Ten Wheel Drive - 1969 Construction #1. (NYC Psych Hippie Brass Rock)

Band history from Wikipedia
In 1968, after the final break-up of the all-female rock band Goldie & The Gingerbreads, Genya Ravan was looking for a new band, as were two New Jersey musicians and songwriters, Michael Zager and Aram Schefrin. and the Greek Bill Takas,on Bass.

Personnel incl:

GENYA RAVAN vcls, hrmnca,tambourine

ARAM SCHEFRIN gtr, vcls

BILL TAKAS bs

MICHAEL ZAGER organ ,piano

LEON RIX drms ,cello,perc.

LOUIS HOFF flute , tenor , baritone sax

DENNIS PARISI trombone

JAY SILVA flute,trumbet, fleugelhorn

RICHARD MEISTERMAN trumbet,fleugelhorn

PETER HYDE piccolo trumbet,fleugelhorn

Produced by Walter Raim

Engineer Ed Rice

Recorded At Gotham Studios,New York City 1969

ALBUMS:

1(A) CONSTRUCTION N1 (Polydor 4008) 1969

2(B) BRIEF REPLIES (Polydor 4024) 1970

3(C) PECULIAR FRIENDS (Polydor 4062) 1971

4(-) TEN WHEEL DRIVE (Capitol ST 11199) 1974

Acquainted by their managers, the three musicians who would become the nucleus of the new band. Their origins and artistic backgrounds were very different, and at first the music was not to Ravan’s liking.
More musicians had to be found for the rhythm and brass sections. With the exemption of Genya Ravan, only people who were able to read sheet music were hired.
In 1969 the band started to perform regularly and attract positive reviews, and comparisons were drawn between Genya Ravan and Janis Joplin.

Boston Tea Party 11-13 Dec. 1969

At the same time, the Polydor record label was forming an American division. Its new President, Jerry Schoenbaum, closed a deal with Ten Wheel Drive, and together with producer Walter Raim the band released its first album, Construction #1.
Ten Wheel Drive's first big concert appearance was in 1969 at the Fillmore East in New York City. Apart from the band's intense musical presence, Ravan caused some excitement when she took off her transparent vest and continued the performance half-naked with painted breasts and shoulders.

In the summer of the same year, Ten Wheel Drive appeared at the Atlanta Pop Festival. On this occasion Ravan and Janis Joplin, who had previously often been compared, met in person for the second time, having first met at Steve Paul's club The Scene when Joplin sat in with the band.
In 1970, Ten Wheel Drive released their second album, Brief Replies, with producer Guy Draper. By then many of the brass musicians had also been replaced.
1971 saw Ten Wheel Drive performing at Carnegie Hall. Genya with Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show

The project consisted of a rock opera based on the Battle of the Little Big Horn and the history of the Native North American peoples. The American Symphony Orchestra and a choir participated in the project, which had been meticulously prepared. Polydor finally decided against the recording of the event and was later criticised for its bad judgement. Steppenwolf Ten Wheel Drive Luther Allison Feb 5, 1971 Fillmore East (NYC )

Also in 1971, the band's third album Peculiar Friends appeared, for the first time produced by Aram Schefrin and Michael Zager themselves. Genya Ravan’s decision to leave the band and start her solo career at this time, was presumably influenced by the record company’s attitude towards the Carnegie Hall concert. She was replaced by Annie Sutton of The Rascals. Aram Schefrin and Michael Zager later contributed to Genya Ravan’s first solo album.
Ten Wheel Drive left Polydor and their fourth and final album, Ten Wheel Drive (1974), was released by Capitol Records. It includes one song which had earlier been composed by Genya Ravan with Aram Schefrin and Michael Zager, "Why Am I So Easy to Leave". With this record the already loose cooperation between the band's musicians ended.

http://www.genyaravan.com/genya.html

Enjoy