Put Spirit into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

As the 2009 nominees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame were announced, a group that made a seminal contribution to the music of the late 60вand early 70вs has once again been slighted. Spirit (Randy California, guitar and vocals , Jay Ferguson, vocals, John Locke, keyboards, Mark Andes, bass, and Ed Cassidy, drums), the groundbreaking band founded in Los Angeles in the 1960вs, has been virtually neglected by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since itвs original eligibility in the mid 90вs This petition aims to right that situation.

Spirit has never gotten the acclaim the group deserves. While other west coast groups like the Doors, the Byrds, and Buffalo Springfield, have gone on to more popular recognition, Sprit remains an underground but vital phenomenon. The four albums this LA quintet cut between 1968 and 1971 (and a fifth soundtrack for motion picture Model Shop) certainly rank among the best albums of that period. Their final album in their original configuration, вThe Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus,в is viewed as one of the first concept albums, a вdiverse yet cohesive effort, and long considered by fans, critics and musicians alike to be one of the finest albums ever recorded.в It extended the experimentalism of Spiritвs earlier albums with new elements that anticipated the rock trends of the 70вs . As one critic notes вSpirit should be remembered as one of the half-dozen best American bands of the 60sв

If music is the universal language, Spirit was its rock n roll translator. Like other innovative groups of the 60вs, Spirit set out to create new musical forms. Mixing influences from free form and small group jazz with improvisation, psychedelia, hard rock, blues and even pop sensibilities, they aimed to create more universal musical forms. They often succeeded, creating music with the widest range of musical expression of any rock group before or since. Another critic writing in 1968: вSpirit makes use of all the variables available to modern music; in form, style, tone color, dynamics, rhythms, lyric subjects, modes, scales, feelings, everything.в Spirit was among the earliest and most successful fusion groups. Spirit also displayed an early ecological sensibility and a concern for social justice, and critical and adventurous lyrical spirit that captured the sense of the times. Californiaвs вNature's Wayв and Fergusonвs вFresh Garbage,в illustrate their early environmental concerns.

In a spirit retrospective Jim Washburn wrote: вThe Doors were alright but for many rock fans in the late 60вs the band that really mattered was Spirit,в Spirit is the forgotten super group of the 60вs. They headlined for groups like Led Zeppelin and the Police and were it not for an unfortunate management decision would have been featured at Woodstock.

Though the original Spirit lineup broke up in1971, Spirit continued until Randy Californiaвs death in 1997, centered around the virtuoso musicianship of drummer Ed Cassidy and guitarist Randy California. California is recognized by many as one of the premier guitarists of rock. Exposed early on to blues and to the influence of Jimi Hendrix, California not only could master almost any style from smooth jazz to blues to psychedelic, he possessed a strong melodic sense, Spirit kept writing music and producing albums that challenged conformity, record company executives, and received ideas, in times of political quietism. (Potatoland, Spirtofв76, Further Along, for example) Spiritвs last studio album, California Blues, is a thoughtful return to Californiaвs blues roots. It is infused with an underlying sense of the community of mankind that can be traced back to Californiaвs early work with Spirit.

If youвre a fan of Spirit please sign this petition and show the rock establishment that Spirit still lives. If you havenвt listened to Spirit for a while or at all, take a chance to listen to one of rockвs neglected treasures. Then sign on to the petition.