hampton grease band, 1967-1973

Hampton Grease Band
GreaseBase: a chronology, 1967-1973

a work in progress

(please comment with all corrections/memories/additions or email!)

Hampton Grease Band: Harold Kelling, Jerry Fields, Mike Holbrook, Glenn Phillips, Bruce Hampton

Notes: Dates & setlist information from Great Speckled Bird archive, Glenn Phillips’s fantastic memoir Echoes: The Hampton Grease Band, My Life, My Music and How I Stopped Having Panic Attacks, and elsewhere. Tons of further info & stories about the Atlanta ’60s-’70s music scene available via The Strip Project. Except for circulating tapes (7/5/70, 5/7/72), all setlists are approximate.

Also including dates for spin-off bands the Stump Brothers (Glenn Phillips, Mike Holbrook, Jerry Fields), Avenue of Happiness (fronted by Mik Copas with Bruce Hampton on guitar), and the Starving Braineaters (Harold Kelling’s post-Hampton Grease Band project).

I published my extensive history, Lost Live Grease: Recovering the Hampton Grease Band (including interviews with Glenn Phillips, Jerry Fields, Mike Holbrook, and others), on Aquarium Drunkard in December 2020.

1967

fall ’67 William Franklin Dykes High School, Atlanta, GA
Fixin’ To Die, I’m So Glad

fall ’67 Poison Apple Room, Stables Bar and Lounge, Atlanta, GA
jams with harmonica player Bill Dicey
patron pulls gun and demands James Brown cover, band plays Popcorn, parts 1 & 2

 

1968

summer 1968 (left to right: Harold Kelling, Glenn Phillips, Bruce Hampton, Charlie Phillips)

early ’68 Catacombs, Atlanta, GA

spring ’68 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
weekly free shows

7/13/68 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
Piedmont Park Be-In with Celestial Voluptuous Banana, Strange Brew, Danny & Jim, Toni Ganim, Guerilla Theatre

9/28/68 Catacombs, Atlanta, GA

10/xx/68 University of the South, Suwanee, GA
opening for Procul Harum

11/8/68 Peachtree Art Theatre, Atlanta, GA
with underground movies

11/9/68 Peachtree Art Theatre, Atlanta, GA
with underground movies

11/15/68 Peachtree Art Theatre, Atlanta, GA
with underground films
Rock Around the Clock

Miller Francis Jr. in Great Speckled Bird, 11/18/68: “The band was working under at least one handicap (a new drummer)… Everything considered, Grease was very together Friday night — I particularly remember several tripartite guitar improvisations that transcended the dimensions of stage, band, instruments, performers and audience. A high point was Bill Haley’s ‘Rock Around the Clock,’ played almost straight and proving just how really hip the Grease Band is.”

11/28/68 Peachtree Art Theatre, Atlanta, GA

11/29/68 Peachtree Art Theatre, Atlanta, GA

11/30/68 Peachtree Art Theater, Atlanta, GA

 

1969

Piedmont Park, 8/31/69

1/4/69 Revolution Club, Marietta, GA
with Radar

1/25/69 Revolution Club, Marietta, GA
with the Glorified Square

2/14/69 The Spot, Atlanta, GA
Discovery Inc. presents. With Radar.

3/7/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA
with Leonda, billed as the Incredible Hampton Grease Band

3/8/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA
with Leonda, billed as the Incredible Hampton Grease Band
Rock Around the Clock (or previous night)

3/21/69 Bloody Eagle, Atlanta, GA
with the Fifth Order

Great Speckled Bird, 3/31/69

3/29/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
Great Speckled Bird 1st Birthday celebration with Crust, Smoke, Nail, Little Phil and the Night Shadow, Toni Ganim, Anne Romaine

4/10/69 Underground Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
with Radar, Banana, Perpetual Motion, Electric Collage Light Show

4/11/69 The Spot, Atlanta, GA

4/14/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

4/15/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

4/16/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

4/17/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

4/18/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

4/19/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

4/25/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

4/26/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

5/11/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
with Allman Brothers Band

5/24/69 Studio Theater, Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
A Research Institute and Production Coordination Guild For the Arts, Inc. (The Guild), poetry by Rosemary Daniell, computer by Gene Nottingham and George Cairnes

5/25/69 Studio Theater, Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
A Research Institute and Production Coordination Guild For the Arts, Inc. (The Guild), poetry by Rosemary Daniell, computer by Gene Nottingham and George Cairnes

5/26/69 Studio Theater, Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
A Research Institute and Production Coordination Guild For the Arts, Inc. (The Guild), poetry by Rosemary Daniell, computer by Gene Nottingham and George Cairnes

5/27/69 Studio Theater, Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
A Research Institute and Production Coordination Guild For the Arts, Inc. (The Guild), poetry by Rosemary Daniell, computer by Gene Nottingham and George Cairnes

5/28/69 Studio Theater, Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
A Research Institute and Production Coordination Guild For the Arts, Inc. (The Guild), poetry by Rosemary Daniell, computer by Gene Nottingham and George Cairnes

5/29/69 Studio Theater, Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
A Research Institute and Production Coordination Guild For the Arts, Inc. (The Guild), poetry by Rosemary Daniell, computer by Gene Nottingham and George Cairnes

5/30/69 Studio Theater, Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
A Research Institute and Production Coordination Guild For the Arts, Inc. (The Guild), poetry by Rosemary Daniell, computer by Gene Nottingham and George Cairnes

5/31/69 Studio Theater, Atlanta Memorial Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
A Research Institute and Production Coordination Guild For the Arts, Inc. (The Guild), poetry by Rosemary Daniell, computer by Gene Nottingham and George Cairnes

6/14/69 Cellar Door, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

7/7/69 Unitarian Universalist Church, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, billed as “Lecture & Music: Can Discord Be Beautiful?” with Mr. Hoffman

7/7/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
with the Grateful Dead, Chicago Transit Authority, Spirit, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, It’s A Beautiful Day

7/18/69 High Mausoleum, Atlanta, GA
Element, accompanied by Richard Robinson (electronics), with Frank Hughes lights

Clifford Endres in Great Speckled Bird, 7/28/69: “A free-flowing synthesis of light, sound, and action, Element featured the addition of Richard Robinson’s electronic music to the Hampton Grease Band, and backed by one of Frank Hughes’ fine lightshows… The Grease Band, aging like wine in a barrel, played relaxed and mellow and yet upon occasion got up and took right off. Especially tasty was some of Harold Kelling’s lead guitar work. It is said that they were even better on Saturday night.”

7/19/69 High Mausoleum, Atlanta, GA
Element, accompanied by Richard Robinson (electronics), with Frank Hughes lights

8/5/69 Georgian Terrace Hotel, Atlanta, GA
with the Allman Brothers Band

Hampton Grease Band with Electric Collage Light Show, 8/18/69 (more here)

8/19/69 Georgian Terrace Hotel, Atlanta, GA
with Know Body Else, Fear Itself Booger Band, Electric Collage Light Show

 

8/31/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
billed as the Original Hampton Grease Band; with Robin
Turn On Your Lovelight

Clifford Endres in Great Speckled Bird, 9/8/69: “The band is set up then and they begin a long instrumental riff, relaxed and feeling out the day, getting themselves together and the audience together with them. Harold Kelling’s long easy guitar notes climb up and soar out over insistent rhythms working through bass, drums, and second guitar. The music is alive and the audience is betting behind it now as the band finishes out the number and Bruce Hampton takes the mike, tightens the tempo and starts to take care of business, laying down hard-driving lyrics that soon have the crowd swaying, clapping, and then some are up dancing. And on. The music and the gathering went steadily up from there. Shouting and stomping vocals. Beautiful stretched-out instruments, silver singing guitar solos beating against the raindrops. ‘Gonna Let My Love Light Shine.’ Blues. Soul. Rock. The drummer leans into it. Incredible counterpoint guitar work between Glenn Phillips and Harold Kelling, perfectly matched, pushing each other on out, exploding in sound, exploding the people who are following the music now like a jazz audience, applauding riff after riff.”

9/7/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA

9/14/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
police riot; band plays without Bruce Hampton

9/21/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
Mini-Pop Festival with Booger Band, Brickwall, Radar, Sweet Younguns
Wolverton Mountain, San Antonio Rose, Rock of Ages

Miller Francis Jr. in Great Speckled Bird, 9/22/69: “The Hampton Grease Band blew everybody’s minds with its sounds, and then brought out a 16-year old black saxophonist, showing a healthy disrespect for the labels we often put on our music and contributing an afternoon of Bill Haley and Pharoah Sanders, The Ventures and John Coltrane.”

9/27/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
with the Hand Band, Boogie Chillun, Lee Moses, Allman Brothers Band, Joe South

9/28/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
with Radar, Jam (feat. members of Allman Brothers, The Second Coming, Mother Earth), unknown group, The Younguns, Lee Moses, Allman Brothers Band
Wolverton Mountain

10/18/69 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
Piedmont Music Festival with Allman Brothers Band, Mother Earth, Boz Scaggs, the Second Coming, the Booger Band, Radar, Jackie Wilson

11/21/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA
with David Boice

11/22/69 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA
with David Boice

11/23/69 Georgian Terrace Hotel, Atlanta, GA
Turkey Trip with the Younguns, Allman Brothers Band (originally scheduled at Duke Tire Co.)
Hendon, Charlie, Halifax, Has Anybody Seen My Gal, Reelin’ and Rockin’, Wolverton Mountain
E: Rock Around the Clock

Miller Francis Jr. in Great Speckled Bird, 12/1/69: “Just let me say in that their performance at last week’s Turkey Trip, the Hampton Grease Band outdid themselves, performing a mostly all-new set of extended musical explorations that included a longer ‘Mr. Bones,’ and ode to ‘Charlie,’ an incredible hymn to the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia (its lyrics sounded like they were taken from the pages of the World Book Encyclopedia!), a great moment by Hampton on (of all things) ‘Has Anybody Seen My Gal?’ in which he combined vocals with dance and comedy and reached the level that he was worked for these many years, unbelievable instrumentalizations by Glenn and Harold, Charlie and Ted, and a closing ‘Wolverton Mountain’ that drove the crowd into hysterics and brought Hampton & friends back for a fantastic ‘Rock Around the Clock’ — All Hail the Sounds of Suck Rock!”

12/11/69 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

12/xx/69 Cellar Door, Atlanta, GA

12/18/69 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

Miller Francis Jr. in Great Speckled Bird, 12/22/69: “It would be nice for The Bird if the Hampton Grease Band would start doing some less than incredible stuff — our writers are exhausted from thinking of superlatives. But judging from their Standing Room Only five-hour set at the Twelfth Gate on Thursday night (we even postponed our own Coop meeting so we could go and listen), the Grease Band evidently intends to get better and better and even better. What can we say except that this was the largest crowd ever drawn to that establishment (same for the Cellar Door the week before), and for a 50¢ charge, Bruce Hampton & Co. did one of the best things we’ve ever heard. Rumor is that this will be a weekly rendezvous of the Twelfth Gate and the Grease Band ($1 charge), so our advice is–whenever you see the name of this band, go, listen, be thankful for one of the best musical collaborations in the country.”

12/22/69 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Community Center benefit

1970

Sports Arena, 1/25/70

 

1/4/70 Electric Eye, Atlanta, GA
with Radar, Booger Band

1/xx/70 Atlanta, GA
Mike Holbrook joins.

1/xx/70 Charlotte, NC

1/xx/70 New York City, NY
studio demos
Hendon, Evans, Hey Old Lady/Bert’s Song

1/25/70 Sports Arena, Atlanta, GA
with Fleetwood Mac, Radar, River People
Jam, Rock Around the Clock

Clifford Endres, in Great Speckled Bird, 2/2/70: “The light-fingered Grease grope, however, is another order of magnitude – or something. The immortal Hampton, leader of the grope, materialized in the limelight to lead off the set performed the ultimate putdown of any and all guitar solos that ever were or will be, including Hendrix, Page and Townsend! And it totally confused whatever musical expectations the audience might have had. Captain ornu Greaseheart then took a saxophone and the band into an egg-sucking number which betrayed influences of Coltrane, Zappa, Pharoah Sanders, and AM radio feedback. Grunts, yelp, words, harmonies, discords, rhythms and counterpoints welded the audience together in miasma of jelly. Glen [sic] Phillips and Harold Kelling, amply supported by the wild drumming of Jerry Field [sic] and the elaborate bass figures of Mike Holbrook stretched into an amazing play of lyrical guitar lines that seemed to have no horizon.
‘They play music that sounds like music feels (!),’ said the beautiful blonde, stoned. Well, it got me off said the beautiful blonde, stoned. Well, it got me off, too. Great to hear how much tighter they have got since last hearing them, some months ago. Apparently the set was cut short become of time hassles, but Hampton closed with a ‘Rock Around the Clock’ that brought the audience to its feet–some of them even getting religion, or so it looked–and the farthest out band around these parts left the stage.”

1/30/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

1/31/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/19/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/20/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/27/70 The Zodiac, Atlanta, GA

3/19/70 Southeastern Fairgrounds, Atlanta, GA
Aquarius ’70 with Electric Collage Light Show

3/20/70 Southeastern Fairgrounds, Atlanta, GA
Aquarius ’70 with Electric Collage Light Show

3/21/70 Southeastern Fairgrounds, Atlanta, GA
Aquarius ’70 with Electric Collage Light Show

3/22/70 Southeastern Fairgrounds, Atlanta, GA
Aquarius ’70 with Electric Collage Light Show

 

 

 

3/26/70 Phineaus, Springfield, MA [aka Woodrose Ballroom] with Calico

3/27/70 Phineaus, Springfield, MA [aka Woodrose Ballroom] with Calico

3/28/70 Phineaus, Springfield, MA [aka Woodrose Ballroom] with Calico

 

 

 

3/29/70 Sports Arena, Atlanta, GA
with What Brothers, River People, Ruffin

Charlie Cushing in Great Speckled Bird, 3/30/70: “Finally, the Hampton Grease Band, fresh from its sold out performances at Aquarius ’70! The band has added a sixth member, Bill, who reads newspapers (to himself).”

4/5/70 Sports Arena, Atlanta, GA
with John Mayall, Chakra

4/17/70 The Warehouse, New Orleans, LA
with Country Joe and the Fish

Glenn Phillips: “We started the concert by mimicking the F-I-S-H cheer, shouting at the audience, ‘Give me an S. Give me an O. Give me an F. Give me an A. What’s that spell? SOFA!'”

4/18/70 The Zodiac, Atlanta, GA
with Interprize

4/24/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

4/26/70 Sports Arena, Atlanta, GA
Benefit for Midtown Alliance and Community Center, with Radar, Stump Brothers, Axis, Perpetual Motion, Brick Wall, Georgia Power Kompany, What Brothers, Ruffin

4/29/70 Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH
with Mountain
Wolverton Mountain

4/30/70 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH
with Allman Brothers Band

Allman Brothers cancel after road manager Twiggs Lyndon is detained for stabbing a Buffalo club owner over nonpayment.

5/1/70 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH
with Tony Williams’ Lifetime feat. Jack Bruce

5/2/70 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH
with Tony Williams’ Lifetime feat. Jack Bruce

5/3/70 Sports Arena, Atlanta, CA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers. Community Benefit. Bruce Hampton joins for several songs.

5/8/70 Glenn Memorial Auditorium, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
with B.B. King and Pegasus Light Show

5/10/70 Sports Arena, Atlanta, GA
with the Grateful Dead (plus most of the Allman Brothers)
Won’t You Come Home Bill Bailey?, Evans

5/16/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

5/17/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

5/23/70 Dobbs Hall, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Mik Copas sings with band.

5/30/70 Alumni Memorial Building, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Benefit for the Atlanta Mobe. With the Electric Collage Light Show.
Mik Copas sings with band.

6/6/70 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
6/7/70 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show. Stump Brothers at Spring Peace Festival with Axis, Ether, Celestial Voluptuous Banana, Country Pye, Eric Quincy Tate, Light Brigade, Eros, Robyn, Perpetual Motion, Ruffin, What Brothers, Stuff, White Lie, Stonehenge, Last Era, Bremrod, Booger Jam, Total Electric, Corn Cobb Jam, Pegasus Lantern Light Show

6/20/70 Cellar Door, Atlanta, GA

Hampton Grease Band, Piedmont Park, 1970

6/21/70 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show. Stump Brothers with Axis, Celestial Voluptuous Banana, Eric Quincy Tate, Nancy Harmon & The Victory Voices, Robyn, Twelve Eyes, What Brothers, White Lie, Pegasus Lantern Light Show

6/28/70 Chastain Park, Atlanta, GA
Main Event with Radar, the Glass Menagerie, Howard Hanger Trio, Robert Edwin, Linda Harrell, Frank Boggs, Singing Mothers

6/28/70 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
billed as Hampton Grease Jam, with Chakra, Milan, Flint.

7/5/70 Middle Georgia Raceway, Byron, GA
Atlanta International Pop Festival. With Allman Brothers Band, Radar, Savage Grace, Gypsy, Goose Creek Symphony, Ballin’ Jack, B.B. King, Procul Harum, John B. Sebastian, Mountain. Hampton Grease Band played twice.
Halifax, unknown, Maria, Hendon, Wolverton Mountain, Treat Her Right > Bony Maronie
E: I’ll Go Crazy, Rock Around the Clock

7/10/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

7/11/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

7/18/70 Love Valley Music Festival, Love Valley, NC
with Johnny Jenkins, Tony Joe White, Donnydale, Catfish, Freedom ’70, Peace Core
Ascendant

Jerry Fields: “The scariest gig I remember doing was Love Valley — it was like a redneck Woodstock. Guys were walking around with six-packs of beer on their hips and shooting fireworks at ground level, like parallel to the ground. We went on after a group that performed naked, and they turned on their fog machine for their last song, ‘A Little Help From My Friends.’ Then we came out and opened with ‘Ascendant’ [by John Coltrane bassist Jimmy Garrison, on Elvin Jones’s The Ultimate]. At the end of the song, it was total silence — there was no crowd response at all. There were 75,000 people there, and they didn’t react. It was a really weird feeling — it was like we were in a void.”

7/24/70 Trinity Presbyterian Church Coffee House, Atlanta, GA

7/28/70 Maxwell’s Coffee House, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA
non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

8/1/70 AMB Auditorium, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
with Radar, Avenue of Happiness

8/7/70 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH
with Radar

8/8/70 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH
with Radar

8/13/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

8/14/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

8/15/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

8/20/70 Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, GA
with Fleetwood Mac

Jerry Fields: “It was sold out, and any other band would be going, ‘Oh, this is our big break.’ Instead, we go out and we jam for half an hour. No key, nothing — I just count to four, and we go.”

Great Speckled Bird, 8/31/70: “The real show that night was the Hampton Grease Band and their traveling asylum—two or three dozen people in various activities: reading, sewing on a flag, meditating, watching TV, and two go-go girls dancing in black tights, and the band played on! Unbelievable was the guitarist from Avenue of Happiness (which is a whole other trip in itself) coming out and playing a chainsaw during one frantic song. The playing included an attack on a log! The Grease has never been so insane, except maybe the night they flooded the Catacombs by ripping out the plumbing by swinging from the pipes! Another in the continuing saga of ‘Thick Grease.'”

Marthasville Vacuum, 10/1/70 (reprinted in Music To Eat): “On stage with the Grease Band were friends who danced, watched TV, listened to the music and marched around stage as if at home in their living room. One girl even read a book and another sewed on an American flag during the Grease Band’s performance.As to their `music’–and I use the term loosely–the band performed much the same way. Very little of what they did had any context within itself. The casual actions on stage relayed directly to the audience and caused wandering, talking and virtual unrest.”

 

summer 1970

8/27/70 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

8/28/70 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

8/29/70 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

9/12/70 Pittman Park, Atlanta, GA
Festifall, with Radar, Black Traffic

9/12/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

9/13/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

9/18/70 AMB Auditorium, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
with Stump Brothers, Avenue of Happiness

9/19/70 Cellar Door, Atlanta, GA

9/24/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

9/25/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

9/26/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

Avenue of Happiness feat. Bruce Hampton on guitar

9/27/70 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
with Allman Brothers Band, Eric Quincy Tate, Avenue of Happiness, Stump Brothers, Chakra

9/29/70 West Georgia Fairgrounds, Carrollton, GA

10/11/70 Memorial Coliseum, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
with Three Dog Night
Apache, Evans, Bony Maronie

10/15/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

10/16/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

10/30/70 Apostolic Studios, New York City, NY
10/31/70 Apostolic Studios, New York City, NY
11/1/70 Apostolic Studios, New York City, NY
Music To Eat sessions
Halifax, Hendon, Evans

11/14/70 Trinity Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA

11/20/70 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH
with Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, Avenue of Happiness, Screaming Gypsy Bandits, Balderdash

11/21/70 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH
with Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, Avenue of Happiness, Screaming Gypsy Bandits, Balderdash

11/22/70 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH
with Winter

11/26/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

11/27/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

11/28/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

12/6/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

12/11/70 Memorial Hall, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Anti-War Benefit. With Fifth Order, Aurora Light Show

12/13/70 Mudcrutch Farm, Gainesville, FL
Mudcrutch Farm Festival with Mudcrutch, Weston Prim, and others. [possibly 1/23/71]

12/19/70 Trinity Presbyterian Church, Atlanta, GA

12/23/70 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Avenue of Happiness

12/24/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

12/25/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

12/28/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

12/31/70 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

1971

Municipal Auditorium, 1/16/71

1/3/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Avenue of Happiness

1/4/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

1/5/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

1/6/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

1/7/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

1/8/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

1/9/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

1/10/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA

1/11/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Little Feat

1/12/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Little Feat

Clifford Endres in Great Speckled Bird, 1/25/71: “On the bill with Little Feat were the Stump Brothers, one of the Hampton Grease Band’s spin-off groups and always a smile to hear. The Stump Bros. are good musicians and generally play good music which runs from solid rock to primitive jazz with lots of echoes from the Fifties especially in the horn riffs. But this night (Tuesday) John Ivey had joined them on bass. I don’t know whether the addition is permanent or not but I hope it is, because Ivey’s playing took the whole group into another dimension of music. More than technical mastery of his instrument he possesses a musical conception of the bass that is way out front, in both roots and vision, of almost everybody around since Albert Stinson.”

1/13/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Little Feat

1/15/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Fox Watson

 

1/16/71 Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, GA
with Allman Brothers Band
unknown new songs, Evans, Rock Around the Clock, Bony Maroney

Clifford Endres in Great Speckled Bird, 1/25/71: “They turned in a fine set, introducing some new material in the tradition of their tight and complicated best, moving from rock into free jazz breaks a la Roland Kirk with flutes, sticks, and weird little noisemakers and putting down some electronic music on top, too. Strange how the shadow of Zappa peers out from the music of both Hampton and Little Feat in different ways, but it does. The Greasers went on into a great parody of Detroit rock, did their old standby ‘Jim Evans,’ and wound up with ‘Rock Around the Clock’ and ‘Bony Maroney’ just so we wouldn’t forget where they come from — rock classicsville. Their record will be out soon on Columbia, and as an indication of just how good they are–which we who hear them so often tend to forget when the shock of surprise wears off–listen to WREK and the mix they have of ‘Jim Evans’ from the forthcoming album. It relates to the schlock around it like pearls to swine.”

2/4/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

2/5/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

2/5/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Avenue of Happiness

2/6/71 Bottom of the Barrel, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

2/21/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

2/25/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/26/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/27/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

4/2/71 Piedmont Park, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, Avenue of Happiness

4/3/71 Memorial Hall, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Anti-War Benefit. HGB featuring Wesson Oil, with Stump Brothers, Henley Walron’s John, Core Dump, Aurora Light Show

4/25/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Avenue of Happiness

4/29/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

4/30/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

5/1/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

5/2/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

6/5/71 Fillmore East, New York, NY
with Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, Head Over Heels. First show with Syd Stegall (keyboards).

6/6/71 Fillmore East, New York, NY
with Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, Head Over Heels

6/13/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Avenue of Happiness

6/xx/71 Atlanta, GA

Glenn Phillips: “When the band returned to Atlanta, we played at a club owned by a local politician… The next day, when we went back to the club to get our equipment, we discovered that the owner had shut the place down because of financial problems and had locked our equipment inside.” Band is on local news.

 

7/1/71 Central Theatre, Passaic, NJ
with Alice Cooper

7/9/71 Eastown Theatre, Detroit, MI
with Bloodrock, Suite Charity

7/10/71 Eastown Theater, Detroit, MI
with Bloodrock, Suite Charity

 

Atlanta Municipal Auditorium, 7/17/71

7/17/71 Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, GA
First show without Harold Kelling, with Allman Brothers Band, afternoon show only.
new song, Pump Face, Evans

7/22/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

7/23/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

7/24/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

7/25/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

Record World, 9/25/71

8/25/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Fat Alice from Dallas

8/26/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Fat Alice from Dallas

8/27/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Fat Alice from Dallas

8/28/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Fat Alice from Dallas

8/29/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Fat Alice from Dallas

8/30/71 Gaslight Au Go Go, New York City, NY
with Fat Alice from Dallas

8/30/71 WKCR, Columbia University, New York City, NY
interview

9/3/71 Winston-Salem Convention Center, Winston-Salem, NC

9/4/71 Hickory Club, Hickory, NC

9/5/71 Hickory Club, Hickory, NC

9/16/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

9/17/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

9/18/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

10/8/71 J&J Center, Athens, GA
with Terry Melton and the Laughing Disaster, Milkweed, Acme Blues Band, Smokewood

10/15/71 Point After Club, Hickory, NC

10/16/71 Point After Club, Hickory, NC

10/17/71 Point After Club, Hickory, NC

11/1/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Lawton Singh, Iskon

11/26/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

11/27/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

12/30/71 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Avenue of Happiness; last show with HGB-related lineup

1972

Head Rest, 8/12/72

1/7/72 Marietta Teen Center, Marietta, GA

1/13/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

1/14/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

1/15/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

1/16/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/4/72 The Rat, Gainesville, FL

2/5/72 The Rat, Gainesville, FL

2/20/72 Double Calf, Louisville, FL
with Buster Brown

2/24/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/25/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/26/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/27/72 Bell Auditorium, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL
with Radar, Clear
Bony Maroney

3/xx/72 college, SC [maybe]
placeholder; with Bette Midler and Barry Manilow

3/9/72 Student Center, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA
with Sewer System, Brer Rabbit, Hydra

3/13/72 People’s Place, Atlanta, GA

3/16/72 Music Connection, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Atlanta Rhythm Section

3/17/72 Music Connection, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Atlanta Rhythm Section

3/18/72 Music Connection, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Atlanta Rhythm Section

spring ’72 Habersham Central High School, Mount Airy, GA
with Chakra and Stonehenge

3/24/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

3/25/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

Harold Kelling & the Starving Braineaters

4/23/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

5/1/72 One Eyed Jack’s, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

5/2/72 One Eyed Jack’s, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

5/3/72 One Eyed Jack’s, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

5/6/72 Pickens High School, Jasper, GA

5/7/72 Sports Arena, Atlanta, GA
with Mahavishnu Orchestra
unknown instrumental > Peter Gunn Theme > 7000 Tears, Alphonso and Louise, King of the Road, Pump Face, Creator > unknown instrumental, Knowing You, Tom Corn
E: Rock Around the Clock
broadcast several weeks later on WREK

5/11/72 North Springs, GA

5/12/72 Andalusia High School, Andalusia, AL

5/26/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

5/27/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

6/10/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

7/14/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

7/15/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Hubbler
“Hubbler” included on Glenn Phillips’s Lost At Sea (1975)

7/28/72 People’s Place, Atlanta, GA

8/12/72 Head Rest, Atlanta, GA
with the Chambers Brothers
I Go Crazy, Sunshine Of Your Love parody

8/18/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

8/19/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

8/20/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
broadcast live on WREK

8/24/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

8/25/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

8/26/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

9/2/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: jam with Glenn Phillips, Mike Holbrook, Jerry Fields, Bill Porter, Starving Braineaters, John Ivey (bass), Al Smith (saxophone), Lance Mohammed (saxophone), Bill Breeze (vibraphone), Tim Embry (electric violin)
broadcast live on WREK

9/7/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

9/8/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

9/28/72 Sports Arena, Atlanta, GA
with Cheech & Chong

10/5/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

10/6/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

10/7/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

courtesy Bill Hardin

10/14/72 B & B Ranch, Duluth, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters, with Fletcher and the Piedmonts

10/20/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

10/21/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

10/29/72 Lake Spivey, GA
Concert For Bangladesh, with Wet Willie, Eric Quincy Tate, Stonehenge, Road Apple, Kudzu

11/2/72 Mississippi John’s Coffee House, Williams Center, Georgia State University, Statesboro, GA

11/3/72 Recital Hall, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
broadcast live on WRAS

11/22/72 Municipal Auditorium, Panama City, FL
Thanksgiving festival. With Mourning Glory, The Machine

11/24/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

11/25/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

12/12/72 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA
with Jeff Espina

12/13/72 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA
with Jeff Espina

12/14/72 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA
with Jeff Espina

12/15/72 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA
with Jeff Espina

12/16/72 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA
with Jeff Espina

12/17/72 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA
with Jeff Espina

12/21/72 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

1973

1/4/73 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

1/5/73 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

1/6/73 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA

2/2/73 Last Resort, Athens, GA

2/3/73 Last Resort, Athens, GA

2/9/73 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

2/10/73 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

2/23/73 Great Southeast Music Hall
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

2/24/73 Great Southeast Music Hall
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

3/2/73 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA

3/3/73 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA

3/10/73 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

3/11/73 12th Gate, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters

3/24/73 Jekyll Island, GA
Non-HGB show: Starving Braineaters, with Hydra

3/31/73 Recital Hall, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA
final Hampton Grease Band show, featuring a marching band and appearance by Harold Kelling.
I Got A Mind To Give Up Living

4/6/73 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Kudzu

4/7/73 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Kudzu

4/8/73 Great Southeast Music Hall, Atlanta, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers, with Kudzu

5/4/73 Country Store Restaurant, Athens, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

7/31/73 Coffee House, West Georgia University, Carrollton, GA
Non-HGB show: Stump Brothers

 

Me too, Pat. Me, too.
Great Speckled Bird, 1/21/74

 

APPENDIX: Hampton Grease Band songlist

Originals:

Agony
Alphonso and Louise
Charlie
Creator
Eggs
Evans (a. Egyptian Beaver, b. Evans)
Halifax
Hey Old Lady/Bert’s Song
I’m Bad
Knowing You [speculative title] Lawton
Hendon (a. Spray Paint, b. Major Bones, c. Sewell Park, d. improvisation)
Hubbler
Maria
Pump Face
Six
7000 Tears [speculative title] Tom Corn [speculative title] Upper and Lower Dresden

Covers:

African Village (McCoy Tyner)
Afro Blue (Mongo Santameria) [Stump Bros.] Apache (The Shadows)
Ascendant (Jimmy Garrison)
Bony Maronie (Larry Williams)
Fixin’ To Die (traditional)
Gillette Razors jingle
Has Anybody Seen My Gal (California Ramblers)
I Got A Mind To Give Up Living (traditional)
I’ll Go Crazy (James Brown)
I’m Bad Like Jesse James (John Lee Hooker)
I’m So Glad (Skip James)
King of the Road (Roger Miller)
Maiden Voyage (Herbie Hancock) [Stump Bros.] Magnificent Seven Theme (Elmer Bernstein)
Rawhide (Link Wray)
Reelin’ and Rockin’ (Chuck Berry)
Rock Around the Clock (Bill Haley)
Rock of Ages (traditional)
San Antonio Rose (Merle Haggard)
Slaughter On Tenth Avenue (The Ventures)
Straight Alki Blues (Leroy Carr)
Sunshine Of Your Love parody (Cream)
That’ll Be The Day (Buddy Holly)
Treat Her Right (Roy Head & the Traits)
Turn On Your Lovelight (Bobby “Blue” Bland)
Walk Don’t Run (The Ventures)
Wings of a Dove (Bob Ferguson)
Wipe Out (The Surfaris)
Wolverton Mountain (Claude King/Merle Kilgore)
Won’t You Come Home, Bill Bailey? (Hughie Cannon)