John Cipollina

• Name — John Cipollina • Born — 24 August 1943 • Birthplace — Berkeley, California, U.S. • Died — 29 May 1989 • Place of death — San Francisco, California, U.S. • Genre — Rock, psychedelic rock • Occupation — Musician • Instrument — * Guitar • vocals • Years Active — 1964–1989 • Label — Capitol, Line Records, Music Box Records • Associated Acts — Quicksilver Messenger Service, Copperhead, Gary Phillips, The Dinosaurs, Man, Nick Gravenites • Website — JohnCipollina.com

John and his twin sister Manuela were born in Berkeley, California, on August 24, 1943. Cipollina attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California, as did his brother Mario (born 1954) and sister Antonia (born 1952). Their father Gino, a realtor, was of Italian ancestry (Genoese origins). Their mother Evelyn and godfather José Iturbi were concert pianists. John showed great promise as a classical pianist in his youth, but his father gave him a guitar when he was 12 and this quickly became his primary instrument.

section After leaving Quicksilver in 1971, Cipollina formed the band Copperhead with early Quicksilver member Jim Murray (who soon decamped for Maui, Hawaii), former Stained Glass member Jim McPherson, drummer David Weber, Gary Phillipet (a.k.a. Gary Phillips (keyboardist), later a member of Bay Area bands Earthquake and The Greg Kihn Band), and Pete Sears. (Sears was eventually replaced by current and longtime Bonnie Raitt bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson after Sears left the band to record on piano with early Rod Stewart and play bass with Nicky Hopkins. Hutch played on Copperhead’s first official LP and stayed with the band for its duration). Copperhead disbanded in mid 1974 after becoming a staple in the SF Bay Area and touring the West Coast, Hawaii (Sunshine Crater Fest on New Years Day of 1973 with Santana), the South (opening dates for Steely Dan) and the Midwest (opening dates for Focus as well once again for Steely Dan). In May 1974, Cipollina and Link Wray, whose playing and style had influenced John as a young musician and who he had met through bassist Hutch Hutchinson, performed a series of shows together along the West Coast (with Copperhead rhythm section Hutchinson & Weber and keyboardist David Bloom) culminating at The Whiskey in LA where they performed for four nights (May 15–19) on a bill with Lighthouse (band). Cipollina continued to occasionally perform with Wray for the next couple of years. During the 1980s, Cipollina performed with a number of bands, including Fish & Chips, Thunder and Lightning, the Dinosaurs and Problem Child. He was a founding member of Zero and its rhythm guitarist until his death. Most often these bands played club gigs in the San Francisco Bay Area, where Cipollina was well-known.

In 1975, the Welsh psychedelic band Man toured the United States, towards the end of which they played two gigs at Winterland in San Francisco (March 21 and 22), which were such a success that promoter Bill Graham paid them a bonus and rebooked them. While waiting for the additional gigs, the band met and rehearsed with Cipollina, who played with them at Winterland in April 1975. After this, Cipollina agreed to play a UK tour which took place in May 1975, during which their Chalk Farm Roundhouse gig was recorded. Rumors that Micky Jones had to overdub Cipollina's parts, as his guitar was out of tune, before their Maximum Darkness album could be released are exaggerated; only one track, "Bananas", was to have his track replaced, per Deke Leonard. "Everything... which sounds like Cipollina is Cipollina." The album eventually reached #25 in the UK album charts.

• 1968: Quicksilver Messenger Service • 1969: Happy Trails • 1969: Shady Grove • 1970: Just for Love • 1970: What About Me • 1975: Solid Silver

• 1971: Shake off the Demon (Kama Sutra)

• 1971: Papa John Creach (Grunt Records)

• 1972: Rolling Thunder

• 1973: Copperhead (Columbia)

• 1975: Maximum Darkness Maximum Darkness LP (1975) United Artists: CD (1991) BGO CD 43: CD Re-mix (2008) Esoteric ECLEC 2061 Micky Jones, Deke Leonard, Martin Ace, Terry Williams, John Cipollina Recorded at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm, 26 May 1975

• 1977: unreleased demos

• 1979 Too Close For Comfort (Wild Bunch) • 1980 Doubtful Handshake (Line Records) • 1981 Wind Dancer (Rag Baby, Line Records) • 1982 Rising of the Moon (Rag Baby, Line Records) • 1987 Acoustic Rangers (Sawdust Records) • 1990 Silverado Trail (Big Beat Records)

• 1980: John Cipollina's Raven (Line Records) re-released in 2006 as Raven (Acadia) with 7 additional tracks Re-release Tracklist 1. Rock & Roll Nurse 2. True Golden Touch 3. Do What You Do 4. Unvicious Circle 5. True Reward 6. Grass Is Always Greener 7. Clouds 8. All Worth The price 9. Ride (Highway Song) 10. Burning Corte Madera 11. The Truth 12. Bad News 13. Razor Blade4 & Rattlesnake 14. Prayers

• 1980: Blue Star (Line Records)

• 1982: Monkey Medicine (Line Records) • 1991: Live at Rodon "Nick Gravenites and John Cipollina"; recorded 12/31/1987; (Music Box)

• 1988: Dinosaurs

• 1986: Dr. Fankhauser

• 1987: Here Goes Nothin (Relix Records) • 1990: Nothin Goes Here] (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab) • 1991: Go Hear Nothin (Live) (Whirled Records)

• Dino's Song * • Who Do You Love - Cobra - Mona (1980) Cipollina-Graventies Band