I don’t want to write this. Like a lot of you, my heart is really heavy today. The only music that I really want to listen to, or even think about, is Michael’s. But maybe there are some of you who have had enough of the wall-to-wall Michael coverage and need a little break. So for you, today I’m going to write about Spirit, a great band from L.A., and their third album, Clear, which was released in the same year, 1969, that Michael Jackson made his debut on the national stage. Surprisingly, that’s not where the commonalities end. Both Spirit and Jackson found success by fusing different genres together, and making the end results their own.

Spirit was unleashed in 1967, evolving from a band called Red Rooster featuring drummer Ed Cassidy, his stepson Randy California on guitar, bassist Mark Andes, singer Jay Ferguson, and keyboard player John Locke. 1968 was a big year for the band. They released their first album, which was self-titled, their second album, The Family That Plays Together, and wrote and performed the soundtrack for the Jacques Demy film Model Shop. They had a hit single with “I’ve Got a Line On You.” Oh, and they toured. Their opening act? A little band called Led Zeppelin. In fact, many people believe that Jimmy Page “borrowed” the opening to “Stairway to Heaven” from the Spirit instrumental “Taurus.” Page denies it, but I’ve listened, and it’s really close. You can decide for yourself. (more…)