| Steppenwolf (band) |
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:''This article is about the band. For other uses, see Steppenwolf . Steppenwolf was a 1960s and 1970s Rock 'n' Roll band, best known for the hits " Born To Be Wild " and " Magic Carpet Ride ". Due to the German background of band members, they were named after the novel '' Steppenwolf '' by author Hermann Hesse . At the age of 4, frontman John Kay and his mother, after having escaped from East Prussia , fled from Soviet occupied East Germany to West Germany (an event recounted in the song "Renegade" on the album ''Steppenwolf Seven'' and "The Wall" on the album ''Rise and Shine''), before moving to Canada in 1958 . Steppenwolf had its origins in the Toronto blues band ''Sparrow'', which was formed in 1964 and played coffeehouses in Yorkville . By 1967 they had settled in San Francisco , playing Folk Music . Producer Gabriel Mekler of the label Dunhill Records in Los Angeles , suggested to introduce more aggressive beats. With music that pioneered Hard Rock and Heavy Metal , they became Steppenwolf, and this band's original members were:
In 1968, former ''Sparrow'' Nick St. Nicholas rejoined, replacing Moreve as bass player. Steppenwolf rocketed to world-wide fame after their third single, "Born to Be Wild" was used in the Movie '' Easy Rider '', as well as Hoyt Axton 's "The Pusher". The former song may have coined the term " Heavy Metal ". It was written by '' Mars Bonfire '', or Dennis Edmonton, former ''Sparrow'' and brother of Jerry. This was followed by several more hits, including "Magic Carpet Ride" from ''Steppenwolf the Second'', and "Rock Me" from ''At Your Birthday Party''. Many fans consider their double album ''Steppenwolf Live'' (an extended single album in the UK) the best of Steppenwolf's releases. ''Monster'', which criticized US policy of the Nixon -era, and ''Seven'' were the band's most political albums, and are still fondly remembered by fans as two of the best rock & roll snapshots of the attitudes of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The band broke up in 1971 following the release of another political concept album ''For Ladies Only'', and Kay went on to a successful solo career. Steppenwolf reformed in 1974 with the album ''Slow Flux'', and disbanded in 1976 . From 1977 until 1980 Steppenwolf reformed for touring, this time without Kay. John Kay formed a new version of the band in the early 1980s and went on tour as "John Kay and Steppenwolf", as well as releasing a solo album in 2001. DISCOGRAPHY
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