Redbone
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1968-72) - Tony Bellamy -- guitar, backing vocals backing vocals
line up 2 (1972-73) - Tony Bellamy
-- guitar, backing vocals
line up 3 (1973-75) - Tony Bellamy -- guitar, backing vocals
supporting musicians (1974) - Ronnie Barron -- percussion - Gordon DeWitty -- piano - John Fiore -- background vocals - Michael Freda --background vocals - Terry Furlong -- slide guitar - Chipper Laverone -- percussion - David Oliver -- background vocals - Red Rhodes -- steel guitar
line up 4 (1977) NEW-
Aloisio Aguiar -- keyboards, percussion NEW - Eddie Summers -- drums, percussion (replaced Butch Rillera)
line up 5 (2005) - Tony Bellamy -- guitar, backing vocals
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- The Avantis (Pat and Lolly Vegas) - Pat Vegas (solo efforts) |
Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Redbone Company: Epic Catalog: EGP 501 Year: 1970 Country/State: Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: double album, gatefold sleeve (our copy has less ring wear than that shown in the picture) Available: 1 Catalog ID: not yet listed Price: $25.00
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Having recorded a series of early-'60s surf singles as members of The Avantis, The Sharks and under their own names (see separate entries), by mid-'60s brothers Lolly and Pat Vegas has attracted minor attention as sessions players and songwriters. Among their efforts, the duo enjoyed limited success penning "Nicki Hokey" for P.J. Proby. Playing clubs as a duo, in 1968 the brothers hooked up with guitarist Tony Bellamy and drummer Pete DePoe to form Redbone.
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Potlatch Company: Epic Catalog: E-30109 Year: 1971 Country/State: Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor ring, edge and corner wear Available: 2 Catalog ID: not yet listed Price: $8.00
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With the Vegas again providing virtually all of the material (Bellamy co-writing one track), 1971's
"Potlatch" proved far tighter and focused. Co-produced by Lolly and Pete Welding, the collection found the band taking stabs at a wide variety of genres, including sappy MOR ballads ("Who Can Say?"), meltdown psychedelics ("Without Reservations") and social relevance
("Alcatraz" and "Chant:13th Hour"). While the material occasionally bogged down in amidst ill-defined arrangements and lyrical pretense, for the most part these guys wanted to rock. Propelled by Lolly's slinky voice and Pat's distinctive wah wah guitar, material such as the hit single "Maggie", "Light As a Feather" (sounding like a CCR outtake),
"Judgement Day" and "Bad News Ain't No News At All" demonstrated these guys were at their best when working a funk-rock groove. Propelled by favorable reviews (in the midst of the Alcatraz siege, what critic was about to cast dispersions on a band composed of native Americans ...), the parent album provided the band with their first taste of commercial success, ultimately reaching #99.
1.) Maggie (Lolly Vegas) - 5:06 (side 2) 1.) Chant: 13th Hour (Pat Vegas - Lolly Vegas - R.A. Bellamy) - 5:36
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Already Here Company: Epic Catalog: KE-31598 Year: 1973 Country/State: Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1296 Price: $9.00
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1972's "Already Here' was released in the wake of a personnel change that saw original drummer Pete DePoe quit in the wake of his father's unexpected death. He was quickly replaced by Arturo Perez. Musically the album found the band shifting their sound away from the commercial Cajun-rock moves that had made them radio favorites. With the exception of 'Condition Your Condition', 'Fiat-Do'. and an energetic remake of Leiber and Stoller's 'Poison Ivy' the rest of the album was far more varied and experimental that previous studio sets. 'Power (Prelude To a Means)' was a decent radio-friendly ballad, while 'Speakeasy' found the band trying their hand at country. The title track was an even bigger change in direction with the band dipping their collective toes into Jeff Beck-styled jazz-rock fusion. The results were certainly interesting, but not the place for a casual fan or a curious listener to start.
1.) Fait-Do (Pat Vegas - Lolly Vegas) - 2:36 Yeah, Epic released it as a single, but to my ears it sounded like a subpar attempt to jump on the Sly and the Family Stone bandwagon. Kind of a mindless funk tune without a great deal going for it. YouTube has a black and white promo clip for the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkRlLVcKGrc rating: ** stars 2.) Motivation (Pat Vegas - Tony.Bellamy - Lolly Vegas) -2:13 'Motivation' was one of the album's more interesting tunes, mixing some punchy horn charts with a driving rock base. Nice harmony vocals on this one. rating: **** stars 3.) Power (Prelude To a Means) (Pat Vegas) - 4:29 'Power (Prelude To a Means)' was a pretty, if somewhat over-orchestrated ballad that highlighted Tony Bellamy's wah wah guitar and Lolly's nifty voice. He's always reminded me a bit of John Fogerty. Apparently a carry over from earlier recording sessions, the song featured original drummer DePoe. Would have made a nice single. rating: **** stars 5.) Speakeasy (Lolly Vegas) - 3:50 Hum, I Wasn't expecting a country-tinged number ... thoughtful lyrics, but the melody wasn't particularly memorable. rating: ** stars 5.) Condition Your Condition (Pat Vegas - Tony Bellamy - Lolly Vegas) - 2:51 'Condition
Your Condition' was one of the few tunes that carried over their earlier
Cajun-rock. Nice rocker and one of the album highlights.
rating: *** stars (side 2) 1.) Where Is Your Heart (Lolly Vegas) - 3:05 My favorite tune, in spite of the hackneyed orchestration, 'Where Is Your Heart' was a soulful ballad that got better as it went along. Lolly had such a cool voice. rating: **** stars 2.) Good Enough for Jesus (Pat Vegas) - 2:37 Another country-influenced tune, Pat explained 'Good Enough for Jesus' as being inspired by audience responses to their long hair and counter-culture appearance. rating: *** stars 3.) Poison Ivy (Jerry Leiber - Mike Stoller) - 3:00 Probably the album's biggest surprise, anyone who grew up with The Coasters' version of 'Poison Ivy' was likely to find Redbone's funkified cover quite different. I can certain remember being surprised by the tune the first time I heard it on the radio. Very nice and one of the album highlights. YouTube has a clip of the band lip-synching the tune for French TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcgLkSm3tO4 rating: **** stars 4.) Already Here (Brujo) (Lolly Vegas) - 9:21 To my ears the title track came off as an overly long slice of jazz-rock fusion. Yeah, Jeff Beck might have been proud of the performance, but stretched out over nine minutes Tony Bellamy's discordant guitar and the rest of the jam quickly became tiring. Not sure if 'Bruno' has a unique meaning in the Indian languages, but in Spanish I think it translates as sorcerer, or witch doctor. rating: *** stars
The album spun off a pair of international 45s. In the States the singles were:
- 1972's 'Fais-Do' b/w 'Fais-Do' (Epic catalog number 5-10910) - 1972's 'Poison Ivy' b/w 'Condition Your Condition) (Epic catalog number 5-10946)
Only 70, Lolly Vegas died of lung cancer in March 2010.
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