Steppenwolf is a Canadian rock band active from 1968 to 1972. The band was formed in late 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, keyboardist Goldie McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton.
History of the Steppenwolf Group
John Kay was born in 1944 in East Prussia and moved to Canada with his family in 1958. At the age of 14, Kay was already performing on the radio. He and his family moved to Buffalo, New York and then to Santa Monica, California.
On the west coast, Kay was fascinated by the booming rock music scene, and soon he was playing acoustic blues and humming folk music in coffee shops and bars.
From adolescence, Kay showed a deep interest in music, and subsequently joined the Sparrow group in 1965.
Although the group had a lot of tours, and even recorded their songs, it never brought significant success and soon disbanded. However, at the urging of Gabriel Mekler, Kay decided to regroup the band members.
At that time, the group consisted of: Kay, Goldie McJohn, Jerry Edmonton, Michael Monarch and Rushton Morev. Edmonton's brother Dennis provided the band with the single Born to Be Wild, which he originally wrote for his solo album.
The name of the group was also changed, as a result they were called Steppenwolf. Kay was inspired by Hermann Hesse's novel Steppenwolf and decided to name the group that way.
The band's comeback was a phenomenal success. Born to Be Wild was Steppenwolf's first major hit, and in 1968 it was playing on all the charts.
After such success in 1968, the group released their second album, The Second. It included several hits that were in the top five songs of their time.
Another album, released in 1969, "On Your Birthday", had a hit like Rock Me, which hit the top ten songs.
The band's most politically charged album, Monster, also released in 1969, questioned President Nixon's policies and, surprisingly, the song proved to be a colossal hit.
In 1970 the band released their album Steppenwolf 7, which is considered by some to be the group's best album. The song Snowblind Friend was especially appreciated for its focus on drug abuse and the problems associated with it.
By this time, the group had reached the pinnacle of success, but disagreements between the performers subsequently led to its disintegration (in 1972). After that, Kay recorded solo albums such as Forgotten Songs and Unsung Heroes and My Sportin.
The band's farewell tour was very successful, and in 1974 Kay took the initiative to reform the band, culminating in the release of albums such as Slow Flux and Skullduggery. However, by now the group was no longer very popular, and in 1976 it broke up again.
Kay returned to work on his solo career. By the 1980s, several bands "flared up" consisting of former band members using the Steppenwolf name to tour.
Kay soon formed a new line-up and named the band John Kay and Steppenwolf to try and reclaim the former glory of the band, which continues to operate as a major label.
In 1994 (on the eve of the 25th anniversary of Steppenwolf) Kay returned to the former East Germany for a triumphant series of concerts. This trip reunited him with friends and relatives whom he had not seen since early childhood. In the same year, Kay published his biography, which tells everything about the ups and downs of his group.
In early 2012, John Kay sold all of his rights to Steppenwolf to his manager, but retained the right to tour and act as John Kay & Steppenwolf.
Changes in the composition of the group Steppenwolf
After the single Rock Me, Move Over, Monster and Hey Lawdy Mama, the band went into a kind of "eclipse". Nevertheless, they continued to enjoy huge popularity both in the US and abroad. Just when the band was at their breaking point, line-up changes threatened their success.
The guitarist was replaced by Larry Byr, who was then replaced by Kent Henry. The bass player was replaced by Morgan Nikolai and then by George Biondo.
In the end, the lack of a permanent line-up took its toll, and in early 1972 the group disbanded. “We were tied to the image and style of the music, and not to staffing issues,” Kay said at a press conference.
Group today
Today, Steppenwolf operates without mainstream funding. The independent activity of the group includes its own recording studio.
There is also a website that releases Steppenwolf's music, allowing "fans" to easily access the band's recent work as well as CD reissues of the entire Steppenwolf and John Kay album catalog.
The band continues to release new music as well as many projects, including a recent solo performance by John Kay.
With over 20 million records sold worldwide, and with their songs licensed for use in 37 films and 36 television programs, Steppenwolf's work has become an integral part of our lives.
