HARVEY "The Snake" MANDEL

 


 

We take a look on a top blues- and rock guitarist, who learned to play the blues among black Chicago heavyweighters.

Later he joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and The Rolling Stones,
while simultaneously developing his own personal style.

We of course are talking about Harvey Mandel,
the American guitarist, who paid his dues and learned his lesson.

 

 

First time

First time I heard Harvey Mandel was 1968 on Swedish Radio.

He had just released his first LP, "Christo Redentor" with a tune which made an impression: "Bradley's Barn".

Harvey Mandel was - and is - an incredible gifted guitarist with a style of his own. Among others, he was the first to use a technique called "tapping" - or even "two handed fretboard tapping"), where the idea is that you hit the strings with both hands.

 

Background

His background is blues, starting in Chicago among black heavyweighters. Here he payed his dues, learning the blues, while developing his own personal guitar style.

Talking 'bout guitars, down through the years he played many different models, at a time he even played Fender Stratocaster, but interesting enough they all ended up sounding like Harvey Mandel.

Down through the years Harvey's style has somewhat changed. Maybe it's due to a collaboration with his son Eric, who of course have a complete different attitude to popular music.

Anyway, it all ended up in a way where Harvey himself has got an interest in computers and synthesizers, which is demonstrated at the "Westcoast Killaz" CD.

Apart from his own solo projects, Harvey Mandel has been playing with many musicians e.g. John Mayall, Canned Heat and Rolling Stones.

You may wonder what happened to the million dollar hit, that never came? The hit that would make HM independent of all economic concerns in a long time coming.

The American guitar magazine, Guitar Player, asked him the same question in 1988, and got an honest answer:

"I needed a theme that the man in the street could whistle."

If I were his advisor, I surely would advise him to spend time on a real blockbuster, that could pay for all his experimenting.

On the other hand, to this day he has the great pleasure of

- being fit and healthy (never used drugs etc.),
- being able to walk privately in the street ("a reputation without a face"),
- having no tax deficit, and
- being the happy owner of a state-of-the-art digital studio
  and produktion company (Electric Snake Productions).

What more could you ask for!

 

Shangrenade

One of Mandel's best LPs is "Shangrenade", released 1973 (on CD in 1998). On this disc, Mandel shows what he is made of. Take a listen for example to the title number "Shangrenade", and I think you'll agree.

Last but not least it should be mentioned, that the musical result of this record is due to a staff of competent musicians:

- Coleman Head, rhythm guitar
- Victor Conte, electric bass
- Paul Lagos, drums
- Don "Sugarcane" Harris, electric violin
- Bobby Notkoff, string arrangements

 

CHONOLOGICAL SURVEY

In a chronological order, the career of Harvey Mandel would look like this:

 


- 1945

- 11. March 1945, Harvey Mandel is born, Detroit, Michigan, USA

- 1946

- ?? 1946, HM moves to Chicago

- 1966 -

- member of Charlie Musselwhite's South Side Band

- "Stand Back" is played by most radio stations in the Bay Area (San Francisco).

- HM is invited by Bill Graham to play at Fillmore West.

- 1967

- HM is moving to Los Angeles.

- LP "Stand Back!" with Charlie Musselwhite's South Side Band is released
---- Charlie Musselwhite - vocal & harmonica
---- Harvey Mandel - guitar
---- Barry Goldberg - organ & piano
---- Bob Anderson - bass
---- Fred Below Jr. - drums

- Performance at club "The Matrix"

- meets producer Abe "Voco" Kesh

- 1968

- LP "Christo Redentor" (produced by Abe "Voco" Kesh) is released
---- The LP is staying 4 weeks on Top 200 (highest ranking #169)

- HM is playing at "Whiskey A Go-Go" in San Francisco.

- 1969

- LP "Righteous" is released.

- member of Canned Heat as replacement for Henry Vestine
---- Bob "The Bear" Hite
---- Henry "Sunflower" Vestine - solo guitar
---- Al Wilson ("The Owl") - rhythm guitar, slide guitar
---- Larry "The Mole" Taylor - bass
---- Fito de la Parra - drums

- With CANNED HEAT on the Woodstock Festival
Canned Heat had asked guitarist Mike Bloomfield to play the first set with them. Likewise thay had asked Mandel to come in on second set. This is Harvey Mandel's third performance with the group.

He continued with Canned Heat for more than a year, together with slide guitarist/vocalist Alan "Blind Owl" Wilson and singer Bob "The Bear" Hite.

The nickname "The Snake" he got a few years previous, by keyboardist Barry Goldberg in Chicago. The nickname was partly a hint to his cracked leather jacket and partly his snake-like way of playing the guitar.

- 1970

- LP "Games Guitars Play" is released.
---- The tune is an instrumental version of a song with the same title.
It was a 1969 hit with Joe South.

- 1971

- LP "Baby Batter" (producer Abe "Voco" Kesh) is released

- joining John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

- recording LP "USA Union"
---- John Mayall - vocal & harmonica
---- Harvey Mandel - guitar
---- Larry "The Mole" Taylor - bass
---- Don "Sugarcane" Harris - violin

- 1972

- LP "The Snake" is released
---- The LP briefly hits the US charts

- 1972.July.22
LP "The Snake" hits the Billboard list.
---- Don "Sugarcane" Harris - violin
---- Freddie Roulette - steel guitar
---- Charles Lloyd - flute
---- Paul Lagos - drums
---- Larry Taylor (ex Canned Heat) - Fender bass
---- Fito de la Parra (ex Canned Heat) - drums

- launces the group Pure Food & Drug Act (often abbreviated PFDA)
---- Sugarcane Harris - violin
---- Randy Resnick - guitar
---- Victor Conte - bass
---- Paul Lagos - drums

- PFDA releases LP "Choice Cuts" on Epic Records

- LP "Get off in Chicago" is released

- 1973

- PDFA is breaking up

- LP "Shangrenade" is released

- 1974

- LP "Feel the Sound of Harvey Mandel" is released

- performing at the Ultimate Guitar Concert,
sponsored by Guitar Player Magazine at their 25 year anniversary.

- performing at the Fillmore (San Francisco), Centennial Celebration, arranged by Gibson Guitars

- HM is starting a new group (name unknown) with a vocalist,
touring USA and Europa as a warm-up for Canned Heat

- 1975

- LP "The Best of Harvey Mandel" is released

- HM is writing music for TV and film

- 1976

- LP "Black and Blue" with The Rolling Stones is released.
It contains the numbers "Hot Stuff" and "Memory Hotel" with Harvey Mandel
Black and Blue, Rolling Stones Records, COC-79104

- studio work with (among others) Love and The Ventures

- warm-up group for Jeff Beck on his tour of Canada:
      Harvey Mandel Power Trio (Jimmy Halip, bass)

- 1978

- moving to Chicago

- warm-up group on various tours, e.g. Roxy Music

- 1980

- HM is moving to Florida

- a member of the house band of the Ron Wood nightclub "Woody's" (with among others Bobby Keys, sax)

- 1984

- Deep Purple guitarist Richie Blackmore in an interview reveals his first impression of Harvey Mandel:

The first person I saw doing that hammer-on stuff was Harvey Mandel, at the Whiskey A Go-Go in '68. I thought 'What the hell is he doing?' It was so funny, Jim Morrison was carried out and Jimi Hendrix was there too.
Then Harvey Mandel starts doing this stuff (mimes tapping). 'What's he doing?' everybody was saying. Even the audience stopped dancing. Obviously, Eddie Van Halen must have picked up a few of those things.

- 1990

- CD "Live Boot: Harvey Mandel - Live in California 1990, Vol.1" is released

- CD "Guitar Speak II" (one single number) I.R.S. Records

- CD Guitar Player Magazine's "Legends of Guitar-Electric Blues", vol. I, Rhino Records

- instruction video for Hot Licks: "Blues Guitar & Beyond"

- 1991

- video "Blues Guitar & Beyond" (guitar instructional video)

- 1993

- CD "Twist City" is released

- 1993.July.07, Jutland, Denmark
---- Harvey Mandel (el-g)
---- James Thornbury (el-g)
---- Ron Schumann (b)
---- Fito de la Parra (dm)

- 1995

- video "Learn Blues Guitar with the Greats" (guitar instruction video)
---- (mini lessons with Buddy Guy, Lonnie Mack and Harvey Mandel)

- CD "Snakes & Stripes" is released

- ESP - Electric Snake Productions - is launched

- CD "Baby Batter" (AAD), remastered from original master tape, is released, BGO Records, BGO CD252

- 1995.October, CD "The Mercury Years" is released
(= Christo Redentor & Righteous & Games Guitars Play, digitally remastered)

- 1996

- 1996.January.26, performing at the Fillmore, San Francisco

- 1996.April19, world premier of the film "Chalk", shown in Castro Theater, San Francisco.
----The show is part of the San Francisco International Film Festival.
----Mandel plays a minor part as a surfer in the movie, besides he wrote (and played) the music for the film.
----The same evening "Shot Gun Man" (from CD "Twist City") is shown on prime-time TV:
the CBS TV-show "Nash Bridges" with Don Johnson.

- performing at the BB King Blues Club, Universal City, California
---- Howard Wales - keyboards
---- Greg Errico - drums
---- Squid - bass
---- Lori Davidson - vocals
---- Barry Goldberg - keyboards (only on a few tunes in second set)

- 1996.May.16, The Harvey Mandel Band is performing at the Fillmore, under the slogan "Best of the British Blues" together with, among others
---- Eric Burdon - vocal
---- Alvin Lee - guitar
---- Aunsley Dunbar - drums
---- Howard Wales - special guest

- 1996.July.04, The Electric Snake Band (with new vocalist Sonny Reece) plays at "Wharf at Pier 45" which is part of newspaper San Francisco Chronicle's annual Independence Day concert.
---- Sonny Reece (from Las Vegas) - vocal
---- Artis Joyce (from Stockton, California) (aka "AJ") - bass guitar
AJ previously played with (among others) Charlie Musselwhite, Johnny Heartsman, Mick Fleetwood and Ron Thompson.
---- Bennie Murray (session musician) - drums

- 1997

- 1997, January, "Snake Crew" - the Harvey Mandel group and organisation go to Hollywood to finish the master of "Planetary Warrior" along with Bernie Grundman Mastering.
---- "Planetary Warrior" is distributed by WEA (Warner Elektra Atlantic) in the USA.
---- The newest member of the group is Diz Dismore on bass guitar.
---- DD is from the Bay Area (Los Angeles), where he played funk-groove-jazz with people like Leo Nocentelli from the original Meters.

- 1997.September.16, CD "Planetary Warrior" is released
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Steve Kimock - slide guitar
---- Squid Vicious - bass guitar
---- Annie Stocking - background vocals
---- Howard Wales - keyboards (special guest)
---- Barry Goldberg - keyboards (special guest)
Track #6, "Rumble", is inspired by the hit of the 1950s by Link Wray, "The Rumble".

- "Wall Banger" from "Planetary Warrior" is presented in Don Johnson's "Nash Bridges" TV show.

- 1998

- CD "Emerald Triangle" is released

- CD "Shangrenade" is released

- HM moves to San Francisco

- 2000

- CD "Lick This" is released
(This CD is also found under the title "Cool House Productions Compila")
---- Harvey Mandel - guitars and arrangements, drums, all percussion, bass, and rhythms
---- Sonny Reece - vocals and all lyrics

- HM moves to Florida

- CD "West Coast Killaz" is released
---- Harvey Mandel - guitars and arrangements, drums, all percussion, bass and rhythms
---- Eric Mandel - all vocals and lyrics

- 2001

- start-up of The Electric Snake Band
---- Harvey "The Snake" Mandel - Guitars
---- Bennie Murray - Drums
---- Diz Dismore- Bass
---- Sonny Reece - Vocals

 

 

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DiSKOGRAPHY

 

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Cristo Redentor, Phillips (dist. by Mercury), PHS 600-281 / 1968
LP/CD - HARVEY MANDEL - Christo Redentor Philips PHS 600-281
Year of release: 1968

01. Christo Redentor
02. Before six
03. The Lark
04. The Snake
05. Long wait
06. Wade in the Water (Ramsey Lewis' hit melodi)
07. Lights out
08. Bradley's Barn
09. You can't tell me
10. Nashville 1 a.m.

"Christo Redentor" and "Christo Redemptor" is one and the same recording which, of inscrutable reasons, have been spelled differently

Basic personnel:
---- Guitar - Harvey Mandel
---- Harmonica - Charlie Musselwhite
---- Keyboards - Barry Goldberg
---- Drums - Eddie Hoh

 

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Mandel's debut remains his best early work, introducing an accomplished blues-rock guitarist capable of producing smooth, fluid lines and a variety of tasteful distortion and buzzing via an assortment of tone pedals and customized amplifiers.

He augmented his flash with an adventurous appetite for orchestrated, quasi-classical strings (especially in the eerie symphonic title cut), jazz-blues-rock fusion in the mold of The Electric Flag (as on "Before Six"), and even a bit of country in the presence of top steel guitarist Pete Drake.

Available in its entirety on the reissue compilation The Mercury Years.

Richie Unterberger,
All Music Guide

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LP/CD - Righteous - Harvey Mandel - PHS 600-306 / 1969
Year of release: 1969
Label: Phillips

Not as consistent as his debut, due to the presence of a few pedestrian blues-rock numbers. The better tracks, though, show Mandel continuing to expand his horizons with imagination, particularly on the cuts with string and horn arrangements by noted jazz arranger Shorty Rogers.

Harvey's workout on Nat Adderley's "Jazz Samba" is probably his best solo performance, and an obvious touchstone for the Latin-rock hybrid of Carlos Santana (whose own debut came out the same year).

On the other side of the coin, "Boo-Bee-Doo" is one of his sharpest and snazziest straight blues-rockers.

Available in its entirety on the reissue compilation The Mercury Years.

Richie Unterberger,
All Music Guide

---- Guitar: Harvey Mandel
---- Guitar: Howard Roberts
---- Guitar: Bob Jones [#1]
---- Keyboards: Duane Hitchings
---- Keyboards: Pete Jolly
---- Drums: Eddie Hoh
---- Percussion: Victor Feldman
---- Trumpet: Buddy Childers
---- Trumpet: John Audino
---- Trumpet: Stan Fishelson
---- Saxophone: Plas Johnson
---- Saxophone: Bill Perkins
---- Trombone: Mike Barone
---- Trombone: Richard Leith

 

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LP/CD - Games Guitars Play - Harvey Mandel
Phillips, PHS 600-325/ 1970
Year of release: 1970

Feeling that he needed a singer to compete commercially, Mandel decided to abandon his instrumental format, taking on multi-instrumentalist Russell Dashiel as lead vocalist for a good share of the tracks.

Alas, Dashiel was a mediocre singer who typified some of the lesser White blues-rock stylings of the period, and the material (with a higher percentage of blues and soul covers) was not up to the level of Mandel's first two efforts, although Harvey's playing remained accomplished and imaginative (as is evident on the original instrumental "Ridin' High" and the cover of Horace Silver's "Senor Blues").

Available in its entirety on the reissue compilation The Mercury Years.

Richie Unterberger,
All Music Guide

---- Guitar: HarveyMandel
---- Vocals: Russell Dashiell
---- Bass: Larry Taylor
---- Drums: Eddie Hoh

 

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Baby Batter, Janus Records (dist. by GRT), JLS-3017 / 1971
LP/CD - HARVEY MANDEL - Baby Batter BGO CD252
BGO RECORDS (BGO = Beat Goes On),
P.O. Box 22, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6XQ, England
Year of release: 1971

1. Baby Batter
2. Midnight Sun
3. One Way Street
4. Morton Grove Mama (Morton Grove is the town, where HM grew up)
5. Freedom Ball
6. El Stinger
7. Hank The Ripper

---- Harvey Mandel - electric guitar, acoustic guitar
---- Eric Mandel - "Baby Batter" voice
---- Larry Taylor - electric Fender bass
---- Howard Wales - organ, electric piano
---- Mike Melvoin - organ, electric piano
---- Paul Lagos - drums
---- Colin Bailey - drums
---- Big Black - congas
---- Emil Richards - percussion on "Hank the Ripper" and "One Way Street"
---- Joe Picaro - percussion on "El Stinger"
---- Sandra Crouch - tambourine on "Baby Batter" & "Midnight Sun"

 

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LP/CD - HARVEY MANDEL - The Snake Janus, JLS-3037 / 1972
REPERTOIRE RECORDS REP 4711-WG
Made under license courtsey of Janus Records
Year of release: 1972

1. The diving rod (Mandel) 3:01
2. Pegasus (Taylor) 3:24
3. Linda Love (Mandel) 2:29
4. Peruvian flake (Mandel) 3:27
5. The snake (Mandel-Taylor) 3:02
6. Uno Ino (Carroll-Taylor-Mandel) 2:32
7. Ode to The Owl (Mandel) 2:32
8. Levitation (Lloyd-Mandel) 5:10
9. Bite the electric eel (Mandel-Lagos-Resnick-Conte-Harris) 4:11

---- Harvey Mandel - guitar
---- Paul Lagos - drums on 1,3,4,5,9
---- Earl Palmer - drums on 2,6
---- Adolfo de la Parra - drums on 8
---- Victor Conte - bass on 1,3,9
---- Chuck Domanico - bass on 2
---- Larry Taylor - bass on 4,5,6
---- Antonio de la Barreda - bass on 8
---- Randy Resnick - rhythm guitar on 1,3,6,9
---- Freddie Roulette - steel guitar on 8
---- Jim Taylor - piano on 2
---- Kevin Burton - organ on 8
---- Charles Lloyd - flute on 8
---- Don "Sugarcane" Harris - violin on 3 & 9; strings on 2

 

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LP - Harvey Mandel - Shangrenade - Janus JLS-3047 (1973)
CD - Harvey Mandel - Shangrenade - BGO CD410 (1998)
CD remastered from original master tapes
Year of release: 1973

1. What The Funk (Victor Conte)
---- Harvey Mandel, Lead Guitar
---- Coleman Head, Rhythm Guitar
---- Victor Conte, electric bass
---- Paul Lagos, Drums
---- Bobby Lyle, Clavinet

2. Fish walk (Victor Conte)
---- Harvey Mandel, Lead Guitar
---- Coleman Head, Rhythm Guitar
---- Victor Conte, electric bass
---- Paul Lagos, Drums
---- Bobby Notkoff, Strings

3. Sugarloaf (H.Mandel, R.Mandel)
---- Harvey Mandel, Lead Guitar
---- Victor Conte, electric bass
---- Paul Lagos, Drums
---- Freddie Roulette, Steel Guitar
---- Bobby Lyle, Acoustic Piano

4. Midnight Sun II (H.Mandel)
---- Harvey Mandel, Lead Guitar
---- Coleman Head, Rhythm Guitar
---- Victor Conte, electric bass
---- Paul Lagos, Drums
---- Bobby Notkoff, Strings
---- Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Electric Violin

5. Million dollar feeling (Coleman Head)
---- Harvey Mandel, Lead Guitar
---- Coleman Head, Rhythm Guitar
---- Victor Conte, electric bass
---- Paul Lagos, Drums
---- Bobby Notkoff, Strings

6. Green Apple Quickstep (H.Mandel)
---- Harvey Mandel, Lead Guitar
---- Coleman Head, Rhythm Guitar
---- Victor Conte, electric bass
---- Paul Lagos, Drums
---- Bobby Lyle, Clavinet

7. Frenzy (Mandel, Head, Conte, Lagos)
---- Harvey Mandel, Lead Guitar
---- Coleman Head, Rhythm Guitar
---- Victor Conte, electric upright bass
---- Paul Lagos, Drums

8. Shangrenade (H.Mandel, R.Mandel)
---- Harvey Mandel, Lead Guitar
---- Victor Conte, electric bass
---- Paul Lagos, Drums
---- Bobby Notkoff, Strings

Produced by Skip Taylor and Harvey Mandel for Skip Taylor Productions, Inc. and GRT Corp.
Recorded at The Village Recorder, November 1972 to June 1973
Special thanks to Marv. Schlachter and Lynda Mandel

 

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LP/CD - PFDA - Pure Food and Drug Act -
Year of release: 1974

---- Harvey Mandel - guitar
---- Randy "Rare" Resnick - guitar
---- Don "Sugarcane" Harris - violin
---- Paul Lagos - drums
---- Victor Conte - bass

 

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LP - Feel the Sound of Harvey Mandel, Janus, JLS-3067 / 1974
Year of release: 1974

CD - Feel the sound of Harvey Mandel" - Repertoire Records REP 4715WG
(completely remastered)

1. Got to be bad (Conte - Head) 3:49
---- Richard Martin - vocal
---- Harvey Mandel - lead guitar
---- Coleman Head - rhythm guitar
---- Victor Conte - bass
---- Paul Lagos - drums

2. Sore throat (Mandel) 2:32
---- Harvey Mandel - lead guitar
---- Coleman Head - rhythm guitar
---- Victor Conte - bass
---- Paul Lagos - drums

3. Just wanna be there (Mandel - Wagner - Skyer) 4:23
---- Harvey Mandel - lead guitar
---- Mark Skyer - rhythm guitar & vocals
---- Coleman Head - rhythm guitar
---- Ray Lester - bass
---- Danny Keller - drums

4. Candles by the bedside (Mandel - Wagner - Skyer) 4:05
---- Harvey Mandel - lead guitar
---- Mark Skyer - rhythm guitar & vocals
---- Coleman Head - rhythm guitar
---- Ray Lester - bass
---- Danny Keller - drums

5. Feel the sound (Mandel - Wagner - Skyer) 6:00
---- Harvey Mandel - lead guitar
---- Mark Skyer - rhythm guitar & vocals
---- Coleman Head - rhythm guitar
---- Ray Lester - bass
---- Danny Keller - drums

6. I got your slot (Conte - Head - Mandel) 2:53
---- Harvey Mandel - lead guitar
---- Coleman Head - rhythm guitar
---- Victor Conte - bass
---- Paul Lagos - drums

7. Rankachank Blues (Mandel) 2:48
---- Harvey Mandel - lead guitar
---- Mark Skyer - rhythm guitar & vocals
---- Coleman Head - rhythm guitar
---- Ray Lester - bass
---- Danny Keller - drums

8. Forever and forever (Mandel) 2:36
---- Harvey Mandel - lead guitar
---- Coleman Head - rhythm guitar
---- Victor Conte - bass
---- Danny Keller - drums

Produced by Harvey Mandel & Skip Taylor
Remastered by Eroe at The Ranch

 

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The Best of Harvey Mandel, Janus, 7014/ 1975

Nashville Bandit / Country Rose, Fresh Squeezed Records, FS-4506 (single)

Live Boot: Harvey Mandel - Live in California 1990, Vol.1, Fresh Squeezed Records/ 1990

Blues Guitar & Beyond, Hot Licks, VGM 158 (guitar instructional video)/ 1991

 

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CD - HARVEY MANDEL - Twist City - Western Front Entertainment, WFE 10022
(Harvey Mandel i interview: "I consider it a blues tribute album")
Year of release: 1993

1. Twist City 3:54
     (a homage to the place, where HM played in his younger days: Curley's Twist City)
2. Shot Gun Man 4:14 (dedicated to Eric "Shotgun" Mandel)
3. Electric Woodoo Doll 3:18
4. Jack's Coffee Shop 3:08
5. I Had A Dream 4:27
6. Bear Down 4:27 (homage to Bob "The Bear" Hite)
7. Crosscut Saw 3:37 (an old Albert King tune)
8. Uptown 2:26
9. Never let you go 9:48

---- Harvey Mandel - lead & rhythm guitars
---- Mark Skyer - vocals
---- Criss Johnson - rhythm guitar
---- Brady Williams - drums
---- James Kirk - fretless bass & standup bass
---- Mathew Skoller - harmonica
---- Michael Halpin - trombone
---- Steve Eisen - tenor saxophone
---- Brian Ripp - baritone saxophone
---- Mark Ohlsen - trumpet
---- John Cammelot - organ
---- Roosevelt Purifoy - piano

Produced by - Alan Krockey & Harvey Mandel
Co-Producer - Mark Skyer
Executive Producer - Frank Pirrucello
Recorded & mixed by - Craig Williams
Recorded at - Dr. Caw, Northbrook, IL
Cover & building photos - J. Keller
Photos of Harvey Mandel - Jay Blakesberg
Design/layout - John Pirruccello & Ted Kennedy

Management - David Gross for David Gross Entertainment, P.O. Box 40124, San Francisco, California 94140

A special note from Harvey Mandel...

This album contains some cool originals and a few special tributes to some of my favorite blues artists: the late great Albert King classic "Crosscut Saw", and the original song "Bear Down", in memory of Bob "The Bear" Hite.

Other originals include "Twist City", which recalls the great Chicago blues club, where I jammed many nights with blues greats Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf and Otis Rush, and "Shotgun Man", which is dedicated to Eric "Shotgun" Mandel.

Special thanks to Bubby for her great food, Rose for her inspiration, "The Bud Monster" Bruce Jensen for the "High-Tech" assistance, "The Gross Meister" Dave Gross my personal manager for his endless hours of pursuing "The Snake's" musical politics, all the musicians for their outstanding chops, including Mark Skyer for his really cool vocals and Dave Schultz for his fine lyrics, Craig Williams for his skilled engineering and Al Krockey for his creative prodution work.

I also wish to thank Rich Friedrich for that endless supply of great Dean Markley Strings, Rolf at Metatron with their outstanding Guitar Grimoire Book series, Guitar Tech Gary Brawer for those fine tweakings and Hal Pecher at Guitronics for his amp magic.

Harvey Mandel's equipment for "Twist City" includes:

a Fender Strat (Fender Custom Shop),
a Fender Bassman amp and
Gibson Guitars (Custom Shop).

Management by
David Gross
for
David Gross Entertainment
P.O. Box 40124
San Francisco
California 94140

 

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Learn Blues Guitar with the Greats Hot Licks, VAB 701 (guitar instructional video) / 1995

 

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Snakes & Stripes, Clarity Recordings, CCD-1013 / 1995
CD - HARVEY MANDEL - Snakes & Stripes -
Year of release: 1995

      01. Under Fire
      02. Future Blues
      03. Tears For Eric
      04. Poquito Dinero
      05. Special Delivery
      06. Miami Rain
      07. My Soul's On Fire
      08. Mashed Potato Twist
      09. Country Rose
      10. The Bud Monster
      11. United Snakes of America

Live recording

      Harvey Mandel - guitar
      Greg Errico - drums
      Squid Vicious (AKA Bobby Scott) - bass
      Bobby Strickland - sax
      Karl Perazzo - percussion
      Michael Carabello - percussion

 

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Harvey Mandel: The Mercury Years
'Chronicles' 2-CD Anthology
PolyGram, 314 528 275-2 / 1995

Double-CD The Mercury Years is Mandel's first three LPs (Christo Redentor, Righteous and Games Guitars Play) remastered.
Year of release: 1995
 

 

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CD - Harvey Mandel - Planetary Warrior ESP / Lightyear / WEA, 54215-2
Year of release: 1997

01. Space Monkeys 4:29
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals
---- Howard Wales - electric piano

02. What comes around goes around 4:49
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Squid Vicious - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals
---- Barry Goldberg - Hammond B3 organ

03. I don't mind being wrong 4:32
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals

04. 90 in the '53 3:41
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals
---- Steve Kimock - slide guitar

05. Wall Banger 5:02
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals
---- Annie Stocking - background vocals

06. Rumble 3:29
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals

07. The only one 4:04
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals

08. Carne del Serpiente 5:49
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals

09. Whinin' Whiskey 4:35
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Squid Vicious - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals

10. Emerald Triangle 4:23
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals
---- Howard Wales - electric piano
---- Steve Kimock - slide guitar

11. Planetary Warrior 8:39
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals

12. Candy Rapper 2.09
---- Harvey Mandel - rhythm & lead guitars, vocal
---- Bennie Murray - drums & percussion
---- Artis Joyce - bass guitar
---- Sonny Reece - vocals
---- Barry Goldberg - Hammond B3 organ
---- Betsy, Buck, Dave, Snake, Mike - applause

Recorded at Coast Recorders, San Francisco, CA, September-November 1996
Produced by Harvey Mandel & David Gross

 

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CD - Harvey Mandel Emerald Triangle
Electric Snake Productions, Inc., ESP-9701 (All-Instrumental "Smooth Guitar") / 1998
Year of release: 1998

01. Emerald Triangle
02. Java Beach
03. Tango Drop
04. Jive Samba
05. Special Delivery
06. Time Drive
07. 7 Come 11
08. Crystal Tunnel
09. The Hidden Jewel
10. Bolero
11. Guitar Martini

Recorded at Electric Snake Studio in 1997
Mastered by Paul Stubblebine at Rocket Lab, San Francisco, CA
Produced, Engineered and Arranged by Harvey Mandel
Executive Producer - Rene "El Brujo" Defourneaux
Special Assistant - Bruce "Buck" Jensen

Harvey Mandel - all guitars & synthesizers
Bennie Murray - Drums & Percussion
Artis Joyce - Bass Guitars
Freddie Roulette - Lap Steel on "Time Drive"
George Michalski - Keyboards on "Jive Samba"

 

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CD - Harvey Mandel - Lick This - Electric Snake Productions Inc.
This CD is sometimes also labelled "Cool House Productions Compila"
Year of release: 2000

01. Mad Dog 4:14
02. Lost out on the street 4:13
03. Jack Hammer 4:59
04. Bugs 3:41
05. Black Magic 4:34
06. Cherry Dream 5:19
07. Freeflow 4:14
08. Another Day's Gone 4:11
09. X-Factor / Star Jam 4:54
10. Lick This 2:35
11. Honey Bunny 2:46
12. In the mist 3:28
13. Whatcha talkin' about 3:31
14. Nite Whisper 3:40
15. Rambolaya 4:12
16. Rainbow Bridge 3:28
17. Member's Only 1:40

---- Harvey Mandel - guitars, arrangements, drums, percussion, bass, rhythms
---- Sonny Reece - vocals and all lyrics

Produced by Harvey Mandel
Co-produced by Eric Mandel
Executive producer - Rene Defourneaux

Recorded and mixed June 1998 - June 1999
at The Electric Snake Studio, San Francisco, CA
Mastered at The Electric Snake Mastering Lab, September 1999

 

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CD - Harvey Mandel - West Coast Killaz
Electric Snake Productions Inc.
Year of release: 2000

01. You Got Mail
02. 3'rd Street Killaz
03. KGB
04. You're busted
05. Check it out
06. Don't say nothin'
07. Area 51
08. Street Soldiers
09. Gimme that!
10. Road Dogz

---- Harvey Mandel - guitars, and arrangements, drums, all percussion, bass and rhythms
---- Eric Mandel - all vocals and lyrics

Produced by Harvey "The Snake" Mandel
Co-produced by Eric "The Shotgun" Mandel
Executive producer: Rene "El Brujo" Defourneaux

 

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CD - Harvey Mandel - Nightfire
Produced by Harvey Mandel
Executive Producer: Michael Borbridge
Year of release: 2003

01. Small Town Talk
02. It's Getting Harder
03. Free Flow
04. Baby Batter
05. Bad Luck Situation
06. Believe in Yourself
07. Nightfire
08. Lost in Time
09. Touch of Green
10. Spider Web
11. Guest House (the musicians involved are "outroduced" by Mandel)

Harvey Mandel - guitar (all songs)
Freddie Roulette - lap steel (all songs)
Michael Borbridge - drums (all songs)
Michael Warren - Bass (2,3,4,6,9,10,11)
Eugene Huggins - Harp, Vocals (1,2,6,8)
Pete Sears - keyboard (4,9,11)
Roy Rogers - slide (11)
Norton Buffalo - harp (11)
Henry Kaiser - guitar (11)
Rikki Gordon - vocals (2,6,7)
Greg Errico - drums (2)
Rob Pool - bass (7)
Jose Najera - conga, percussion (3,4,10)
Michael Carabello - conga (1,7)
Liam Hanrahan - bass (1,8)
Steve Evans - bass (5)
Sonny Reece - vocal (5)

 

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CD - Harvey Mandel and the Snake Crew
Produced by Harvey Mandel & Michael Borbridge
Executive producer: Kathy Weed
Year of release: 2006

01. It is what it is
02. Baby Batter II
03. Have you seen my Baby
04. Train Wreck
05. So far so good
06. Land of The Free
07. I had a Life
08. Everybody wnants to go to Heaven
09. I'd do You
10. Twizzle Zing
11. Set in Stone
12. Layin' around here with the Blues
13. You'll never know
14. Free Flow II

Harvey Mandel - guitar (all songs)
Marcy Levy - vocal (1,6,11)
Norton Buffalo - vocal & harp (1,3,4,12)
Nick Gravenites - vocal (5,7)
Michael Borbrigde - drums (all songs)
Rowan Brothers - vocals (13)
Pete Sears - keys (1,2,6,8,11)
Elvin Bishop - slide (3,12)
Steve Evans - bass (all songs)
Terry Haggerty - guitar (1,6,11,13)
Freddie Roulette - lap steel (2,8,14)
Rick Kellogg - vocal & harp (8,11)
Howard Wales - keys (3,10,12)
Barry Goldberg - keys (2,5,7,9,13)
Michael Warren - bass (8)
Mic Gillette - trombone (6,8)
Peter Albin - bass (8)
Zeera - vocal (9)
George Brooks - sax (6,8)
Jose Najera - conga (2,14)
Carlos Reyes - violin (10,14)

 

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With Canned Heat:
Future Blues, United Artists, LST-11002/ 1969
Canned Heat '70 Concert-Recorded Live in Europe, UA, UAS-5509/ 1970
Woodstock ( with various artists), Cotillion Atlantic, SD 30599/ 1970
Historical Figures and Ancient Heads, United Artists, UAS-5557/ 1972
Human Condition, Takoma, 7066/ 1978
Woodstock: The Lost Performances (with various artists), Warner Brothers, 12202 (video)/ 1993
Uncanned! The Best of Canned Heat, EMI Records USA, 72438-29165-29/ 1994
Woodstock: 3 Days Of Peace & Music, EFI, 82636 (CD Box Set with various artists)/ 1994
Woodstock 3 Days Of Peace & Music ~ The Director's Cut, Warner Bros., 35493 (video)/ 1994
Internal Combustion, River Road Records, RRR 61794-2/ 1994
The Ties That Bind, Archive Recordings, 80002/ 1997

With John Mayall:
USA Union, Polydor, 24-4022 / 1970
Back to the Roots, Polydor (2), 25-3002 / 1971
Archives To Eighties (with Eric Clapton & Mick Taylor), Polydor, 837 127-2 / 1985
Room To Move 1969-1974, Polydor, 314 517 291-2 / 1992

With Don "Sugarcane" Harris: Choice Cuts (Pure Food & Drug Act), Epic, E 31401/ 1972
Fiddler on the Rock, MPS/BASF, 20878/ 1972
Cup Full of Dreams, MPS/BASF, MB-21792/ 1973

With Barry Goldberg:
Blowing My Mind, Epic, LN 24199 / 1966
The Barry Goldberg Reunion, Buddah, BDS 5012 / 1968
Two Jews Blues (with Mike Bloomfield), Buddah, BDS-5029 / 1969
Blues From Chicago, Cherry Red, CR-5104 (all four feature Charlie Musselwhite)
Barry Goldberg and Friends (with Bloomfield), Record Man, CR-5105 / 1972
Blasts From My Past (with Bloomfield and Duane Allman), Buddah, BDS-5081 / 1974
Barry Goldberg & Friends-Recorded Live, Buddah, 5684 / 1976

With Charlie Musselwhite:
Stand Back! Here Comes Charlie Musselwhite's South Side Band (with Goldberg), Vanguard, VSD-79232 / 1966

With The Rolling Stones: "Hot Stuff" & "Memory Motel"
from LP - Black and Blue, Rolling Stones Records, COC-79104 / 1976

With Jimmy Witherspoon:
The Blues Singer, ABC/Bluesway, BLS-6026 / 1969
The Best Of Jimmy Witherspoon, BluesWay/ ABC Records, BLS-6051 / 1973

With The Ventures:
Rock and Roll Forever, United Artists, UAR-5649/ 1972 (featured guitarist on all songs )
Only The Hits, EMI-Manhattan-a division of Capitol Records, 4XLL9778 / 1988

With Love:
Reel to Real, RSO Records, SO-4804 / 1974

With Freddie Roulette: (produced by Harvey Mandel )
Sweet Funky Steel, Janus, JLS-3053 / 1973

The Psychedelic Guitar Circus (Harvey Mandel, Henry Kaiser, Steve Kimock, and Freddie Roulette), Rykodisc, RCD 10347 / 1996

Geno White: Standing In Stereo (with Bon Lozaga), LOLO Records, LOLO 012-2 / 1996

Make Waves (with Shaka Ra and the World Pop Machine), World Pop Records, WPR#004 / 1996

Denis Farley: Moodswing Woogie, Flat Baroque Records, FB0391-496 /1996

More Bay Area Blues (with various artists), Taxim Records, TX 1022-2 TA / 1996

Nothin' But The Blues (5 CD Box Set w/ Charlie Musselwhite, Barry Goldberg, Mike Bloomfield, Robben Ford, Johnny Otis, Daryl Dragon), LaserLight Digital, 15 956 / 1995

Rattlesnake Guitar: The Music Of Peter Green (with various artists), Viceroy Music, VIC2-8021 / 1995

H.H. *Heather Horton (with Chip Znuff, & Donnie Vie), Wex Records / 1995

The Psychedelic Guitar Circus (with Henry Kaiser, Steve Kimock, and Freddie Roulette), Sky Ranch/Virgin-France & Germany 394322 / 1994

The Infinite Summer Of Love (with The Soul Poets plus various artists), Taxim Records, TX 2016-2TA / 1994

Skull (with Gary Sloan-Live in Alaska), Boogie-Til-Dawn, PRCD013 / 1994

Blue Shoes (with Gary Sloan-Alaska), Boogie-Til-Dawn, PRCD-011 / 1992

Moody Guitars, (various artists), Viva Records (a division of Line Music), VVCD 9.01123 L / 1991

Guitar Speak II (various artists), I.R.S. No Speak, IRSD-82028 / 1990

Guitar Player Presents: Legends of Guitar-Electric Blues, Vol.1 (various), Rhino, R2-70716 / 1990

Best Of The Blues (with Goldberg, Bloomfield, Musselwhite, Robben Ford), Red Hot, 6001 / 1982

Music From "Free Creek" (various artists), Charisma, 6641-132 / 1973

Chief Dewey Terry (with Sugarcane Harris), Tumbleweed Records / 1973

Ken Little (with Sugarcane Harris, Detroit Jr., & Hubert Sumlin), Dharma, D 801 (5 tracks produced by Harvey Mandel) / 1973

Blue Rose, Epic Records, E 31252 / 1972

Get Off in Chicago (various artists), Ovation (2), QD-14-15 (produced by Harvey Mandel) ...also Quad release, OVQD 1415 / 1971

Flying Bear Medicine Show (various artists), Smash/Mercury, SRS-67125 / LIVE 1969

Mighty Grahame Bond, Pulsar Records (dist. by Mercury), AR-10606 / 1968

Chicago Anthology-Archives Series Vol. III (with Musselwhite & Goldberg), Together Records, ST-T-1024 / 1966

Transformation Paradox (with Stan Jeff Brown), Global Records, SJB2213AB / 1987

Let's All Get Naked (w/ Acme Thunder Band), ROX, 069

 

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LiNKS

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www.harveymandel.com

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