Music from the 60's and 70's, that rocked our world!: Spirit: Taurus.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Spirit: Taurus.

"Taurus" is a rock instrumental by rock band Spirit, originally released on their self-titled debut album in 1968. The track, composed by guitarist/singer Randy California, was recorded in November 1967. It has been suggested that Jimmy Page borrowed the descending guitar figure from "Taurus" for Led Zeppelin's signature tune "Stairway to Heaven". Zeppelin opened for Spirit in an early American tour, leaving little doubt that Led Zeppelin had heard the Spirit song before Stairway to Heaven was written. I'm not familiar with this band at all.

Released	Jan 22, 1968
Recorded	November 1967
Genre	Psychedelic rock, progressive rock
Length	2:37
Label	Epic Records/Legacy Recordings
Writer	Randy California
Producer	Lou Adler

3 comments:

Paul 2 said...: Dawn, great work finding Taurus.. I'm very impressed..
As I said before some rock critics felt that Sprit was the American Pink Floyd. One critic what as far to say that they were either geniuses or the first known instance of five musicians having the same acid trip. I love that quote. This is a band way worth your time . They only had one major AM radio chart hit ' I Got a Line On You", which is a classic, but I can tell you that their Lp's cuts like Nature's Way , Fresh Garbage, and Silky Sam got lot's of air play on "underground" So Cal FM radio like KPPC, and the late "Mighty Met" KMET in the late 60's early 70's. We played them a lot on KHCR. You have to remember that at the time there was a "war" between LA and San Francisco based bands. When Spirit's forth (and last Lp) The Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus (which is now thought to be a masterpiece) The SF based Rolling Stone did what band member John Locke called a "two paragraph hatchet job" saying that the album was mere hackwork "from a plastic band from L. A. "
If there was EVER a L. A. band that was not plastic it was Spirit. That was the day I knew that I knew for more about music the "The Critics " at Rolling Stone did and The Stone became a big joke.
Some Info you need to know, the band was signed to ODE REcords which was Lou Adlers Custom Label" which was part of Columbia Epic, this was Carole Kings label.
When Spirit broke up band members Jay Ferguson, and Mark Andes went on to form Jo Jo Gunne one of the first rock bands on David Geffen's Asylum Records and had a hit with "Ride Ride Ride.

These guys could play anything, and just about did on their four Lp's 'm just bummed that I never got to see them live.; January 15, 2012 at 6:27 AM
Paul 2 said...: OK I blew it Jo Jo Gunnes hit was called Run Run Run , which had the line Ride in it. I should have checked you tube .; January 15, 2012 at 7:33 AM
Dawn said...: After reading your very informative Sprit triva, I do remember hearing the song "I Got a Line On You", on the radio many times.. Like you, I also wished that I had seen them in concert..; January 15, 2012 at 2:56 PM

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