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.
Pilot
Blue Cheer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the pilot of this plane
Spread my wings at the break of day
Fly by night, sleep by day
Oh baby, won't you take me away.
I gotta move
Somebody's calling me now
You see I'm wandering by
Fly by Earth through the sky.
I'm the pirate of the seven seas
Take it home baby, give me a squeeze
Too many virgins tied in their hold
Come on baby, won't you break out the gold.
I gotta move
Put on my traveling shoes
Somebody's calling me now
Sail out on the breeze
Just take what I please.
Eagle's nest, falcon's row
Turn his mark and the throw is gone
Rise and fall on the rockin' lift
Caesar's den, better break out the rest.
I gotta move
Put on my traveling shoes
Somebody's calling me now
Ain't you wondering why
From a wave of goodbye.
I'm the pilot, fly the space machine
Astral burners flaming in my gin
Light is flashin' come spin me away
Oh, baby won't you leave me a ray.
I gotta move
Put on my traveling shoes
Somebody's calling me now
They say I'm wandering by
Shoot right up with a sigh, yeh.
AAHHHHHG........
WHEW........
AAHHHHHG........
AAHHHHH........
AAHHHHH........AH
AHH....AHH....AAHHHHH........(UH!)
The song "Pilot" by Blue Cheer is an energetic rock 'n' roll anthem that centers around themes of freedom, adventure, and rebellion. The titular pilot is a symbol for a person who is constantly looking for the next adventure and never wants to stay put in one place for too long.
The opening lines of the song, "I'm the pilot of this plane / Spread my wings at the break of day," establish the idea of the pilot being in control and ready to take flight at any moment. The lyrics also mention wandering, sailing, and flying through the sky, all of which suggest a desire for movement and exploration.
The final verse takes a slightly different direction, with the pilot now being depicted as a space traveler who is ready to be launched into the cosmos. The lines "Astral burners flaming in my gin / Light is flashin' come spin me away" paint a picture of a futuristic spacecraft taking off into the unknown.
Throughout the song, the lyrics are accompanied by a driving rhythm section and searing guitar riffs, which add to the sense of urgency and movement. "Pilot" is a classic rock song that encapsulates the spirit of adventure and rebellion that has long been a hallmark of the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm the pilot of this plane
I'm in control and leading the way
Spread my wings at the break of day
I'm ready to begin and embrace new opportunities
Fly by night, sleep by day
I'm living life fast and staying up late
Oh baby, won't you take me away.
I want to escape my current life and be with my loved one
I gotta move
I need to keep going forward
Put on my traveling shoes
I'm ready to hit the road and start a new journey
Somebody's calling me now
I have an urge to change and pursue something exciting
You see I'm wandering by
I'm lost and unsure of my direction in life
Fly by Earth through the sky.
I'm living life free and experiencing new things
I'm the pirate of the seven seas
I'm an adventurous and daring person who takes risks
Take it home baby, give me a squeeze
I want my lover to embrace and comfort me
Too many virgins tied in their hold
I want to break free from societal norms and expectations
Come on baby, won't you break out the gold.
I want to enjoy the finer things in life with my loved one
Sail out on the breeze
I'm ready to embark on a new journey and let the wind take me
Just take what I please.
I'll do what I want and take whatever I desire
Eagle's nest, falcon's row
I'm searching for the best and most beautiful places nature has to offer
Turn his mark and the throw is gone
A reference to gambling and fate turning in your favor
Rise and fall on the rockin' lift
Life has its ups and downs and we must face them
Caesar's den, better break out the rest.
I'm ready to take on the world and experience new things
I'm the pilot, fly the space machine
I'm leading the way in a new and exciting world
Astral burners flaming in my gin
I'm embracing the unknown and living life to the fullest
Light is flashin' come spin me away
I want to be swept away by excitement and adventure
Oh, baby won't you leave me a ray.
I want my lover to give me a reason to live and enjoy life
They say I'm wandering by
I'm still searching for my true purpose and direction in life
Shoot right up with a sigh, yeh.
I'm taking off and leaving my old life behind
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
robin7771
What a great song! Through all the lineup changes, Blue Cheer was always a great band. RIP Dickie.
musicisbrilliant
God Bless BLUE CHEER!!!!! AUTHENTIC 70's ROCK sound.
Annette Feldner
Call me a humble soul but I still call this hot.
war is hell
60's
musicisbrilliant
;) Ill never stop listening to these songs, even when Im 90 years old. Blue cheer is one of a kind. Peace dude.
TSM
Damn Straight!!
512momo512
I love this song, i don't understand why there are so few views!
Shu Meister
I'm so glad that history is preserved here.
Myrrha Kerenko
Great song and performance. Gary Yoder style, close to KAK.
electrasong
Great acid band. Yes.... we listened to this. Indeed we did! I may still have the LP hidden away somewhere.