The Other Half of Randy Holden

Put on Blue Cheers third album and you'll hear (on half of it anyway) a man who stepped in when Leigh Stevens decided he'd already lost too much of his

hearing for the likes of BC.
But this was no ordinary replacement. Randy Holden had already made a name for himself with

Randy with his first Strat

groups like the Other Half, and before that, the Sons Of Adam (a surf/psychedelic outfit responsible for such mid-60's singles as ''Saturdays Son'' and "Feathered Fish") who made records for Decca as well as the Alamo imprint.

Later after his time in Blue Cheer, he released the ever-so-heavy "Population II" (1970) L.P. (which has been credited as one of the first examples of Doom Metal) with drummer Chris Lockheed who was known for playing drums and keyboards simultaneously during performances. ("Population II itself being a reference to the fact that the band had only two members).
Along with an array of 200 watt Sunn Amplifiers (16 to be exact. In the studio he would run eight!) it was indeed one step for man, one giant leap for the evolution of Heavy Metal.

But let's go back a bit, back to the mid 60's when surf rock was on everyone's mind and Dick Dale ruled the day. Randy started out in the Fender IV, an instrumental surf band who had released a single called "Mar Gaya' b/w "You Better Tell Me  Now" (1964), and ''Malibu R

un" b/w ''Everybody up'' in 1965, both on Imperial Records.

Sons of Adam

His next project "Sons of Adam" was basically the FenderIV with the addition of a new drummer.
It was when the Sons of Adam took a support bill with the Rolling Stones for the Stones' first show at the Los Angeles Sports arena, that Randy took note of the almost reverb-less tone of Keith Richards guitar. With a new attitude toward guitar tone, this set Holden on a path toward overdriven psychedelic hard rock. He began experimenting with feedback, distortion, and other ''noise" , with volume and electricity in the heart of what was on the horizon, at least, on Randy's horizon. He ended up leaving the Sons of Adam due to lack of original material. After all, gigging around town for some dough may be a great way to start out, randy was ready to move on to the next phase.

the Other Half

The Other Half was a psychedelic garage band from San Francisco, who had regular gigs playing at the Avalon Ballroom, with a penchant for the Yardbirds and the Rolling Stones. The Other Half were at the forefront of the ''flower power'/Haight Ashbury"scene. However the band had changed from a vocal based garage band, to the loudest thing on the big stage with all thanks going to Randy Holden's vision (and ear). The band recorded an album, after which Randy found himself moving on again. Not satisfied with the guitar he was playing or the finished product. One time stating:"I was trying to accommodate everyone else, at the expense for my own soul and happiness''

Having the sound of the album compared to the Yardbirds, and despite Holdens misgivings, the album to this day is considered to be awesome incendiary rock.

Blue Cheer

Enter Blue Cheer. Blue Cheer were the new kids on the block, they were playing a lot of shows with the Other Half and appeared to be the only band around that even came close to the volume levels that Randy was shooting for. Blue Cheer hit it out of the park right out of the gate with a blistering rendition of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues." Paul Whaley, Blue Cheers extraordinary drummer knew Holden from Sons of Adam, when Paul was vying for the drum throne in "Sons." And it came to pass, that randy Holden had replaced Leigh Stevens as the guitar player in  Blue Cheer. The band went no to tour Europe and the states. However, Holden's time in Blue Cheer would be brief. As mismanagement of finances, and addictions becoming more important than music (two of the main reasons for many of a good bands demise ,all too often in those times), so, once again, Randy pulled the plug. But not before recording half of their third album. 'New Improved" left more than one big question mark hanging. What had happened? fans wanted to know. What would the album  have sounded like if Holden were to complete it?

What fans got was a fairly psychotic album. Side one was Blue Cheer experimenting with         shorter pop songs that were anything but exceptional, side two however was Randy Holden songs sounding more like what the band was known for. Randy had no contract with BC, and besides that, he wasn't getting paid. Besides, can you imagine Blue Cheers management telling you to ''tone it down?"
laughable.

There's a scene in "The Buddy Holly Story" where holly is describing to his bandmates "I've got a sound in my head, and that's the sound I need" Well, Now Randy Holden was free to go after that sound that, like Holly, he'd been chasing for all those years.

Population II

Enter "Population II"
Randy's frustration with the lack of control over the bands he'd been involved with had come to a head. Until one day he was approached by Chris Lockheed. Just "as a matter of factly"Holden asked Lockheed if he could play drums and keyboards. It just so turned out that he could!
Randy scored a sponsorship from Sunn Amplifiers. (it's rumored that he recorded 'Population II" with 20 of these wired in parallel) Julian Cope writes extensively in his blog Head Heritage about this album, I suggest you read it.

Following intense rehearsing,"Population II" was ready for release. After of course, they wre forced to change the name. It seems the record company didn't like "Lucifer." So, after a name change and cover re-designing, the record company refused to release it ,choosing to remain secretive about it. After studying the contract, Holden found there was no guarantee to release clause in it.NOR would they release him from the contract! FUCKING RECORD COMPANIES! EH?! (leaving the details to the professionals) So after a meeting with his CPA and Robert Stigwood to negotiate a release, the label wouldn't budge.

And so, with no album to promote, Randy eventually went broke, lost all of his equipment, and quit the music business all together.
"Population II" was released multiple times over the years as a bootleg, until finally in 2005 it saw a limited release on vinyl, and re mastered on CD in 2008.

After two decades absent from the music business, in 1997, a Japanese CD was released callled "Guitar God'' (and re-issued in Italy in 2017.
As well as a self released CDr in 2001.

-M

https://www.randyholden.com/