Rare Earth (band)

According to Louder, "Rare Earth's music straddles genres and defies categorisation, slipping seamlessly between the two seemingly disparate worlds of classic rock and R&B.

An accompanying soundtrack album was released, but quickly withdrawn after the film failed commercially, with only a small number of copies sold.

[10] The group gained a bit of notoriety when it was mentioned dismissively in Gil Scott-Heron's 1970 poem, "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", which included the line, "The theme song [to the revolution] will not be written by Jim Webb, Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Engelbert Humperdinck, or the Rare Earth.

"[7] In 1971, Richards left due to musical differences, and James, weary of the group's increased touring schedule, also departed.

The rest of the band (minus Olson, who left to join the backup band for Jennifer Warnes) decided to continue as Rare Earth and brought in new players: Jerry LaCroix (vocals, sax, harmonica, formerly of the Boogie Kings, Edgar Winter's White Trash and Blood, Sweat & Tears), Paul Warren (guitar, backing vocals), Bartholomew ("Frosty") Eugene Smith-Frost (formerly with Sweathog and Lee Michaels, drums), Reggie McBride (ex-Stevie Wonder, bass) and Gabriel Katona (keyboards).

But neither of these releases sold as well as the band had been used to and they soon found themselves bogged down and unable to tour when they brought a lawsuit against former member Hoorelbeke, claiming that he tried to make off with the group's name and retirement monies.

In late 1976, a former Motown vice president, Barney Ales, an earlier champion of Rare Earth, returned to facebook.com/r.phpcompany to head up one of their new offshoot labels, Prodigal Records.

He made an offer to reunite the 1972–74 members of the band; Bridges, Guzman, Hoorelbeke, Urso, Olson and Monette to record a new album on Prodigal.

Session players Dan Ferguson (guitar) and Ron Fransen (keyboards) were brought in instead to play on Rarearth, which was produced by both James Anthony Carmichael and Cal Harris (both of which later had success with the Commodores and Lionel Richie).

This time, Monette and Olson agreed to join in and the results were Band Together and Grand Slam, both released in 1978 and featuring more of a late 1970s disco sound, with the former providing the Bee Gees-penned hit "Warm Ride", which peaked at number 39.

Johnston had just completed a stint with jazz singer Maxine Weldon and had rejoined Las Vegas comedian/songster Kenny Laursen.

Former Motown writer Dino Fekaris, who had penned the band's hits "I Just Want to Celebrate" and "Hey Big Brother", was next to step back into the group's life in 1980.

The group's road manager, Randy "Bird" Burghdoff, took over as Rare Earth's bassist in September 1985 and has remained in that position ever since.

Rick Warner was then brought in as the band's new keyboardist and Wayne Baraks, who was recruited in 1987 on rhythm guitar, took over much of the lead vocals as well.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s the personnel changes slowed down somewhat as things stabilized and the band found itself in demand to play on "oldies" bills with other acts of the 1960s and 1970s.

Drummer Dean Boucher replaced LeBloch on drums in 1989 and RE signed with the small foreign label Koch International and began work on a new album.

It was mostly overlooked by the public and not even issued in the U.S. On July 29, 1993, the band suffered the loss of another member when long time percussionist Eddie Guzman (age 49) died at his home in Howell, Michigan.

In March 2017 long time guitarist Ray Monette announced his retirement from the band due to recurring back troubles.

[15] Rare Earth continued playing events such as Disneys Anniversary- Hippie Fest, The Moody Blues Cruises and Classic Rock Festivals.

[citation needed] Gil Bridges, the last original member appearing in the current Rare Earth lineup, died from complications arising from COVID-19 on December 8, 2021, aged 80.

In 2022, Metallica released a live recording from the MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on May 12, 2014.