San Fernando Valley, CA 60s psychedelic band Moorpark Intersection are under the spotlight: Singer Michael Wesley Dean confirms the details.
MOORPARK INTERSECTION – ’I Think I’ll Just Go And Find Me A Flower’ / ’Yesterday Holds On’ (Capitol P 2115) Feb 1968
Moorpark Intersection: San Fernando Valley: Does anyone know if Moorpark Intersection were a performing band or another one of the long list of studio creations?
’I Think I’ll Just Go And Find Me A Flower’ is a simply gorgeous psychedelic pop song, so typical of West Coast America. David Axelrod produced and of course he had experience working with psych kings The Electric Prunes.
He also produced a favourite album of mine by Hardwater and both sides of this 45 would have perfectly fit the flower folk rock vibes displayed on that long player.
The song was written by Jerry Keller who also had another cool pop tune called ’Turn Down Day’ recorded by The Cyrkle. ’Flower’ was also recorded by Twinn Connexion.
The flip ’Yesterday Holds On’ is another flower psych winner with a ’heavy’ production and was co-written by David Axelrod.
A kindly soul emailed me today with some excellent information about Moorpark Intersection. Thank you so much.
Moorpark Intersection: San Fernando Valley
Line-up
Matt Hyde (guitar, vocals)
Jim (James) Kehn (drums, vocals)
Terry Johnson (bass)
Michael Wesley Dean (vocals, flute) sings lead on ’Flower’
Jay Lewis (guitar, vocals)
Matt Hyde, Jim Kehn and Terry Johnson were original members of The Coachmen, a San Fernando Valley group formed around 1960. Jay Lewis (real name James Donnellan) joined The Coachmen soon after its inception replacing keyboard player Jim Hobson who left to join The Du Vals.
During the 1960s, the band members also played with other groups in the area; in Johnson and Lewis’ case, Bobby Bond & The Agents where they met Barry Brown (later a founding member of Morning).
Kehn meanwhile worked with Richie Podolor doing session work for the likes of Iron Butterfly, Blues Image and Duanne Eddy.
The above line up got together during 1967 and through jazz guitarist Howard Roberts got signed to Capitol Records, working with Axelrod as producer.
Work with Donovan and Love
Kehn did session work on Donovan’s ”Barabajagal” album while Lewis worked in a bar band with Snoopy Pfisterer from Love.
When the ”Forever Changes” line up imploded, Snoopy recommended Lewis to Arthur Lee as a replacement for John Echols.
Consequently he joined Love, reverting to his real name James Donnellan.
Matt Hyde meanwhile began building recording consoles around town with former Coachmen Jim Hobson.
The latter was also doing session work on the side.
They ended up building their own studio called The Recording Studio in Tarzana, California with financial partner, Joe Long.
Kehn attended one of Love’s sessions and suggested to Lewis that he take Love to record there.
They agreed, with Hobson guesting on piano.
Moorpark Intersection: San Fernando Valley
When Donnellan (now reverting back to Jay Lewis) was dropped by Love in late 1969, he reunited with Barry Brown.
Barry came from Bobby Bond & The Agents in the death roes of his latest group, East Lynne and the pair began talking about forming a new group.
Hobson was approached and the trio formed the core of Morning. Kehn and Johnson were also recruited as side musicians and Hyde worked as an engineer on the group’s albums.
Moorpark Intersection unreleased and unheard song ’Sure Is Good’ was recorded in Nov 1967 but only reached acetate stage.
James Kehn updated Nick Warburton with the following information.
’I found and scanned another tune Moorpark Intersection recorded at Capitol records, called ”Sure Is Good”. It’s an old acetate (this format gets worse with each playing). You can see it says RUF on it which stood for a rough take. So it was just for us to listen to and decide what to do with it later. I can’t remember who wrote or who sang it.’
Comments:
November 28, 1967 – Moorpark Intersection (line-up unlisted) records the tracks ”Yesterday Holds On (What Is The Nature Of The Business You’re In)” and ”I Think I’ll Go Out And Find Me A Flower” in Los Angeles, California with producer David Axelrod.
Capitol Records will issue both tracks together as a single (Capitol 2115).
If anyone knows who was in the band, please leave a comment. On This Day In Capitol Records Historyhttp://popculturefanboy.blogspot.com
This group had connections with the band Morning.
Group members included future Morning players Jay Lewis (aka Jay Donnellan from Love’s ”Four Sail” line up), Jim Kehn and Terry Johnson.
From Michael Wesley Dean
I was pleasantly surprised when I came across your page on Moorpark Intersection. Please allow me to offer some updates on this subject.
Following Jay Lewis I became a member of The Coachmen as vocalist, sax player and later, organist
Besides singing lead and playing flute on “Flower”, I also played piano on the flip, “Yesterday Holds On.”
During the time frame you are referencing I had a band called Michael Wesley Group (my stage name).
This was with Terry Johnson and drummer, Bruce Walters and also worked as a trio with Jim Kehn and Matt Hyde (name slips my mind)
In the late 60’s I was arranging and producing sessions for Audio Physics/ Reflection Records (all done at The Recording Studio).
And later in the 70’s, composed string arrangements for Jay Lewis’ “In A Better Frame Of Mind” from the second Morning album.
Moorpark Intersection: San Fernando Valley
Another bit of information concerning Moorpark Intersection: There were four other unreleased recordings from the 1967 Capitol sessions.
Master # 58456 Session # 14623 – ’Young Man’
Have no memory of this one
Master # 58457 Session # 14623 – ’Young Married Blues’
M W Dean: Writer and lead vocal
Master # 58458 Session # 14623 – ’Walk With Me’
M W Dean: Writer and lead vocal
Master # 59417 Session # 14937 – ’She’s About A Mover’
Sir Douglas Quintet cover – Matt Hyde lead vocal
’Sure Is Good’ had two listings:
Master # 58518 Session # 14665 Session date: Oct 30, 1967
Master # 58640 Session # 14682 Session date: Nov 9, 1967
This is information I received last year from Ferdinand Louis Gonzalez.
He wrote ’Disco File’ (group history from 50s and 60s).
Michael Wesley Dean died in January 2013.
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