Tag Archives: Sammy Piazza

Hot Tuna: First Pull Up, Then Pull Down

In June 1971, “RCA Victor” label released “First Pull Up, Then Pull Down”, the second Hot Tuna album. It was recorded in April 1971 at “Chateau Liberte” in Los Gatos, California, and was produced by Jorma Kaukonen.

Personnel:

  • Jorma Kaukonen – vocals, guitar
  • Papa John Creach – electric violin
  • Jack Casady – bass
  • Sammy Piazza – drums
  • Will Scarlett – harmonica
  • Pat “Maurice” Leraci – master of the machines
  • Allen Zentz – engineer
  • Margareta Kaukonen – drawings
  • Mike Frankel – interior photography
  • Jack Casady – pin-up photography

Track listing:

  1. John’s Other – Papa John Creach
  2. Candy Man – Rev. Gary Davis
  3. Been So Long – Jorma Kakukonen
  4. Want You to Know – Bo Carter
  5. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning – Rev. Gary Davis
  6. Never Happen No More – Blind Blake
  7. Come Back Baby – traditional, arranged by Jorma Kaukonen

Papa John Creach: Same

In December 1971, “Grunt” label released the self-titled, debut Papa John Creach  album. It was recorded in 1971 at “Wally Heider Studios” in San Francisco, and was produced by Papa John Creach and Mike Lipskin.

Personnel:

  • Papa John Creach – vocal. electric violin, arranger
  • Grace Slick– vocals
  • Jerry Garcia– guitar
  • John Cipollina, Bruce Conte – guitar
  • Jorma Kaukonen– guitar
  • Rufus Anderson – guitar
  • Bob Wilson – guitar
  • Carlos Santana– guitar
  • Paul Kantner– rhythm guitar
  • Art Hillery – piano, organ
  • Mike Lipskin– organ, piano
  • Gregg Rolie– organ
  • Nick Buck – piano
  • Dave Brown, Jack Casady– bass
  • Bobby Haynes – bass
  • Skip Olsen – bass
  • Douglas Rauch– bass
  • Peter Sears– bass
  • Sammy Piazza – drums
  • Tony Smith– drums
  • Joey Covington– drums, congas
  • Jack Bonus – saxophone
  • Greg Adams– trumpet
  • Mic Gillette– trombone
  • Stan Monteiro – clarinet
  • Los Angeles Brass Section – brass
  • Los Angeles String Section – strings
  • Roger Hamilton Spotts – arranger
  • Ken Hopkins – engineer, mixing
  • Peter Granet – engineer
  • Bill Thompson, Acy Lehman – design, concept
  • Bruce Steinberg – photography

Track listing:

  1. The Janitor Drives a Cadillac – Joey Covington
  2. Louis Blues – W.C. Handy
  3. Papa John’s Down Home Blues – Papa John Creach, Roger Spotts
  4. Plunk a Little Funk – Papa John Creach
  5. Over the Rainbow – Harold Arlen, Y. Harburg
  6. String Jet Rock – Papa John Creach
  7. Danny Boy – traditional
  8. Human Spring – James Reese, Roger Spotts
  9. Soul Fever – Miles Grayson
  10. Every Time I Hear Her Name – Roger Spotts

Hot Tuna: First Pull Up, Then Pull Down

In June 1971, “RCA Victor” label released “First Pull Up, Then Pull Down”, the second Hot Tuna album. It was recorded in 1971, at “Chateau Liberte” in Los Gatos, California, and was produced by Jorma Kaukonen.

Personnel:

  • Jack Casady– bass
  • Jorma Kaukonen– vocals, guitar
  • Papa John Creach– electric violin
  • Sammy Piazza – drums
  • Will Scarlett – harmonica
  • Pat “Maurice” Ieraci – master of the machines
  • Allen Zentz – engineer
  • Margareta Kaukonen – drawings
  • Mike Frankel – interior photography
  • Jack Casady – pin-up photography

Track listing:

  1. John’s Other – Papa John Creach
  2. Candy Man – rev. Gary Davis
  3. Been So Long – Jorma Kaukonen
  4. Want You to Know – Bo Carter
  5. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning – rev. Gary Davis
  6. Never Happen No More – Blind Blake
  7. Come Back Baby – traditional, arr. by Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tuna: Burgers

hot_tuna_burgers

In February 1972, “Grunt” label released “Burgers”, the third Hot Tuna album. It was recorded November – December 1971, at “Wally Heider Studios” in San Francisco, and was produced by Jorma Kaukonen.

Personnel:

  • Jorma Kaukonen – lead vocals, guitars
  • Richmond Talbott – vocals, slide guitar
  • Nick Buck – organ, piano
  • Jack Casady – vocals, bass, eyebrow
  • Papa John Creach – vocals, violin
  • Sammy Piazza – vocals, drums, tympani, other percussion
  • David Crosby– vocals
  • unknown engineer – recording
  • Allen Zentz – engineer assistant
  • The Mighty Maurice (Pat Ieraci) – engineer assistant
  • The Masked Mixer – mixing
  • Betty Cantor – mixing
  • Bruce Steinberg – design, photography

Track listing:

  1. True Religion – Jorma Kaukonen
  2. Highway Song – Jorma kaukonen
  3. 99 Year Blues – Julius Daniels
  4. Sea Child – Jorma Kaukonen
  5. Keep on Truckin’ – Bob Carleton
  6. Water Song – Jorma Kaukonen
  7. Ode for Billy Dean – Jorma Kaukonen
  8. Let Us Get Together Right Down Here – Rev. Gary Davies
  9. Sunny day Strut – Jorma Kaukonen

Hot Tune: The Phosphorescent Rat

Phosphorescent Rat

On January 3, 1974, “Grunt” label released “The Phosphorescent Rat”, the fourth Hot Tuna album.  It was recorded May – October, 1973, at the “Wally Heider Studios” in San Francisco, and was produced by Mallory Earl.

Personnel:

  • Jorma Kaukonen– vocals, guitars
  • Jack Casady– electric bass, bass balalaika
  • Sammy Piazza –drums, spoons, percussion
  • Andrew Narell – steel drums
  • Tom Salisbury – conductor of strings and woodwinds
  • Marek A. Majewski – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Jorma Kaukonen, except where noted

  1. I See the Light
  2. Letter to the North Star
  3. Easy Now
  4. Corners Without Exits
  5. Day to Day Out the Window Blues
  6. In the Kingdom
  7. Seeweed Strut
  8. Living Fust for You
  9. Soliloquy for 2
  10. Sally, Where’d You Get Your Liquor From? – Reverend Gary Davis