Blue Cheer
Appearing in the summer of 1968 with a heavy metal version of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues,” Blue Cheer (Original line-up: Dickie Peterson: vocals, Paul Whaley: drums, Leigh Stephens: guitar) shared the top of the charts with Cream’s Disraeli Gears and Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced?
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Blue Cheer
Appearing in the summer of 1968 with a heavy metal version of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues,” Blue Cheer (Original line-up: Dickie Peterson: vocals, Paul Whaley: drums, Leigh Stephens: guitar) shared the top of the charts with Cream’s Disraeli Gears and Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced? Taking their name from the purest form of high-quality LSD, Blue Cheer enjoyed the support of rock legend Jim Morrison, who announced: “Their single is the most powerful I’ve ever heard,” and the guidance of manager Gut, a one-time Hell’s Angel. Their first album, Vincebus Eruptum, managed to climb all the way to #11.
Unfortunately, one of the things that makes the band famous to this day is their notorious “flash in the pan” career. After such an astonishing debut, it seemed Blue Cheer simply could not muster anything close to the power of “Summertime Blues.” Even the recent resurgance of heavy metal music hasn’t helped to relaunch this pioneering trio.
“I guess we’ll always be known as the band who did ‘Summertime Blues,’ ” says Dickie Peterson today. “I’ve come to terms with that and even re-recorded it on the band’s Megaforce album in 1985. Look, we’re not a bunch of old farts on Geritol and crutches. We do exactly what we always have done. We get up and we still kick ass!”
