![]() Now they've racked up a big batch of accolades. We didn't have that support, and getting these songs in commercials was almost like having your song on the radio." Auerbach told NPR's Terry Gross, adding: "We'd never had a real song regularly played on rock radio. Before long, their music was being used to sell Nissan, Sony, Victoria's Secret, video games, television series and films. At first, fearing that it would be selling out, they turned down a lucrative offer to license their music for a mayonnaise commercial. They built an underground fan base through constant touring of small clubs (at one appearance they played to an audience of five), and releasing 9 albums in 10 years. They dropped out of the University of Akron to pursue music and recorded their first few albums in Mr. The song introduced the rock term "heavy metal" - "I like smoke and lightning, heavy metal thunder, racin' with the wind" - although the reference was to Harleys, not thrash metal, and at the time, James Hetfield of Metallica was in the first grade.įor a long time, the red carpet was probably the last thing the duo expected. "Born to Be Wild" was the signature song for the 1969 cult film "Easy Rider." As Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper rode their motorcycles on the highways, looking for adventure, Steppenwolf built a big biker following. Many of Steppenwolf’s songs have been licensed for use in television and film. Only John Kay remains from the original band. Along the way, band members came and mostly went - too many arguments, too much exhaustion, too much drug abuse, too many offshoot bands claiming to be Steppenwolf. Hitting hard worked for them, selling more than 25 million records worldwide between 19, including 8 gold albums and 12 Billboard Hot 100 singles (6 were Top 40 hits). Our philosophy was ‘Hit ‘em hard, make your point and move on.’ ” Kay, with Steppenwolf, “Jerry and I had both come to the conclusion that the strong rhythmic element was what we really valued. Although his previous band Sparrow "had been allowed to stretch out and experiment," writes Mr. Kay says on Steppenwolf's online biography. The band, with Michael Monarch (guitar), Rushton Moreve (bass), Goldy McJohn (keyboard) and Jerry Edmonton (drums) "for the times - was an uncharacteristically tight band" Mr. They described the sound as blues-rooted, hard-hitting, edgy, uncompromising rock 'n' roll. He moved to Los Angeles with a couple members of Sparrow, formed a new band named after Hermann Hesse's mystical novel "Steppenwolf" and released a self-titled debut album (1968). ![]() ![]() As a teenager his family emigrated to Toronto, where he immersed himself in music, learned English and played in a band called Sparrow. Growing up in Hannover, West Germany, he was greatly influenced by the American rock music he heard on the United States Armed Forces Radio. John Kay is the identifiable, gritty voice of the band. ![]()
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