The Seeds remain amongst the most beloved and iconographic of the original 1960s garage-psych avatars. To many, their edgy dissonant sounds and relentless fuzz-fuelled drive, tinged with flights of psychedelic fancy, make The Seeds the quintessential exponent of the genre, as heard on such classics-for-the-ages as ‘Pushin’ Too Hard,’ ‘Can’t Seem To Make You Mine’ and ‘Mr Farmer.’ Their eponymous 1966 debut album has long been recognized as a minimalist rock ’n’ roll masterpiece, while its sequels, the pop-art A Web Of Sound and florid Future, have also grown more influential as time goes on.
For decades, the name The Seeds was most closely identified with the activities of their eccentric vocalist, the late Sky Saxon, but the first, path-finding line-up was always a collaboration, the musical director of which was, without a doubt, keyboard whiz Daryl Hooper. Now, in the 2020s, as the only surviving original Seed, Daryl has reclaimed his birthright with a new and powerful set of Seeds personnel: band historian Alec Palao on bass, singer/frontman extraordinaire Paul Kopf, and Sky Saxon alumni Mark Bellgraph on guitar and Justin Smith on drums.
LOVE with Johnny Echols sees Arthur Lee’s longest serving band continue to perform the classic songs from Love’s first three albums Love, Da Capo, Four Sail and of course the timeless Forever Changes.
This isn’t just a nostalgia trip – their shows are drawing in an increasingly younger audience as teens and students are discovering the timeless music produced by these 60s legends performed by a band that is truly on top of its game.
Johnny Echols: “I so look forward to performing LOVE’s extraordinary music to an appreciative audience. We perform much of Forever Changes, as well as favourites from our extensive catalogue… a few deep cuts as well as a few surprises!”
Joining Johnny Echols on stage is Baby Lemonade who from 1993 until Arthur’s death in 2006 performed as his band and became an essential part of the renaissance of LOVE’s music.
This iteration of LOVE saw many sold-out tours, including a US tour with the Zombies, as well as back-to-back performances at the legendary Glastonbury festival (UK) and appearances all over Europe.
On July 8th, 2024 “Five String Serenade,” the lead single from Just To Remind You—the first new Arthur Lee / Love studio album in 33 years was released. The song features a gorgeous orchestral arrangement by David Angel, harkening back to his work on Love’s timeless classic Forever Changes. Famously covered by Mazzy Star, the track was recorded in the same room at L.A.’s Sunset Sound where Love recorded their first three albums, and features lead guitar from Love founding member Johnny Echols and tasteful backing from the current and longest-serving incarnation of Love.
LOVE is:
Johnny Echols: Guitar, Vocals
Rusty Squeezebox: Lead Vocals, Guitar
Mike Randle: Guitar, Vocals
David “Daddyo” Green: Drums
James Nolte: Bass
