Sky Sunlight Saxon and The Seeds timeline

This is an attempt to chronicle the life and career of Sky “Sunlight” Saxon (born Richard Marsh) and The Seeds, including release dates of Sky’s various projects and notable events. We have tried to separate fact from oft-repeated fiction. (There is a lot of misinformation about Sky around — some easy to detect, some difficult).

This is an incomplete work in progress!

1937

August 20
Richard Elvern Marsh is born in Salt Lake City. Although few details are known, it is believed that Richard has a somewhat difficult upbringing.

Mid 1950s?

Richard records a song called “Starlight Date” in Salt Lake City. The acetate is played on local radio but is then lost or destroyed.

1959

Now in Hollywood, Richard records his song “The Plan” with the help of a local guy with industry ties, Jimmie Maddin. It is intended for a movie called Diary Of A High School Bride but does not make the final cut.

1960

Richard issues his first record under the name Dick Marsh: a 45 with “There’s Only One Girl” b/w “What Chance Have I” on the Rosco label. It attracts no attention, despite "What Chance Have I" being arguably the best of his twelve eventual pre-Seeds recordings.

1961

Still in California, Richard gets a temp job helping to dig a swimming pool. The pool’s owner is Darla Hood, formerly a Little Rascal and now married to the owner of a record label called Acama. On this label, and credited to Richie Marsh and the Hoodwinks, another single is released: “Baby Baby Baby” b/w “Half Angel”, both written by Hood and featuring her singing.

1962

As Ritchie Marsh, a third single is released: “They Say” b/w “Darling I Swear That It’s True” on the Shepherd label.

1963

April
Richard’s fourth single features his fourth different professional name. As Little Ritchie Marsh, the Äva Records single pairs “Goodby” (as the label spells it) with “Crying Inside My Heart”.

September
Richard Marsh changes his professional name to “Sky Saxon”. On Sky’s own Conquest label, created for the release of a single 7-inch record, Sky Saxon and the Soul Rockers release a re-recording of 1962’s “They Say” b/w a new tune, “Go Ahead And Cry”.

1964

August

Sky releases another single, this time as Sky Saxon and The Electra-Fires. The single is “Do The Swim” b/w “Trouble With My Baby” on the Joie label. It is his sixth artist name and sixth record label in as many tries. He seems to be desperately searching for acceptance and success — but does not seem to have adjusted to the recent Beatles-led British Invasion. Now in his late 20s, he is getting too old to be a teen pop idol, not that his increasingly out-of-date musical approach is likely to hit pay dirt anyway.

Sky Saxon and The Vikings play several shows around town.

Sky joins a band called The Amoeba for a short time, but is kicked out for unknown reasons.

1965

Sky Saxon gets a new band together with drummer Rick Andridge, guitarist Jan Savage, and keyboard player Daryl Hooper. They call themselves The Seeds, and immediately hit it off musically.

April 21
Sky takes his Seeds to their first studio session, where they record the two sides of their first single, having struck a deal with the GNP Crescendo label.

August
The Seeds release their first single, on Gene Norman’s GNP Crescendo label: “Can’t Seem To Make You Mine” b/w “Daisy Mae”, both written by Sky. The a-side is slow and proto-psychedelic, while the b-side is a brainless and delirious punk rock song. The single is a minor regional hit.

November
The Seeds release their second single, “You’re Pushing Too Hard” b/w “Out Of The Question”. Sky again is the writer (with occasional Seeds guitarist Russ Serpent as co-writer of the b-side). The a-side finds a middle ground between the extreme styles shown on the two sides of the previous single. The b-side is another fast, snotty punk song. “You’re Pushing Too Hard” is not a hit.

1966

February
A third single is released, “Try To Understand” b/w “The Other Place”, as the band continues frequent live gigs and intermittent recording sessions for an album.

June
The Seeds, a full-length album, is issued. It includes all three a-sides from the band’s singles (but none of the b-sides), plus classics like “Girl I Want You”, “No Escape”, and the legendary “Evil Hoodoo”. (“You’re Pushing Too Hard” is titled "Pushin' Too Hard" on the LP.)

July
GNP Crescendo re-releases “Pushin’ Too Hard”, with former a-side “Try To Understand” as the b-side. This time it works; the song is a nationwide Top 40 hit in America, reaching #36. This would the biggest chart success of Sky’s life.

October
The Seeds’ second album A Web Of Sound is released, expanding the psychedelia hinted at on the first album.

In late 1966, The Seeds record several un-psychedelic, raw blues songs. Final mixes are prepared for an album, but the recordings remain, for the time being, unreleased.

1967

January
The Seeds release two versions of a single, “Mr. Farmer”, from A Web Of Sound. One’s b-side is “No Escape” from the debut album, the other’s b-side is an edit of “Up In Her Room” from A Web Of Sound. "Mr. Farmer" reaches #86, though it is banned from many radio stations for its marijuana-related content.

February
GNP re-releases The Seeds’ first single a-side, “Can’t Seem To Make You Mine”, this time with “I Tell Myself” from A Web Of Sound as the b-side. This time the song just misses the Top 40, peaking at #41, but gives The Seeds greater prominence as a consistently successful act.

June
The Seeds release “A Thousand Shadows” b/w “March Of The Flower Children”, both standout tracks from an upcoming new album called Future. The single gets to #72, and is the last song to chart for the band.

August?
The Seeds release their psychedelic art-rock album Future. By this time, Sky Saxon’s ego is growing unchecked, encouraged by drugs, slavish fans, and the band’s indulgent management. Tensions begin to arise between Sky and the other three Seeds.

November
A new single is released, pairing the non-album “The Wind Blows Your Hair” (though some labels incorrectly refer to it as a Future track) with the dazzlingly psychedelic “Six Dreams” (from Future). A truly fantastic single, it fails to chart at all. The band’s name on the label is augmented with the phrase “Lead Vocal Sky Saxon”.

Also in November, the blues songs recorded in late 1966 are released as the album A Full Spoon Of Seedy Blues. The Seeds are credited as The Sky Saxon Blues Band. The LP confuses fans and would divide opinion forever after.

1968

February 20
The Seeds record several old and new songs in the studio in front of a small audience of friends and fan club members. The intention is to release the edited performance as a live album, but the recordings are felt to lack energy.

April?
The Seeds enter the studio to attempt re-recording the “live” album, but this time without the invited audience. All are pleased with the results. The takes are edited and sequenced, and audience screams are overdubbed between and during the songs.

When?
Raw And Alive — The Seeds In Concert At Merlin’s Music Box is released. High points include the new songs, several of which would be recognized as the band’s best, while the obvious low point is the fake audience sounds that persist throughout. (Although there really was a coffee shop/folk club called “Merlin’s Music Box”, The Seeds never played there; they just liked the name.)

Rick Andridge leaves The Seeds. Carl Belknap is eventually brought in as full-time Seeds drummer.

August
A single from the fake live album is released: “Satisfy You” b/w “900 Million People Daily (All Making Love)”. Again, Sky Saxon gets a special mention as vocalist on the label.

1969

New drummer Carl Belknap leaves The Seeds, and is replaced by Don Boomer. Guitarist Bob Norsoph is added as well when Jan Savage also leaves.

February
Now officially called Sky Saxon and The Seeds, the band releases a final GNP Crescendo single: “Fallin’ Off The Edge Of My Mind” b/w “Wild Blood”. Kim Fowley produces and is both tracks’ cowriter (with Marty Cerf). Mars Bonfire of Steppenwolf is also rumored to be at the sessions.

James Baker, a.k.a. Father Yod, opens the Source Family vegetarian restaurant in Los Angeles.

1970

The Seeds sign with MGM.

August
The Seeds (no “Sky Saxon and” in the name) release the fantastic single “Bad Part Of Town” b/w “Wish Me Up” on MGM.

November
The Seeds release the even more fantastic “Love In A Summer Basket” b/w “Did He Die” on MGM. Concurrent with this single’s release, MGM executive Mike Curb decides to cut ties with perceived “drug” acts and The Seeds are among those dropped.

1972

Now featuring Sky, guitarist and singer Richard Barcelona, and unknown others, a new and heavier version of The Seeds releases a privately-pressed 33 1/3rpm 7-inch single, "Shuckin' And Jiving" b/w "You Took Me By Surprise" on Productions Unlimited. Sky is not involved with Barcelona’s lengthy guitar-heavy a-side, but is the focus of the excellent b-side.

1973

The Seeds finally disband for good.

Sky Saxon, with a band including guitarist Michael Neal (a.k.a. Rainbow Starburst) record several demos. Bootleggers would pinpoint these at being done in a house in Santa Monica, California in 1973, and the band name as World Peace Band. One notable recording is an early version of "Starry Ride", without its middle section.

Sky Saxon joins the Source Family in California, though as a more casual member as he keeps one foot in the music business world. Sky is fascinated by the group’s leader, Father Yod — as well as Yod’s messianic status, which appeals to Sky’s own fragile ego. Yod gives Sky a new name to use: Arelich Aquarian.

Circa 1973-4, Sky follows Yod’s instructions and records several free-form pieces with an informal group of fellow Source devotees. Heavily druggy, these long extemporized performances find Sky letting his stream of consciousness run unchecked — his own spin on the recordings that Father was making with his musicians at the time. At the time, these recordings are unreleased. The Source Family continues to record music and release privately-pressed LPs without Sky.

1974

The Source Family moves to Hawaii, but locals resist the group’s presence there. They return to California, defeated and living in difficult conditions. It is not known if or to what degree Sky is involved with these events.

1975

The Source Family moves back to Hawaii. Sky apparently goes with them.

Around this time, Sky Saxon changes his name to a single word: Sunlight.

“Sunlight” releases a single on Emerald Light, featuring two recordings of the same song, with two titles and two different artist credits. The lean-rock "Diamonds In The Rough" is credited to Sunlight and Thee New Seeds, while the more psychedelic flip side version, “Universal Stars”, is credited to Universe Sun.

August 25
Five days after Sunlight’s 38th birthday, Father Yod is killed during a curiously ill-advised hang-gliding attempt in Hawaii. The Source Family eventually begins to drift apart.

1976?

Sunlight releases Lovers Cosmic Voyage, a 15-minute LP; the music, with two rolling pianos and Sunlight warmly extemporizing words and melodies, was likely recorded around 1973-4. It features some of the earliest examples of Sky Saxon’s dog worship.

1976

Figuring his old name might still have some commercial power, Sunlight expands his name to Sky Sunlight and re-releases his Emerald Light single, this time on Expression (EXP 777 1&2), with some changes: “Diamonds In The Rough” is retitled “Beautiful Stars” and a few seconds have been chopped off the beginning; “Universal Stars” seems to be identical. The artist credit on both sides is Sky Sunlight and Thee New Seeds.

1977

Sky’s free-form improvisations with the Source Family musicians from 1973-4 are crudely edited and released on two separate records, pressed privately in small numbers: Yodship and In Praise Of Our Father. Other Source members would consider this Sky’s personal project, and not part of the Source Family per se.

GNP Crescendo compiles some 1960s Seeds rarities and alternate takes on the album Fallin’ Off The Edge, which becomes a welcome new entry in The Seeds’ catalog.

An 8-track tape called Golden Sunrise is released by a band called Fire, Water, Air. The music is courtesy of Sky Saxon (Arelich) and several other Source devotees, and was apparently recorded ca. 1976-7. Arelich Aquarian only appears on 4 of the album’s 10 songs.

On both black and colored vinyl, Sky Saxon releases a 7-inch EP on Expression comprising 4 songs: “In Love With Life”, “Starry Ride”, “The Queen”, and “Tired Of Bein’ Poor”. Unable to resist his most well-known name, Sky credits the a-side to Stars New Seeds with Sky Sunlight (formerly Sky Saxon), but the b-side to Stars New Seeds featuring Rainbow Starburst. On both sides of the disc, Sunlight and Sky Sunlight are the producer and vocal credits, respectively.

September 9
During a series of live shows at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, Sky and Rainbow Starburst record their performance. Some of the songs are self-released on blue or green vinyl as Heavenly Earth — Fuitarians Vegitarians.

1980

Credited as Sunlight Sky Saxon, Sky guests with the Hawaiian hippie group Allright Family Band on his song "Starry Ride", recorded for their album Music Is Love – Maui. Djin Aquarian plays bass on this version of the song.

1982

Eva Records releases a quasi-legal Sky Saxon and The Seeds compilation album in France called Bad Part Of Town. It features six of Richard Marsh’s pre-Seeds songs plus all six post-Crescendo Seeds songs (i.e., the two MGM singles plus the private 1972 single).

1983

Archive International Productions (AIP) releases a Sky Saxon and The Seeds compilation LP called New Fruit From Old Seeds – The Rare Sky Saxon Volume 1. It is very similar to Eva Records’ Bad Part Of Town but features some pre-Seeds Richard Marsh tracks not found there, plus a version of The Seeds’ "A Thousand Shadows" performed live on TV in 1967 for The Joey Bishop Show.

1984

Psycho Records in the UK releases a clear-vinyl 12″ “mini LP” featuring 4 songs: "Starry Ride", "I'm In Love With Life", “Drums, Stars, and Guitars”, and "24 Hour Rocker". The recordings apparently date from the late 1970s; the disc is credited to Sky Sunlight Saxon and The Stars New Seeds Band.

Sky releases his first full-length LP since The Seeds’ Raw And Alive sixteen years earlier. Masters Of Psychedelia, on France’s New Rose label, features one side of new recordings in a heavy, hard rock vein, and one side of leaner, spacier music recorded in the late 1970s in the Stars New Seeds/Fire, Water, Air era. Although the music was clearly recorded by two different bands several years apart, there is only one artist credit: Sky Sunlight Saxon Universal Stars Peace Band.

1985

April
France’s Eva Records releases a jukebox single taken from their Bad Part Of Town compilation LP, "Bad Part Of Town" b/w "Darling, I Swear That It's True".

1986

Sky and Mars Bonfire record two songs with the band SS-20, released on a 4-song EP on Voxx Records. The songs are "Paradise" and "Born To Be Wild". The other two songs do not feature Sky or Mars.

Sky’s new band Fire Wall, made up primarily of a rotating cast of musicians from the so-called Paisley Underground, releases its first album, Destiny's Children. It is released, with different mixes, song sequence, and cover art, as ...A Groovy Thing on New Rose in France.

1987

In collaboration with Cleopatra (a singer from SS-20) and Gary Stern, Mars Bonfire and Sky record some new songs and add haphazard new overdubs to several older recordings from the Bad Part Of Town LP. The resultant album, Takes And Glories, is credited to Sky Sunlight Saxon and The Original Seeds and released in Germany on white vinyl.

1988

With a set of musicians that varies from song to song (and includes drummer Mitch Mitchell on one track), Fire Wall release their second album, World Fantastic. It is released as ...In Search Of Brighter Colors with different cover art in France.

GNP Crescendo take advantage of recent interest in psychedelic 1960s music to release a Seeds compilation called Evil Hoodoo. It is available on CD and LP (with different covers), plus as a vinyl picture disc.

1989

Sky’s two France-released Fire Wall albums are released on CD as ...In Search Of Brighter Colors + ...A Groovy Thing.

1991

Drop Out Records releases a Seeds compilation CD called A Faded Picture, made up of lesser-known and more-adventurous tracks, including the entire 14-minute "Up In Her Room".

A baffling collaboration with Dana Smith called Flashback is released, credited to Sky Saxon’s U.S.A. Completely devoid of garage rock, it is awash in peppy 1980s-synths over which Sky intones tuneless lyrics he almost certainly had little to do with. Mars Bonfire guests on one track.

1992

Eva Records issues its 1982 compilation Bad Part Of Town on CD, now with an added section called The Live Album Bedtime, credited to Sky Saxon and comprised of five live 1980s recordings by Fire Wall. (This CD also adds another pre-Seeds song from an early Richard Marsh single.)

1994

With a new heavy rock/psych band called Fast Planet, Sky releases the CD Down The Nile. It is an excellent return to form.

1995

Fast Planet releases (on cassette?) the live Rockin' The Croc/West Coast Live, recorded at the Crocodile in Seattle.

1996

Sky Saxon begins negotiations with Captain Trip, a Japanese music label, to release a deluxe box set of 1970s Ya Ho Wha 13 recordings. Getting copies of the vinyl LPs from a sympathetic Source Family member, Sky stands to make all the money from the set, irritating some of the musicians (Sky was not on most of the recordings).

The box set Flower Punk, a 3-CD set gathering all of The Seeds’ albums plus a few rarities, is released. It is excellent but falls out of print.

1998

The Japan-only Ya Ho Wha 13 box set God And Hair is released, a 13-CD set with a black cover showing Father Yod. Each album, originally private releases from the 1970s, is in its own CD jewel case.

2004

Sky Saxon releases a new album called Red Planet, credited to Sky Saxon and The Seeds. No original Seeds besides Sky are on the album, which is released on CD and LP.

2005

Credited as Sky Saxon, the CD+DVD set Transparency is released. This is the second release in a row to eschew “Sunlight”, though it is in tiny faded type on the front cover between “Sky” and “Saxon”.

2009

July 25
Sky Saxon dies, aged 72. Dying the same day are lesser talents Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.

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