View Full Version : Damn Damn Damn- R.I.P., Sunlight


tentoze
06-25-2009, 01:27 PM
The world is minus one more wild-eyed, crazy human today. This saddens me greatly.

R.I.P. Sky Saxon
By Joe Gross | Thursday, June 25, 2009, 10:18 AM

Sky Saxon, founder of the brilliant ’60s garage band the Seeds, died Thursday morning at St. David’s Hospital.

The newly minted Austinite, born Richard Marsh, was hospitalized Monday with what doctors suspected was an infection of the internal organs, but cause of death has not yet been released.

Saxon fell ill last Thursday, but performed at Saturday at Antone’s with recent Austin collaborators Shapes Have Fangs.

Sky’s wife Sabrina Saxon posted news of his passing on Facebook this morning: “Sky has passed over and YaHoWha is waiting for him at the gate. He will soon be home with his Father. I’m so sorry I couldn’t keep him here with us. More later. I’m sorry.”

We are sorry as well.

Saxon was the founder of the Seeds, one of the all-time great first-wave garage rock bands. If the Rolling Stones was the sound of five British guys trying to imitate Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf and failing in new and strange ways, ’60s garage rock was the sound of American kids trying to imitate the Stones and (similarly, brilliantly) missing the mark.

The Seeds fell together in 1965 around a core of Saxon and guitarist Jan Savage with keyboardist Daryl Hooper and drummer Rick Andridge. The bands’s first couple of singles — ‘Can’t Seem To Make You Mine’ and ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ — are ’60s punk classics, snotty and fuzzy and brief. Check out their first two albums — ‘The Seeds’ and ‘A Web of Sound,’ both from that magic rock year 1966 — for perfect examples of proto-psychedelic roar.

After a few more records, Saxon broke up the Seeds in 1970, joined the spiritual commune the Source Family, adopted the name Sunlight and played with the Source Family band YaHoWha 13 now and then.

He continuted to make albums since with various lineups, distributing his music via the Internet at www.skysaxon.com. He came to Austin in March for the second annual Psych Fest and never really left, according to his publicist, keeping a very low profile until recently.

Strangeband
06-25-2009, 01:30 PM
Bummer. I had forgotten all about the Seeds till now yet Pushin’ Too Hard was still stored somewhere in my mind's recesses. RIP Sky.

Jack Lord
06-25-2009, 01:34 PM
That's a bummer. RIP Sky.

KeninDC
06-25-2009, 01:50 PM
Great band and person.

Mystic
06-25-2009, 01:53 PM
A man whose discography could fill a book.

May you find eternal rest and comfort in your Cosmic Voyage.

grillebilly
06-25-2009, 04:03 PM
He had a good run

RIP

Arkay
06-25-2009, 04:40 PM
RIP, Sun Skylight Saxon.

Pushin Too Hard-?! Man, I haven't even thought of that song in YEARS, but I can still remember it well. (Showin' my age, I suppose.) Good stuff; a big hit back when it came out. For those not old enough to remember, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmHTyLBIZ1g

pmsummer
06-25-2009, 06:43 PM
This one hurts. Rest in Light Eternal, Sky.

Ausjoe
06-25-2009, 07:24 PM
Be one with the light.

spideyjack
06-25-2009, 07:37 PM
:tears:

truetone36
06-25-2009, 09:06 PM
Sadly his passing is being overshadowed by that of Michael Jackson. Spinning the first Seeds LP as I type this.
R.I.P. Sky:sadwave:

vinylviola
06-25-2009, 09:09 PM
Ed McMahon, MJ and Saxon....when it rains it pours.

vinylviola
06-25-2009, 09:10 PM
Oh, and Farrah. Forgot about that earlier today.

tentoze
06-25-2009, 09:20 PM
Sadly his passing is being overshadowed by that of Michael Jackson. Spinning the first Seeds LP as I type this.
R.I.P. Sky:sadwave:

Good for you.

fotno
06-25-2009, 09:22 PM
Sad news indeed. RIP Sky.

70salesguy
06-25-2009, 09:25 PM
I used to see The Seeds on the afternoon show Where the action is. Paul Revere and the Raiders used to host this show.

What always stood out to me was that the keyboard player would play two keyboards at the same time, set at a 90 degree angle and he played them cross-armed! Left arm playing the right keyboard and right arm playing the left keyboard!

Can't really remember any song except Pushing too hard, though.

Anyone else remember this show?

pmsummer
06-25-2009, 09:31 PM
Anyone else remember this show?

Yep. The Left Banke (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2pnet_walk-away-renee-the-left-banke_music) was on there a couple of times.

Dang, you're older than dirt! ;)

Mystic
06-25-2009, 09:32 PM
Where the action is.

Anyone else remember this show?



A bit before my time, but I was a little shaver when the program Happening '68 aired and do remember that program being hosted by PR&TR.

As for Seeds' keyboardist's x-armed trick, I'll wager the music was piped in and they were lip (and instrument) syncing.

Still sad that Sky's gone; need to play one of his albums today.

goraman
06-25-2009, 09:35 PM
Who?
who was the Seeds?
R.I.P. Saxon

wajobu
06-25-2009, 09:35 PM
Yes indeed, RIP Sky.

http://skysaxon.com/

wajobu
06-25-2009, 09:43 PM
I love the guitar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV8KvKYRxig

Mr. Farmer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ywfPT9K3PU