All Saved Freak Band
Broadcasting their first recorded songs on WREO radio in Ashtabula County, Ohio, in the fall of 1968, ASFB joined Larry Norman and the California group, Agape, as one of the original "pioneers" of Jesus music, birthed in that same year.
Based out of a Christian commune near Orwell, Ohio, members included co-founders Joe Markko and Larry Hill, Mike Berkey, Ed Durkos, Tom Eritano, Tim Hill, Morgan King, Norris McClure, Carole King, Randy Markko, Kim Massman, Pam Massman, Tom Miller, and rock guitarist Glenn Schwartz.
Schwartz was lead-guitarist for the rock group, the James Gang (later replaced by Joe Walsh) and Pacific Gas & Electric who recorded a top 20 song in 1969, Are You Ready?
Temporary replacements for Glenn Schwartz and Tom Eritano were guitarist Phil Keaggy of Glass Harp and drummer, Val Fuentes from the California band, It's a Beautiful Day.
Prior to recording their first album, three band members—Brett Hill [Larry's son], Joe's brother Randy and Tom Miller—all lost their lives in automobile accidents while traveling to concerts.
"The totally essential Jesus rock album featuring some baroque chamber folk with harpsichord, strings, piano and woodwinds, some otherworldly smoky dream psych and some stripped-down electric boogie blues.
"[4] Their second album, For Christians, Elves and Lovers (1976) combined evangelical theology and millennialism with admiration for the fantasy world of The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R.
In February 1975, after lead guitarist Glenn Schwartz's family grew concerned about the deteriorating social conditions at the church's communal farm, they had him kidnapped for an intense, three-day "deprogramming" effort by famed cult deprogrammer Ted Patrick.
With some of the best Christian 70s rock by anyone anywhere their music is stunningly powerful with a dark, creeping psychrock menace achieved via songwriting and guitar/organ arrangements that spell big league all the way.
This album is non-stop sizzling stuff with plenty of heavy organ, harmonica and, of course, Glenn Schwartz's searing guitar fireworks.
The band met Rob while on tour in Nashville in 1971 when Glenn, Larry, Randy and Joe taped a demo of a few songs at the Columbia Studio.
Independently produced and distributed, the music of the All Saved Freak Band had been played on hundreds of radio stations in more than 14 different countries by the time they disbanded in the winter of 1978-79.
[11][12] Larry, Ed and the Massmann sisters would attempt to continue the effort until 1980 but the All Saved Freak Band was gone following the departures of Joe Markko and Glenn Schwartz.
These recordings are very much of their time so they are a little ragged around the edges production wise but the band certainly fulfilled their ambition to create music that would stop people in their tracks and make them respond to the Gospel.
