ABOUT
Blue Cheer was a veteran and influential psychedelic/blues/acid rock band that became famous during the late 1960s. Best known for their thunderous, savage remake of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" (1968), they are often cited as a pioneering figure in the development of heavy metal, punk rock, grunge, and other powerhouse pop/rock genres.
Formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California by bassist/lead singer Dickie Peterson (September 12, 1946 - October 12, 2009), the classic hitmaking lineup also consisted of Leigh Stephens (guitar) and drummer Paul Whaley (January 14, 1947 - January 28, 2019). Released in 1968 on Philips, the band's debut album, "Vincebus Eruptum," peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200 and is considered by many to be among rock's first heavy metal albums. Spin magazine ranked it at #22 on their list of the 40 greatest albums of this genre.
Blue Cheer debuted in early 1968 on the Pop/Rock charts with "Summertime Blues," which made the Top 20 and became the band's greatest hit. This smash was followed later that year by "Just A Little Bit" (1968). Blue Cheer re-emerged in 1970 on Cash Box with one final charting song, "Fool."
After their peak in commercial fame in the late 1960s, Blue Cheer continued to perform and record on and off through late 2009 up to founder Dickie Peterson's passing, with many personnel changes and additions over the years. Although often described as the first heavy metal band, Peterson did not consider that Blue Cheer belonged to any particular genre. As he put it, People keep trying to say that we're heavy metal or grunge or punk, or we're this or that. The reality is, we're just a power trio, and we play ultra blues, and it's rock 'n roll. It's really simple what we do.
LINKS
- The New York Times remembers Blue Cheer founder Dickie Peterson.
- Ultimate Classic Rock remembers Blue Cheer drummer Paul Whaley.
SHOP EXCLUSIVE RECORDINGS FOR BLUE CHEER
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- Blue Cheer - CDs, vinyl, & more - Amazon.com
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- Blue Cheer - Rare vinyl, CDs, & more - MusicStack.com
SONGS
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Blue Cheer
- Summertime Blues 1968
(This song was previously a hit for Eddie Cochran (1958) and later also became a hit for the Who (1970).)
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