1971. Another shot of Copperhead 1971. Left to Right:
John Cipollina, Gary Phillipet, Pete Sears, Jim McPherson, David Weber.
I later left the band just before signing a recording contract to which I didn’t want to commit, and returned to England to record on Rod Stewart’s “Never a Dull Moment”. I had also agreed to join Nicky Hopkins in a band he was forming, so I could only stay in England to record with Rod for two weeks. I had to get back to take possession of a house Nicky was renting for me on Melrose Ave in Mill Valley, California. Nicky was away on tour with the Rolling Stones for a few months, but decided he had had enough of the road after the tour ended and never did get his band together. I later found out the drummer would have been Prairie Prince who I later played with in the Steve Kimock Band.
I worked and recorded with Bluesman Nick Gravenites around this time, including Nick’s album “Blue Star” and piano on all of Nick’s tracks for the “Mill Valley Bunch” recordings. I also recorded with Nick and Mike Bloomfield, and sat in with Paul Butterfield. I also played piano on a Bobby Newarth album Nick was producing. I sat in on grand piano with Nick for a live KSAN broadcast from the Record Plant in Sausalito.