Sky Saxon was born Richard Marsh in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He moved to Los Angeles, where between 1963 and 1964 he released six soft R&B singles
using various assumed names (Sky Saxon & The Electra Fires, Richie Marsh & The Hood, Sky Saxon & The
Soul Rockers and so on…), to whose drafting Gary Paxton and Pat Vegas contributed among others.
His affection to the music was documented in Larry Peerce's movie The Big TNT Show
shot
in 1965 at Moulin Rouge, LA (Sky was able to touch
Petula Clark's hands) and in a Stones' film concert at the Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica
(he was under the stage near Mick Jagger).
Always in 1965 thanks to an advertisement he found Daryl Hooper, Jan Savage and Rick
Andridge, the guys whom he started with The Seeds signing then for Gene Norman Presents.
The first two singles didn't get the expected results but also by means of KRKD's airplay
they were reissued and climbed the charts. In April 1966 the first album saw the light and
in October the second came out. At that point the band recorded the underestimated A Full
Spoon Of Seedy Blues
whose release was deferred by the management till after the
flower-powered Future
for opportunity reasons. Spoon
was credited to the Sky
Saxon Blues Band and his flop darkened the exciting live recorded at Merlin's Music Box in
Orange County that was ignored.
In 1968 they appeared in Richard Rush's Psych-Out
then in 1969 after the last single and the last
concert at the Civic Auditorium The Seeds disbanded.
Sky released other three singles using the name Seeds (the last
privately pressed) then embraced the creed of a religious sect and recorded with other
adepts an 8-track tape and, moreover, an album that wasn't officially issued till now: this
group called Ya Ho
Wa 13 self-pressed their works on Higher Key label. At guru's death Sky with
several faithful moved to Hawaii where as Sky Sunlight formed with Michael Rainbow Neal the
World Peace Band.
In 1977 they created together the Stars New Seeds recording two singles and a live album; in
the same year came out The Seeds' first posthumous anthology that featured rare and
unreleased tracks, then Sky vanished.
In 1983 the pre- and post-Seeds' singles were reissued on two anthologies and the
following year Sky reappeared releasing a mini-LP with
Mars Bonfire (Steppenwolf), Elliott Ingber (Fraternity Of Man), Ron Bushy (Iron Butterfly)
and the loyal Rainbow Neal.
In March 1985 with McDonald Bros. (Redd Kross) and Brian
Corrigan (Primates) he recorded a live album at Greg Shaw's Cavern that was released a year
later. In 1986 with Shelley Ganz, Lee Joseph (Unclaimed), Peter Case, Eddie Munoz (Plimsouls),
Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate) contributions he released …A Groovy Thing and backed by
Madeleine Ridgey's SS20 he sang two songs on an EP (one
of them Born To Be Wild
played of course with Bonfire), and, furthermore accompanied
by Roger Clay and Dave Provost (Droogs) covered a song by Roky Erickson on a French compilation.
In 1987 with the old mate Daryl Hooper, the omnipresent Bonfire, Frank Beeson and the
singer Cleopatra, Sky revisited Pushin' Too Hard
on a new album. The year after with
Rudi Protrudi, Mike Czekaj (Fuzztones), Steven Roback (Rain Parade), Mike Quercio (Three
O'Clock) and Dave Provost collaborations he realized …In Search Of Brighter Colors.
In Jan. 27th 1989 the original Seeds plus Bonfire were the
bigshots at the Psychedelic Summer Of Love in LA with
The Music Machine, Big Brother & The Holding Co. and
Love; in the same year Sky, Bonfire and Mitch Mitchell (Hendrix
Experience) formed The Dragonslayers. During the nineties he started Fast Planet with Sam
Andrew (Big Brother) and George Michalski (Blue Cheer).
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