Psychedelic Pioneers: The Seeds

    The Seeds

The Seeds were an American rock band whose repertoire spread between garage rock and acid rock, and are considered one of the pioneers of punk rock.

Lead singer Sky Saxon had a musical career that went back to pre-Beatle music days, when he recorded a few 45s under the name Richie Marsh. Born in Salt Lake City, he was based in Los Angeles from the early 1960s. The Seeds were formed in 1965 with Saxon joining as a response to an advertisement. Keyboardist Daryl Hooper was a major factor in the band's sound; the band was one of the first to utilize keyboard bass. Guitarists Jan Savage and Jeremy Levine with drummer Rick Andridge completed the original quintet.

The band had their only national Top 40 hit, "Pushin' Too Hard", which was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll in 1966.

Musically uncomplicated and dominated by Saxon's vocal style and flair for simple melodic hooks, their first two albums are today considered classics of '60s garage music.