Randy California - Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds (1972)

“Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds” is a 1972 studio album album by Randy California.

This album was recorded and released following Randy California's departure from Spirit. Spirit's fourth LP, “Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus”, reached the charts but took an inordinate amount of time to receive attention. As a result, Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes departed Spirit to form Jo Jo Gunne with Andes' brother Matt (whose slide guitar work had previously appeared in "Prelude: Nothin' to Hide" on the Sardonicus album) and drummer Curly Smith. Following the departure of Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes in early 1971, Spirit recruited John Arliss (and later John Fine) on bass and resumed playing live shows in March 1971".Randy California, however, was also growing disenchanted in Spirit and left the band in July 1971, along with bassist John Fine. They were replaced by brothers Al and John Staehely (on bass and guitar, respectively), and Spirit went on to record Feedback without Randy. Randy spent much of his time afterwards in jam sessions with various musicians in Topanga Canyon clubs, particularly a club known as The Corral. Some of the musicians who appeared in these jam sessions, along with Noel Redding (under the pseudonym 'Clit McTorius'), Leslie Sampson (the drummer from Noel's band Road, under the pseudonym 'Henry Manchovitz') and Ed Cassidy (as 'Cass Strange'), would end up working with Randy when he started recording solo material in 1972. The resulting album featured numerous covers of the works of contemporary acts such at the Beatles and James Brown, with less emphasis upon original material by Randy.

The album was also heavily influenced by the death of Jimi Hendrix in 1970, who had been friends with Randy since they played together in Jimmy James and the Blue Flames.

Track listing

1.  "Downer"   (Randy California)  - 5:36
2.  "Devil"   (California)  - 4:13
3.  "I Don't Want Nobody"   (James Brown)  - 4:25
4.  "Day Tripper"   (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)  - 3:00
5.  "Mother and Child Reunion"   (Paul Simon)  - 2:51
6.  "Things Yet to Come"   (Victor Keith Phillips, Lenny Lee Goldsmith)  - 8:12
7.  "Rain"   (Lennon, McCartney)  - 8:38
8.  "Rainbow"   (California)  - 3:31

Credits
Randy California – vocals, guitar, waterbass
Charlie Bundy – bass
Noel Redding (credited as 'Clit McTorius') - bass
Larry "Fuzzy" Knight – bass
Tim McGovern - drums
Leslie Sampson (credited as 'Henry Manchovitz') - drums
Ed Cassidy (credited as 'Cass Strange') - drums
Janet Wolfe, Robin Wolfe - background vocals
Engineer - Roger Dollarhide
Producer - Kapt. Kopter (Robin Wolfe, Randy California)

Notes
Recorded at Studio Larrabee, Sunwest and Sound City Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre:  Rock
Length:  40:26
Label:  Epic Records

© 1972