May 17, 2020 —– Chart #35
Hello Musical Friends,
It’s Sunday and I am going with 1968 today. This one is a request from my good high school buddy Michael Bailey in Little Rock. “I Got a Line on You” is a rock song by American rock band Spirit, originally recorded during the sessions for their second album, The Family That Plays Together, between March 11 and September 18, 1968. The song was composed by guitarist/singer Randy California, recorded in sessions produced by Lou Adler. The single credits engineering by Eric Wienbang. Released as a single ahead of the album by Ode Records in the US in October 1968, it began a slow rise up the charts.
It was picked up by college radio in late November. It was the second single released by the band. The B-side was “She Smiled“. 2:37 in length, the song finally peaked at No. 25 on the U.S. Top 100 on March 15, 1969, and No. 28 in Canada, March 24.
Some international versions were released later in 1968 and early 1969, distributed by CBS Records or Columbia Records. Some were produced in psychedelic colored vinyl patterns, while the Ode release was on plain black vinyl with a plain yellow label. The album version was slightly longer at 2:39, while the greatest hits version is timed at 2:41. A 7:34 version appears on the band’s final reunion album, 1984’s The Thirteenth Dream.
Spirit was an American rock band founded in 1967 and based in Los Angeles, California. Their most commercially successful single in the United States was “I Got a Line on You“. They were also known for their albums, including their self-titled debut album, The Family That Plays Together, Clear, and Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus.
The original lineup of the group evolved from a Los Angeles band, the Red Roosters, which included Randy California (born as Randy Craig Wolfe)(guitars, vocals), Mark Andes (bass), and Jay Ferguson (vocals, percussion). With the addition of California’s stepfather Ed Cassidy on drums, and keyboard player John Locke, the new band was originally named the Spirits Rebellious (after a book by Kahlil Gibran), but the name was soon shortened to Spirit. Before returning to his native state, California previously played with Jimi Hendrix as a member of Jimmy James and the Blue Flames in New York City’s Greenwich Village in 1966. Hendrix gave Randy Wolfe the nickname “Randy California” to distinguish him from Randy Palmer whom Hendrix named “Randy Texas”.
Cassidy was recognizable by his shaved head (hence his nickname “Mr. Skin”, later the title of a Spirit song) and his fondness for wearing black. Born in 1923, he was about twenty years older than the rest of the group. His earlier career was primarily in jazz and included stints with Cannonball Adderley, Gerry Mulligan, Roland Kirk, Thelonious Monk, and Lee Konitz. He was a founding member of Rising Sons with Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder.
Keep Rockin’,
Stan