The Crawdaddys
Band Members
- Mark Zadarnowski: Bass guitar
- Dan McLain: Drums
- Mojo Nixon: Drums
- Gordon Moss: Drums
- Keith Fisher: Keyboards
- Peter Meisner: Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
- Steve Potterf: Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
- Ron Silva: Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
- Mike Stax: Bass guitar
The Skinny
- Genre: Garage rock
- Sound Description: The swingin' '60s still live.
- RIYL: The Gants, the Seeds, the Yardbirds
- Formed: San Diego
History
In a time of trendy discotheques, bombastic arena rock, and sonic punk barbarisms, the Crawdaddys were truly a peculiarity of the late '70s. The Southern California four-piece rhythm & blues combo, led by two gifted songwriter/guitarists, Steve Potterf and Ron Silva, who began in the similar garage band the Hitmakers, shrugged off all present scenes and regressed to the past to a Mersey-era Beatles style. Influenced by '50s R&B masters like Chuck Berry and Little Richard, the Crawdaddys jump-started their own California garage-rock scene, which spread widely in the early '80s as more illustrious groups like New York's Chesterfield Kings and London's Barracudas also hiked their guitars up to chest level. Other influences, like the Yardbirds and the Velvet Underground, can be heard in the Crawdaddys' surprising yet sincere sound.
Potterf left the group after recording the first Crawdaddys LP, leaving Silva as head Crawdad. Unfortunately, the group's sound took a slight dive in aggression level as a result.
-- Matt Carlson, All Music Guide
Note: Many early Crawdaddys recordings were mastered by Stan Ross, who mastered "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" for Iron Butterfly and worked with Phil Spector.
Influences
The Gants, the Sting Rays, Sky Saxxon and the Seeds, the Beatles, Phil & the Frantics, Chuck Berry, the Outcasts, Little Richard, Larry & the Blue Notes, the Damnation of Adam Blessing, the E-Types, the Savages, Los Mockers, the Gonn, the Enfields, Zakary Thaks, the La De Das, Cynics, the Ugly Ducklings, the Basement Wall, the Syndicate of Sound, the Nightcrawlers, Chesterfield Kings, Shadows of Knight, Remains, Kenny & the Kasuals, the Haunted, DMZ, Dimentia 13, the Count Bishops, the Bad Seeds, the Standells, ? & the Mysterians, Plan 9, Miracle Workers, the Five Americans
Local Shows
Discography
| Name | Year | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5X4 EP | 1979 | Voxx | |
 |
Crawdaddy Express | 1979 | Voxx |
| Mystic Crawdaddys | 1989 | Wired-Line | |
| Still Steamin' EP | Line | ||
 |
Here 'Tis | Voxx |
Related links
- Musician Interviews (Nov. 1, 2007)
