THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
Warning: If you are from continental Europe, read no further — this song by American Navajo J.J. Light was a big hit — twice, the second time by the German band Jeronimo! If you are from America, keep reading. The song wasn’t even released in the U.S.
2,123) J.J. Light — “Heya”
J.J. Light’s “Heya” is “a sonic delight, blending multiple genres such as blues, traditional and psychedelic rock, all sprinkled with the artist’s Native American influences” (Julien Sterckx, https://www.lesuricate.org/il-etait-fois-45-tours-j-j-light-heya/), “combin[ing] hard rock and ethnic influences into something that’s new and refreshing” (Jason, https://therisingstorm.net/jj-light-heya/). It is “outstanding, driving, mid to uptempo psych rock with a powerful beat including searing guitar passages, the title word being used repetitively to great effect in J.J.’s enthusiastic, attractive vocal” (Bayard, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/j_j-light/heya-on-the-road-now/), “great, with wonderfully bizarre lyrics and a powerful electric guitarist cutting through in all the right places.” (Mickey Rat, https://www.45cat.com/record/15228)
Bayard:
J.J. Light was Jimmy Stallings who had formerly been a bass player with the Sir Douglas Quintet [see #383, 1,061, 1,729]. He hooked up with Bob Markley of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band [see #197, 488], members of that band playing on his excellent 1969 album Heya!, which is a psych rock album reflecting Stallings’ Navajo heritage. However, the album and this single of the title track from it were never released in the United States, although the 45 did quite well commercially in some European countries, particularly France, Germany and Italy.
https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/j_j-light/heya-on-the-road-now/
In fact, “Heya” reached #12 or 13 in Germany, #15 in France, #5 in Belgium, #6 in Austria, and #8 in Switzerland. (PC_Music, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/j_j-light/heya-on-the-road-now/, https://hitparade.ch/song/J.J.-Light/Heya-127)
Mark Deming writes of Jim Stallings and his LP Heya!:
Jim Stallings was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who had been knocking around the Los Angeles music scene for a few years when he met Bob Markley, a wealthy hipster and producer who had worked with the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Markley took Stallings under his wing, scored him a record deal, and christened him with a new stage name, J.J. Light, which was imagined to better fit his Native American heritage. J.J. Light scored an international hit single with 1969’s “Heya,” and the album of the same title sold respectably in Europe, Scandinavia, and South America, but for some reason the LP was never released in the United States, and a follow-up recorded later the same year was never released at all; Stallings became a member of Doug Sahm’s Sir Douglas Quintet, joining in time to play bass on the classic Together After Five album. . . . Heya! is an engaging exercise in psychedelia lite; Stallings’ songs are strong and to the point while boasting radio-ready melodies alongside lyrics that often deal with Native American issues, and his vocals are gutsy and passionate without sounding ragged . . . . Stallings also had some fine help in the studio, including keyboard man Larry Knechtel, drummers Earl Palmer and Jim Gordon, and guitarists Gary Rowles and Ron Morgan . . . , and the music isn’t afraid to cut deep while leaning toward the sunny side. The unreleased . . . . songs and performances are as good if not better than what Stallings brought to his first album . . . .
As to the LP, Jason adds:
Heya is a diverse program that rocks hard in spots but also showcases a unique brand of music that is no doubt influenced by Stallings’ Native American roots. . . . a hard rock sound that’s laced with country and folk roots. Sure, there are a few excellent psychedelic cuts that will catch your ear first . . . . [b]ut folk-rock and country numbers . . . give the album its diversity and display a strong Bob Dylan influence. . . . [T]he lp sold large numbers in Europe, Japan, South America, and New Zealand.
As to what happened to Stallings, Wikipedia tells us:
Stallings was sent to promote the single in England, where he performed “Heya” on the Eamonn Andrews show. After that he became ill, and had to spend some time in a London hospital, before he returned home to Los Angeles. . . . Michael Bryan Kelly Liberty Records: a history of the recording company . . . . Lee Mendel of Liberty’s international division [said:] “[H]e had this hit and was totally unable to cope with success. We sent him over to England, and he couldn’t get off the plane. It may have been the first time he was ever on a plane. Our man with the British company, who is a very good friend, still often talks [twenty-three years later] about trying to get J. J. Light off the plane to do promotion. Unfortunately they took him off the plane into a nursing home.”
Here is an alternate take:
2,124) Jeronimo — “Heya”
German hard rock band Jeronimo released a blistering cover of “Heya”, reaching #13 in Germany. (https://sacharts.wordpress.com/2022/05/08/jeronimo-germany/) Possibly even better than the original, “[i]t almost drove my parents crazy”! (wolfroth4973, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfmzOCNVEAw) “Anyone who doesn’t want to tie-dye their shirt, grow their hair, and smoke a kilo of weed to this music is dead. Peace.” (TheSajagin, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUYiXzEUWxY
AndMetalForAll writes:
From Germany, Jeronimo are a progressive rock trio founded in 1969. The group featured Ringo Funk (drums and vocals), Michael Koch (guitar) and Gunnar Schafer (bass). The band is most famous for their eponymous second studio album released in 1971. Jeronimo played a solid progressive rock mixed with hard rock elements. The trio remained active for only four years before its disbandment in 1973. The band’s major representative is their drummer and vocalist Ringo Funk, who played in several bands after Jeronimo’s disbandment. The history of these German natives started in 1969 and very quickly the band rose up to the spotlight with two hits released in 69/70 entitled “Heya Heya” and “Na Na Hey Hey.” Jeronimo almost immediately gained huge fame throughout Europe . . . . [T]he band’s debut [LP] . . . Cosmic Blues. . . . was a solid debut with some very good tracks, showing a bit of what was yet to come. Although it contains progressive/hard rock characteristics, Cosmic Blues has a more commercial inclination in terms of its musical direction. Personally, it is my least favorite album of the trio. The album received good reviews . . . . In addition to the release of their first album, the band presented alongside Creedence Clearwater Revival an exclusive compilation entitled Spirit Orgaszmus that really put Jeronimo in an entire new “landscape of fame.” With Steppenwolf the trio toured successfully through Germany and in the same year partook in the legendary Progressive Pop Festival in Cologne. Following that, Jeronimo shared the headlines with such groups as Deep Purple and Golden Earring [see #63, 163, 319, 1,215, 1,504, 1,560, 1,572, 2,111] and Golden Earring at various European open-air festivals. . . . [T]he band released their most successful and admired album in 1971 . . . Jeronimo. . . . It’s definitely their most progressive and hard rock studio album. The band performs at top level and technically the album is one of the best works of the early ’70s, with very powerful and complex instrumental parts. Very good group performance, with the trio combining very well in crucial instrumental moments. . . . The hard and heavy vein that the band wanted to show and is known for is well defined in this album. . . . In 1972 Jeronimo released the very good Time Ride which featured the style of the previous album. Even though it didn’t have the same reception as the others, it’s in my opinion their second best. It was in this release that the band “saw their fame” fade away. . . . [T]he band disbanded in 1973. I have to assume that is due to the lack of support after Time Ride‘s release.
Wikipedia adds (courtesy of Google Translate):
In 1970, the LP * Spirit Orgasm of Jeronimo and Creedence Clearwater Revival* , pressed on pink vinyl, was released, featuring one side with tracks by Jeronimo and one side with songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Due to its unusual cover design (a penis ejaculating on the musicians), the album became a prototype for later releases in the progressive genre. . . . In 1971, Jeronimo toured Sweden and Switzerland . . . . A performance in Lausanne as part of a UNICEF project was broadcast worldwide on television in 1971. Despite their success, the band broke up in 1972 . . . . Drummer Ringo Funk joined Atlantis, and Rainer Marz became a highly sought-after studio guitarist . . . . Marz also became a permanent member of Kurt Hauenstein’s live band, Supermax.
Here is “Heya” live (starting at 8:55):
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