LOST TREASURES

LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION

“Lewis and Clark Expedition – (AKA Earth, Air, Fire and Water)”

By Peter Marston

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Most pop fans will be familiar with the Colgems label—it was the label created by RCA and Screen Gems expressly for the Monkees. But few pop fans will be able to name any of the other acts that appeared on the label. Some were mere novelties (Sally Field recorded an album as The Flying Nun and Indian child actor Sajid Kahn took a stab at teenybopper pop) while others were serious soundtrack composers (Quincy Jones’ In Cold Blood and Frank DeVol’s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner are two examples). But at least one act on Colgems was a legit rock band: The Lewis and Clarke Expedition.

The Lewis and Clarke Expedition was essentially a vehicle for the songwriting team of Michael Martin Murphey (who adopted the stage name Travis Lewis) and Owen Castleman (who opted for Boomer Clarke). The remaining members were guitarist and keyboard player Ken Bloom, bassist John London and drummer Johnny Raines. London, Murphy and Castleman had all played with Mike Nesmith in a pre-Monkees folk band called The Survivors (along with Bill Chadwick). It was through their connection with Nesmith that The Lewis and Clarke Expedition landed a contract with Colgems. Not unlike Paul Revere and the Raiders, they were a bit of a costume band, with all the members donning buckskin and fringe. After signing with Colgems, but before their release of their own album, Murphey and Castleman contributed one of the great country-rock songs―“What Am I Doing Hangin’ Round?”―to the Monkees’ Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd. It remains by far their best-known collaboration.

The Lewis and Clarke Expedition’s sole LP, variously known as The Lewis and Clarke Expedition (only the band’s name appeared on the cover) and Earth, Air, Fire and Water (the title that appeared on the back cover), was released in November, 1967. The songs are mostly gentle folk-rock with simple but prominent orchestrations. The opening track, “Windy Day,” is a light old-time number reminiscent of Sopwith Camel’s “Hello Hello.” “Spirit of Argyle High” starts with a marching snare drum roll and is sort of “Be True to Your School”-meets-“Snoopy and the Red Baron.” “Everybody Loves a Fire” is another old-time number, one that would fit right in on Tiny Tim’s debut God Bless Tiny Tim. Though it is a stretch to say that any song on the album is well-known, the one that received the most airplay is “I Feel Good (I Feel Bad).” It’s an uptempo down-home number that sounds a little like Poco covering the 1910 Fruitgum Company. “Destination Unknown” is the closest the band comes to psychedelia, but just when you think it’s ready to freak out, it jumps into a very poppy chorus. The closing track on the album is “Memorial to the American Indian,” a medley that closes with “(The Lament of) The Cherokee Indian Nation,” recorded nearly four years before Paul Revere and the Raiders’ hit version.

Two singles were released from the album, “I Feel Good (I Feel Bad)” b/w “Blue Revelations” and “Freedom Bird” b/w “Destination Unknown.” Neither single hit and shortly following the release of the album, the band members went their separate ways. Murphey, of course, went on to a very successful solo career, first as an outlaw cosmic cowboy and then as a mainstream pop and country artist. His single “Wildfire” was a big hit in the summer of 1975. Castleman had more modest success, but also scored a hit in 1975 with “Judy Mae.” London played bass with Nesmith on some later Monkees sessions and in The First National Band.

The Lewis and Clarke Expedition/Earth, Air, Fire and Water has never been reissued as a CD or in the digital domain. Used copies of the LP show up on eBay and GEMM from time to time, but are pricey. Still, needle-drops are generally available through various file-sharing sites. It’s well worth a listen, so have at it!

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Pop Pioneer and “Lost Treasures” writer, Peter Marston is the leader of long-running power pop band, Shplang, whose most recent album, “My Big Three Wheeler” has been described as “the Beatles meet Zappa in pop-psych Sumo match.”  They will have a track on the upcoming “Power Pop Planet – Volume 5” compilation due in January, 2015.

You check it out at this link:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shplang

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LINKS:

Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_%26_Clarke_%28band%29

AMG:  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lewis-clarke-expedition-mn0001537456/biography

Blog Post:  http://www.partialobserver.com/article.cfm?id=1078

Blog Post:  http://www.psycho-jello.com/monkees/landc.html

VIDEOS:

“DESTINATION UNKNOWN”

“WINDY DAY”

“HOUSE OF MY SORROW”