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ghostly visions
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ghostly visions
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weirdface
http://www.dahliagrey.com/band.html


More musicians who say they were in Rare Earth.  Check out the 2 that say they were confused and can anyone confirm it?  Also Ken Johnson from a previous thread............who is he?  He says he was in the band too.ideahttp://home.socal.rr.com/jcentral/RE_Poster1.htm

   http://home.socal.rr.com/jcentral/band.htm

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UK Dave
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I've never heard of these guys being in Rare Earth though Ray once commented that they did have a number of rapid changes over a period of time, to the point that it was difficult to keep track of the changes.

You can see Peter Rivera's point of view about the real Rare Earth consisting of 9 members. Apart from the brief re-union for Band Together, Grand Slam and Tight and Hot, its difficult to think of some of those other people like Katona, Warren, Ferguson, Fransen, Westbrook etc being anything other than session men that were drafted into the line-up. I would argue a case for Reggie McBride and Jerry LaCroix who I believe came into the band as genuine replacements for Mike Urso and Pete Rivera and had served their apprenticeship with Stevie Wonder and Edgar Winter respectively. After that, well.... Wayne Baraks seemed to do a good job on vocals and Randy Burghdoff has been in the band for a long time now. But it does raise an eyebrow when you consider some people out there with Rare Earth listed on their CV.



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Jocko D
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Up until this point in time I've never heard of this Ken Johnson guy and I've seen the band perform during the early 1980's. At each show I attended Michael Urso was in fact the bass player so I don't know where Ken Johnson fits in. Take a look at the two band photos together on the single page. Particularly the photo on left with Ken Johnson in place of Michael Urso. It seems to me this photo may have been taken at a point in time before the years Ken Johnson claims he was a band member. (1979-1982)  It could be true this guy was a band member at one point in time but then why hasn't anyone here on the forum ever heard of him until now. Perhaps Ray or Peter could clear this matter up for us. Jocko D


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john
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My thoughts are simple that the picture has been tampered with and his face added.  Id like to be proven wrong but it all seems a bit weird.  Gil, Pete or Ray can clear it up.

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RAY MONETTE
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THE TIME FRAME ON KEN JOHNSON IS ABOUT RIGHT.HE WAS THE LAST BASS REPLACEMENT BEFORE WE MOVED BACK TO DETROIT IN 1982.BUT.....I DON'T REMEMBER HIM BEING WITH US FOR VERY LONG.

BOB WEAVER,AND ANDY MERRILL JOINED THE BAND AT THE SAME TIME,SOMEWHERE IN THE EARLY TO MID 80'S. THERE WAS ANOTHER BASSIST DURING THAT TIME NAMED TIM MCCORMICK. I'M PROBABLY MISSING A FEW OTHERS. FINDING REPLACEMENTS FOR "THE REAL BAND MEMBERS" WAS TOUGH. ALL YOU COULD DO WAS TRY SOMEBODY OUT AND SEE IF THEY FIT. NOT ONLY MUSICALLY,BUT PERSONALITY WISE TOO.

RAY

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Peter Rivera
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Where can I see this picture.....

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RAY MONETTE
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PETE,

IT'S THE SECOND LINK DOWN IN THE FIRST POST ON THIS THREAD.

RAY

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MDF
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WELL...IF THERE IS A RE-UNION OF THE BAND I BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE NINE MEMBERS THAT HAD THE GREATER IMPACT AS FAR AS ALBUM SALES AND CONCERT APPEARANCES AND THE LIKE....AND MAYBE JUST MAYBE BRING ON LACROIX AND MCBRIDE AS GUESTS TO RE-VISIT SOME TRACK SELECTIONS FROM BACK TO EARTH AND MIDNIGHT LADY.....wink

THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENTS....

MDFbiggrin


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Jocko D
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There was a gap of about three years in the early to mid 1980's where I didn't catch any Rare Earth shows. I had no idea any of the four gentleman mentioned in this thread were members of the Rare Earth until now.
The bio on Bob Weaver from that other band's website states he's both lead singer and drummer and can sing anything from Metallica to Motown.  Was Bob Weaver also lead singer and drummer during his stint with Rare Earth? Jocko D


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Jimmy19029
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I'd wager a guess that Bob Weaver was the one who took over as drummer after Peter left in late 1983 and was the main singer after Mark was let go circa 1985.

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RAY MONETTE
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JOCKO D,
ACTUALLY, WHEN BOB WEAVER WAS WITH US WE HAD NO IDEA HE COULD SING. HE DIDN'T EVEN SING BACKROUND.MARK AND GIL WERE DOING THE LEADS.

JIMMY,
OUR FIRST DRUMMER AFTER PETE WAS JERRY LEBLOCH. BOB WEAVER CAME IN AS A REPLACEMENT FOR HIM. CONFUSING ISN'T IT??  LOL.

RAY

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Peter Rivera
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Hey Ray: I thought it was Frosty..... shows what I know

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RAY MONETTE
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PETER,

YOU'RE RIGHT!! FROSTY CAME IN 1974. JERRY LEBLOCH CAME IN 1983 AFTER THE SECOND BREAK. LIKE I SAID.......CONFUSING ISN'T IT??

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Jocko D
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Ray, This gets more confusing by the minute. I was always under the impression Dean Boucher replaced Jerry LeBloch. Those are the two drummers I recall succeeding each other in the band plus both their names are mentioned in the credits of the "Live Swiss" CD from the late 1980's.
After reading Bob Weaver's bio I assumed he must have been in the band some time around 1983 to 1984 because those were the years I hadn't attended any RE shows. When I caught the band again in 1985 Jerry LeBloch was the drummer and Bird was the bass player. Bird is still in the band today so wouldn't that make the time frame for Bob Weaver on drums and Andy Merrill on bass before LeBloch and Bird? Thanks, Jocko D


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Peter Rivera
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Geeeeeeezzz

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RAY MONETTE
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GEEEEZ!!!!  IS RIGHT. I'VE SAID IT BEFORE,AND ONCE AGAIN,RARE EARTH FANS KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BAND THAN ANY OF US.

JOCKO D,

AFTER WHAT YOU SAID I THINK I FINALLY HAVE THE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER RIGHT.THE YEARS??? FAGETTABOUTIT!! LOL.

BOB WEAVER CAME IN WITH TIM MCCORMICK ON BASS. TIM WAS ONLY WITH US FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS. WHEN HE LEFT,BOB BROUGHT IN HIS FRIEND ANDY MERRIL.THIS WAS AFTER THE MOVE BACK TO DETROIT(1982).
I'M PRETTY SURE THAT ANDY LEFT BEFORE BOB. BIRD HAD BEEN WORKING WITH US AS ROAD MANAGER/ROADIE. WHEN ANDY LEFT,BIRD STARTED PLAYING BASS. WHEN BOB LEFT,WE BROUGHT IN JERRY LEBLOCH. DEAN BOUCHER STARTED WORKING FOR US AS A ROADIE AT THIS TIME. WHEN JERRY LEFT,WE GOT DEAN TO PLAY DRUMS.

OH NO!!!!  I JUST REMEMBERED.THERE WAS ANOTHER DRUMMER FROM TEXAS THAT WAS ONLY WITH US FOR A FEW MONTHS SOMEWHERE IN THERE. I THINK THEY CALLED HIM BOB ROCK.HE WAS A WELL KNOWN DRUMMER AT THE TIME.

WHEW!!! AFTER THAT.....I TAKE THE 5TH. AND ........THERE WILL BE A TEST. LOL.

RAY

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UK Dave
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Ray

Are you saying Bird only took up playing bass when Bob left? And are you saying Dean only took up playing drums after Jerry left? Previously both were roadies. If so, it must have been a steep learning curve.

I play bass and a bit of keyboards myself. I reckon I'llcontact Gil see if there's any roadie jobs going. Bird's been there a long time so I might just land myself a dream job LOL.

I can almost hear Peter singing that song off Band Together. How does it go? Oh yeah "Dreamer...Dreamer"!!!

You certainly mentioned a few new names there Ray. I wonder how many more there might be?

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RAY MONETTE
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HI DAVE,

I HAVE TO LEARN TO WRITE MORE SPECIFICALLY. BOTH OF THE GENTLEMEN IN QUESTION WERE ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIANS LONG BEFORE THEY JOINED R.E. WE DO HAVE SOME STANDARDS DAVE. IT WASN'T AMATEUR HOUR.LOL

YOU'RE RIGHT.IT SEEMS THE BEST WAY TO LAND A JOB WITH R.E. IN THOSE DAYS WAS TO BECOME A ROADIE.YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO MOVE TO DETROIT.....RIGHT???

I WOULD HOPE THAT WE'VE COVERED "ALL" THE MEMBERS OF RARE EARTH RIGHT HERE ON THIS FORUM.  ????

RAY

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Mike
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There sure have been quite a few guys in the band over the years. I've learned a lot about that since discovering this place. Thankw :)

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Jocko D
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Ray, I believe you covered all the bases with your latest post. I knew Bird was a former roadie but I had no idea Dean was also a roadie before joining the band as drummer. This forum has really become a wealth of information for Rare Earth fans and I know I speak for everyone when I say all of us really appreciate you taking your time to share with us.  Jocko D


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Jimmy19029
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Yes, thanks for all the info Ray. Never knew there was so much more. We still wonder though, who took over the lead singing after Mark left in 1985(before Wayne joined in 1987)? I imagine Rick Warner joined on keyboards at that time. Did he also sing? What about Jerry LeBloch? Did he do any singing possibly?

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RAY MONETTE
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THANKS FOR ALL THE KIND WORDS GUYS! BELIEVE ME.....AFTER ALL THAT YOU FOLKS DID FOR R.E.,THE LEAST I CAN DO IS ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS,AND HOPEFULLY CLEAR SOME THINGS UP.

JIMMY,

DURING THE TIME IN QUESTION,WE WERE NOT DOING MANY SHOWS.GIL WAS SINGING THE LEADS AT THAT TIME. RICK AND JERRY WERN'T LEAD SINGERS.JERRY DIDN'T EVEN SING BACKROUND.SINGING THE WHOLE SHOW WAS A TALL ORDER FOR ANYBODY,BUT WE GOT THROUGH IT.WHEN WAYNE CAME IN,IT WAS A HUGE HELP.

PETER WAS UNBELIEVABLE AS A LEAD SINGER!! HE ONLY LOST HIS VOICE ONE TIME DURING ALL THOSE YEARS.WE DID FOUR WEEKS AT HARRAHS RENO AND TAHOE,BACK TO BACK.TWO SHOWS A NIGHT,AND THREE ON SATURDAY.THAT'S 13 SHOWS A WEEK!! UP IN TAHOE IT WAS COMMON FOR SINGERS TO HAVE VOICE PROBLEMS.THE ALTITUDE AND DRYNESS WREAKED HAVOC ON THEIR VOCAL CHORDS. PETE HAD PROBLEMS ONE NIGHT TOWARD THE END OF THE TOUR,BUT BY THE NEXT NIGHT,HE WAS BACK JUST AS STRONG AS USUAL.
IT WAS SO BAD UP THERE,THAT THEY HAD DOCTORS ON CALL TO HELP THE SINGERS.

RAY

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Jimmy19029
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Thanks again for the info, Ray. Sorry for the brain strain we've all put you under. Guess that was quite rough on Gil, even for a few shows, having to sing most the set.

Yep, we all agree that Mr. Pete is quite amazing and was a hard guy to replace! I was amazed how close Wayne sounded to him. I've never heard Floyd Stokes. I imagine he's quite good as well....

I've heard alot of singers having problems with altitudes. The Association said they had trouble trying to sing on pitch when recording a live album in Salt Lake City(another mile high city) in 1970.

Chicago said they always had oxygen handy nearby when recording at Caribou Ranch in Nederland, CO.

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jimmy19029
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RAY MONETTE wrote:

OH NO!!!!  I JUST REMEMBERED.THERE WAS ANOTHER DRUMMER FROM TEXAS THAT WAS ONLY WITH US FOR A FEW MONTHS SOMEWHERE IN THERE. I THINK THEY CALLED HIM BOB ROCK.HE WAS A WELL KNOWN DRUMMER AT THE TIME.


I just found this mention on Bob Rock's site:

The Arena Years

In 1985, after a brief association with legendary 70's rockers Rare Earth, Bobby began a three-year, two-album stint with ex-KISS guitarist's Vinnie Vincent Invasion.



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RAY MONETTE
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HEY JIMMY,
FAGETTABOUTIT!!  I'VE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE TRYING TO GET ME TO WRITE A BOOK,INCLUDING A PUBLISHER IN LONDON. THIS IS GOOD PRACTICE FOR GETTING THE OLD BRAIN CELLS WORKING.LOL

BELIEVE ME.....WE WERE SHOCKED WHEN WE FIRST HEARD WAYNE.YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN OUR JAWS DROP. RICK WARNER BROUGHT HIM IN.THEY HAD BEEN FRIENDS FOR A LONG TIME.
FLOYD STOKES....WE CALL HIM J.R. SMOKES!!

AND...OXYGEN WAS ON THE SIDE OF THE STAGE IN TAHOE.

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!  I WAS ACTUALLY RIGHT ABOUT BOB ROCK. THE BRAIN CELLS ARE STILL WORKING.LOL. THANKS FOR CONFIRMING THAT.

RAY

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Jimmy19029
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No prob, Ray. It's been very fun(& educational!) hearing about all the particulars and tales of the past days. Keep 'em coming.....

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STUART--CHICAGO
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Not to make this more confusing than it already is...but here are my recollections--

I remember Tim the bassist being the first replacement for Mike. I saw RE a good 7-8 times or so in the Chicago area between 82 and 84.  I think I may have seen one of Pete's very last shows with RE in the fall of 83 at the Thirsty Whale in River Grove (outside of Chicago).  It was an awesome show.  The crowd was going nuts and Pete was like, "ok, don't go crazy on me!".  Anyway, after the show, Pete came out and talked with a few of us for a good hour or so.  He didn't seem to be too happy about things.  I remember the last thing he said at the time was "I'll be back, whether it's under the Rivera brothers or RE, I'll be back." (I'm paraphrasing here, these may not be the exact words, but close).  A few months later, I caught them at Connollys on the south side of Chicago with the new drummmer, and I believe the first replacement of Pete,.............Tony from Lancing, MI.  He was a big dude with a mostache.  Not a bad singer at all.  I remember him complaining to Ray after the show that his drumsticks were slipping out of his hand during Big Brother!!  But that was the night I recouted in another thread when I mentioned how pissed and shocked I was that Pete wasn't there and when Eddie motioned for me to come over (I thought he was going to kick my butt because I was heckeling the band a bit) only to ask me to go to the bar and get him a drink.

Ray, I remember complaining to you about Pete's absence and you saying "what the (heck!), we're still great, LOL.  Must have been tough days back then.....

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Ken Johnston
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(my new site address) http://home.roadrunner.com/~jcentral/band1.htm  I played bass for Rare Earth for 2 years (see previous thread) New email is kjohnst2@gmail.com. Thanks for the interest.

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Ken Johnston
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Hi Ray - email me kjohnst2@gmail.com. I'd like to catch up since '81

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Jimmy19029
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STUART--CHICAGO wrote:

  A few months later, I caught them at Connollys on the south side of Chicago with the new drummmer, and I believe the first replacement of Pete,.............Tony from Lansing, MI.  He was a big dude with a moustache.  Not a bad singer at all.  I remember him complaining to Ray after the show that his drumsticks were slipping out of his hand during Big Brother!! 


Any recollection of this Tony guy, Ray(Gil?)? I guess he was a brief drummer right after Pete but before Bob Weaver?

 



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