FLASHING Hastings; 'straight' classical extreme but not wanting to LONESOME WITH... percussionist/jazz drummer take the wind out of the Jon Keliehor and New York following article, I'll let Neal folk musician Steve Lalor, take up the story with the The offer of a Daily Flash they emerged tangenitally affable Steve Lalor, still today interview for the Terrascope from the Seattle teen-dance a busy local musician and only from one of our regular North scene of the early 1960s and too pleased to talk to us for American correspondents, quickly established themselves this Terrascope retrospective. Neal Skok, was received with as Seattle's leading alternative Over to you, Neal: a certain amount of glee here psychedelic outfit. By 1966 at Terrascope Towers. A band they were at the heart of the Why don't we start from the representing the very best of psychedelic movement's beginning... can you give us the West Coast musical and Mecca, playing consecutive some background to all four cultural explosion of 1965-67, nights at San Francisco's of The Daily Flash people? a band who successfully and Los blended jazz, folk, blues and Angeles' Whiskey a'Go Go Well, the furthest away from early psychedelic elements with contemporaries such as the rest of us was our guitarist into their sound, the fact that Love, Quicksilver Messenger Doug Hastings. Doug was very their only LP, 'I Flash Daily' Service, Big Brother & The young at the time he joined on England's Psycho label Holding Company, Moby the Flash, he was still in (itself a collection of Grape, England's own college and was very much unreleased studio and live Yardbirds and others you've into The Dynamics, he was performances and now long either read about in these listening to those guys a lot. deleted) wasn't released until pages already or will be doing 1984 somehow only served to so soon. Was he in local bands at all? further endear them to us. The Daily Flash have never They released two singles, He was playing in a lot of been covered in depth in any 'Jack Of Diamonds'/'Queen nameless garage bands and contemporary magazine and Jane Approximately' in 1965 would sit in with The in many ways remain just a and 'French Girl'/'Green Dynamics whenever he could. name passed in hushed Rocky Road' early in 1967 and He knew their guitar player whispers amongst although the A-side of the Harry Wilson so he hung out afficionados of touchstone latter was a strong local hit in with Harry and played when 12-string and electric guitar the Pacific Northwest, it failed he got the chance to. At the music overlaid with multi-part to garner any national same time Don MacAllister harmonies, yet their history attention and the original and I were involved in the first makes fascinating reading and members soon afterwards big folk boom in Seattle crosses paths with countless started to drift away - initially during the early Sixties. There more successful contemporary Keliehor to get 'spiritual' and was a big interest in acoustic outfits - as you shall see. Hastings to the Buffalo music up here. MacAllister Springfield. With the addition was in a bluegrass group with The Daily Flash were of another Northwest guitar Paul Gillingham called The however quite unique. Made wizard, Craig Tarwater, and a Willow Creek Ramblers, and up of four quite different drummer named Tony Dey I was a solo artist as well as components, the Daily Flash struggled on being involved in a couple of bluegrass-mandolin-turned-ro until early 1968 whereupon group projects. ck-bass player Don they finally gave up the ghost MacAllister; hotshot local altogether. Their subsequent (Seattle) guitarist Doug careers were varied in the

We were called The Driftwood Singers [they did one single for Jerden Records, no details to hand though - Ed]. When that kind of bellied up and we split MacAllister suddenly turned up in San Francisco and said to come back to Seattle. He told me he'd found this great drummer named Don Stevenson who sang as well, I was gonna love him. This sounded OK to me, so I put some things together and told him I'd see him in Seattle in a few weeks. I got to Seattle and found there was no Don Stevenson... instead there was a Jon Keliehor. The story was, Keliehor was with the musicians that eventually went to make up The - The Frantics. And I believe you were originally on an acoustic show, which when The Frantics went to from New York; when and was a huge success. It was California, Keliehor was why did you move to Seattle? turned into a weekly TV show involved in an auto accident that ran for a year and a half. I in Eugene. He left his spleen I came out west in January was on every show, and the in Eugene as a matter of fact, 1963, having dropped out of pay from that was enough to and ruined his 6 string college in Ohio, landed in San live on. acoustic guitar at the same Francisco and stayed there time. He eventually sold it to through to the late Spring. I Was it during this time that me, and it's still downstairs was in the San Francisco you ran into MacAllister? here. Anyway, I had been Scene for a while with Janis really looking forward to Joplin, Roger Perkins and the Yeah, as I said he and I would being in a group with this rest of them and... I just didn't hang out together and sing Don Stevenson, but that care for San Francisco a lot, stuff we'd learned, Everley wasn't to be and as it turned there was a hard, cold attitude Brothers songs and eventually out Keliehor was the secret in the city. Not really a very Beatles songs because the magic ingredient that makes friendly place at all. I decided harmonies were so natural. groups happen... see, he knew to take an exploratory trip up Don was an excellent singer music better than the rest of to Vancouver, stopped off in and wasn't afraid to try us and he was game to try Portland for a while and then anything. I then moved back anything and lead us down because there was a good folk to San Francisco and had a the road. scene already in Seattle I folk group which was based at decided to move there. The Hungry I. We were talking to Jerry Shortly after I got to town the Miller recently, and he told Seattle Center decided to put What were they called? us the same thing from The the Flash went out we had to you're playing with Frantics point of view. So piece together a PA that MacAllister and Keliehor is anyway, it's 1963, '64; what catered to harmony singing. your drummer - where did are you as a folkie thinking of When we finally got one, and you guys find Doug Hastings? all the bands like we were very well practised at and The Wailers, the 'Louie the time, we turned up at a MacAllister mentioned him Louie' type bands here in the club called The BFD and we to me, but no immediate Northwest? just smoked it, because the decision was made. When I harmonies were coming over got up to Seattle I met I didn't hang out with them like a wall of sound, a wall of Keleihor and as a matter of much. It wasn't the kind of three-part harmonies. And fact moved in with him and situation where I his mother for a couple could sit in of months - MacAllister comfortably. I did lived there at one point used to sit in with too. We looked around Tommy Chong for guitar players and up in Vancouver - decided that Doug he went on to be Hastings was the guy one half of whose ear was most Cheech & receptive. So many of the Chong - it was at guitarists of the time an all-night place, were into the big thing of and because of the day, that early 'Seattle the type of music Sound', and although we Tommy and liked that we didn't want those guys played anybody who was so far was like an older, gone in that direction mid-Fifties type of that they couldn't relate rock & roll it was to the acoustic guitar or a lot more basic to melodic music. Doug to play. The stuff seemed to fit the mould that The real well, he was willing Dynamics and to learn new directions... The Sonics were and he sure got them playing was a lot with us! more sophisticated, it So, at what time was the had a black kind line-up of The Daily of edge to it but it Flash arrived at? was very horn-heavy as I Seattle hadn't heard anything remember it. The PA's of the like that before. I would say it would be late day didn't even have speakers, 1964. Keliehor, upon arriving they would have two large I remember seeing the Daily back in town, promptly horns on the stage and one Flash at dances a couple of contracted hepatitis through singer with a microphone times back then, and as I not taking care of himself. He right in his mouth screaming recall you guys could do was recovering from losing his into it and sounding like an Beatles and Byrds covers like spleen, remember. He could airline pilot. There was just no nobody else could. Anyway, maybe get through a chance for harmony. When back to forming the band: twenty-minute set, so we carefully chose where we wanted a harder tune for the could play and showcase We did make it into that B-side. 'Birdses' was originally ourselves. We spent the rest of scene a little, especially when a tune by Dino Valente, I'd the time creating a mystique, 'French Girl' came out. Our heard it in the San Francisco putting up posters for feeling was, we banded folk scene. non-existent gigs and that sort together to play for the masses, of thing. We were being and the bigger the masses got So you released your first talked about in the papers the better it was. If they liked single on London (Parrot before we'd even played a gig, us and were willing to give us Records) in 1965... being mentioned as the a listen, we'd throw some alternative group! By 1965 we different ideas at them. Yeah, with no promotion of were really out there playing any kind. It was just doomed some gigs, and again we ran Were you doing any original to die. We cut the record and into the problem that people material this early on? we'd assumed it would die, weren't willing to take a but we didn't want to go to chance on the different style We did very little original Charlie Green with our hands of music that we played. Often material at any point. We out. We wanted to go to him we would have to put on our re-did obscure songs, we re-did as somebody who could do own gigs, rent out the folk and we re-did blues. It was things for themselves and Carpenters Hall down town all stuff nobody had heard of. then say 'but you could do it and just let people know it was better, Charlie...' So, Charlie going on. Our gigs soon When did you do your first immediately re-cut 'Queen became the focal point for the record? Jane' and as far as I remember hip scene in Seattle. he left the B-side alone. That was when we were still in There's two versions of the What would your set list have Seattle, through a guy called single around, one has looked like at this time? Ron Saul who was into Charlie and Brian's name on distribution. He saw us and it and the other one doesn't. Hmmm... 'Chimes Of said we should make a record. Oh yeah, they're very different Freedom', a couple of early We went down to the studios sounding. The sound quality Jesse Colin Young songs from and cut Dylan's 'Queen Jane is way better on the Charlie his first two solo albums; 'It Approximately' with 'Jack Of Green version. Takes a Lot To Laugh...', the Diamonds' as the B-side. It old Dylan standby, and we was about that time that I assume it's that version would do a lot of jazz MacAllister brought out his which turned up on the instrumentals. This kind of ace in the hole; he knew album many years later? ['I rock/jazz fusion was the very Charlie Green. Charlie Green Flash Daily', Psycho Records antithesis of the folk scene, we and Brian Stone were a #32, 1984] would be doing all these promotion team, they were three-chord melody songs and trying to hype their big act at I think it is... I hope it is! It was then suddenly we'd be doing the time which was Caesar released on Parrot again choral jazz changes. Groups and Cleo, who later became [Parrot #308] and it still didn't just weren't supposed to be Sonny and Cher. do anything. that eclectic. When did you cut 'Birdses'? So, did you move down to So I take it that with this kind Los Angeles at this point? of material, you weren't That was the original B-side of getting to do the teen dances 'Queen Jane'. Ron Saul cut Yeah, we actually went down too much? those two at first, but he to meet up with Green & Stone and they said to move night it was The Charlatans. I not. They would go off and all our stuff down and they'd have a reel-to-reel tape that dance by themselves to a put us up at The Tropicana Dan Hicks gave us hoping completely different rhythm Motel. that we would do some of his and I would wonder if it made songs. They were great songs, any difference whether we This was early in 1966 and too! But we didn't do any of were there or not. you hadn't played outside of them. Seattle at all - did this give you How come you were any problem? So where would you have headlining though? been in the pecking order at Presumably No, we had been trying to get these two Avalon gigs? hadn't heard you before? out of Seattle anyway. Seattle Police Department were We headlined both nights. No he hadn't, but he liked our always on our backs. Our We always headlined at The name. He just liked our name. band vehicle was a Packard Avalon, apart from the last Plus, he knew that I had been hearse and we were forever couple of times out of 10 or in one of the top folk groups getting tickets on it, and our 12 nights. It was always in town and that I knew Marty place was busted because by interesting playing there, Balin who had been in this time we had made sometimes enjoyable and another top folk group, and enough noise to be popular sometimes not so enjoyable... people like the Dead and and therefore considered it was just a place to drop acid, Quicksliver. David Frieberg dangerous by them. So we so what you had was around was an old friend. moved to Los Angeles, and on 500 people all in various other the way down we played our realities, sometimes tuning So it was like the conquering first San Francisco gig, at The into the music and sometimes hero returns! You played The Avalon. Avalon those two nights initially, Your first gig was and then headed at The Avalon! down to Los Who was on the Angeles? bill with you? That's right, and It was two nights, a stayed at The Friday and a Tropicana Motel Saturday in April where Van and both nights Morrison was featured the Daily living at the time... Flash and The whoever was with anybody always and Taj stayed at The Mahal. Plus, on Tropicana, even the Friday night Jim Morrison who there was Big actually lived in Brother & The L.A. - he's stay Holding Company there just because - without Janis, it was The who hadn't joined Tropicana. at that point - and on the Saturday You're hooked up solid with Green & Stone - dancing and look at us and we Los Angeles than he had in they also booked the Buffalo wouldn't know if they were Seattle so his focus began to Springfield around this time, bored, pissed or lost in deep be more into that stuff. didn't they? thought. I think there was also Keliehor was more into his a kind of reservation about spiritual side... actually, we They signed The Daily Flash the fact that we didn't write spoke about this a couple of and the at our own music, it was kind of months ago and I'd forgotten the same time, plus they were expected in those days and in that his departure from the very busy with Sonny and The Daily Flash none of us band was due to the fact that Cher. Cher's first solo record were ever drawn towards he had paid $500 to go to came out, 'All I Really Want being writers. The two some special event and a gig To Do' which kind of put the principal singers, me and came up at the last second, a fire out on MacAllister, were both gig that was semi-important to momentarily, that was to have primarily performers and us. He said no and we just said been their big follow-up. neither one of us wanted to well, we'll just get another write. That just wasn't the drummer then. Which is what Did you play in Los Angeles scene in those days - you were we did. at all? expected to write your own stuff, even if it was bad. So he was the first to leave? We had a regular TV gig on Which it often was. Especially an LA teen show called 'Boss in the San Francisco groups - No, actually Doug Hastings City' where we played our some of those guys had no had already left. He got an versions of the hits of the day. idea at all. offer from the Springfields - During this period I also had problems remember flying out to Did that cause any tension travelling, I think the pressure Phoenix to play some sort of within the group? of being on the road was just psychedelic festival in a big too much for him, so they hall. We played the Whiskey Yeah it did, the pressure to used Doug to travel with and A Go Go and other Sunset come up with original music had Neil working in the Strip clubs, but things were caused tension. Charlie would studio with them. Craig real competitive and it seems take folk songs that we had Tarwater was luckily for us like the Whiskey was a done and apply our names to waiting in the wings - he was 'pay-to-play' venue. it - he said that was the way the perfect guitar player. things were done. 'Green What, even back then? Rocky Road' was for many Now, Craig played with years 's later - who was he Yeah, everywhere else paid a signature tune, The Daily with before The Daily Flash pittance but at the Whiskey Flash did it and it came out though? you had to pay to play there. with our names on as writing Charlie did book us in credits. That kind of bothered He was in . sometimes. There were also us. Here we were under We knew him through some clubs on The Strip and pressure to do something we moving to Hollywood, he was when it seemed advantageous didn't want to do, namely one of the musicians that just to us Charlie would book us writing, and whether we did it stood out. He was there... actually, I just saw or not we were going to get comfortable with himself and Oliver Stone's film about The credit for it! It just didn't make his guitar playing, plus I liked Doors and their gig at the any sense at all. Also, him a lot as a guy. Whiskey was like a lot of our MacAllister was a junkie and gigs there - people would stop found a lot more Heroin in What do you think the high point of The Daily Flash was? respect his right to kill yet nothing had happened. himself. We were kind of frustrated Probably the second tour, about that - how could we with Craig and Tony Dey. Jon This whole Daily Flash saga, make it sound better when we unfortunately wasn't with us it's amazing how well already thought it was perfect? then. Everyone who came to respected you were despite see us was expecting to see a putting out so little product - After Doug Hastings' brief great group, and because of two singles [the one not spell with the Buffalo that we played like a great previously mentioned was Springfield he was involved in group. 'French Girl'/'Green Rocky the potential 'supergroup' Road' - UNI 55001 in 1967] Rhinoceros. The story goes And how about your worst memories?

Oh, probably MacAllister puking in the middle of a song... that would happen far too often. When a group starts out as 'one for all and all for one' and it all falls apart two years later, it's like going through a nasty divorce. There was a lot of unpleasant stuff going down about who owned what.

Has there ever been a Daily that Paul Rothschild called Flash reunion? Well, that's how legends get together all the best players he made - there's a lack of hard could think of - Kerry Magness, No, Keliehor talked about the evidence available to refute Jon Keliehor, Doug Hastings, possibility but nothing ever the fact that we were Danny Weis, twelve people in came of it. And I didn't feel it legendary! all and put them all together would be right without in a room and announced MacAllister. Any regrets about The Daily that there was to be a certain Flash? process of elimination.... When was it that MacAllister Keliehor and Magness died? It would have been nice if (ex-Kingsmen) would have 'French Girl' could have been nothing to do with it - In 1968. I'd always expected a hit, because as Paul understandably - so they he would overdose so in the McCartney once said nothing returned to San Francisco, long term it came as no inspires like success, and if linked up with Lalor and surprise, but I was surprised at that had been a hit we would formed the band Popcorn, the time. I'd seen him a few have risen to the occasion. At later to become Bodine (who weeks before and he'd seemed the time I think all four of us released an album in 1969). as if he was clean.... I was felt a lot of resentment that we When that split up Lalor always tolerant of his decision had the perfect product, we'd toured with Danny O'Keefe to self destruct, I wanted to made all the right moves and (Calliope - O'Keefe was formerly in the Time the Coliseum as stated on the Machine), then quit the music sleeve, although the Flash also business until the 1990's, appeared at the Raiders show when he can be found playing there as part of a package tour solo acoustic folk around with - hence why Seattle and is involved in a Keliehor is seen playing the pre-electric blues band Seeds' drum kit on the sleeve) performing material from the and a version of 'Queen Jane 20s and 30s. Hastings Approximately' recorded live returned to college and finally at the Whiskey A Go Go in finished his geology degree, November 1966. Their and was last heard of version of 'Green Rocky Road' somewhere in the North Sea can be heard on a looking for oil - he played compilation entitled 'The regularly in London in the Sound Of The Sixties: San mid-1980s for the fun of it. Francisco Volume 1' and 'French Girl' (from the master Of the others mentioned tapes, no less) appeared on a above, Craig Tarwater later compilation entitled 'Baubles' appeared on Arthur Lee's (recently reissued) and finally, 'Vindicator' album and played two songs appeared on a with , MacAllister Rhino Records compilation sadly died in 1968 as of Northwest bands. mentioned above, having worked as a (mandolin playing) And that's it. Not an easy sidesman for on band to pick up on if you one tour and gigging haven't heard them before - extensively with Dr. John like I say, the Psycho album post-Flash; Kerry Magness got was deleted long ago - but it involved in gaffing in the film still turns up from time to business and Keliehor moved time for under a tenner and to England after Bodine split, will repay the investment was involved in the London many, many times over. Great School of Contemporary band. Great article. Thanks Dance for many years and is Neal and thanks to Steve now a highly respected Lalor for his time and percussionist on the world patience - stage. In 1984 Psycho Records in the UK released a Directed by Neal Skok; written posthumous Daily Flash and produced by Phil McMullen album entitled 'I Flash Daily' © Ptolemaic Terrascope, July which, as well as including 1992 both sides of their two singles mentioned above, also features a live - and quite staggeringly good - version of 'Canteloupe Island' recorded at the Eagles Auditorium in Seattle in October 1967 (not