Biography

  • Years Active

    1969 – 1974 (5 years)

  • Founded In

    New York, New York, United States

  • Members

    • Stan Bronstein
    • Wayne Gabriel

Elephant's Memory were a New York band most notable for backing up John Lennon and Yoko Ono during 1972 (appearing as the Plastic Ono Elephant's Memory Band) on a pair of albums and a handful of TV and live appearances. Two of their songs appeared earlier in the soundtrack to the movie Midnight Cowboy, "Jungle Gym At The Zoo" and "Old Man Willow".

The band also appear in the 1983 documentary Hell's Angels Forever, in which they appear at the Hells Angels' Pirates Party held on the SS Bay Belle on September 5, 1973, together with the Jerry Garcia Band.

The first incarnation of Elephant's Memory between 1967 and 1968 was:

* Stan Bronstein - sax/clarinet/vocals
* Rick Frank - drums

In 1968 they briefly added Carly Simon as a vocalist.

In 1969 the line-up was:

* Stan Bronstein - sax/clarinet/vocals
* Rick Frank - drums
* John Ward - guitar
* Chester Ayres - guitar
* Myron Yules - bass/trombone
* Richard Sussman - keyboards
* Michal Shapiro - vocals
*Guy Peritore- guitar, vocals
* David Cohen - guitar, keyboards, vocals

adding, later in the year, Chris Robinson on guitars and vocals.

In 1969, the band had a minor hit with the song "Mongoose," a rocking retelling of the age-old mongoose vs. cobra fable.

Between late 1969 and 1973 the line up remained more less constant around the following members:

* Stan Bronstein - sax/clarinet/vocals
* Rick Frank - drums
* Wayne "Tex" Gabriel (Barrett) - guitar
* Gary Van Scyoc - bass/vocals
* Adam Ippolito - keyboards/vocals

adding, at various times, Daria Price on castanets and John La Bosca on piano.

The final manifestation of the band was:

* Stan Bronstein - sax/clarinet/vocals
* Rick Frank - drums
* Gary Van Scyoc - bass/vocals
* Chris Robinson - guitar/keyboards/vocals
* Jon Sachs - guitar/vocals

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