initial shock, anyone?

Over the past few days I've been listening to a new bootleg set I picked up called It Crawled Out of the Vaults of KSAN. It's a six-disc set of material recorded mostly by KSAN from 1966-1968. There's the Dead at the Fillmore in 1966, the Airplane at the Fillmore in '66 and '67, Quicksilver at the Avalon in '66, Country Joe & the Fish (Avalon '67), Bo Diddley (Avalon '66), the Byrds (Avalon '68), Moby Grape (Avalon '67), Captain Beefheart (Avalon '67), Big Brother, Creedence, Santana at the Carousel in '68, Steve Miller, the Sparrow (the "pre-Steppenwolf" band), the Doors (Avalon '67), and more.

Right now I'm listening to a band called Initial Shock, playing at the Avalon Ballroom in 1968. The songs are apparently "Big Boy," "Let Me Be Your Man," "Goin' Down Louisiana," and "If You Gotta Go, Go Now." It was originally played on KPFA. I have never heard of this band, and now I want to know all about them. So, of course, I head to Google. And I find out the following tidbits ... well, I found out more tidbits than these, but they're even less interesting.

First, Initial Shock once opened for the Velvet Underground. It was at the Avalon in October of 1968, apparently not long after John Cale left the band. Charlie Musselwhite was the other act.

Second, it appears that the singer and drummer for the band was someone named Brian Knaff. Knaff seems to be the president of "Talent Buyers Network," which I guess produces entertainment for casinos. I tried an email address I found for Knaff, but it bounced, so now I'm hoping for the longshot possibility that this posting attracts someone's attention so I can find out about Initial Shock. Why this interests me is unclear.

P.S. I found a new email address for Knaff ... perhaps I'll find him after all!

Comments

[Steven Rubio]

I'll post a long note once I've learned more ... suffice to say, Brian Knaff sent me an email.

[ken taylor]

I was the guy who took brian knaff's place as drummer for initial shock in 1968. He was not the singer. "mojo" Collins was the only singer in the band. I would like to find a copy of the album you mentioned since I was the drummer at the time.

[Linda Lee Holmes]

What would you like to know? I was president of their fan club. Best source for info is to contact Mojo directly (his website is www.mojocollins.com). They played the Fillmore and Avalon a lot, with all the "big names." Would love to get a copy of this set, or at least the Initial Shock tracks, Steve. I have a bootleg vinyl of some other tracks, with a few other SF bands of the time, that I would be happy to copy for you if you're interested.

[Steven Rubio]

Hi, Linda. President of the fan club ... I'm impressed, I had no idea! As I mentioned in the original message, the bootleg is called It Crawled Out of the Vaults of KSAN and if you google it, you should be able to find copies.

[Joerg Reinicke]

If anybody still wants the aforementioned Initial Shock set from the Avalon Ballroom 1968, please contact me. It's about 37 minutes long and sourced from a radio broadcast, i.e. good sound quality for the time. It was part of compilation called "It Crawled Out Of The Vaults Of KSAN". Don't pay money for this as this was compiled by collectors for free distribution.

[Joerg Reinicke]

If anybody still wants the aforementioned Initial Shock set from the Avalon Ballroom 1968, please contact me. It's about 37 minutes long and sourced from a radio broadcast, i.e. good sound quality for the time. It was part of compilation called "It Crawled Out Of The Vaults Of KSAN". Don't pay money for it as it was compiled by collectors for free distribution.

[Mojo Collins]

yeah, Mojo Collins, that is me. The web site is down now for rebuilding -
what do you need to know?

[George Crowe]

I am George Crowe and I was with the Initial Shock as their road manager all through the 60's and still am personal friends with Brian Knaff and Mojo Collins--Hi Mojo and Brian. I have origional posters of the Initial Shock and can have Gee clays made of any poster from the 60's of Initial Shock and can reproduce photos of the band. I also have 45's of Initial Shock "Baby Don't Do It" and "Mind Diaster" b/w "It's Not Easy". I am also in possession of the articles of incorporation of the "Brotherhood of Love" and two posters of KMPX radio. Most people don't know, but after Initial Shock broke up Brian Knaff, George Wallace and I formed the band "Yellowstone" who were signed to Kama Sutra records with Artie Ripp. Yellowstone played several shows with top artists and brought down the house with their "Montana" brand of hard rock. After the band Yellowstone broke up George Wallace (my best friend in the world since high school),continued on and "George and George" recorded with Gerrie Roslie and issued the album "Sinderella" that did well in Europe. The album was reissued in 1997 and again did well in Europe. The untimely death of my best friend and musical partner George Wallace in 2004 brought a period of depression and grieving. However George and I had recorded a follow up Cd before his death and the Cd looks like it will released in early 2008 distributed by Universal. Just for any body's information Only Mojo Collins and I are still active players in music today.(Brian Knaff is a rich booking agent and real estate mogul in Las vegas. I am currently in the studio with Claudio Pesavento. (of Dokken, Maghogany Rush and Aldo Nova) we just produced Jamie Lynn Ward of American Idol fame and those results are still being worked on. I am working on my new album with Claudio and guitarist "Marty Shalk" from Seattle which should be a real rocker. Stay tuned--If anybody wants 45's of posters of Initial Shock--I am the man

I was with Mel Micklson, when he died,who also played in Yellowstone, I was lucky enough to play in his last band

[diane Back in the Haight Ashbury 1967-70, I was known as TEX]

Hi there! I was just watching A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT, the movie by Robert Redford and it mentioned Moozolah (sp) Montana. That reminded me of the band Initial Shock. That is where they were from. They lived in the Casa Madronna Apts in the Haight, back then. I knew the guys as we lived there as well. I remember Brian. Perhaps you could get in touch with them through the Montana connection. It was a "groovy" time back then. I had a very good time!! Hope that helps ya!

[Dave Martin]

Have visited the Pacific NorthWest Bands site several times, but only just thought to do a search for Initial Shock. My older brother went to high school with Mojo, and I was in an East Coast band (The Epics) with his younger brother, Dave. In the mid to late 60's Initial Shock went East a few weeks, and we got to see them several times. Our band learned several of their songs, including their version of "Baby Don't Do It" and "Long Time Coming." They had some terrific originals. I bought a Super Beatle amp from Mojo at one point, and a Standell amp from another of the guys, another time.

[Tim Crane]

Hi! I saw Initial Shock in Anderson SC of all places exactly 40 years ago. In fact it was the night of the King assassination. They were as talented as any group I have ever heard and I have often wondered what happened to them.

[Raini Jain]

Hi Steven

Meet Mojo right after SAWBUCK was released. Awesome album.

Mojo was the singer and the force behind INITIAL SHOCK. Still writing, traveling and performing in concert. Living on the east coast in Wilmington and Nags Head, NC. He has a rep as a perservationist in NC here, and has won a fellowship for songwriting from NC Arts Council. Folks here call him "songwriter of the Outer Banks". An incredible player and writer, tells me he now gets airplay in 12 countries. When not working you can find him on the beach or painting, his newest art endeavor. Have most of his music and a few paintings. Whenever I can see him perform I do - great mellow voice and some hot guitar. Steve, you really ought to hear this dude some time. He is legendary.

Heard he will be in concert in Manteo, NC at Roanoke Island Festival Park on May 25th and at UNCW June 28th and something about a European tour. I am a big fan of his and fairly close friend. His new web site is www.mojocollinsblues.com. Google finds a lot of info on this guy, but not nearly enough - anyone else have any info or bootleg tapes? I think he said he has over 300 songs written now & compiled and publishes his own cd's - about 20 I think? Some blues, some folk, some classical and of course, rock'Roll!

The email I have for him is mojocollins@mindspring.com. Moj, hope you don't mind this - everyone ought to know what an funny dude you are - I have seen you on the beach with your 6 grandkids - hope to catch up with you soon.

I heard just about all of the best rock groups in the world in the late sixites-early seventies except the Beatles. In SF and Sacramento mostly. Every weekend, that's all I did, drive to shows. I had no idea they were from Montana, I didn't know anything about them, but Initial Shock was right up there with the best I ever saw, and I saw hundreds of groups. I must have seen them five or six times. OK, it's been 40 years. But still I can remember being knocked out by these guys. Very powerful sound.

Initial Shock was a very powerful music force in the Bay Area music scene from 1967 to 1970. Herb Caen, THE music scene editor for the San Francisco Chronicle called them "The Rolls Royce of Rock and Roll Bands"
Mojo Collins, their lead singer, was an absolute star. He and Brian Knaff, the leader of Initial Shock, met in Glasgow, Montana. Mojo was stationed in the U.S. Airforce at Glasgow Air Force Base. Initial Shock was offered a record contract by Atlantic records in the fall of 1969. Jerry Wexler saw them at the Avalon Ballroom and was "Knocked Out" The band mistakenly thought they could do better and it was a critical mistake. They didn't last more than 6 to 8 months after that and went their separate ways to other successes in the music business. They all stayed as brothers even to today.

I saw Initial Shock at the old Fillmore Auditorium, at the Avalon Ballroom in Golden Gate Park and at the Fillmore West, but the best performance I ever saw them at was the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood. They were an amazing talented band with charisma to the enth degree great vocals and an unbelievable and powerful sound. The night I saw them they could have stood with Hendrix, Cream or any of the biggies of the time. Jim Morrison was there that night freaking out on the band. Too bad they didn't make it so we could have heard their music through the decades but there were a lot of great bands in the 60s. It's hard to get out and up when the competition is so heavy but they were one band that destiny could have treated better. Unbelievable!

[George A. Crowe]

I just Googled Mojo Collins and saw this site about Initial Shock. I am still George Crowe who was the road manager for Initial Shock and also best friends with everybody in the group, especially George Wallace who was their guitar player. The comment by Herb Cain about Initial Shock being the "Rolls Royce of Rock and Roll Bands" is more than a true statement. Initial Shock was always the premier rock band in the San Francisco Bay area during the 60's. We were involved in some of the heaviest business deals during that period that many do not know about the band. We had a huge underground following and fan base in the Bay area and throughout the Northwest and western states where we had many regional hits. I remember the gig at the Whiskey A Go Go in LA like it was yesterday. Pretty heavy night. Mojo, myself, George Wllace and Steve Garr pulled up and into the parking lot behind the Whiskey and got out of the car and suddenly four sheriffs deputies threw us up against the car and gave us a quick pat down. They then laughed and said "I bet that's the fastest shakedown you've ever had", and walked away laughing. Of course we were all high on everything and our buzz was interrupted temporarily. However, the irony was that all of us were carrying massive amounts of dope that a more thorough search would have produced, so we had the last laugh that night.

Drugs , ego, and the usual things that break up bands were the demise of Initial Shock. Brian Knaff, myself, and George Wallace morphed into the band Yellowstone out of Missoula, Montana where we all moved after the band broke up. Yellowstone ruled the airwaves in the Northwest and continued to rock out and wow our audiences from all over the Western U.S.A. Just four months from the first gig of Yellowstone found the band playing at "Thee Experience" on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood where Artie Ripp who was then President of Buddah/Kama Sutra Records signed the band on the spot and the next day found ourselves in Crystal Studios beginning what would become six months of intense recording and some fun times staying at the Sunset Tower West across from the "Riot House" on Sunset Blvd. I could go on and on with so many music tales because George Wallace, Brian, and myself were Montana rock and rollers. To find out more tales you will have to read my book I am working on about George Wallace's and my experiences in the music business. You will catch a glimpse of what it was really like in our bands.

George Wallace (Firestone) and I have continued in the business until his untimely death in 2004 when one of the brightest lights in the business went out. George Wallace was one of the best guitar players in the business. What made him so great was not sometimes what he played, it was not what he didn't play. George was the master of space in his guitar playing. He was one of the best guitar players to ever come out of the Pacific Northwest. George cut his teeth on the Northwest style of playing that was influenced by Rich Dangel of the "Fabulous Wailers" (not the Bob Marley Wailers) and JoJo Hansen of the "Dave Lewis Trio". Rich Dangel and Jojo Hansen influenced guitar players Jimi Hendrix, Larry Coryell, and George Wallace, Mike Mitchell from the Kingsmen and so many others that only someone from the Northwest would understand. I myself am proud of my Northwest roots, and can say that I have been friends with and have known many of these great musicians from this area.

Only George Wallace, myself and Mojo Collins have continued playing and recording and doing live gigs. I tried to call Mojo today at his new digs in Nags Head, NC, but he is out for the day. George Wallace and I recorded with Gerry Roslie of the Sonics Fame in 1980 and subsequently released the well received album entitled Sinderella on Bomp Records, who was and still is the largest independant label in the world. In 1997 Bomp remastered and released the "Sinderella" Cd to rave reviews throughout the US and European markets. Rhino Records put together an album entitled "The Best of Louie". This Cd included the 10 best versions of Louie Louie from various groups that recorded the tune. One reviewer said "that the version that George, Gerry Roslie, Myself, and John Agostino recorded was possibly the best version of Louie Louie ever recorded"!

Anyway, I just got the rights to the "Sinderella" Cd back from Bomp Records and I am currently in the studio transferring the analog version of the album to "Pro Tools Digital" and am planning on the advise of my new record label, to not only remix and remaster the "Sinderella" Cd, but the record label is planning to release "Sinderella" along with the new Cd that George Wallace and I recorded to follow up the 1997 release. Bomp released the remastered mixes without telling George and myself so that we could have toured behind the release. Henceforth we spent another year in the studio recording the follow up "Sonic Evolution" which is going to set the music community on it's ear. It's that good folks-----and that's all Folks for now. Hi to Ken who played drums for Initial Shock for a while, and of course to Linda Lee Holmes from beautiful Butte, Montana where it's a mile high and a mile deep, but the people are on the level.

George A. Crowe
montanaredneck2002@yahoo.com if you are interested.

P.S. I have about three hundred 45's of Initial Shock if anyone would like any. I am also putting together an Initial Shock web site on My Space which will include anyone being able to purchase 45's of Initial Shock and photos of the band or Yellowsone 45's and /or photos until they are gone. (Limited availability) I have the masters too. There will be reproductions of Initial Shock Posters available on the site too. Stay Tuned

[George A. Crowe]

I just thought that anyone perusing this site would like to know that Steve Garr the bass player for Initial shock died on February 6th, 2009 of acute alcohol poisioning. His liver and kidneys both shut down at the same time. I phoned Mojo and Brian Knaff an told them. Now the only one left that had anything to do with Initial Shock is Brian, me, and Mojo. RIP Steve
George A. Crowe

[Raini Jain]

Still listening to Mojo's music. Saw him just yesteraday and heard his latest "Anna's Sunrise". Oh my, this is an incredible song! Instrumental of epic proportions! Could be a film score. Told me he is starting a south east tour in Louisiana during the week of the Fest there. Hello George, keep the memoirs flowing - good reading.

[Kirk Silsbee]

I'm a journalist in Los Angeles and I'm wiriting a piece about Thee Experience, the Sunset Strip rock club. Would George Crowe--and anyone else who remembers that place--please get in touch with me? I'd like to conduct an interview with you about the place.
Kirk Silsbee
silsbee54@yahoo.com

[Texas John]

My thanks to Steven and George Crowefor your comments.I was friends with the band in the fall of 1968 when I moved to S.F. from Texas,(hence my alias).My roomate Tina was Brian's girlfriend and he stayed at our apartment a lot.I bought the band's equipment van from Brian.I moved up to Marin county a few months later and kind of lost track of the guys.In 1970 I moved up to the Sonoma county wine country and a couple of years later ran into Steve Garr.Turned out that he was living near me
there.We hung out a lot together and he and his girlfriend babysat my daughter. About mid 1974 Steve moved and I never saw him again.I'm truly sorry to hear of George and Steve passing.However, we all had some really fun times in the Haight and at the different shows.Those were magical times for all who were lucky enough to have been there!It's good to hear that Brian and Mojo are doing well.If either of you read this, Panama Red says hello.

[R Heilman]

Aside from the obvious (i.e. close friends and family), you might want to try Jay Straw, owner of Hi Tech Audio in Missoula, Montana for information on Initial Shock. He may have insights and information that you are looking for.

[Deborah]

Every now and then I go on the internet and look for Doyle. I was so stoked to see this blog re Initial Shock I skimmed it quickly and didn't see his name come up. Terrible to hear that Steve died. In the 1960's Doyle and Steve picked me and a friend up hitch-hiking and I became close with Doyle ... hanging out at The Casa Madron on Shrader and Avalon. I know all about their other business dealings and also worked at the Avalon when Doyle became involved with it, after Chet sold it. I am also a friend on Mojos and we email from time to time. My My my, where is Doyle! Anyone know????? and heh Brian! I so remember your big hair!!!! Sitting on the stairs outside the apartment, Steve Garr trying to help me contain my acid frenzy before a gig...that orange tab I swallowed! If anyone knows where Doyle is please email me
haynerart@hotmail.com Deborah