TGIF Rock-n-Roll Oldies: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen - 1971

Reaganite Republican ^ | March 4, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

"That story is true, and I'm here to say:
I was drivin' that Model A..."

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen was a pioneering American country-rock band founded in 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan: they're known for such hits as "Hot Rod Lincoln", "Smoke Smoke Smoke (that Cigarette)", "Don't Let Go", as well as an exceptional cover of boogie-woogie standard (and Andrews Sisters hit) "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" that managed to chart too.

The band’s style fused country, rockabilly, and blues together on a base of boogie-woogie piano. It was among the first country-rock bands to take its cues less from folk-rock and bluegrass and more from real hardcore barroom country- they became legendary for raucous, extended live performances.

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen was formed in 1967 with a newly-recruited George Frayne (7.19.1944 Boise, Idaho), who then took the stage name Commander Cody. The band’s name was inspired by 1950s film serials featuring the character Commando Cody... and from a feature version of another serial, King of the Rocket Men, came the "Lost Planet Airmen."

After playing for several years in Michigan bars, core members migrated to San Francisco, where they promptly landed a recording contract. They subsequently released the 1971 debut album Lost in the Ozone.  The record brought the group's best-known hit, a version of the rockabilly standard Hot Rod Lincoln, which went Top Ten on the Billboard US singles chart in early '72 (featured video below). 

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen then headed-off for Texas, where they made their 1974 live recording Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas. 

The band released several moderately-successful albums through the first half of the 70s. After appearing in the Roger Corman movie Hollywood Boulevard, Frayne disbanded the group in 1976. 

Interestingly, Geoffrey Stokes' 1976 book Star-Making Machinery featured Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen as its primary case study of music industry production and marketing. Stokes relates the difficulties the band had recording its first album for Warner Bros. Records: the label wanted a hit album along the lines of the soft country-rock of The Eagles, but this band was not interested in losing their rough-edged style and adding a bunch of layered harmonies.

Staying with the stage name Commander Cody, George Frayne had a subsequent solo career, touring and releasing albums from 1977-on. He released some later albums under the Lost Planet Airmen name. Recent releases have been as The Commander Cody Band.

And back in a time when I wasn't into country music really -say, late teens/early 20s- I sure was plenty into "Hot Rod Lincoln"- went out and bought the record, too. How could any red-blooded American gearhead not relate?

But I couldn't find a live version with decent sound to post, so here's the '45' single with a hot rod slide show somebody put together... what a great tune:

Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen:

Hot Rod Lincoln - 1971


[video]

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Commander Cody.com   Wikipedia   YouTube


Previous RR Rock n Roll Oldies features -here-

[Maverick68]

thanks, very cool....

[imjimbo]

The Good Commander and his band provided much of the soundtrack of my youth-!! Webb Wilder is in the same league-!!

[Reaganite Republican]

These guys are simply great, love ‘em

[Huskrrrr]

Saw “The Commander” in concert with Jefferson Starship in 1975. They stole the show. Thass righhhhhhhhhht!

[pookie18]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MS9fk1u6kA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZu5TwRbYiA

[Paladin2]

"Bill Kirchen is best known for his work in the '70s with the rebel band Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen. Leading the way, this gang of rock & roll honky tonkers cut a wide path thro..."

[Paladin2]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKXCLCZBYrg

[Huskrrrr]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAJuRK9x4No

[holymoly]

"Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers Favorites"

Outstanding LP.

My particular favorites inlude "Truck Drivin' Man", "Semi-Truck", and "Mama Hated Diesels".

[Argus]

I saw them play at the Troubador in LA in the early 70’s and got the whole band to sign my album after the show. Unfortunately I appear to have lost it.

[ReverendJames]

Good Grief!!! I have several tapes of his. I used to have a 1965 GTO with personal plates of: CDR-CDY

[ReverendJames]

There was one number I liked, can’t remember the name, but it was about a train that arrived at a station with nobody on-board.

[Frantzie]

This guy was the real deal playing country, bluegrass and rock with The Golden State Boys, The Pine Valley Boys, The Squirell Barkers and The Kentucky Colonels plus The Byrds.

He was Californian before it became a lib hell hole destroyed by NY transplants.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcEjCnMlxfY

[Reaganite Republican]

Now THAT’s a show lol

I’m jealous... missed them both

[CommerceComet]

Saw “The Commander” in concert with Jefferson Starship in 1975. They stole the show. Thass righhhhhhhhhht!

It was somewhere right around that time that I saw Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Pure Prairie League, and New Riders of the Purple Sage in concert in the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. Great show.

[Reaganite Republican]

I love it, Pookie

But got to give it to The Commander... he brought a lot to the material

[Reaganite Republican]

His version sounds real good here, thx

[Reaganite Republican]

I’ve never seen that, new to me... but they opened for the Dead on one tour, seemed to be pretty good buds, both operating out of SF in the late 60s

[Huskrrrr]

Wow, great show!