Russell DaShiell

Russell DaShiell (born July 23, 1947) is an American guitarist who has recorded as a solo artist as well as playing in bands such as Crowfoot and the Don Harrison Band, and with Harvey Mandel, Phil Everly and Norman Greenbaum. Richard also one of the first people to have a Les Paul humbucker bridge pickup in a strat in 1970.

Russell DaShiell
Born (1947-07-23) July 23, 1947
Philadelphia, United States
OriginHawaii, Florida, California
GenresPop, rock
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, producer
InstrumentsGuitar, bass, keyboards
Years active1963–present
LabelsParamount, ABC Dunhill, Epic, Sonet, Aerial View
Associated actsCrowfoot, Harvey Mandel, Norman Greenbaum, Don Harrison Band, I Spy, Mesenger
Websitewww.spiritguitar.com

Career

Born in Philadelphia, DaShiell lived on Oahu, Hawaii between the ages of three and fifteen, taking up guitar at the age of fourteen.[1] He moved with his parents to Florida in 1963, where he formed a band that played cover songs in the local beach clubs. He then joined Doug Killmer's band The Sonics, which after the addition of drummer Rick Jaeger became The Beau Gentry in 1965.[2] The Beau Gentry spent the next year in Florida developing a following, and in 1966 they were booked for a summer tour of Wisconsin by Ken Adamany (who would later manage Cheap Trick). The tour went so well they decided to stay in the area. After two years of gigging in the midwest, the band evolved into Crowfoot and relocated to San Francisco in December, 1968.[1]

With Crowfoot struggling to make ends meet, DaShiell began working as a session guitarist in the S.F. Bay area, playing on A.B. Skhy's 1969 debut album, and going on to play in Harvey Mandel's band with Rick Jaeger.[1] He also played on Norman Greenbaum's Spirit in the Sky album, with Doug Killmer on bass, which included the chart-topping title track. He then toured with Greenbaum and played on his next two albums.[1] His success prompted him to revive Crowfoot, securing a record deal with Paramount Records, although the band's self-titled 1970 album was largely a DaShiell solo effort, as was its 1971 follow-up Find the Sun on ABC Dunhill.[1][3][4]

DaShiell relocated to Hollywood in the early 1970s and continued his session work, recording with artists such as Phil Everly, Danny O'Keefe, Bo Diddley, John Sebastian, and former Creedence Clearwater Revival member Tom Fogerty, recording his album Myopia with Stu Cook and Doug Clifford, also former Creedence members.[1] He went on to work with Cook and Clifford on solo material and joined them in the Don Harrison Band, recording two albums for Atlantic Records in 1976 and opening for the Rolling Stones at Knebworth that year.[1][5][6]

DaShiell finally released solo material after signing with Epic Records. The Elevator album, featuring his collaborations with Cook and Clifford, was released in 1978.[1][7]

Although his solo career was initially short-lived, he continued to work on various projects, including a single and album with new band 'I Spy' in the 1980s with Doug Clifford on drums, signing with Sonet in Sweden.[1][8] He also worked on a solo album by Doug Clifford.[8] By the end of the 1980s he had moved into television soundtrack and editing work, notably on In Living Color.[1]

In the early 1990s he and his former Crowfoot bandmates Doug Killmer and Rick Jaeger were reunited to record the EP Mesenger in 1994.[1] In the late 1990s DaShiell moved to Lake Tahoe and composed for advertising while continuing to record solo material. In 2000 he moved to Maui, writing and recording the albums Island Life and Foreverland Forest, which he is currently updating for a 2019 release via his website spiritguitar.com.[1]

Discography

Albums
  • Crowfoot (1970), Paramount
  • Find the Sun (1971), ABC Dunhill
  • Elevator (1978), Epic
  • Foreverland Forest (2019), Aerial View
  • Island Life (2019), Aerial View

Singles, EPs
  • In the Fire (1978), Epic
  • Fool For Your Love (1984), Sonet
  • Mesenger (1994), Aerial View

References
  1. Ruhlmann, William "Russell DaShiell Biography", Allmusic. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  2. Accardi, Joseph J. (2008) Beloit's Club Pop House, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN 978-0738552095, p. 96
  3. "Album Reviews: Special Merit Picks", Billboard, September 26, 1970, p. 64. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  4. "Album Reviews: Crowfoot – Find the Sun", Billboard, October 2, 1971, p. 48. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  5. Whitburn, Joel (2009) Music Stars, Record Research Inc., ISBN 978-0898201765, p. 112
  6. Lewis, Barbara (1976) "Don Harrison Band Has Hit Single", Lakeland Ledger, June 28, 1976, p. 2D. Retrieved June 29, 2013
  7. Salloum, Rod (1978) "Russel DaShiell, Elevator, Epic", Star Phoenix, April 15, 1978, p. 8 (Accent section). Retrieved June 29, 2013
  8. Dupler, Steven (1985) "Audio Track", Billboard, March 9, 1985, p. 43. Retrieved June 29, 2013
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