san francisco 1965 - the autumn demos

It rarely happens that a band who never officially released a recording makes a name for themselves through the years. The Knight Riders from Belmont, California, however, are a prime example. In 1965 they recorded nine tracks for San Francisco's Autumn Records.

It took three more years until one track from that session, the self-written garage punker 'I', was released on Vault Records' San Francisco Roots compilation album. It was this particular track that kept the band on the musical map over the years as a snotty '60s punk group from the Autumn Records roster. But it takes the complete session to prove the group's brilliance. Endowed with a great melodic feel, the enthusiasm of youth and the ability to sing astounding harmony vocals, the Knight Riders blended British Invasion and sixties folk rock into amazíngly professional two-and-a-half-minute masterpieces. Over the years, one or two other tracks from the session found their way into the public domain, but the Knight Riders meanwhile grew famous amongst collectors for their rare late '60s psychedelic acetate LP recorded under the "Jungle" moniker. Represented here is the band's early roots as a young '60s garage band from the local San Francisco music scene, gifted with an unreleased musical legacy that would have made a great mid '60s album. Here it is finally in its completeness – here are the Knight Riders.

Track Listing

• I (V. Daniels / J. Mierly)
• Won’t You Be My Baby (V. Daniels / J. Mierly)
• Torture And Pain (V. Daniels / J. Mierly / M. Lentos)
• Don’t Think Twice, It’s Allright (Bob Dylan)
• I Cannot Cry (V. Daniels / J. Mierly)
• Where Did I Fail (V. Daniels / J. Mierly)
• Bumble Bee (V. Daniels / J. Mierly)
• I Don’t Know (V. Daniels / J. Mierly)
• Can’t You See (V. Daniels / J. Mierly)