| Keith Allison | |
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Birth |
26 August 1942 |
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Credit |
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Song |
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Collaborator |
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Credit |
guitar |
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Songs |
"Auntie's Municipal Court" |
Keith Allison is a musician best known for his association with the rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders. He was a regular guitarist on Monkees recordings during Headquarters, The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees, Head, and Instant Replay sessions and, with Mike Nesmith, co-wrote "Auntie's Municipal Court", a psychedelic rock tune on The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees.
Allison gained national exposure in the mid-60's as a regular performer on the teen variety TV program Where the Action Is. After cutting a demo for Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, he needed to find one of them to sign a voucher so he could get paid. He was told that they were shooting a new TV series at the Whiskey A Go Go. "I walked in the door and they needed people to fill seats," Allison told Gary James of classicbands.com. "One of the dancers grabbed me and said would I sit with her. Tommy Roe is performing 'Everybody' onstage. [Series producer] Dick Clark was there. All the cameras. Paul Revere and the Raiders. There was a couple of shots taken of me sitting in the audience clapping along." After the episode aired, the production company received letters from television viewers wondering who that man in the audience was. As a result, Allison was recruited as a regular cast member.[1]
During production of Where the Action Is, Allison joined forces with series host Steve Alaimo and the Raiders' Mark Lindsay to create the Unknowns, covering the Raiders song "Melody for an Unknown Girl" on their first of two singles for London Records imprints.[2] He also began recording the first of several singles. "The Girl Can't Help It" b/w "Sweet Little Rock 'n Roller", appeared on the Warner Bros. label in 1965, followed by five discs on Columbia Records and one on the Amy label.[3] In 1967, he released a solo album, In Action, featuring his own composition "Freeborn Man" as well as songs by fellow Monkees songwriters Neil Diamond, Denny Randell, Tommy Boyce, and Bobby Hart, including covers of "I'm a Believer" and "I Wanna Be Free".[4]
After collaborating with the Monkees, Allison joined Paul Revere and the Raiders, appearing on their Albums Hard 'N' Heavy (with marshmallow) and Alias Pink Puzz, both released in 1969. In 1972, Allison returned to produce his own composition, "Golden Girls Sometimes", for the Raiders as a B-side.[5]
The year 1976 reunited several Monkees alumni for the Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart album and tour, which Allison joined as bassist.[6] Allison has continued composing and performing regularly, collaborating with Al Kooper, Johnny Rivers, Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr, Alice Cooper, and Jerry Lee Lewis. He also regularly plays with the Los Angeles-based Waddy Wachtel Band and has done some acting work, including the Civil War drama Gods and Generals.
Buddy Holly's Crickets bandmate Jerry Allison is Keith Allison's cousin.[7]
Around the Web[]
- Facebook (official)
- Discography
- AllMusic
- Internet Movie Database