloat, but on Sunday, April 5th 1981, Bob collapsed and died of a heart attack, following a gig at the Palomino Club. He was only 36.
It is unspeakably sad that two such caring men should have died so young. Together they brought whit Bluse a respect it deserved, and were truly innovatory in their attitude and ideas. Although Black bluesmen were naturally pelased to see a new generation take up their music, few were ever afforded teh respect that Alan Wilson and Bob Hite recieved. That in itself says much for Canned Heat.
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