Luminous Music (Glasgow)
MUSIC GODS OF THE NORTHWEST
THE DAILY FLASH
These four young guys took Seattle by storm in the First Era of Psychedelia in
1966. They are (left to right below)
Doug Hastings . . . . guitar and vocals
Steve Lalor . . . . . . guitar and lead vocal
Don MacAllister . . . . bass and lead vocal
Jon Keliehor . . . . . . .drums
There was very little that they couldn't play or sing. They left a legacy. Today they are are a little older. Their
music is still alive and sought after.
read on . . . . . . .
THE DAILY FLASH IN A TIME OF REVOLUTION
Early in 1966 a network of unique music venues began to emerge in Seattle,
initially around a group not much interested in providing stereotyped music required
by Teen Music Empire bosses, entrepreneurs, radio stations and DJ’s. New fans followed the band’s emergence on the music scene, first at The Socialist Workers Hall, and then at the BFD club, and other locations. This was the beginning of Seattle's psychedelic music culture. No drinks
license was ever applied for at these venues. Audiences had a
remarkable disinterest in alcoholic beverage, and an appetite for the unusual.
The Daily Flash were the voice of the counterculture in the Pacific Northwest.
Their musicianship, energy and enthusiasm created a regional template for psychedelic
music, bringing a style that mixed American and British folk, jazz,
rhythm and blues in an intelligent but highly intense way. Their music crossed
boundaries, and they ‘dared’ to present songs of other artists who contributed to the emerging era. The Daily
Flash defined Psychedelic music for Seattle. Other bands were soon to follow.
Like all good bands they were enticed away by major management and record
companies. Their journeys from Seattle to San Francisco and then to Los Angeles
brought considerable attention as they played in the ballrooms of Haight
Ashbury and the cultural club scene of Sunset Strip. Venue promoters Bill
Graham and Chet Helms became allies, as did many musicians in bands they shared
the stage with.
Ironically they were a challenge to others they shared the stage with, which
included seven straight nights with The Byrds at the Whiskey Ago go, yet this
same challenge brought respect amongst peers. However by the end of 1967 their
direction had become uncertain. The confusion of managers waiting for the ‘right time’, opportunities held back by conservative record label policies (soon to
change), and their own growing confusion, finally stopped the band in it’s tracks.
Today we are left with a wealth of seldom heard recordings, and some that have
yet to be located. All are unique documents of this exciting group.
CLICK HERE FOR PURCHASE INFORMATION
Release planned for 2009
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS
These boys were not just ‘another curious’ band of the 1960’s. They were phenomenal musicians, fluent in a variety of musical directions, with two singers who impressed audiences
immediately. They performed alongside other groups
such as The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead,
Country Joe, Quicksilver, Van Morrison, Cream, Taj Mahall, Turtles, Steve
Miller Band, Grass Roots and others. They were brought in as a backing band for
various Los Angeles artists including Dr John, The Cake, Noel Harrison, Bob
Lind. Individual members played or recorded with various artists including The Doors, James Brown, Bob Dylan, Paul Butterfield, Buddy Miles, Iron Butterfly, Frank Zappa, The Sons of Adam, Pamela Poland, David Ackles, Rhinoceros and others.
Yet without any sort of helpful guidance from management, the band’s spirit began to erode. Formed in the late autumn of 1965, the group lasted
until 1967, but not without member losses along the way. The original drummer,
Jon Keliehor departed in the early summer of 1967 and guitarist Doug Hastings
was taken into the Buffalo Springfield, and then into the supergroup
Rhinoceros. New members replaced old but their stay was short lasting as the
band played it’s last performances December 1967.
A year later, the band reincarnated as BODINE with Jon Keliehor (drums), Steve
Lalor (guitar, vocals), Kerry Magness (bass, vocals), Eric Karl (guitar,
vocals) and Dave Brooks (keyboards) recording one spectacular album on MGM. Again the group returned to the promised land (LA), but thanks to the negligence of their manager, and the total neglect
from MGM's corporate raider Kirk Kerkorian who shut down the offices of MGM Records on the eve of their album
release, the band lost it's financial backing and collapsed once again. Kerkorian went on to sell off the MGM vault of films, the backlot to
developers, rewarding himself millions in
bonuses from the MGM coffers, before moving on to his next victim.
All of this has been well documented by Nick Warburton at:
http://www.rhinoceros-group.com/dailyflash.htm
WHERE IS THE MUSIC?
And indeed, what does the music of Daily Flash, and/or Bodine sound like? Several singles were released in 1966 by
London Parrot and Uni Records that had limited success. Jack of Diamonds was
released as a cult classic on several compilations.
I FLASH DAILY
However in 1981 under the persuasion of Bob Jeniker, Park Ave Records, Seattle, Keliehor
and Lalor began to assemble all recordings that could be located. They found many, perhaps enough but not quite all. An essential retrospective was released on the UK
label Psycho. Called I FLASH DAILY, it quickly sold its stock and went out of
print.
Recently more unheard recordings have surfaced, many from the vaults of the
legendary Gold Star Studios in Hollywood, where the band frequently recorded.
Today anticipation hangs in the air as a re-release of I Flash Daily is in
preparation, that will undoubtedly include a greatly enlarged song list. Following this, the band will release the music
from the Bodine years.
Not to say that this is the end of the story of The Daily Flash. Original
members have all pursued independent and in some cases musical careers, both in
America and abroad. After a nearly 30 year hiatus, singer Steve Lalor has
reformed the Daily Flash with an all new lineup that includes:
Steve Lalor - guitar, vocals
Barry Curtis - guitar, vocals
Don Wilhelm - bass, vocals
Steve Peterson - drums, vocals
Craig Bystrom - live sound engineer, and occasional guest appearances by
percussion meister Jon Keliehor, and guitar wizard Doug Hastings.
Now in a mature form, the band continue to present music from a diverse variety
of sources for their loyal Seattle fan base, which is surprising after such a
long absence from their local area. Such is the talent of the current lineup,
who would continue to impress wherever the location, whether yesterday or
today. More information can be found on their Seattle website:
WHAT OTHERS SAY:
The Daily Flash
“...these are your ancestors, who suffered through innumerable sock hops at
American Legion halls so you can be the little Antichrists you are today."
Village Voice 1992 -- R.O.C.K. in the USA by Luc Sante
The Daily Flash Jack Of Diamonds
“Trashy, raw, but with its own strange sort of nobility.”
Jack Of Diamonds
"This is compiled on one of the Highs In the Mid Sixties comps that I don't own,
but boy had I been missing out before I found this 45!!! This is an absolutely
blinding slice of manic harmonica driven, if you can imagine it, psych/r&b. It could be described better I'm sure, but one thing's certain, it must be
heard to believe. They were from Seattle, by the way.”
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=7
The Daily Flash "Jack of Diamonds" --
Wow, the feedback here is highly advanced for 1966. I wonder if the
Who/Yardbirds/Hendrix copped a bit of this? I bet Hendrix did, since he's from
the Northwest, too.”
http://www.modernist.com/modslist/musicpic1297.html
PHOTO COURTESY OF JINI DELLACCIO
CD ARTWORK: LUMINOUSMUSIC
