Country Joe McDonald

Biography

Politics and ecological problems were arranged to musical accompaniment by Nation Joe McDonald, who co-founded and led the psychedelic folk-rock band Nation Joe & the Seafood, the best left-wing band from the ’60s. Because the group’s separation in 1971, McDonald offers continuing to musically espouse his politics sights through his unique, folk-like tracks. A indigenous of Washington, D.C., McDonald was raised in Un Monte, CA, a suburb of LA, where his parents, Florence and Worden, got moved to flee political problems in the administrative centre city. Music performed an important part through McDonald’s years as a child, and he went to many concerts at Un Monte Legion Stadium; after getting enchanted by Dixieland music, he frequented the Lighthouse Membership in Hermosa Seaside. At age 17, McDonald enlisted within the U.S. Navy. Pursuing his release after 3 years, he went to City University in LA for a calendar year. Although he transferred to Berkeley to keep his schooling, McDonald was sidetracked by his like of music and spent the majority of his period playing in rings just like the Berkeley String Quartet and the moment Action Jug Music group, which included potential bandmate Barry Melton. Joined up with by folk guitarist Blair Hardman, McDonald documented his first music in 1964. Released originally by First American Information, lots of the music were afterwards re-recorded by McDonald for his 1976 record The Goodbye Blues. McDonald stayed energetic in politics within the middle-’60s, and released a left-wing newspaper, Rag Baby. After posting the initial few issues from the newspaper, McDonald conceived the thought of recording a particular “speaking” concern. Released simply because an EP, the problem highlighted two music, “PERSONALLY I THINK Like I’m Repairing to Die Rag,” a Dixieland-like indictment from the Vietnam Battle, and “Superbird,” a satire targeted at Leader Lyndon Johnson; both had been acknowledged to “Nation Joe & the Seafood.” Following conclusion of the task, McDonald and Melton decided to form a far more serious rock-band. With McDonald’s politics lyrics arranged to a powerful rock beat, Nation Joe & the Seafood became popular within the SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA Bay area, carrying out frequently in the Jabberwocky coffeehouse in Berkeley as well as the Avalon and Fillmore Auditorium in SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. Their second EP presented three of McDonald’s music — “Bass Strings,” “Section 43,” and “(Thing Known as) Like.” Authorized by Vanguard Information in Dec 1966, Nation Joe & the Fish quickly released their 1st recording, Electric powered Music for your brain and Body. Although “PERSONALLY I THINK Like I’m Fixing to Die Rag” was designed to become included on the recording, the record label confident McDonald to omit it. It had been finally released because the name tabs on the band’s second recording. A single from the tune reached quantity 32 for the Billboard graphs. McDonald & the Seafood produced their East Coastline debut in the Cafe Au Proceed Go ahead 1967. Following a release of the third recording, Collectively, in 1968, the music group toured European countries, where these were fulfilled by enthusiastic crowds. Their 4th recording, Here WE HAVE BEEN Once again, released in 1969, presented musical guests Jack port Casady of Jefferson Aircraft and David Getz and Peter Albin of YOUR GOVERNMENT & the Keeping Company. Alongside the Seafood, McDonald performed for the most part from the main music festivals from the ’60s. Their overall performance in the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 was presented within the film of the function. Furthermore to performing using the group at Woodstock in August 1969, McDonald performed a single set which was capped by his obscene changing from the “Seafood Cheer” intro to “PERSONALLY I THINK Like I’m Fixin’ to Die.” Included within the film from the celebration, the intro brought McDonald to worldwide attention. Woodstock, nevertheless, came through the last stages from the band’s tenure. Within the aftermath from the celebration, McDonald was imprisoned in Worcester, MA for inciting an viewers to lewd behavior, while Melton was imprisoned for ownership of weed. Although they documented a final record, C.J. Seafood, with a fresh keyboard participant and tempo section, and experienced appeared within the 1970 film Zacharia, Nation Joe & the Seafood disbanded in 1971. By that point, however, McDonald experienced signed a single agreement with Vanguard and documented two albums in Nashville — Thinking about Woody Guthrie, released in Dec 1969, and Tonight I’m Performing Simply for You, released in-may 1970. McDonald continuing to tour and record like a single singer/songwriter. Throughout a tour of Britain, he documented an recording, HANG ON: It’s Arriving, with accompaniment by Fleetwood Mac pc guitarist Peter Green as well as other United kingdom music artists. In Scandinavia, McDonald was contracted by film manufacturer Knud Thorbjorsen to compose tracks to get a film predicated on Henry Miller’s book Quiet Times in Clichy. The three tracks he had written — “Mara,” “Ny’s Track,” and “Henry Miller as well as the Hungry Globe” — had been included on the film’s soundtrack. When Grove Movies attempted to transfer copies from the film showing in USA theaters, these were seized by traditions and dubbed “obscene.” Grove Movies eventually received a court fight, as well as the film premiered in NY in 1971. McDonald later on scored and made an appearance inside a Chilean film, Que Hacer, documenting Salvador Allende’s effective campaign for chief executive. Beginning in Apr 1971, McDonald became mixed up in growing anti-war motion and made an appearance at presentations in SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA and Washington, D.C.. As well as Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland, McDonald made an appearance during an FTA (Totally free the Military) tour of Vietnam that highlighted skits by previous Second City people Ann and Roger Bowen. Although he became disenchanted with Fonda’s politics views and still left the show, the knowledge earned McDonald an area on Leader Nixon’s foe list. Time for america, McDonald documented an EP using the San Fransisco-based music group Grootna. A single efficiency in the bottom Line premiered being a live recording, Amazing Live!, in 1972. During 1972 and 1973, McDonald performed using the All-Star Music group, a group primarily comprised of users from the Seafood and YOUR GOVERNMENT & the Keeping Company. The music group followed McDonald on his 1973 recording Paris Classes. McDonald spent the majority of 1974 surviving in Europe. Time for California in 1975, he became a member of a music group, Energy Problems, that presented former Seafood Bruce Barthol and ex-Instant Actions Jug Music group member Phil Marsh. The music group made an appearance on McDonald’s 1975 record, Heaven with an Sea View. The record, including the anthemic tune “Save the Whales,” shown a rise in McDonald’s ecological dedication. The remainder from the ’70s symbolized McDonald’s most prolific period as he released seven albums — Appreciate Is a Fireplace, Goodbye Blues, Rock and roll & Move Music from the earth Earth, Enjoyment Suite, BY MYSELF, Into the Fireplace, and Child’s Play. In 1977, Nation Joe & the Seafood temporarily came jointly once again to record an record, Reunion. From 1982, McDonald became associated with furthering the reason for Vietnam veterans and caused such organizations as Vietnam Veterans Contrary to the Battle, Swords to Plowshares, and Vietnam Veterans of America. His encounter peaked using the release of the recording and video, Vietnam Encounter, in 1988. McDonald’s 1991 recording, Superstitious Blues, was a mainly acoustic work and included two tunes documented with Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Deceased. KEEP ON, released in 1995, was influenced by the loss of life of McDonald’s parents and presented his coming in contact with tribute to Florence Nightingale, “THE GIRL with the Light fixture,” as well as the name track, which highlighted Garcia on guitar.

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