Serpent Power

Fronted by San Franciscan poet David Meltzer, the Serpent Force was a sunshiny folk-rock group, whose songs had been musical translations of Meltzer’s poetry. These were initial observed by Ed Denton, supervisor of Nation Joe as well as the Seafood, when he noticed them perform at their first-ever gig, an advantage for the Telegraph Community Center. This is in November of 1966 — Denton suggested these to Vanguard Information (Nation Joe’s label) and by 1967 the music group was authorized and experienced released their 1st and only recording. The Serpent Power was created by Meltzer and his wife Tina (who sang both business lead and tranquility vocals), and in addition included Denny Ellis and David Stenson on business lead acoustic guitar and bass, respectively, both of whom experienced gotten their focus on SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA folksters the Lawn Roots. The music group became a complete rock outfit using the inclusion of John Payne on body organ and Clark Coolidge on drums. The recording, also entitled The Serpent Power, received a relatively limited pressing and, despite offering some excellent types of folk-rock, the music group by no means got that big, known mainly within the SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA region. The album’s last monitor was a raga-rock epic including electric banjo participant JP Pickens, who remained on being a long lasting member because the music group inserted its second incarnation. Ellis, Stenson, and Payne still left soon after The Serpent Power was documented, changed by Bob Cuff (who’d arrive over from folk-pop music group the Mystery Craze), on business lead electric guitar and Jim Mocoso on bass. Although they continuing achieving in ever-more exploratory directions, the music group didn’t record another record, and disbanded in 1968. David and Tina Meltzer continued to record another record, Poet’s Tune, under their very own names.