Country Joe and the Fish was a rock band most widely known for musical protests against the Vietnam War, from 1966 to 1971, and also regarded as a seminal influence to psychedelic rock.
The group's name is derived from communist politics; "Country Joe" was a popular name for Joseph Stalin in the 1940s, while "the fish" refers to Mao Zedong's statement that the true revolutionary "moves through the peasantry as the fish does through water." The group began with the nucleus of "Country Joe" McDonald (lead vocals) and Barry "The Fish" Melton (lead guitar), recording and performing for the "Teach-in" protests against the Vietnam War in 1965. Co-founders McDonald and Melton added musicians as needed over the life of the band. By 1967, the group included Gary "Chicken" Hirsh (drums) (born March 9, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois); David Cohen (keyboards) (born August 4, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York) and Bruce Barthol (bass) (born November 11, 1947 in Berkeley, California).
The band came to perform an early example of psychedelic rock. The LP Electric Music for the Mind and Body was very influential on early FM Radio in 1967. Long sets of psychedelic tunes like "Section 43", "Bass Strings", "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine", "Janis" (for and about Janis Joplin) and "Grace" (for singer Grace Slick) (all released on Vanguard Records) were often played back to back on KSAN and KMPX in San Francisco and progressive rock stations around the country. Their first album charted at #39 on September 23, 1967, their 2nd album at #67 on February 3, 1968, and their third at #23 on August 31, 1968.
Country Joe and The Fish were regulars at the original Fillmore Auditorium, the Fillmore West, Fillmore East, and Chet Helms' Avalon Ballroom. They also were a fixture during the brief existence of the Berkeley folk club The Jabberwock. Throughout 1965-67 Country Joe and The Fish were billed along with such groups as Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Moby Grape. They played at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.
Their biggest hit was the anti-war "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag", which debuted the same year as the band, but became best known after Country Joe's solo acoustic performance of it at the Woodstock Festival in Bethel, New York, August, 1969.
Links:
Allmusic.com's lengthy article on Country Joe and the Fish
Country Joe McDonald's Website
Barry "The Fish" Melton's Homepage
Discography
Singles "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" / "Masked Marauder" "Janis" / "Janis (Instrumental)" (1967) "Who Am I?" / "Thursday" (1968) "Rock and Soul Music Part 1" / "Rock and Soul Music Part 2" (1968) "Here I Go Again" / "Baby You're Driving Me Crazy" (1969) "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" / "Janis" (1970) "Hang On" / "Hand of Man" (1972) EPs Talking Issue #1, Rag Baby (1965) Country Joe and the Fish, Rag Baby (1966) Studio and live albums Electric Music for the Mind and Body, Vanguard (September 1967) I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die, Vanguard (1967) Together, Vanguard (1968) Here We Are Again, Vanguard (1969) (1) CJ Fish, Vanguard (1970) (2) Reunion, Fantasy (1977) Live! Fillmore West 1969, Vanguard (1994) (1) Go to [2] to know album credits.
(2) Go to [3] to know album credits.
Compilations Greatest Hits, Vanguard (1969) Life and Times of Country Joe and the Fish, Vanguard (1971) Collector's Items: The First 3 EPs, Rag Baby (1980) Collected Country Joe and the Fish, Vanguard (1987) References
^ Show 42 - The Acid Test: Psychedelics and a sub-culture emerge in San Francisco. [Part 2] : UNT Digital Library ^ Country Joe McDonald, Chicago Seven Trial
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