January 29, 1968 - Steppenwolf and Born To Be Wild

My first song from 1968 is Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild", released on January 29 off of their self-titled debut album. It is the only song I have by Steppenwolf, but it is definitely a good one. But who is Steppenwolf? Three of the five members are from Oshawa, Ontario: lead singer and guitarist John Kay, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton (a guy named Edmonton from Oshawa, can't get much more Canadian than that). They recruited bassist Rushton Moreve and guitarist Michael Monarch in Los Angeles to form the band and released their debut studio album, "Steppenwolf" in January of 1968. "Born To Be Wild" was the first song to use the term "heavy metal", although in this song they refer to a motorcycle. It was also featured in the film "Easy Rider" the following year, leading to immense popularity. And why wouldn't it? It's an awesome song with a chorus that everyone wants to scream along to. Moreve and Edmonton provide an above average rhythm section, Kay's smooth vocals carry the song, and oh my god that is some excellent organ work from McJohn. A superb song that it seems Steppenwolf could never top in my opinion, but an excellent way to kick off 1968 nonetheless. More great music to follow soon!

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