Elevators FAQ

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A: The burbly sound found in the background on "You're Gonna Miss Me" and most tracks on the first two Elevators LPs is an amplified jug "played" by Tommy Hall. The jug was used only for resonance, while the actual sounds were made using lips and tongue, holding a microphone at the jug's opening. This technique has nothing to do with conventional jug-playing, and was entirely Hall's invention. Contrary to the myth, the jug did not contain marijuana, and the sound of the jug did not vary depending on how much marijuana was in it. Hall actually had several different jugs.

A: "Beauty & the Beast" was the projected title for a post-Easter Everywhere LP, which they started working on in February 1968. The sessions were abandoned in May due to Roky's deteriorating health, and the LP project was cancelled. A few months later, I A issued the "Live" LP instead (see below). Some time later in 1968, Stacy Sutherland made some additional studio recordings which were combined with the half-finished Spring material into "Bull Of The Woods". The songs on which Roky sings are all from the Spring sessions, to which the remaining band members and I A added some horn arrangements.

A: Powell St John was a well-known figure on the mid-1960s UT campus folk/bohemian scene. He was an occasional member of various Austin rock groups and wrote six songs which the Elevators recorded. It seems obvious that he influenced the band to a certain extent. After being in Mexico during the Elevators' most successful period, St John turned up in S F band Mother Earth in the late 1960s. His name is listed as John St Powell on the "Psychedelic Sounds" LP sleeve credits, which may simply have been a printing error rather than part of some devilish I A scheme. Powell St John has recently been re-united with a lot of his old Texas friends, and performs occasionally in the SF Bay Area.

A: For whatever reasons, people involved with the Elevators have made an effort to confuse this issue over the years. While it's been suggested that the tapes were on hand for the Radar & I A reissues from 1978, recent (Summer 2002) information suggests that even at that stage the tapes were in fact long lost. In other words, there are NO reissues made from tapes.

In the 1990s Lelan sold the rights to the master tapes to Charly Records in England, who in turn have leased the rights to a number of low quality reissue labels. It is not known if actual tapes were part of the transaction, but given the poor sound quality of subsequent reissues this seems unlikely. What it probably was is tapes dubbed from vinyl originals.

Other copies of the master tapes may still be in existence somewhere, but this appears unlikely. What does exist are multi-track studio reels for almost the entier debut LP, and safety master dubs for several tracks from "Easter Everywhere". Some of these tapes -- which of course are in perfect sound -- have been used for bootleg reissues, something which a lot of people haven't been realized. In other words, while a lot of Elevator fans keep flogging the dead "where are the master tapes, man?" horse, studio reels recordings have been seeping out via the back door.

It's not unusual for 1960s era master recordings to be lost; this isn't unique to the Elevators at all.

A: The "Live" LP was put together by I A after the studio sessions for the prospective third LP were aborted in May 1968. I A had fooled around with a live LP earlier, and even recorded a Houston concert in March 1967 to that end, but unfortunately the band didn't deliver one of their better performances that night.

So the actual "Live" was pulled together from old demos and studio outtakes during the Summer of 1968, with silly applause dubbed on to make it seem authentic.

Contrary to popular belief, Lelan Rogers was NOT behind the "Live" LP, and had in fact already left I A at the time.

Q: Are there any good reissues of the original LPs?

A: Well, the lack of actual master tapes (see above) means mastering from vinyl sources. Furthermore, most of the reissue labels seem fairly unconcerned about the audio quality of their products, which often sound WORSE than a CD-R burned from a vinyl original.

The old vinyl UK Radar reissues are NOT from masters, furthermore the first LP is in stereo and reputedly with a less than stellar sound. Also avoid the early 1980s Greek low quality pressing of the Radar reissue. The late 1970s US pressings of all 4 LPs (while very unlikely to be from masters) have a good sound quality, though again only the stereo mix of the first LP was reissued, and the "Easter" sleeve distorts the original gold color.

For CD reissues, the Spalax label from France has done a better job than most. The Collectables reissues are not recommended.

There were bootleg vinyl mono reissues of the first two LPs in 1998 which had a decent sound quality, and actually represent the only mono reissues around, which is crucial for the first LP.

Q: Do I want mono or stereo issues?

A: This question pertains to "Psychedelic Sounds" and "Easter Everywhere", as the 3rd and 4th LP only came in stereo.

Most seem to agree that the first LP sounds best in mono - especially on Roller Coaster and Monkey Island - though a few tracks may be superior in the stereo mix. As for "Easter", the rare mono press has a few advocates but the stereo mix is generally considered better. It also appears that the primary mix was mono for the first, and stereo for the second LP.

Unfortunately, almost all reissues of the first LP utilize the inferior stereo mix, including the official reissues made in the UK & US in the late 1970s. Only recently has bootleg mono reissues appeared (on vinyl).

A: Original 8-track releases exist of all four I A LPs, though they're seldom seen nowadays. "Psychedelic Sounds" and "Easter Everywhere" exists in two different 8-track releases. The reel-to-reel format issue of "Psychedelic Sounds" appears to be a mere myth as noone has been able to confirm its existence.

A: After the original Contact release of "You're Gonna Miss Me" became a Texas hit, International Artists signed the Elevators and re-released the 45 for national distribution. For various reasons, I A used different label designs for different runs, and it is also believed that some of the label designs are non-I A pirate pressings. The rare HBR release came about during the transition from Contact to I A and was quickly terminated by I A. The foreign releases (Germany, France, Canada) were all initiated by I A.

As many as 19 or 20 different pressings of the "You're Gonna Miss Me" 45 exists.

A: Yep, most of the songs were remixed and/or edited for the 45 release. Many of them sound better in their 45 versions, which format of course also allows for a fuller sound. As far as can be determined, the only tracks that do NOT differ between LP and 45 are "Baby Blue", "Splash 1" and "May The Circle Remain Unbroken".

Q: Did the Elevators get ripped off by their record label and/or Lelan Rogers?

A: Hardly. Especially not when compared with the average deal that a semi-national band on a small label got in the mid-1960s. I A kept the Elevators on salary, which was not common, and plowed significant amounts of money into "Easter Everywhere" and the third LP sessions.

Lelan Rogers is often portrayed as a bad guy but was only an employee at I A and not really in the position to rip anyone off. He should receive credit for helping to break "You're Gonna Miss Me" nationally, and band members like John Ike and Stacy have spoken of him in respectful terms later on. The dubious "Live" LP was conceived long after he had left I A. Lelan was also behind the revival of the IA label in the late 1970s.

A: Ice was Stacy Sutherland's post-Elevators band, formed in 1969. The band played live in Houston and signed a contract with I A but did not produce much recorded material and fizzled out after a year or so. The few recorded (folk-oriented) songs were not written by Stacy but by band member Paul Vivian. These tapes have not yet been made available, but appear to exist.

April '68 - San Antonio nervous breakdown. Roky borrows a car and returns home to Austin in an agitated state.

May '68 - Nervous breakdown at home. Evelyn calls the family doctor. This is the beginning of Roky's "treatment".

May-June '68 - At Holy Cross in Austin (not clear if he was there full-time) where Roky's given heavy medication.

June '68 - Home again, on reduced medication.

June '68 - Starts hanging out with the band again.

July '68 - Put into Hedgecroft in Houston with the help of I A and the band members. Evelyn and the family are not allowed to see him. Electro-shock treatment.

August '68 - Great Escape from Hedgecroft courtesy of Tommy and some friends.

August '68 – Hitchhike to San Francisco with Tommy

Fall '68 - In San Francisco, first with Clementine, then unknown friends. Back on the drug scene.

January '69 - Returns home from S F in poor shape

February '69 - Mt Bonnell arrest for possession of marijuana. The person who was with Roky supposedly fingered Roky for the joint(s) and got off the charges. This may or may not be true.

March '69 - put into Austin State hospital for "observation and testing", to determine his sanity and fitness for trial. This was part of the legal proceedings, i e Roky was essentially behind bars.

May '69 - elopes from Austin State with the help of Dana. As I recall a warrant is put out for Roky's arrest.

Summer '69 - "fugitive", drifting around in Texas and playing a few hastily rehearsed gigs with Endle St Cloud.

August '69 - Arrested on stage in Austin.

August-October '69 - Back behind bars in Austin State hospital.

October '69 - Trial, then Rusk. One reason for Roky's severe sentence is that he has shown himself able and willing to escape, and therefore must be put into a maximum security institution. At the trial, a Dr Wade testifies that Roky's mental illness is so
pronounced that any layperson can diagnose it.