Afterglow 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 in the late 1960s. The band emerged from the Medallions, formed in 1965 in

Chico, California Chico ( ; Spanish for "little") is the most populous city in Butte County, California. Located in the Sacramento Valley region of Northern California, the city had a population of 101,475 in the 2020 census, reflecting an increase from 86,1 ...

, by guitarist Tony Tecumseh (Anthony Vernon Tecumseh, October 27, 1940–January 29, 2012), drummer Larry Alexander and a bassist named Mike, later joined by vocalist Gene Resler. Tecumseh was a

Modoc Modoc may refer to: Ethnic groups *Modoc people, a Native American/First Nations people ** Modoc language **Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe of Modoc *Modoc War, the last armed resistance of the Modoc people in 1873 *The "Mo ...

, born in

Klamath Agency, Oregon Klamath Agency is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Klamath County, Oregon, Klamath County, Oregon, United States, on Oregon Route 62 where Agency Creek enters Crooked Creek. Klamath Agency was an Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indi ...

. "Pioneering Indian musician Tony Tecumseh dies", ''Herald and News'', February 1, 2012
Retrieved 4 March 2018 The group played at local events, before disbanding to attend college. In 1966, Tecumseh, Alexander and Resler reconvened and added bassist Ron George and keyboard player Roger Swanson. After a period of rehearsal they changed their name to Afterglow and began recording an album at

Leo Kulka Leo De Gar Kulka (February 17, 1921 – March 17, 1998) was a Czech-born American record producer, recording engineer and educator. Starting in Los Angeles at Autumn Records in the 1960s, he later founded the San Francisco studio Golden State Re ...

Golden State Recorders Golden State Recorders was a San Francisco recording studio owned by Leo De Gar Kulka. Some of the albums recorded at the studio were Brewer & Shipley's second album '' Weeds'' in 1969, sessions for The Beau Brummels originally recorded between 1 ...

studio in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. The band performed in

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

but, because of members' studies, they were unable to complete the album until 1967. "Afterglow", ''Bad Cat Records''
. Retrieved 4 March 2018 Most of the tracks were written by Tecumseh, with Resler taking the majority of lead vocals. The self-titled album was released in 1968 on the small New York-based MTA label, but was not successful at the time and the band split up shortly afterwards. In later years, the album acquired a cult reputation, being described as "a classic example of California pop and psychedelic", and "like a sampler of American psychedelic styles", recalling the music of

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

Jefferson Airplane Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. Formed in 1965, the group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to ach ...

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...

and others.Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "Afterglow", ''Allmusic.com''
Retrieved 4 March 2018 In 1995, it was reissued by

Sundazed Records Sundazed Music is an American independent record label based in Coxsackie, New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s. In 2000, Sundazed had a staff of 15 and two mixing studios, including a vintage audio ...

, and members of the band reunited to perform, though without Tecumseh because of his poor health. Tecumseh came to be regarded as "a forerunner in Native American involvement in rock and roll music", and was awarded the Native American Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. He died in 2012.

References

External links

Official website
Psychedelic rock music groups from California {{US-rock-band-stub