This is a tribute to one of the best musical influences. I noticed that there was no myspace for Lee Michaels, so I took it upon my self to satisfy anyone who enjoys his music. And also heres some stuff about him from wikipedia. dig.
Lee Michaels (Hammond organ, piano, guitar, saxophone, trombone, accordion, vocals) was born November 24th, 1945 in Los Angeles, California. He became famous celebrating one of the greatest ego trips in Rock music. He arranged, produced and mixed his own compositions in a private studio where he usually played all instruments and sang several voices using audio track mixing methods. Only a bass player and a drummer occasionally helped, adding insignificant sound ingredients. Staff shortage in the studio as well as on stage was usually made up by high-proof presence of himself, relentless taste, and ... amplification, though.
The multi-instrumentalist, also known as Mike Olsen, began his career with the Sentinels, a San Luis-based surf group which included Merrell Fankhauser and drummer John Barbata (later of The Turtles and Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship). Michaels himself later joined Barbata in the Strangers, a group led by Joel Scott Hill, before moving to San Francisco in 1965. He there enjoyed a spell in the Family Tree, a Beatles-influenced attraction, before embarking on a solo career in 1968.
An aggressive organ, sometimes guitar, wailing through—in these times—gigantic amplifier mountains (a Hammond B3 organ with at least three Leslie speakers and a stack of Marshall amplifiers), throbbing out of loudspeakers at full volume, and Michaels himself barking quite impolitely, which seemed to be a very soulful approach to Rock music. Hard keyboard attacks and a roughened voice, "which one believes capable of everything" (The Saturday Review) made up a qualitatively quite average program, trying to harmonize common Soul/Pop songs ("Can I Get a Witness"), Rock and Blues classics like "Murder in My Heart for the Judge", "Stormy Monday" and mainly Michael's own compositions with sort of laconic lyrics that made "hippie clichés seem important" (Billboard).
The intensity of his keyboard playing and his distinctive feeling for Rock'n'Roll articulation concealed successfully from what the professional music critique considered to be limited talent. As a manufacturer of solid, entertaining Rock music Michaels was, however, in a way convincing that was worth a million dollar contract to Columbia Records in 1973. Michaels' one man band expressed his thanks with albums that can be granted being of bizarre rarity value or just loved. Particularly in later times that have learned to know things like Punk Rock and Motörhead. Rolling Stone quoted the album Tailface, published in 1974, in sweet-and-sour good humor: "Michaels has plumbed unexplored depths of tastelessness until now; but somehow his narrow-gauge silliness is lovable in a perverted way."
Screaming himself hoarse, pounding on an overamped Hammond organ, and backed only by an enormous drummer called 'Frosty' (Barry or Bartholomew Eugene Smith-Frost), it happened that his album 5th contained a US Top 10 hit (#6 in the fall of 1971), "Do You Know What I Mean". Ironically, this song was a throwaway tune that Michaels seems to have written hurriedly. Subsequent releases lacked anything like a coherent purpose, as did the preceding ones. With Nice Day for Something of 1973 the company encountered a financial disaster, and also the re-unification with drummer "Frosty" and the releases of Tailface (1974) and Saturn Rings (1976) flopped. Michaels withdrew from active performing, retired, and moved to Hawaii.
Michaels had occasionally announced his exit from the Rock scene "to withdraw (himself) under a tree to Hawaii", and he ultimately seems to have lost much of his hearing from what always came after his famous habit of walking out at the beginning of performances and running his hand lovingly across the dials on the huge amplifier columns that ran to his organ. In the 1970s, although, he was getting paid $20,000 a performance. An enormous amount for the day. And some consolation that may still be.
Lee Michaels has two sons, one of whom is in the marketing industry in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. He divorced Mary Hughes, Californian model. Currently Michaels owns a chain of restaurants, Killer Shrimp, of course, in Southern California.
In 1980 he collaborated with the US band Rockets and announced, in Rolling Stone, a comeback album called Absolute Lee on his own label Squish in 1982. He seems to have left the thing out of consideration. However, together with a series of re-releases on One Way Records, 'Absolute Lee' by Lee Michaels (bass, vocals, keyboards) was at last presented to the public audience in 1996.
Some of the song titles indicate the survival of his good sense of humor: there is "Steal My Love" along with "Sex Symbol", "Mass Murder Music", and "Lie to Me".
Hey, it's been a while since I posted a comment on your site, but I've been searching for Lee's music on myspace ever so often with no luck until today and I thought it might be worth mentioning. I guess someone finally gave someone permission to let us hear some great music. Of course, you have to check your music every day because they giveth and they taketh away in a heartbeat. Your site has been the only link for some time and has the story of Lee's career, so keep on truckin' with it. Thanks again, Mike
Lee Birthday Feature Monday On Internet Radio--I'll be celebrating Lee's 63rd tomorrrow by playing lots of his music on my show Monday,12-4 PM CST at www. uicradio. org . I hope everyone can join me!
The only 1 that came close to Mr. Michaels' vocally, was Mr. Jack Bruce....where is he?...I shall inspect....:)...and I indeed have MUCH respect for Mark Farner...we know Journey's original singer Mr. Perry must have listened to Mark....
What a team Michael and Frosty made. I was at every show he did in Berdoo and got to see Frosty a few time at The Sundance Saloon in Calabases. Still no two people have done what they did. The Koolist Kats to ever play together.
Nice to see Lee represented on myspace. 5th and Lee Michaels Live were the LPs that got me hooked on the Hammond sound and were a selling point that helped me to talk my folks into selling a mega-gadgeted Lowrey organ we had so I could get a Hammond.
I've seen many live concerts with Lee Michaels and Frosty his drummer. Loved Lee Michaels Live album, the purple album and Barrel. HAPPY NEW YEAR! I guess I'm dating myself but I'm still rocking, still like it LOUD and I sure miss being able to see Lee Michaels play live.
