There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Spirit … Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Spirit was an American group formed by guitarist Randy California.
2) Spirit was a emo band from Montrose, Australia.
3) Spirit was UK drum and bass musician Duncan Busto (died 26 August 2018).
4) Spirit was an alias of UK techno duo 65D Mavericks, used for releasing on the Lost affiliated Cosmic label.
5) Spirit is a rock band from Slovakia, Levice.
6) Spirit is a modern metal band from Warsaw, Poland.
7) Spirit is a post-hardcore band from Cortez, Colorado.
8) Spirit was a 90s hardcore band from New Jersey. Formerly known as Kurbjaw.
1) Spirit was an American jazz/hard rock/psychedelic band founded in 1967, based in Los Angeles, California.
The original lineup
The original lineup of the group evolved from an earlier Los Angeles band, The Red Roosters, which included Randy California (guitars, vocals), Mark Andes (bass) and Jay Ferguson (vocals, percussion). With the addition of Ed Cassidy (drums) and keyboard player John Locke the new band was originally named the Spirits Rebellious (after a book by Khalil Gibran) but was soon shortened simply to Spirit. Randy California had also played with Jimi Hendrix (then known as Jimmy James) in Jimmy James and the Blue Flames in 1966.
Cassidy was instantly recognizable by his shaven head (hence his nickname "Mr. Skin") and his fondness for wearing black. He was around twenty years older than the rest of the group (born in 1923). His earlier career was primarily in jazz and included stints with Cannonball Adderley, Gerry Mulligan, Roland Kirk, Thelonious Monk and Lee Konitz. He was a founding member of Rising Sons with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder.
1960s
The group's first album, Spirit, was released in 1968. "Mechanical World" was released as a single (it lists the playing time merely as "very long"). The album was a substantial underground hit, reaching #31 and staying on the charts for over eight months. The album displayed jazz influences, as well as using elaborate string arrangements (not found on their subsequent recordings) and is the most overtly psychedelic of their albums.
They capitalized on the success of their first album with another single, "I Got A Line On You". Released in November of 1968, a month before their second album, The Family That Plays Together, it became their biggest hit single, reaching #25 on the charts (#28 in Canada). The album matched its success, reaching #22. They also went on tour that year with support band Led Zeppelin, who were heavily influenced by Spirit -- Led Zeppelin played an extended medley during their early 1969 shows that featured "Fresh Garbage" among other songs, Jimmy Page's use of a theremin has been attributed to his seeing Randy California use one which he had mounted to his amplifier, and it is now widely believed that Page lifted the descending guitar figure from Spirit's instrumental "Taurus" for Led Zeppelin's signature tune "Stairway To Heaven". This led to years of litigation, which was finally judged against Spirit in 2020 when the court held that "a four-note sequence common in the music field is not the copyrightable expression in a song.”
After this success, the group was asked by French film director Jacques Demy to record the soundtrack to his film, Model Shop and they also made a brief appearance in the film. Their third album, Clear, released in 1969, reached #55 on the charts. Spirit were offered the spot right before Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, but they were advised to turn it down and concentrate on a promotional tour for their third album. Record company managers felt that the festival would not be significant, which it did not seem so at that time, and so they missed out on the massive international exposure that the festival and the subsequent film documentary generated.
"1984" and the Sardonicus era
After the release of Clear, California was called upon again to give the group a hit single. With the group producing the record on their own, they recorded a song California had written called "1984". Though the title echoed the George Orwell book of the same name, it was one of California's finest, and it boasted an excellent production job (and was one of the most ferocious things that Spirit would ever record). And it looked at first like it would be the group's biggest hit yet. Soon after being released, it raced up the charts to #69.
In retrospect, nobody is completely sure why the single had such a brief chart life, but there are several possibilities. It is no secret that Lou Adler's alliance with Epic Records was uneasy at best, and at the time that the single was released, Adler's distribution deal with Epic came to an end. He had been eager to move distribution of the label to A&M Records, which he did as soon as the deal with Epic ended, which might have killed the commercial availability of the single (though Adler ended up giving Spirit's contract to Epic in the process). It has also been said that there was a tip sheet distributed to radio stations outlining the song's supposed political and social views, and opining that it might not be appropriate for air play . The song would finally see general release on The Best Of Spirit in 1973.
In 1970, Spirit started working on what is widely considered to be their best LP, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. On the recommendation of Neil Young the band chose David Briggs as the producer. It was a prolific time for the group's writers and the album was finally released in late 1970. Especially memorable was Randy California's poignant "Nature's Way", which was written in an afternoon when the group was playing at the Fillmore West in San Francisco.
Epic released an early mix of "Animal Zoo" as a single, but this only made it to #97 on the charts. Like The Who's Tommy and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, it is critically regarded as a landmark of art-rock, with a tapestry of literary themes about the fragility of life and the complexity of the human experience, illustrated by recurring lyric "life has just begun", and continued the group's pioneering exploration of enviromnental issues in their lyrics (cf. "Fresh Garbage"). The album is also notable for its inventive production and the use of a modular Moog synthesizer.
1971-1973
After the group undertook a promotional tour to support the album Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus Ferguson and Andes left the group, forming Jo Jo Gunne.
Bass player John Arliss initially took Andes' place, and California was still in the line-up, but he soon left the group and attempted a solo career. Eventually, two brothers named Al Stahely and John Staehely joined the band, and with Cassidy and Locke, recorded the 1972 album Feedback. It was a different turn for the group, showing more of a country-rock influence pervading their jazzier tendencies, but it also met with a mild commercial response, reaching #63 in the charts (the same position, ironically, that Sardonicus reached). The tour for Feedback eventually found both Cassidy and Locke leaving the lineup, with the Staehely brothers recruiting other musicians to fill their roles. While the tour was well received critically, Spirit disbanded in early 1973. The brothers would release their own album, Sta-Hay-Lee, in 1973.
California, meanwhile, had recorded and issued his first solo album, Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds, in late 1972. It featured appearances by Noel Redding (as 'Clit McTorius'), Leslie Sampson (the drummer from Noels band Road, as 'Henry Manchovitz') and Cassidy and had a hard rock sound. After launching a brief tour to support the album, a follow-up album was recorded with Cassidy, entitled The Adventures Of Kaptain Kopter And Commander Cassidy In Potato Land. Though Locke made a guest appearance, it was not intended as a Spirit album at the time. Epic however rejected the completed album, and California moved to Molokai, Hawaii.
Epic Records decided to re-issue the group's first and third, and second and fifth, albums as two-fers in 1973, in response to Sardonicus continuing to sell well, despite being off of the charts. They also issued a compilation album, The Best Of Spirit, that year, as well as releasing the Sardonicus track "Mr. Skin" as a single. Surprisingly, "Mr. Skin" became a minor hit, and one of the two-fers hit the charts (along with The Best Of Spirit), and there was new demand for the group. Cassidy decided to capitalize on this and put together an entirely new group for touring purposes which lasted throughout the year.
The Mercury years (1974-1979)
In 1974 Cassidy made it a point to find California and re-establish contact. He eventually persuaded California to return to the mainland and give the band another shot. Andes worked with the duo for a while, but never intended to stay, as he was in the process of working with the group Firefall at the same time. Sound engineer/bassist Barry Keene, who had been a personal sound engineer for Frank Zappa, joined the band as its bass player.
In early 1975, the group was supposed to be the opening act for Ten Years After at a show in Florida, but when Ten Years After backed out at the last minute, Spirit was granted permission to take over the theatre for the evening. After going around to local radio stations to promote the show and setting a low ($3) ticket price, Spirit managed to sell out the 3,000 seat theatre. Using the profits from the show, they blocked out as much time as they could at a Tampa studio, "Studio 70".
After recording a huge amount of material at the studio, their manager at the time, Marshall Berle (the nephew of Milton Berle), offered the material to Mercury Records. On the basis of the material, the group was offered a contract, and a double-album entitled Spirit of '76 was culled from the material and released in May 1975. The album garnered a bit of FM airplay, so they quickly followed it up with Son of Spirit, released in October of that year and featuring many songs taken from the same sessions.
For the tour in support of Son of Spirit, Locke re-joined the group. Eventually, Andes returned to the line-up as well, and though Ferguson declined to participate in the group reunion at first, the band (with the addition of Mark's brother Matt Andes as a second guitarist) recorded an album entitled Farther Along.
The album returned the group to the U.S. charts one last time, peaking at #179. For a few shows at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Ferguson re-joined the group. Disaster struck, however, when an inebriated Neil Young walked onto stage to join the band during the final show's encore of "Like a Rolling Stone". Sporting a new haircut, California did not recognize Young, and thinking that he was just a drunk, California pushed him away from his microphone. Ferguson and Locke did recognize him, and thinking that California's ego was flaring, promptly walked off stage. Cassidy initially quelled the situation by leaving his kit and joining both California and Young at the microphone to close out the song, but the damage had already been done, and the reunion ended that night.
Undaunted, California assembled what was basically a solo album as a Spirit album under the name Future Games: A Magical Kahuana Dream. Mercury released it in early 1977, but it received no promotion, and it ended what little bit of commercial momentum the group might have regained. It also (initially) ended their contract with Mercury. At the same time, former bandmate Jay Ferguson was having success in his solo career in late 1970s with the hits "Thunder Island" & "Shakedown Cruise".
The group, now down to a trio with new bassist Larry "Fuzzy" Knight, did extensive touring throughout 1978, recorded a live album which was released (in slightly different configurations) in several different countries by different independent labels. It was not a commercial success, and following the touring, California left the group again.
The 1980s and beyond
After Spirit's demise, California put together another group with the intent of re-starting his solo career. This was short-lived, but while in England, a fan presented him with a petition of 5,000 signatures, requesting the release of the Potato Land album from 1973. In 1981, California put out a half-hearted version of the album, featuring only part of the original album (and what was there featured overdubbing done after the fact) with the addition of a few unrelated songs that were recorded in the late 1970s. It was released in the U.S. by Rhino Records (being one of the first albums that they released) and in England by Beggars Banquet Records, where it actually reached #40 in the UK Albums Chart (the only time they would chart in England), possibly due to the album being played by BBC Radio 1.
California's second solo album, Euro-American, was released in 1982 by Beggar's Banquet. He would release two more solo albums during the decade.
In December 1982, the original Spirit line-up reformed and recorded several songs from their first four albums (as well as a few new tracks) live on a soundstage. Though the album Spirit of '84 was initially recorded for an audiophile label, Mercury Records re-signed the band (and gave California a solo deal) and released the album in 1984. Despite the fact that all five original members were on the recording, and MTV played the video, the album was only a moderate success. Some of the original members went to do other projects, but California and Cassidy continued touring with new members Scott Monahan on keys and Dave Waterbury on bass.
California headed to England and recorded his third solo album, the contemporary hard rock Restless, in late 1985. Following a few live dates in England, California returned to the United States and resumed touring extensively with Cassidy, Monahan and Waterbury.
There was one more solo album from California; a collection of material entitled Shattered Dreams that was released in 1986. California secured a deal with IRS Records, and Locke re-joined the band. They recorded an album in 1988 entitled Rapture in the Chambers, but it failed to return them to the charts.
The group self-released Tent Of Miracles in 1990 and set off on almost continually working for the next six years. Though they would release very few albums of new material during the decade, the group was always either recording or touring. California had his own home recording studio since the early 1980s, though he had been making home recordings for years prior to that. Sadly, this renewed vigor came to an end on January 2, 1997, when California drowned off the coast of Hawaii. He had been surfing with his son, who got caught in a riptide. He managed to push his son to safety, but ended up losing his own life.
Though Cassidy did play a few dates with some former Spirit alumni under the name "Spirit Revisited" in 1998, California's death was effectively the end of the group.
Locke died from complications due to lymphoma on 4 August 2006, although the date is sometimes given as 9 August.
Posthumous
California's passing, however, did not mark the end of the emergence of Spirit material. Starting in 2000, there have been five collections of previously unreleased studio and live material, four of which were two-CD sets. California had also prepared an anthology of material from the group's first stint with Mercury Records before he died entitled The Mercury Years. The two-CD set was released in early 1997, though it raised the ire of some fans who did not care for the fact that some of the material had been re-edited or featured overdubbing that was not present on the original releases.
Likewise, nearly all of Spirit's original albums are currently in print in CD. This is thanks to the efforts of Sony Records (with the Epic catalog, though Collector's Choice Music was the first to reissue Feedback on CD in the U.S., following a brief release on disc in France in the late 1990s) and Beat Goes On alongside Edsel, both UK labels (with the Mercury catalog, some of which had made it to CD prior to Beat Goes On and Edsel reissuing all of their Mercury albums). Their later independent albums are available through the group's website. The one album that is unavailable at this time is Rapture In The Chambers, which has not been reissued since the original release, though it was released on CD at that time.
Spirit has also found its work sampled by modern artists several times. The most notable of these was the "Extra P. Remix" of the song "Resurrection" by Common (which samples "Ice" from Clear) and "Feel Good Time" by Pink (which samples the track "Fresh Garbage").
2)
Spirit was a emo band from Melbourne, Australia. They were active in the late 90's. They released a 7'' entitled "In Memory Of..." in 1998 and a split 7'' with Blake.
3)
Spirit was Duncan Busto, a UK drum and bass musician (died 26 August 2018). He released on C.I.A., Metalheadz, Renegade Hardware and Inneractive (his own imprint).
Ipswich-based Busto took up DJ'ing in 1987, when he was at college in London.
He played alongside guests such as Mr. C. and Colin Faver. Duncan moved back to Ipswich in 1990 and straight into a residency at a club called Trance, alongside spots at Raindance and Raven, which became one of the biggest nights in East Anglia with crowds of over 1,000 people.
It was late 1994 when Busto started producing his own Drum 'n' Bass tracks under the name Spirit. Restricted to the confinements of his bedroom, he set up his studio in 1995 and teamed up with Klute from Certificate 18 Records. His tracks were released on Timeless and Fresh '80, gaining strong support from LTJ Bukem, Peshay, Grooverider and Fabio who has utmost respect for. He reckons that, “Fabio is a man who loves his music, is a blinding DJ and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met”. Since then two of his tracks "Solar Glide" by The Spirit, and "Shockwave" by Digital and The Spirit were released on Artcore 3 and 4 respectively, on React.
Influenced by “pretty much anything”, Busto appreciated the good and bad in any tune. He said, “The bad ones make me remember what not to do, but I love the way Drum ‘n’ Bass is becoming more world widely recognised and more people are introducing more fresh and new ideas”. In his free time, Busto listened to Hip-Hop, Drum ‘n’ Bass, Techno, House, Funk, Jazz and “some obscure electronic / industrial music from the early mid-eighties!” He produced much of his material with Digital, and the pair have proved to be an invincible team, releasing tunes on Metalheadz, Timeless and Photek and contributing to the Photek LP, “Sub Zero”. Busto was behind the record label Phantom Audio, which he set up in 1999 with partner Digital. Busto also has a regular spot writing Drum ‘n’ Bass reviews in Muzik Magazine once a month.
4) Spirit was an alias of UK techno duo 65D Mavericks, used for releasing on the Lost affiliated Cosmic label.
5) Spirit is a rock band from Slovakia, Levice.
6) Spirit is a modern metal band from Warsaw, Poland.
7) Spirit is a post-hardcore band from Cortez, Colorado.
8) Spirit was a 90s hardcore band from New Jersey. Formerly known as Kurbjaw.
1) Spirit … Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Spirit was an American group formed by guitarist Randy California.
2) Spirit was a emo band from Montrose, Australia.
3) Spirit was UK drum and bass musician Duncan Busto (died 26 August 2018).
4) Spirit was an alias of UK techno duo 65D Mavericks, used for releasing on the Lost affiliated Cosmic label.
5) Spirit is a rock band from Slovakia, Levice.
6) Spirit is a modern metal band from Warsaw, Poland.
7) Spirit is a post-hardcore band from Cortez, Colorado.
8) Spirit was a 90s hardcore band from New Jersey. Formerly known as Kurbjaw.
1) Spirit was an American jazz/hard rock/psychedelic band founded in 1967, based in Los Angeles, California.
The original lineup
The original lineup of the group evolved from an earlier Los Angeles band, The Red Roosters, which included Randy California (guitars, vocals), Mark Andes (bass) and Jay Ferguson (vocals, percussion). With the addition of Ed Cassidy (drums) and keyboard player John Locke the new band was originally named the Spirits Rebellious (after a book by Khalil Gibran) but was soon shortened simply to Spirit. Randy California had also played with Jimi Hendrix (then known as Jimmy James) in Jimmy James and the Blue Flames in 1966.
Cassidy was instantly recognizable by his shaven head (hence his nickname "Mr. Skin") and his fondness for wearing black. He was around twenty years older than the rest of the group (born in 1923). His earlier career was primarily in jazz and included stints with Cannonball Adderley, Gerry Mulligan, Roland Kirk, Thelonious Monk and Lee Konitz. He was a founding member of Rising Sons with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder.
1960s
The group's first album, Spirit, was released in 1968. "Mechanical World" was released as a single (it lists the playing time merely as "very long"). The album was a substantial underground hit, reaching #31 and staying on the charts for over eight months. The album displayed jazz influences, as well as using elaborate string arrangements (not found on their subsequent recordings) and is the most overtly psychedelic of their albums.
They capitalized on the success of their first album with another single, "I Got A Line On You". Released in November of 1968, a month before their second album, The Family That Plays Together, it became their biggest hit single, reaching #25 on the charts (#28 in Canada). The album matched its success, reaching #22. They also went on tour that year with support band Led Zeppelin, who were heavily influenced by Spirit -- Led Zeppelin played an extended medley during their early 1969 shows that featured "Fresh Garbage" among other songs, Jimmy Page's use of a theremin has been attributed to his seeing Randy California use one which he had mounted to his amplifier, and it is now widely believed that Page lifted the descending guitar figure from Spirit's instrumental "Taurus" for Led Zeppelin's signature tune "Stairway To Heaven". This led to years of litigation, which was finally judged against Spirit in 2020 when the court held that "a four-note sequence common in the music field is not the copyrightable expression in a song.”
After this success, the group was asked by French film director Jacques Demy to record the soundtrack to his film, Model Shop and they also made a brief appearance in the film. Their third album, Clear, released in 1969, reached #55 on the charts. Spirit were offered the spot right before Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, but they were advised to turn it down and concentrate on a promotional tour for their third album. Record company managers felt that the festival would not be significant, which it did not seem so at that time, and so they missed out on the massive international exposure that the festival and the subsequent film documentary generated.
"1984" and the Sardonicus era
After the release of Clear, California was called upon again to give the group a hit single. With the group producing the record on their own, they recorded a song California had written called "1984". Though the title echoed the George Orwell book of the same name, it was one of California's finest, and it boasted an excellent production job (and was one of the most ferocious things that Spirit would ever record). And it looked at first like it would be the group's biggest hit yet. Soon after being released, it raced up the charts to #69.
In retrospect, nobody is completely sure why the single had such a brief chart life, but there are several possibilities. It is no secret that Lou Adler's alliance with Epic Records was uneasy at best, and at the time that the single was released, Adler's distribution deal with Epic came to an end. He had been eager to move distribution of the label to A&M Records, which he did as soon as the deal with Epic ended, which might have killed the commercial availability of the single (though Adler ended up giving Spirit's contract to Epic in the process). It has also been said that there was a tip sheet distributed to radio stations outlining the song's supposed political and social views, and opining that it might not be appropriate for air play . The song would finally see general release on The Best Of Spirit in 1973.
In 1970, Spirit started working on what is widely considered to be their best LP, Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus. On the recommendation of Neil Young the band chose David Briggs as the producer. It was a prolific time for the group's writers and the album was finally released in late 1970. Especially memorable was Randy California's poignant "Nature's Way", which was written in an afternoon when the group was playing at the Fillmore West in San Francisco.
Epic released an early mix of "Animal Zoo" as a single, but this only made it to #97 on the charts. Like The Who's Tommy and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, it is critically regarded as a landmark of art-rock, with a tapestry of literary themes about the fragility of life and the complexity of the human experience, illustrated by recurring lyric "life has just begun", and continued the group's pioneering exploration of enviromnental issues in their lyrics (cf. "Fresh Garbage"). The album is also notable for its inventive production and the use of a modular Moog synthesizer.
1971-1973
After the group undertook a promotional tour to support the album Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus Ferguson and Andes left the group, forming Jo Jo Gunne.
Bass player John Arliss initially took Andes' place, and California was still in the line-up, but he soon left the group and attempted a solo career. Eventually, two brothers named Al Stahely and John Staehely joined the band, and with Cassidy and Locke, recorded the 1972 album Feedback. It was a different turn for the group, showing more of a country-rock influence pervading their jazzier tendencies, but it also met with a mild commercial response, reaching #63 in the charts (the same position, ironically, that Sardonicus reached). The tour for Feedback eventually found both Cassidy and Locke leaving the lineup, with the Staehely brothers recruiting other musicians to fill their roles. While the tour was well received critically, Spirit disbanded in early 1973. The brothers would release their own album, Sta-Hay-Lee, in 1973.
California, meanwhile, had recorded and issued his first solo album, Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds, in late 1972. It featured appearances by Noel Redding (as 'Clit McTorius'), Leslie Sampson (the drummer from Noels band Road, as 'Henry Manchovitz') and Cassidy and had a hard rock sound. After launching a brief tour to support the album, a follow-up album was recorded with Cassidy, entitled The Adventures Of Kaptain Kopter And Commander Cassidy In Potato Land. Though Locke made a guest appearance, it was not intended as a Spirit album at the time. Epic however rejected the completed album, and California moved to Molokai, Hawaii.
Epic Records decided to re-issue the group's first and third, and second and fifth, albums as two-fers in 1973, in response to Sardonicus continuing to sell well, despite being off of the charts. They also issued a compilation album, The Best Of Spirit, that year, as well as releasing the Sardonicus track "Mr. Skin" as a single. Surprisingly, "Mr. Skin" became a minor hit, and one of the two-fers hit the charts (along with The Best Of Spirit), and there was new demand for the group. Cassidy decided to capitalize on this and put together an entirely new group for touring purposes which lasted throughout the year.
The Mercury years (1974-1979)
In 1974 Cassidy made it a point to find California and re-establish contact. He eventually persuaded California to return to the mainland and give the band another shot. Andes worked with the duo for a while, but never intended to stay, as he was in the process of working with the group Firefall at the same time. Sound engineer/bassist Barry Keene, who had been a personal sound engineer for Frank Zappa, joined the band as its bass player.
In early 1975, the group was supposed to be the opening act for Ten Years After at a show in Florida, but when Ten Years After backed out at the last minute, Spirit was granted permission to take over the theatre for the evening. After going around to local radio stations to promote the show and setting a low ($3) ticket price, Spirit managed to sell out the 3,000 seat theatre. Using the profits from the show, they blocked out as much time as they could at a Tampa studio, "Studio 70".
After recording a huge amount of material at the studio, their manager at the time, Marshall Berle (the nephew of Milton Berle), offered the material to Mercury Records. On the basis of the material, the group was offered a contract, and a double-album entitled Spirit of '76 was culled from the material and released in May 1975. The album garnered a bit of FM airplay, so they quickly followed it up with Son of Spirit, released in October of that year and featuring many songs taken from the same sessions.
For the tour in support of Son of Spirit, Locke re-joined the group. Eventually, Andes returned to the line-up as well, and though Ferguson declined to participate in the group reunion at first, the band (with the addition of Mark's brother Matt Andes as a second guitarist) recorded an album entitled Farther Along.
The album returned the group to the U.S. charts one last time, peaking at #179. For a few shows at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Ferguson re-joined the group. Disaster struck, however, when an inebriated Neil Young walked onto stage to join the band during the final show's encore of "Like a Rolling Stone". Sporting a new haircut, California did not recognize Young, and thinking that he was just a drunk, California pushed him away from his microphone. Ferguson and Locke did recognize him, and thinking that California's ego was flaring, promptly walked off stage. Cassidy initially quelled the situation by leaving his kit and joining both California and Young at the microphone to close out the song, but the damage had already been done, and the reunion ended that night.
Undaunted, California assembled what was basically a solo album as a Spirit album under the name Future Games: A Magical Kahuana Dream. Mercury released it in early 1977, but it received no promotion, and it ended what little bit of commercial momentum the group might have regained. It also (initially) ended their contract with Mercury. At the same time, former bandmate Jay Ferguson was having success in his solo career in late 1970s with the hits "Thunder Island" & "Shakedown Cruise".
The group, now down to a trio with new bassist Larry "Fuzzy" Knight, did extensive touring throughout 1978, recorded a live album which was released (in slightly different configurations) in several different countries by different independent labels. It was not a commercial success, and following the touring, California left the group again.
The 1980s and beyond
After Spirit's demise, California put together another group with the intent of re-starting his solo career. This was short-lived, but while in England, a fan presented him with a petition of 5,000 signatures, requesting the release of the Potato Land album from 1973. In 1981, California put out a half-hearted version of the album, featuring only part of the original album (and what was there featured overdubbing done after the fact) with the addition of a few unrelated songs that were recorded in the late 1970s. It was released in the U.S. by Rhino Records (being one of the first albums that they released) and in England by Beggars Banquet Records, where it actually reached #40 in the UK Albums Chart (the only time they would chart in England), possibly due to the album being played by BBC Radio 1.
California's second solo album, Euro-American, was released in 1982 by Beggar's Banquet. He would release two more solo albums during the decade.
In December 1982, the original Spirit line-up reformed and recorded several songs from their first four albums (as well as a few new tracks) live on a soundstage. Though the album Spirit of '84 was initially recorded for an audiophile label, Mercury Records re-signed the band (and gave California a solo deal) and released the album in 1984. Despite the fact that all five original members were on the recording, and MTV played the video, the album was only a moderate success. Some of the original members went to do other projects, but California and Cassidy continued touring with new members Scott Monahan on keys and Dave Waterbury on bass.
California headed to England and recorded his third solo album, the contemporary hard rock Restless, in late 1985. Following a few live dates in England, California returned to the United States and resumed touring extensively with Cassidy, Monahan and Waterbury.
There was one more solo album from California; a collection of material entitled Shattered Dreams that was released in 1986. California secured a deal with IRS Records, and Locke re-joined the band. They recorded an album in 1988 entitled Rapture in the Chambers, but it failed to return them to the charts.
The group self-released Tent Of Miracles in 1990 and set off on almost continually working for the next six years. Though they would release very few albums of new material during the decade, the group was always either recording or touring. California had his own home recording studio since the early 1980s, though he had been making home recordings for years prior to that. Sadly, this renewed vigor came to an end on January 2, 1997, when California drowned off the coast of Hawaii. He had been surfing with his son, who got caught in a riptide. He managed to push his son to safety, but ended up losing his own life.
Though Cassidy did play a few dates with some former Spirit alumni under the name "Spirit Revisited" in 1998, California's death was effectively the end of the group.
Locke died from complications due to lymphoma on 4 August 2006, although the date is sometimes given as 9 August.
Posthumous
California's passing, however, did not mark the end of the emergence of Spirit material. Starting in 2000, there have been five collections of previously unreleased studio and live material, four of which were two-CD sets. California had also prepared an anthology of material from the group's first stint with Mercury Records before he died entitled The Mercury Years. The two-CD set was released in early 1997, though it raised the ire of some fans who did not care for the fact that some of the material had been re-edited or featured overdubbing that was not present on the original releases.
Likewise, nearly all of Spirit's original albums are currently in print in CD. This is thanks to the efforts of Sony Records (with the Epic catalog, though Collector's Choice Music was the first to reissue Feedback on CD in the U.S., following a brief release on disc in France in the late 1990s) and Beat Goes On alongside Edsel, both UK labels (with the Mercury catalog, some of which had made it to CD prior to Beat Goes On and Edsel reissuing all of their Mercury albums). Their later independent albums are available through the group's website. The one album that is unavailable at this time is Rapture In The Chambers, which has not been reissued since the original release, though it was released on CD at that time.
Spirit has also found its work sampled by modern artists several times. The most notable of these was the "Extra P. Remix" of the song "Resurrection" by Common (which samples "Ice" from Clear) and "Feel Good Time" by Pink (which samples the track "Fresh Garbage").
2)
Spirit was a emo band from Melbourne, Australia. They were active in the late 90's. They released a 7'' entitled "In Memory Of..." in 1998 and a split 7'' with Blake.
3)
Spirit was Duncan Busto, a UK drum and bass musician (died 26 August 2018). He released on C.I.A., Metalheadz, Renegade Hardware and Inneractive (his own imprint).
Ipswich-based Busto took up DJ'ing in 1987, when he was at college in London.
He played alongside guests such as Mr. C. and Colin Faver. Duncan moved back to Ipswich in 1990 and straight into a residency at a club called Trance, alongside spots at Raindance and Raven, which became one of the biggest nights in East Anglia with crowds of over 1,000 people.
It was late 1994 when Busto started producing his own Drum 'n' Bass tracks under the name Spirit. Restricted to the confinements of his bedroom, he set up his studio in 1995 and teamed up with Klute from Certificate 18 Records. His tracks were released on Timeless and Fresh '80, gaining strong support from LTJ Bukem, Peshay, Grooverider and Fabio who has utmost respect for. He reckons that, “Fabio is a man who loves his music, is a blinding DJ and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met”. Since then two of his tracks "Solar Glide" by The Spirit, and "Shockwave" by Digital and The Spirit were released on Artcore 3 and 4 respectively, on React.
Influenced by “pretty much anything”, Busto appreciated the good and bad in any tune. He said, “The bad ones make me remember what not to do, but I love the way Drum ‘n’ Bass is becoming more world widely recognised and more people are introducing more fresh and new ideas”. In his free time, Busto listened to Hip-Hop, Drum ‘n’ Bass, Techno, House, Funk, Jazz and “some obscure electronic / industrial music from the early mid-eighties!” He produced much of his material with Digital, and the pair have proved to be an invincible team, releasing tunes on Metalheadz, Timeless and Photek and contributing to the Photek LP, “Sub Zero”. Busto was behind the record label Phantom Audio, which he set up in 1999 with partner Digital. Busto also has a regular spot writing Drum ‘n’ Bass reviews in Muzik Magazine once a month.
4) Spirit was an alias of UK techno duo 65D Mavericks, used for releasing on the Lost affiliated Cosmic label.
5) Spirit is a rock band from Slovakia, Levice.
6) Spirit is a modern metal band from Warsaw, Poland.
7) Spirit is a post-hardcore band from Cortez, Colorado.
8) Spirit was a 90s hardcore band from New Jersey. Formerly known as Kurbjaw.
Topanga Windows
Spirit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
watching the world through our Topanga window
seeing people running through their lives
sun shines warm through our Topanga window
the cat lies sleeping waiting for the night
your time is going much too fast
you've got to slow it on down
or it won't last
and what will be will soon enough pass by
our Topanga window window window
people searching for a better season
trying to catch their moment on the run
always asking wanting what's the reason
what do you want when you just want to have some fun?
your time is going much too fast
you've got to slow it on down
or it won't last
and what will be will soon enough pass by
our Topanga window window window
when you find your own Topanga window
look and see just exactly where you've been
spend your time behind Topanga windows
come out from the city
and the people that would fill you in
time is going much too fast
you've got to slow it on down
or it won't last
and what will be will soon enough pass by
our Topanga window window window
window window window
seeing people running through their lives
sun shines warm through our Topanga window
the cat lies sleeping waiting for the night
your time is going much too fast
you've got to slow it on down
or it won't last
our Topanga window window window
people searching for a better season
trying to catch their moment on the run
always asking wanting what's the reason
what do you want when you just want to have some fun?
your time is going much too fast
you've got to slow it on down
or it won't last
and what will be will soon enough pass by
our Topanga window window window
when you find your own Topanga window
look and see just exactly where you've been
spend your time behind Topanga windows
come out from the city
and the people that would fill you in
time is going much too fast
you've got to slow it on down
or it won't last
and what will be will soon enough pass by
our Topanga window window window
window window window
In the song “Topanga Windows,” Spirit paints a picture of watching the world go by from the perspective of their home in Topanga. The lyrics speak to the fast-paced nature of life and the importance of slowing down to appreciate the present. The sun shines warm through the window as they observe people running through their lives, searching for something meaningful. The cat lies sleeping, patiently waiting for the night, as the inhabitants of Topanga find solace in simply observing the world outside.
The first verse speaks to the fleeting nature of time and the need to slow down to truly appreciate life. The second verse focuses on the idea of people who are constantly searching for something better or more meaningful in life, without taking the time to enjoy the present moment. The chorus echoes the sentiment of the verses, emphasizing the importance of slowing down before life passes by.
Through its lyrics, “Topanga Windows” encourages listeners to take a step back from the chaos of life and appreciate the beauty in simply observing the world around them. It serves as a reminder to slow down and find joy in the present, rather than constantly searching for something else.
Line by Line Meaning
watching the world through our Topanga window
We observe the world outside from the comfort of our Topanga window
seeing people running through their lives
We witness people racing through their lives
sun shines warm through our Topanga window
The warm sun illuminates our Topanga window
the cat lies sleeping waiting for the night
Our cat rests peacefully, awaiting the nightfall
your time is going much too fast
Time is moving too quickly for you
you've got to slow it on down
You must take a step back and slow down
or it won't last
If you don't slow down, time won't last
and what will be will soon enough pass by our Topanga window window window
If you don't slow down, life will quickly pass you by, just like everything outside our window
people searching for a better season
People are constantly seeking a better time in their lives
trying to catch their moment on the run
They are trying to seize their chances before they slip away
always asking wanting what's the reason
People often question the reason for their actions
what do you want when you just want to have some fun?
Why worry about the future when all you want is to enjoy the present?
when you find your own Topanga window
When you discover your own place of comfort and observation
look and see just exactly where you've been
Reflect on your past and understand where you have come from
spend your time behind Topanga windows
Take the time to observe the world through your own personal lens
come out from the city and the people that would fill you in
Step away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the people who try to influence you
window window window
Repetition emphasizing the importance of the Topanga window
Contributed by Cole I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Ray William Roldan
I love this song as I'm writing in Topanga every day. It's a musician's paradise. RW Roldan
KjG
Got the deepest craving to hear this song again. All my records disappeared over several moves, so I was happy to find this on YouTube. It's 2020 and I still know all the words from when I had the album in the 60s. Beautiful sound, especially on the "our Topanga windows" that ends each part. Thank you, whoever uploaded this!
Larry Morehouse
I also had a pang to hear this song today . it's lovely .
Campsie Grothendieck
This song is so great.
Harvey Wells
The "other" L.A. canyon sound. So much written about Laurel. Spirit had a different vibe that was jazz and blues influenced with some psychedelia mixed in. A great band deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame.
Bodhi Apurva
Topanga means 'Where the mountain meets the sea'. The eyes are the windows of the soul and this beautiful song reminds us of that. Have you ever looked deep into someone's peepers? If you have you will know why we are divine beings gazing out into the cosmos and beyond into other dimensions. Went to a Spirit concern in 1981. It was transcendental and magical. Ed Cassidy's amazing kit flashed strobe-like with light every time he hit a drum.
FuqYoFeelingsFerrari
wow very cool thank you so much for sharing your experience and acknowledge!
Neil Strauss
This is a great spirit song.
Gto1927
Haven’t heard this since the 60s. Nice.
Timothy Wright
Mine too.