The Charlatans (American band)

The Charlatans
The Charlatans in 1965[1] From left to right: George Hunter, Richard Olsen, Mike Wilhelm, Dan Hicks, and Mike Ferguson
The Charlatans in 1965[1]
From left to right: George Hunter, Richard Olsen, Mike Wilhelm, Dan Hicks, and Mike Ferguson
Background information
OriginSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1964–1969
  • 1997
  • 2005
  • 2015
Labels
Past members
  • George Hunter
  • Richard Olsen
  • Mike Wilhelm
  • Mike Ferguson
  • Dan Hicks
  • Sam Linde
  • Patrick Gogerty
  • Terry Wilson
  • Darrell DeVore

The Charlatans were an American folk rock and psychedelic rock band that played a role in the development of the San Francisco Haight-Ashbury music scene during the 1960s.[5][6] They are often cited by critics as being the first group to play in the style that became known as the San Francisco Sound.[7][8]

Exhibiting more pronounced jug band, country and blues influences than many bands from the same scene, the Charlatans' rebellious attitude and distinctive late 19th-century fashions exerted a strong influence on the Summer of Love in San Francisco.[9] The band's recorded output was small. Following difficulties with various record labels, their only album, The Charlatans, was recorded and released by a reconstituted lineup (with only two members of the original group) in 1969.

Original drummer Dan Hicks went on to form Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks, a more commercially successful ensemble that amalgamated elements of country, folk and jazz in a predominantly acoustic setting.[10] Guitarist Mike Wilhelm later joined the Flamin' Groovies.[11]

  1. ^ Greene, Herb (1965). "Charlatans, 1965; from the "Acid Age of San Francisco Rock" portfolio". Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago. Archived from the original on 2020-07-03. Retrieved 2020-07-03. Date: 1965; printed 2005; Medium: Gelatin silver print; Dimensions: image: 16 in x 15 3/4 in; paper: 22 in x 18 in; Accession Number: 2016:11.13;
  2. ^ Luhrssen, David; Larson, Michael (2017). Encyclopedia of Classic Rock. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO LLC. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-4408-3513-1.
  3. ^ Prown, Pete; Newquist, Harvey P. (1997). Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists (4th ed.). Hal Leonard. p. 48. ISBN 0-205-13703-2.
  4. ^ Hall, Mitchell K. (2014). "Chapter 4: Psychedelia". The Emergence of Rock and Roll: Music and the Rise of American Youth Culture. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-83312-7.
  5. ^ a b "The Charlatans Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
  6. ^ Selvin, Joel (June 17, 2015). "S.F.'s '60s rock scene started with a band you never heard of". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on August 22, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  7. ^ James, Ronald M. (1998). The Roar And The Silence: A History Of Virginia City And The Comstock Lode. University of Nevada Press. p. 264. ISBN 0-87417-320-5.
  8. ^ Selvin, Joel (June 15, 2015). "S.F.'s '60s Rock Scene Started with a Band You Never Heard Of", San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  9. ^ Palao, Alec (1996). The Amazing Charlatans (CD booklet). The Charlatans. Big Beat Records.
  10. ^ "Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
  11. ^ Luhrssen, David; Larson, Michael (2017-02-24). Encyclopedia of Classic Rock. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-4408-3514-8.