The Frost was an American

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

band from

Alpena, Michigan Alpena ( ') is the only city in and county seat of Alpena County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 10,483 at the 2010 census. After Traverse City, it is the second most populated city in the Northern Michigan region. The city i ...

in the late 1960s, led by singer-guitarist

Dick Wagner Richard Allen Wagner (December 14, 1942 – July 30, 2014) was an American rock guitarist, songwriter and author best known for his work with Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and Kiss. He also fronted his own Michigan-based bands, the Frost and the Bos ...

, who went on to play with Ursa Major,

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...

in the 1970s. The rest of the band consisted of Gordy Garris (

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

), Bob Rigg (

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

), and Don Hartman (

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

History

The band formed from the remains of The Bossmen. Dick Wagner had just been rejected from the band Blood, Sweat, and Tears so he fully devoted his time to The Frost. The band's first large-scale performance came at Meadowbrook Theatre in front of a crowd of 10,000.

MC5 MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...

and

The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...

were also performing but the Frost was noted as being a standout among the rest. Record companies heavily pursued the band for a record deal as they noticed their growing popularity. The Frost recorded three albums for

Vanguard Records Vanguard Recording Society is an American record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York City. It was a primarily classical label at its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, but also has a catalogue of recordings by a n ...

: ''Frost Music'', ''Rock and Roll Music'', and ''Through the Eyes of Love.'' The Frost were one of the top Detroit area bands of the era; however, substandard album cover artwork and poor distribution and promotion by Vanguard hampered the band, causing them to miss the national success that other bands like Ann Arbor's

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

, Detroit's

Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock an ...

and Flint's

Grand Funk Railroad Grand Funk Railroad (often shortened to Grand Funk) is an American rock band formed in 1968 in Flint, Michigan, by Mark Farner (vocals, guitar), Don Brewer (drums, vocals), and Mel Schacher (bass). The band achieved peak popularity and succes ...

were to achieve. There have been several Frost reunion concerts over the years, especially while Wagner still lived and performed in Michigan. The reunions have included Wagner, Hartman and Rigg. The Frost was voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2008.

Discography

Singles

* "Sunshine" / "Little Girl" 1967 - as Dick Wagner and The Frosts * "Bad Girl" / "A Rainy Day" 1968 - as Dick Wagner and The Frosts * "Mystery Man" / "Stand in the Shadows" 1969 (Vanguard 35089) * "Donny's Blues" / "Rock and Roll Music" 1969 (Vanguard 35101) * "Help Me Baby / Black Train" 1969 (Vanguard 119020) * "Linda" / "Sweet Lady Love" 1969 (Vanguard 35099) * "Black as Night" / "A Long Way from Home" (Vanguard 35115)

Albums

* ''Frost Music'' 1969 (Vanguard VSD-6520) *''Rock and Roll Music'' 1969 (Vanguard VSD-6541) *''Through the Eyes of Love'' 1970 (Vanguard VSD-6556) *''Live at the Grande Ballroom 1969'' 2001 (Vanguard VSD-6553)

Compilation albums

* ''Early Frost'' 1969 (Vanguard VSD 79392)

References

External links

The Frost discography from Vanguard Records
People from Alpena, Michigan Psychedelic rock music groups from Michigan Vanguard Records artists Musical groups established in 1968 Musical groups disestablished in 1970 {{US-rock-band-stub