Steppenwolf (band)

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''This article is about the band. For other uses, see Steppenwolf.

Steppenwolf was a 1960s and 1970s rock 'n' roll band, best known for the hits "Born to Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride". Due to the German background of band members, they were named after the novel Steppenwolf by author Hermann Hesse.

At the age of 4, frontman John Kay and his mother, after escaping from East Prussia, fled from Soviet occupied East Germany to West Germany (an event recounted in the song "Renegade" on the album Steppenwolf Seven and "The Wall" on the album Rise and Shine), before moving to Canada in 1958.

Steppenwolf had its origins in the Toronto blues band Sparrow, which was formed in 1964 and played coffeehouses in Yorkville. By 1967 they had settled in San Francisco, playing mix of blues rock, psychedelia and folk music. Producer Gabriel Mekler of the label Dunhill Records in Los Angeles, suggested to introduce more aggressive beats. With music that pioneered hard rock and heavy metal, they became Steppenwolf, and this band's original members were:

• John Kay, vocals, guitar, harmonica
• Jerry Edmonton, drums
• Michael Monarch, guitar
• Goldy McJohn, keyboards
• Rushton Moreve, bass

In 1968, former Sparrow Nick St. Nicholas rejoined, replacing Moreve as bass player.

Steppenwolf rocketed to world-wide fame after their third single, "Born To Be Wild" was used in the movie Easy Rider, as well as Hoyt Axton's "The Pusher". The former song may have coined the term "heavy metal". It was written by Mars Bonfire, or Dennis Edmonton, former Sparrow and brother of Jerry.

This was followed by several more hits, including "Magic Carpet Ride" from Steppenwolf the Second, and "Rock Me" from At Your Birthday Party. Many fans consider their double album Steppenwolf Live (an extended single album in the UK) the best of Steppenwolf's releases.

Monster, which criticized US policy of the Nixon-era, and Seven were the band's most political albums, and are still fondly remembered by fans as two of the best rock & roll snapshots of the attitudes of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The band broke up in 1971 following the release of another political concept album For Ladies Only, and Kay went on to a successful solo career. Steppenwolf reformed in 1974 with the album Slow Flux, and disbanded in 1976. From 1977 until 1980 Steppenwolf reformed for touring, this time without Kay. A new studio album, "Night of the Wolf" was recorded in 1979 but never released. John Kay formed a new version of the band in the early 1980s and went on tour as "John Kay and Steppenwolf", as well as releasing a solo album in 2001.

Discography

• Steppenwolf (1968)
• Steppenwolf the Second (1968)
• At Your Birthday Party (1969)
• Early Steppenwolf(1969)
• Monster (1969)
• Steppenwolf Live (1970)
• Steppenwolf 7 (1970)
• For Ladies Only (1971)
• 16 Greatest Hits (1973) Compilation album
• Slow Flux (1974)
• Hour of the Wolf (1975)
• Skullduggery (1976)
• Wolf Tracks (1982)
• Paradox (1984)
• Rock & Roll Rebels (1987)
• Rise & Shine (1990)
• Live at 25 (1993)
• Feed the Fire (1996)
• Live in Louisville (2005) [DVD]

Steppenwolf & Related Bands Line-up

Membership of Pre-Steppenwolf Bands

Band Name	Vocals	Guitar	Bass	Keyboards	Drums	Years
Jack London & The Sparrows I	Jack London	Dennis Edmonton	Bruce Palmer	CJ Feeney	Jerry Edmonton
Jack London & The Sparrows II	Jack London	Dennis Edmonton	Nick St. Nicholas	CJ Feeney	Jerry Edmonton
Jack London & The Sparrows III	Jack London	Dennis Edmonton	Nick St. Nicholas	Art Ayre	Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrows	Jerry Edmonton	Dennis Edmonton	Nick St. Nicholas	Art Ayre	Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrow I	John Kay	Dennis Edmonton	Nick St. Nicholas	Art Ayre	Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrow II	John Kay	Dennis Edmonton	Nick St. Nicholas	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrow III	John Kay	Michael Monarch	???	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton
The Sparrow IV	John Kay	Michael Monarch	Rushton Moreve	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton

Membership of Steppenwolf

Band Name	Vocals	Guitar	Bass	Keyboards	Drums	Years
Steppenwolf I	John Kay	Michael Monarch	Rushton Moreve	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf II	John Kay	Michael Monarch	Rob Black	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf III	John Kay	Michael Monarch	Nick St. Nicholas	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf IV	John Kay	Larry Byrom	Nick St. Nicholas	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf V	John Kay	Larry Byrom	George Biondo	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf VI	John Kay	Kent Henry	George Biondo	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton
John Kay Band I	John Kay	Kent Henry	George Biondo	Hugh O'Sullivan	Penti 'Whitey' Glan
John Kay Band II	John Kay	Danny Kortchmar	Lee Sklar	Mike Utley	Russ Kunkel
Steppenwolf VII	John Kay	Bobby Cochran	George Biondo	Goldie McJohn	Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf VIII	John Kay	Bobby Cochran	George Biondo	Andy Chapin	Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf IX	John Kay	Bobby Cochran	George Biondo	Wayne Cook	Jerry Edmonton
Steppenwolf X	John Kay	Bobby Cochran	Jack Ryland	Wayne Cook	Jerry Edmonton

Membership of New Steppenwolf without John Kay

Band Name	Vocals	Guitar	Bass	Keyboards	Drums	Years
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. I	Tom Pagon	Kent Henry	Nick St. Nicholas	Goldie McJohn	Tony DeSanti
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. II	Tom Pagon	Kent Henry/ Jamie James	Nick St. Nicholas	Goldie McJohn	Tony DeSanti
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. III	Tom Pagon	Tony Flynn/ Jamie James	Nick St. Nicholas	Goldie McJohn	Tony DeSanti
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. IV	Larry Green	Jamie James	Nick St. Nicholas	Evan Smith	Jack White
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. V	Bob Simpson	Kent Henry	Rushton Moreve	John Hall	Jerry Posin
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. VI	Bob Simpson	Ruben Raven	Nick St. Nicholas	(none)	Frankie Banali
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. VII	Bob Simpson	Ruben Raven	Nick St. Nicholas	(none)	Jack White
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. VIII	Bob Simpson	Ruben Raven	Nick St. Nicholas	Geoff Emery	Dick Jurgens
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. IX	Bob Simpson	Ruben Raven	Nick St. Nicholas	Geoff Emery	Jack White
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. X	Tommy Holland	Ruben Raven	Nick St. Nicholas	Geoff Emery	Jack White
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. XI	Tommy Holland	Ruben Raven	Nick St. Nicholas	Geoff Emery	Steve Riley
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. XII	Tommy Holland	Tony Flynn	Nick St. Nicholas	Geoff Emery	Steve Riley
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. XIII	Peter McGraw	Paul Nauman	Rick Reed	Goldie McJohn	Robbie Roberti
The New Steppenwolf, Inc. XIV	Nick Graham	Kent Henry	Paul Conroe	Goldie McJohn	Lawrence Hammock

Membership of John Kay's Bands

Band Name	Vocals	Guitar	Bass	Keyboards	Drums	Years
John Kay Band III	John Kay	Larry Byrom	Bob Wray	Clayton Ivey	Roger Clark
John Kay & Steppenwolf I	John Kay	Michael Palmer	Kurtis Teel	Danny Ironstone	Steven Palmer
John Kay & Steppenwolf II	John Kay	Michael Palmer	Chad Peery	Brett Tuggle	Steven Palmer
John Kay & Steppenwolf III	John Kay	Michael Palmer	Welton Gite	Michael Wilk	Steven Palmer
John Kay & Steppenwolf IV	John Kay	Michael Palmer	Gary Link	Michael Wilk	Steven Palmer
John Kay & Steppenwolf V	John Kay	Rocket Richotte	Michael Wilk	Michael Wilk	Ron Hurst
John Kay & Steppenwolf VI	John Kay	Les Dudek	Michael Wilk	Michael Wilk	Ron Hurst
John Kay & Steppenwolf VII	John Kay	Steve Fister	Michael Wilk	Michael Wilk	Ron Hurst
John Kay & Steppenwolf VIII	John Kay	Danny Johnson	Michael Wilk	Michael Wilk	Ron Hurst
John Kay Band IV	John Kay	Danny Johnson	Guy DeVito	Michael Wilk	Ron Hurst

External links

• [Official website]
• [Biography]

 

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