Biography
Wings was formed late in 1967 and included:
Oz Bach - bass, vocals (formerly with Spanky and Our Gang and who later formed Tarantula)
Jim Mason - guitar, vocals (who co-wrote “I Dig Rock and Roll Music”)
Pam Robins - vocals (who worked with Eddie Simon, Steven Stills, and the Serendipity Singers)
Steve Knight - keyboards (who later performed with Mountain)
Jack McNichol - lead guitar
Jerry Peloquin - drums (formerly with Jefferson Airplane)
Jim writes, "Oz and Pam Robins asked me to replace Eddie Simon in a new group they were forming in New York in '67… " Jim brought in Jerry on drums and then Steve on keyboard - Oz felt the keyboard would round out their sound.
Jerry relates,"I met Jim Mason in SF and came east with him and another band called "Websters Word." Before coming to SF, I had been with the US Marine Band and Drum Corps in Washington, DC. I was the first drummer with Jefferson Airplane (enter "Jerry Peloquin" into Google)."
They spent the summer of ’68 getting the music tight and playing as opening act for Big Brother and the Holding Company (Westbury, Long Island) and Sly and the Family Stone (Connecticut) as well as here and there in New York City. They attracted the attention of ABC Dunhill and soon they were in L.A. recording at Sunset Sound (and/or Western Recorders), with Steve Barri producing. The immortal Jimmie Haskell was brought in to do strings. Oz recounted that Dunhill was grooming 3 bands that summer, Steppenwolf (who had a hit with “Born to Be Wild”), Three Dog Night, and Wings. It was hoped that Wings would replace the Mamas and Papas, who had recently broken up.
According to Pam, “Naming the group was the weirdest thing I'd ever experienced! We had not been together for very long when a friend of Jim's, Martin Grossman, visited us at our loft. We told him how much trouble we were having deciding on a name and as he got into the elevator to leave, he said, "A name will come to you in the mail (in a short time)." Sure enough, about a week later an envelope arrived there (we got NO mail there, so the arrival of it in itself was noteworthy) and inside was a torn slip of paper with a single word "WINGS" written on it. Jim still has that slip of paper.” Jim bears out this story - "We became WINGS when a friend of mine on the west coast sent me a small piece of paper with WINGS written on it, (which somehow I still keep).."
Their venue that summer included The Scene, Phone Booth, Circus Maximus, St. George Hotel, Paramus County Fair, Orange County Fair, and the Century Plaza Hotel. Jim recalls that the night they opened for Traffic at Steve Paul's club, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were there.
Pam observes that “Oz knew more about ‘the business’ than the rest of us put together. He also knew music from the business standpoint and was the creative hub of the group.” She says that Steve Knight was “possibly the most formally trained in music,” and that Jim’s approach was “fairly casual and mellow.” She says, “Jack was one of the best guitarists I've ever worked with but shy in the extreme. He could play anything, in any style, and was a source of constant amazement and delight to all of us.” She said that Jerry was a strong drummer, “a metronome.” Pam’s own strength was in voicings, and it was she who got “the boys” to sing the higher harmony parts (above her voice) for the resulting intensity of sound. In all, the group had an eclectic blend of pleasing elements with rich instrumentals and mellow vocal harmonies.
Apparently there was not a cohesive agreement about the artistic focus and direction of the band. Most of the members had some roots in folk rock, but they also wanted a sound that was more “pop,” with elements of “rock.” They disbanded late in 1968 after details for a tour to promote the album could not be worked out and a trucking strike delayed shipments of the album.
Nonetheless, the album was great and the band had airplay. "General Bringdown" reached 100 or so on the charts.
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