Jamul interview

Jamul recorded their debut self-titled album in 1970 and after some shows sadly vanished from the scene. They recorded material for another album, but the tapes are lost. A classic heavy blues band from the early seventies.

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Interview with the only remaining member: Steve Williams (Harmonica / Vocals).

Where and when did you grow up? Was music a big part of your family life? Did the local music scene influence you or inspire you to play music?

Steve Williams: I personally was born and grew up in Peoria, Illinois. Even though my parents, Elaine and Greg tried to get me to play piano and guitar at a young age it didn’t work out very well. At 17 I joined the Navy.

When did you begin playing music? What was your first instrument? Who were your major influences?

I didn’t start playing music until I was about 25. My first instrument was the Harmonica (Harp). My good friend Jim Allen who actually ended up being the roadie for Jamul gave me my first couple of lessons. My first influences were Little Walter and Paul Butterfield. My vocal influences were Artists like B.B. King and Freddie King.

What bands were you a member of prior to the formation of Jamul?

I was only in one other band before Jamul. The name of that Band was “The Voxmen” which played in the El Cajon, California area mostly (The Voxmen are mentioned in the book Echoes of the Sixties by Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March). I didn’t play much Harp in that band. Mostly front man Tambourine, vocals and harmonies with Lead Guitarist Doran, a very talented vocalist, who recently passed away a couple of months ago. The drummer in that band was Ron Bushy, who later went to the “Iron Butterfly”. He’s the one who played the drum solo in “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”.

What was the first song you ever composed?

The first song I ever composed was “Ramblin Man” which is on the Jamul album. I was the vocalist. I did compose another song called “Shadows” which was on the second album but it was never released. I wrote a lot of lyrics but never was set to music.

“We played at the “Whisky a Go Go” the same night the Doors played.”

Can you elaborate the formation of Jamul?

Bob Desnoyers, John Fergus, and Ron Armstrong were already playing as a trio and had been together playing in National City California at a club called the “Club 66” when I started sitting in with them. The stage was on a platform behind the bar which was tiny, haha. It was set up for go-go dancers. It took off from there.

When and where did Jamul play their first gig? Do you remember the first song the band played? How was the band accepted by the audience?

It was right after I joined the group we started rehearsing originals which were written by Bob Desnoyers, John Fergus and Ronnie Armstrong and the one I wrote. The Club 66 was turned into a Night Club with a new stage and a dance floor that lite up and flashed different colors. It was called the “Pleasure Club”. We were the house band there. We always would open the set with our version of “Tobacco Road” which I must say is still one of the best versions of that song. They also had other bands and some class acts like Kenny Rogers who at the time was singing with the “First Edition”.

Jamul was always accepted by the audiences that came to see us. The only exception to that is when Pleasure Club became an after hours club, from 2 to 4 in the morning, the audiences were mostly hardcore bikers with dead rats hanging off their jackets and all the druggies that didn’t have anywhere else to go…haha. Man that was a trip….

“We played all over California.”

What sort of venues did Jamul play early on? Where were they located?

Jamul was sort of a cover band at first. We mostly did Hard Rock a little Country. But we did other songs too, like Otis Redding. Bob did a great version of “Try A Little Tenderness”. As good as it gets without a full horn section behind him. You must remember that we were just a trio plus one. We played all over California. We played at the “Whisky a Go Go” the same night the Doors played. That was cool. We also went on a small tour back east where we had the pleasure of backing “Little Richard” on PBS TV broadcast in the Baltimore area. That was great. He was a cool guy.

How did you decide to use the name “Jamul”? There’s a small town east of San Diego named Jamul. Do you have any special connections to it?

Yes. The name did come from that little town. At first we were called “The Jamul City Funk Band” but then it was shortened to just Jamul. The name was a creation of Bob Desnoyers. Whether he had any connections to there I am not sure. The picture on the back of the Album was taken at the only bar in that little town.

What influenced the band’s sound?

Most of the musical influences came from the other guys who had been playing in bands for several years. I at the time was relatively new to music.

Did the size of audiences increase following the release of your debut?

Yes. But we already had a great following before the album was released because we were already playing the music that was recorded on the album. Actually the album had more success overseas it seems.

How did you get signed to Lizard Records? What’s the story behind this label? How many copies were pressed originally?

We were playing the Whiskey when a producer from Lizard, Gabriel Meckler saw us, and then eventually signed us. As far as how many copies were pressed I don’t know. I can’t even find any info on the internet.

What’s the story behind your debut album? Where did you record it? What kind of equipment did you use and who was the producer? How many hours did you spend in the studio?

We recorded our album at American Studios in Studio City LA. The album was recorded “Live” for the most part. Only a few songs were done in tracks. As I remember the album was done in just a little over a week. Nothing special as far as equipment was used other than our own amps and pedals etc…. Richard Podolor was the chief engineer. Steppenwolf also recorded their album there.

Please share your recollections of the sessions. What were the influences and inspirations for the songs recorded?

Hard to remember any recollections. The album was recorded in 1970 so it’s a little vague… haha. I do remember walking in to the studio on day to see Tina and Ike Turner sitting talking to Richard. Also remember seeing John Kay from Steppenwolf there. As far as influences and inspirations for any music they come from personal experiences. Musically would be Hard Rock and Blues for me.

Would you share your insight on the albums’ tracks?

Like I said before, most of the songs were recorded live in the studio so not much insight there. We had a great time recording this album.

How pleased was the band with the sound of the album? What, if anything, would you like to have been different from the finished product?

We were all pleased with the sound of the album. We didn’t want anything changed because it sounded like us just like we sounded when we played live. Nothing worse than going to hear a group and they don’t sound the same live as they do on the album.

Did the band tour to support the LP?

Actually we only did the one tour to the east coast. That was sponsored by Ampex.

What happened after the band stopped? You are the last remaining member of the band?

After the band split, I moved to Colorado and have been here since. I have played in several bands. Mostly Blues and one Country band which I was a member for 7 years. Bob Desnoyers and John Fergus sad to say have both passed away and I don’t know about Ron Armstrong. He was doing his own albums in LA and I lost touch with him over a month ago.

Did you play on any other records?

No, not really. I did do some recording as background music for a couple of commercials on harp. But other than that nothing.

Looking back, what was the highlight of your time in the band? Which songs are you most proud of? Where and when was your most memorable gig?

The highlights are the band always got along. We partied together, sometimes too hard, haha. Always love playing “Tobacco Road”, great rendition. My favorite gig was our first concert in Balboa Bowl in San Diego Balboa Park. There were over 4000 people there. It definitely was natural high.

“It was Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll”

What are some of your favorite memories from Jamul and the 60s in general?

The most favorite memory of playing in Jamul was that this band for the most part was tight. We all enjoyed playing together. The 60’s. Well best I can remember is it was Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll. It was a crazy, crazy time.

Is there any unreleased material by Jamul?

Yes. We did a second album which was recorded in San Diego. But actually we were having management problems then. It was sadly the beginning of the end of the band. I don’t have any tapes of the second album and as I remember it was never completed. If there are any tapes of what we did I wouldn’t know where they would be or who would have them. Most everybody is gone.

What’s the story behind that amazing video footage of you from Barry Richard’s Turn-On?

We did footage of us playing live, “Tobacco Road”, outside of the PBS station in Baltimore. There was also an interview with Little Richard and Uncle Dirty. Later inside the station, we backed up “Little Richard” for PBS TV.

 

Thank you for taking your time. Last word is yours.

As I revisit my time playing with Jamul, I have a lot fond memories. The sad thing is we could’ve went a lot further if we would have had better management. But no time to cry over spilled milk eh. It is what it is of course. My music career has been a good one and at 78 I wouldn’t give up on moment of it. Thanks for the interview Klemen.

– Klemen Breznikar

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Steve Williams: Harmonica / Vocals
Bob Desnoyers: (RIP 2011) Guitar/ Vocals
John Fergus (RIP April 14 2018) Bass
Ron Armstrong (RIP 2017) Drums

Very special thanks to Adam Bennati for the help.