Black Pearl - Black Pearl (1969)

Black Pearl - Black Pearl (1969)

Artist: Black Pearl
Album: Black Pearl
Released: 1969/2007
Label: Atlantic/Wounded Bird
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
Tags: The Barbarians

Black Pearl was a San-Francisco-based band that existed from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. They released two albums, Black Pearl (1969) and Black Pearl - Live! (1970) with the second being less well-received than the first.

Black Pearl was composed of Bernie "B.B" Fieldings (vocals), Bruce Benson (guitar), Oak O'Connor (drums), Geoffrey Morris (guitar), Tom Mulcahy (guitar) and Jerry Causi (bass). Morris, Causi and Benson had been members of the Barbarians, a 60s garage band noted for their extreme long hair for the times and their single, " Are You a Boy or Are You A Girl". The Barbarians were also noted for the band's drummer, Moulty, who had lost one hand in a childhood accident and consequently played drums with a hook.

The band was formed after Barbarians' singer and drummer Moulty refused to travel to Boulder, Colorado for a two week engagement. A new drummer, Oak O'Connor, plus Mulcahy and Fieldings, joined with ex-Barbarians Morris, Causi and Benson, all initially based in Boston, to form Black Pearl in 1967. The band relocated from Boston to San Francisco, after a period of time in Colorado.

Fieldings, who was white, was a wild showman who modeled his stage presence on that of James Brown. His admiration for James Brown was evident on the group's live album, which contains a twelve minute version of James Brown's "Cold Sweat". As noted by one reviewer, "Black Pearl crank out some hard rockin' psych-rock music with the most ferocious drumbeats you've heard in a while."[2] The band's three guitar lineup was considered to be both unique and powerful, being a format also found in contemporaries Moby Grape and Buffalo Springfield. (Wikipedia)

Discography:
Black Pearl Atlantic 1969; CD reissue Wounded Bird, 2007
Black Pearl - Live! Prophesy, 1970

Lineup:
Bernie 'B.B.' Fieldings - vocals
Geoff Morris - lead guitar
Bruce Benson - rhythm guitar
Tommy Mulcahy - rhythm guitar
Jerry Causi - bass guitar
Oak O'Connor - drums

Tracklist:
1. Crazy Chicken
2. Thinkin' 'bout The Good Times
3. White Devil
4. Mr. Soul Satisfaction
5. Forget It
6. Climbing Up The Walls
7. Bent Over
8. Endless Journey
9. Reach Up