What Eric Albronda ( Blue Cheer Original Drummer and Producer) has to share about what happened around and during The 1968 Miami Pop Festival May 18th 1968 :
1. What concerts did you do before Miami Pop 1?
Eric Albronda :
MIAMI WAS ABOUT 3/4 THE WAY THROUGH BLUE CHEERS FIRST NATIONAL TOUR WHICH LASTED A GRUELING NINE MONTHS ---
PREVIOUS TO THIS GIG WE HAD PLAYED THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM AND AVALON BALLROOMS IN SAN FRANCISCO , GIGS IN PORTLAND AND SEATTLE AND LOS ANGELES , DENVER , CHICAGO AND NEW YORK TWICE AD PITTSBURGH AND DETROIT AND BOSTON AND ORLANDO AND MANY MIDWEST GIGS IN AND AROUND CHICAGO AS OUR RECORD COMPANY WAS IN CHICAGO, MERCURY RECORDS RELEASED ON THE PHILLIPS LABEL,
2. How long had Summertime Blues Been Out ?
Eric Albronda:
SUMMERTIME BLUES HAD BEEN OUT SINCE FEBRUARY 1968, IT WAS RELEASED IN THE WINTER , WOLFMAN JACK BROKE THE RECORD AS WELL AS TONY PIG ON SAN FRANCISCO'S RADIO STATION KYA IN SAN FRANCISCO, TONY PLAYED DOCTOR PLEASE , ONE OF THE HEAVIEST DOPE SONGS I KNOW OF FOR THE COMPLETE 12 PLUS MINUTES AT 5:00 PM IN THE AFTERNOON, THIS WAS A STRAIGHT TOP 40 STATION AND HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FIRED FOR DOING THIS BUT HE DID NOT CARE AS HE WANTED TO GO TO WORK AT KMPX , A NEW FM FORMAT RADIO STATION IN SAN-FRANCISCO WHICH LATER BECME THE PROTOTYPE OF FM MUSIC STATIONS AT THE TIME.
3. Was that the beginning of the general public getting to know you?
Eric Albronda :
AT THE TIME OF BLUE CHEERS RELEASE OF SUMMERTIME BLUES THEY HAD ABOUT 50,000 ADVANCE ORDERS BECAUSE THEY HAD PLAYED LIVE EXTENSIVELY IN SAN FRANCISCO, AND LOS ANGELES AND MOST OF THE WEST COAST , INCLUDING THE OPENING OF THE DENVER DOG WITH JANIS JOPLIN AS AN ASIDE JANIS LIVED WITH US IN NEVOTO CALIFORNIA FOR A SPELL AS SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH PAUL WHALEY THE DRUMMER OF BLUE CHEER----
4. Do you get to do any other gigs with Jimi Hendrix ? Describe the experience of being on the same bill as JEH.
Eric Albronda :
WE HAD SEVERAL ENCOUNTERS WITH JIMI AND BAND ----FIRST WOULD HAVE BEEN THE GIG AT THE SHRINE AUDITORIUM IN LOS ANGELES ON THE BILL WAS ALSO THE ELECTRIC FLAG WITH MICHAEL BROOMFIELD ---OF PARTICULAR NOTE WAS THAT JIMI AND NOEL AND MITCH CAME OUT OF THEIR DRESSING ROOM AND SAT JUST OFF STAGE AND LISTENED TO THE ENTIRE BLUE CHEER SET AND WERE VISIBLY MOVED AT THE PERFORMANCE ---I WAS STANDING NOT TWO FEET BEHIND THEM THE ENTIRE TIME ---THE SECOND TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN WHILE RECORDING AT THE RECORD PLANT IN NEW YORK WITH EDDY CRAMER AS ENGINEER BOTH BANDS WERE RECORDING ALBUMS AT THE TIME AND EDDY WOULD PLAY US THE HENDRIX TAPES JUST AS THEY WERE DONE SO WE HERD THE ENTIRE AXIS , BOLD AS LOVE ALBUM BEFORE IT WAS MIXED AND RELEASED ----
ALSO WE WERE STAYING AT THE SAME HOTEL WHICH WAS THE LINCOLN SQUARE MOTER INN IN NEW YORK CITY WE CROSSED PATHS SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LOBBY OF THE HOTEL HENDRIX WAS NOT ONE TO SOCIALIZE MUCH, HOWEVER NOEL REDDING BECAME FRIENDS ---THEN NATURALLY AT THE MIAMI POP FESTIVAL WE HUNG OUT WITH ALL OF THE MUSICIANS FROM THE SHOW AND LINDA EASTMAN---ALSO IN LOVE WITH PAUL WHALEY AT THE TIME AND WENT ON THE ROAD WITH US IN THE MIDWEST IN OUR BUS FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE WE SENT HER TO LOS ANGELES INTO THE GRASP OF PAUL MCCARTNEY WHO HAD BEEN PURSUING HER AT THE TIME.
5. Was Blue Cheer slated to Play the 2nd day which got rained out?
Eric Albronda :
YES WE WERE SCHEDULED AND BY THE WAY THE PROMOTER REFUSED TO PAY ANY OF THE BANDS IN A MOST RUDE MANNER , NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN BUT THE SPECIFICS WILL BE LEFT OUT FOR FEAR OF LEGAL ACTION
6. Did the band get the chance to do the jam at the Castaways Bar with Zappa, and Jimi?
Eric Albronda :
WE WERE ALL THERE WHEN THAT WAS GOING ON BECAUSE THE PROMOTER HAD AN ENTIRE WING OF THE CASTAWAYS BLOCKED OFF FROM THE PUBLIC , PHOTOGRAPHERS AND THE POLICE --A BIG ROOM WHERE WE ALL HUNG OUT AND SOCIALIZED AND JAMMED - I DO NOT RECALL BLUE CHEER ACTUALLY PLAYING IN A JAM BUT THAT IS NOT SURPRISING AS MOST MUSICIANS WERE INTIMIDATED BY THEM AND NOT LIKELY TO ASK THEM TO PLAY----
7. What was your Impression of The South Florida area, did they give you guys any problems being LONG HAIRED FREAKS!
Eric Albronda:
AS I SAID WE WERE COMPLETELY ISOLATED FROM THE PUBLIC AND FELT SAFE ---THEY DID NOT WANT ANY INCIDENTS AS YOU DESCRIBED TAKING PLACE --I DID MAKE A CAB EXCURSION OUT TO THE MIDDLE OF NO PLACE TO PROCURE SOME SMOKE WHICH WAS SOME OF THE BEST I EVER HAD-- COLUMBIAN GOLD , AND PANAMA RED ----NOEL REDDING CAME INTO MY HOTEL ROOM AND ASKE IF HE COULD ROLL ONE AND I NATURALLY SAID YES ---HE PROCEEDED TO ROLL THE ENTIRE LID IN ONE JOYNT AS ONLY THE ENGLISH COULD DO WITH ABOUT 10 PAPERS AND COMPLETE WITH A FILTER AT THE END ---JUST TOO FUNNY AND OH SO GOOD .
8. I would like to get a idea of exactly what your role was with the band at the time of the festival.
Eric Albronda:
MY JOB WAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING EXCEPT ACTUALLY PLAYING THE MUSIC --I WOULD JAM WITH THEM A LOT ON DRUMS AS THAT WAS MY INSTRUMENT AND THEY SEEMED TO WELCOME THE CHANGE IN STYLE WHICH I OFFERED ---
9. I would like to know what Eric Albronda has been doing lately, and briefly for the last 40 years. Are you still involved in the Blue Cheer ?
Eric Albronda:
YES I AM STILL INVOLVED WITH BLUE CHEER AS TRY AS I MIGHT SOMETIMES IT IS NOW PART OF MY SOUL AND I WILL ALWAYS BE PART OF THE BAND --- THEY NOW MOSTLY PLAY IN EUROPE AND AT FESTIVALS BUT I AM IN PHONE CONTACT WITH DICKIE A LOT OF THE TIME ----THEY HAVE ASKED ME TO HELP THEM PRODUCE SOME OF THEIR MUSIC HOWEVER THEY CANNOT PAY ME WHAT I WOULD REQUIRE AND I ALSO HAVE A LIFE ----I WILL GO INTO THE RECORDING STUDIO ON OCCASION ABOUT EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS TO DO ONE PROJECT OR ANOTHER AS CAN BE SEEN AT THE FOLLOWING :
http://www.bluecheer.us/archive/ericalbronda.htm
MY GOOD FRIEND GEORGE MICHALSKI WAS THE MUSIC DIRECTOR FOR THE NASH BRIDGES TV SHOWS AS HE IS TIGHT FRIENDS WITH THE ACTOR DON JOHNSON SO WE WOULD GO INTO THE STUDIO AND RECORD BITS AND PIECES FOR THE SHOW --THAT WAS GREAT FUN----I ALSO HAVE A BUSINESS OF RETAIL CLOTHING WHICH I IMPORT FROM INDONESIA, NEPAL, ECUADOR AND NEW ZEALAND --MOSTLY I DO CRAFT FAIRS IN CALIFORNIA AND OREGON----WEB SITE FOR BUSINESS: http://www.vickibrennerent.com/
FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT OF THE TIME OF THE MIAMI POP FESTIVAL-
AS A CO FOUNDER OF THE BAND BLUE CHEER I ALWAYS FELT THAT THERE WAS A TRUE MUSIC RENAISSANCE AT THE TIME AND MANY OF THE ESTABLISHED BOUNDARIES IN MUSIC WERE BROKEN AND NEW AND EXCITING MUSIC CAME OUT OF THAT ERA.BLUE CHEER HAS BEEN DUBBED AS THE ORIGINATORS OF HEAVY METAL MUSIC AND I BELIEVE THIS IS TRUE.NEEDLESS TO SAY THE MIAMI POP FESTIVAL WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST EVENTS EVER AND I FEEL SO LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THAT EVENT . RUBBING ELBOWS WITH HENDRIX, ZAPPA , JOHN LEE HOOKER , LINDA EASTMAN ( NOT ELBOWS IN HER CASE), AND THE REST WAS MOST ASSUREDLY THE MOST EXCITING TIME OF MY MUSIC LIFE.
ERIC ALBRONDA
