METALLIAN - Blue Cheer

Vincebus Eruptum - 1968 - Philips
Outsideinside - 1968 - Philips
New! Improved! - 1969 - Philips
Blue Cheer - 1970 - Philips
The Original Human Being - 1971 - Philips
Oh! Pleasant Hope - 1971 - Philips
The Beast Is Back - 1984 - Megaforce
Blitzkrieg Over Nuremberg - 1990 - Thunderbolt
Highlights And Lowlives - 1990 - Nibelung
Dining With Sharks - 1991- Nibelung
Hello Tokyo, Bye Bye Osaka - Live In Japan 1999 - 1999 - Captain Trip
Live In Japan - 2003 - Track
What Doesn’t Kill You... - 2007 - Rainman
Live At Anti Waa Festival 1989 - 2014 - Nibelung

Members

Vocals

Leigh Stephens>>Solo, Pilot - Group B, Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle, Group B, Mother Ocean, The Longhorns, Hank Davison, Dos Hombres>>DICKIE PETERSON [RICHARD ALLAN PETERSON]>>Mother Ocean, Hank Davison, Dos Hombres

Guitar

Silver Metre>>Leigh Stephens>>Solo, Pilot, Foxtrot - The Emeralds, Mint Tattoo>>Bruce Stephens>>Pilot, Solo - Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle, Kak>>Gary Lee Yoder>>Solo - Group B, Andrew Staples, Mother Ocean>>Jerre Peterson>>Mother Ocean - Tony Rainer>>Mother Ocean - Bible Black, Shakin' Street, Lone Rager, Apollo Ra, Thrasher, The Rods, Paris, Vision, Kim Simmonds Band, Avigal>>ANDREW MACDONALD>>Avigal - Iridescents, the Fender IV, Sons Of Adam, The Other Half, Lucifer>>Randy Holden>>Lucifer, Randy Holden – Population II, Solo - Mother Ocean>>Tony Rainer>>Mother Ocean - Verox, Monsters>>DIETER SALLER

Bass

Group B, Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle, Group B, Mother Ocean, The Longhorns, Hank Davison, Dos Hombres>>DICKIE PETERSON [RICHARD ALLAN PETERSON]>>Mother Ocean, The Longhorns, Hank Davison, Dos Hombres

Drum

Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle>>Paul Whaley>>Quiver - Dave Salce>>Steaming Pile Of Mick - Sopwith Camel, The Dream Band>>Norman Mayell - Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle, Quiver>>Paul Whaley - David Salce>>Steaming Pile Of Mick - Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle, Quiver>>PAUL WHALEY

History & Biography

Here is a band that was so heavy for its time that it was described as able to "turn the air into cottage cheese." Formed in San Francisco by singer and bassist Dickie Peterson in 1966, the band briefly moved to Boston early on and quickly hit the US charts. A couple of members came from Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle. The group’s original drummer was one Eric Albronda. He was replaced by Paul Whaley, who was also formerly of Andrew Staples & The Oxford Circle/The Oxford Circle, but the predecessor remained a part of the band's management and subsequently recorded the band. The band, and many members, were based in and from California. The band was heavily into the drug scene (Blue Cheer being a type of LSD) and was managed by a former Hell's Angel, Allen "Gut" Terk. Musically, The Yardbirds, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Cream influenced Blue Cheer. The above-mentioned reference to cheese was certainly more marketing bluster than fact, but the guitars did wail and the singer did scream for its time. The band is often cited as an early heavy rock/heavy metal band - as was Iron Butterfly.

Eddie Cochran’s song Summertime Blues became the group's banner song. The Who had performed a cover version of it at the Monterey Pop Festival. The band had seen Jimi Hendrix live at the same festival as well. Accordingly, half the debut album was comprised of cover versions. Half the debut was comprised of original tracks written by Dickie Peterson. Interestingly, Peterson being able to record it was touch and go as he had come down with hepatitis just before the album's recording date.

The debut album, Vincebus Eruptum ('Overcome The Eruption'), contained the cover versions and was released in 1968. Summertime Blues climbed the Billboard charts to No. 14. It would be the band's first and last hit single. The band appeared on a syndicated American television talk show by host Steve Allen two months after the debut album's release. The host interviewed the band and introduced them with the line, "Here they come, the Blue Cheer, run for your life!" There was a concert with Iggy and The Stooges and MC5 and another with Jimi Hendrix and others. Guitarist Leigh Stephens was ousted in favour of Randy Holden. Apparently, Stephens was not on drugs like everyone else. Dickie was a heroin addict for years. Stephens would briefly return for a memorial show in San Francisco in 2005. Outsideinside was named so because it was recorded outdoors at a New York City harbour. The band wanted to stay loud and the studio was too confined for its tones. The record company paid for the band to let the outdoor space. The album flopped. Whaley quit in 1970. He would briefly join a UK-based act called Quiver before quitting the music business and trying to go straight. The band's music began to meander as drugs dominated and musicians would come and go.

The band's latest release was a flop and so Blue Cheer split up in 1971. A version of the act returned as Peterbilt in 1974. This ensemble featured Jerre Peterson, who was Dickie's brother, on guitar. The name was quickly changed back to Blue Cheer however. The group broke up in 1975, returned briefly in 1978 and again in 1984. The reformed band, now with Paul Whaley again, did not attract much attention in the '80s. Carl Canedy, of The Rods, produced the comeback album, The Beast Is Back. Blue Cheer's first live album, Blitzkrieg over Nüremberg, was issued in 1989. The next guitarist was Duck MacDonald who was best known for being in Shakin' Street. The final reformation was in 1999. German guitarist Deiter Saller was heard on Dining With The Sharks. Rush issued a cover versions EP in 2004. It was called Feedback and featured Blue Cheer and The Who's rendition of Summertime Blues.

Allan “Dickie” Peterson died on October 12th 2009 at the age of 63 in Erkelenz, Germany. Macdonald announced the end of the band. Whaley and Peterson had moved to Germany in 1990. Blue Cheer's song Just A Little Bit found a place on the soundtrack to the Canadian film Fubar II in 2010. Live At Anti Waa Festival was a CD and DVD. It was recorded in Germany. Paul Whaley died in 2019.

Peterson and erstwhile member Randy Holden battled over the legal rights to the band’s name for most of the new century. The band is often called the first heavy metal band.

Reviews

Interviews

Blue Cheer