The group's sound was hard to categorize, but was definitely blues-based, psychedelic, and very loud. The band has been subsequently acclaimed as an influence on garage rock, punk rock, heavy metal, and grunge. Julian Cope has written, "In 1968, nothing but nothing in America and Britain sounded as brutal as Blue Cheer except for The Velvet Underground."
The group underwent several personnel changes after the 1968 release of Outsideinside, and then through yet more changes during and after 1969's New! Improved! Blue Cheer (different guitarists on side 1 and 2). After Leigh Stephens was replaced by Randy Holden, formerly of Los Angeles garage rock band The Other Half, in 1968, Blue Cheer's style changed to a more commercial hard rock sound à la Steppenwolf or Iron Butterfly. For the fourth album Blue Cheer, Holden, who had left during the third album, was subsequently replaced by Bruce Stephens. Stephens later quit and was replaced by Gary Lee Yoder, who helped complete the album.
The new line up of Peterson, Ralph Burns Kellogg, Norman Mayell, and Yoder in 1970 saw the release of The Original Human Being and then 1971's Oh! Pleasant Hope. When Oh! Pleasant Hope failed to dent the sales charts, Blue Cheer temporarily split up.
From 1988 to 1993, Blue Cheer toured mainly in Europe. During this time, they played with classic rock acts as well as then-up-and-coming bands: Mountain, Outlaws, Thunder, Groundhogs, Ten Years After, Yardbirds, Danzig, Mucky Pup, Biohazard and others.
On the Nibelung Records label they released several albums. 1989 saw the release of Blue Cheer's first official live album, Blitzkrieg over Nüremberg. This album was recorded on Blue Cheer's first European tour in decades. The drum chair was then taken by Dave Salce; bass by Dickie Peterson; guitar by Duck McDonald.
1990 saw the release of Highlights & Lowlives studio album, comprised of blues-based hard rock, sometimes reminiscent of Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones, and several ballads. The album was produced by notable grunge producer Jack Endino. The line-up was Peterson on bass and vocals, Paul Whaley on drums, and Duck McDonald on guitars.
Blue Cheer followed up "Highlights" with the much heavier Dining with the Sharks. McDonald was replaced by German ex-Monsters guitar player Dieter Saller. Peterson was on bass and vocals again, and Paul Whaley was again on drums. Also featured is a special guest appearance by Groundhogs guitarist Tony McPhee. The album was produced by Roland Hofmann.
In the early 1990s, Peterson and Whaley re-located to Germany. Whaley still lives there. Guitar work has been handled by Duck MacDonald since that time. Blue Cheer are still active as of 2009. Peterson reunited with Leigh Stephens and performed with drummer Prairie Prince at the Chet Helms Memorial Tribal Stomp in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in Fall of 2005, and their lively performance drew old rockers like Paul Kantner and others from backstage to observe. They did some recordings in Virginia in Winter 2005 with Joe Hasselvander of Raven and Pentagram on drums. Paul Whaley has since returned to the band as drummer. The group's 2007 CD, "What Doesn't Kill You...", features contributions from both Whaley and Hasselvander. In 2009, Peterson died in Germany, leading to the cessation of Blue Cheer.
Blue Cheer's video for Summertime Blues made an appearance in 2005 documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, where Geddy Lee of Rush referred to the group as one of the first heavy metal bands.
The band have also been regarded as the godfathers of stoner rock bands like Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Nebula and Monster Magnet have cited their "heavy-fuzz rock" as a massive influence on them.
Hunter
Blue Cheer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A pretty woman (girl) like you child are my only game
I bought me a love gun just the other day
Lord, and I aim to aim it your way
Ain't no use to hide
No there ain't no use to run
Cause I got you in the sights of my........
My love gun, my love gun, my love gun
The first Time I saw you walkin' down the street
I said to myself, "Boom! Boom! Ain't she sweet!"
I got my love gun loaded
Loaded with a-huggin' and kissin'
And when I pull the trigger
There ain't gonna be no missin'
Ain't no use to hide
No there ain't no use to run
Cause I got you in the sights of my........
My love gun, my love gun, my love gun
God-dammed!
The lyrics to Blue Cheer’s “Hunter” are about a man who calls himself the Hunter, with the intentions of pursuing his “game,” which in this case is a woman. He compares himself to a person aiming a gun, indicating that he is deadly serious about his mission to win her over. The singer says that he has a love gun and that he recently purchased it, with the aim of using it on her. He asserts that there is no point in her trying to hide or run from him because he has her in his sights.
The Hunter’s intentions are quite clear and alarming, with the use of the gun being a metaphor for the seductive tactics he intends to use to win over the woman. The lyrics are suggestive, with the use of the term “love gun” recurring throughout the song. The metaphor of the gun is further reinforced with lines such as “I got my love gun loaded with a-huggin’ and kissin,” indicating that the Hunter is prepared to use any means necessary to win the woman over.
Overall, the lyrics to “Hunter” are a clear indication of the lengths some people will go to pursue their romantic interests. The use of violent metaphors is alarming and may be interpreted as a form of toxic masculinity or toxic behaviour in general, which should not be ignored.
Line by Line Meaning
They call me the Hunter and Lord, that's my name
I am known as the Hunter, it is my title and identity.
A pretty woman (girl) like you child are my only game
I am only interested in pursuing attractive women like you.
I bought me a love gun just the other day
I recently acquired a tool to assist me in pursuing relationships.
Lord, and I aim to aim it your way
In particular, I intend to use this new tool to pursue you.
Ain't no use to hide
You cannot evade my pursuit or conceal yourself from me.
No there ain't no use to run
You cannot outrun my advances or escape my attention.
Cause I got you in the sights of my........
I have identified you as the object of my pursuit and have focused my attention on you.
My love gun, my love gun, my love gun
This tool that I possess is specifically for pursuing romantic relationships.
God-dammed!
I am determined and passionate in my pursuit, regardless of any obstacles or objections.
The first Time I saw you walkin' down the street
From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I was enamored and entranced.
I said to myself, Boom! Boom! Ain't she sweet!
You immediately caught my attention and I found myself attracted to you.
I got my love gun loaded
I am fully prepared and equipped to pursue this romantic relationship.
Loaded with a-huggin' and kissin'
This tool is not for violence or harm, but for affectionate physical contact.
And when I pull the trigger
When I make a move towards you or initiate physical contact.
There ain't gonna be no missin'
My advances will not be rebuffed or unsuccessful.
It was the first Time I saw you
My attraction to you began at our initial meeting.
Walkin' all down the scene
I noticed you in a social setting or public place.
I said hey to myself, Good God ain't she mean!
I was struck by your beauty, attractiveness and charm and was immediately drawn to you.
No there ain't no need to run
You cannot escape or avoid my attraction to you.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL JACKSON, JR., BOOKER T. JONES, CARL WELLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind