LAUREL CANYON LOG CABIN STORIES 1

Pattie O’Neal pauses to think back...
“The Cowsills", - the prototype wholesome family?
One or two of the older Cowsill guys were there,”
She says:
“They were really stoned, they looked terrible!”

"The Cowsills were a singing group from Newport, Rhode Island specializing in what would later be defined as bubblegum pop. The band was formed in the spring of 1965 by four brothers — Barry, Bill, Bob, and John Cowsill. After their initial success, the brothers were later joined by their siblings, Susan and Paul and their mother, Barbara. Rounding out the group was remaining brother Richard, who did not sing with the group, but was assigned as road manager and advisor."

"Bud" Cowsill - (Dad)

"Mercury dropped us, but Artie and Steve [Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff] had written "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" and we went in and recorded that song at A&R studios in New York and took the whole package to MGM, who decided wouldn't it just be terrific if their mother performed with them and, voila, the rest, as they say, is history."
The Cowsills" (MGM, 1967) US #31

The Rain..." wound up reaching #2 on the Billboard charts, selling some three million copies in its first release. The Rain, The Park, And Other Things"/"River Blue" (MGM, 1967) US #2
With the success of "The Rain...," the band quickly became a popular act in the U.S., and achieved significant airplay in England and other parts of Europe. In 1968, the band scored another million selling hit with the song Indian Lake which reached #10 on the charts and in 1969, the band had another number two hit and another million seller with their version of the title song from the musical Hair.
Hair"/"What Is Happy?" (MGM, 1969) US #2
From 1968 through 1973, the band played an average of 200 performance dates per year, and were among the most popular acts on the American concert circuit. They were particularly noted for their ability to achieve 4- and 5-part harmonies with remarkable accuracy and relative pitch; a phenomenon common among sibling singing groups.

The band’s true worth is illustrated by the fact that they were initially "discovered" by Johnny Nash’s all black R&B label, JODA Records, and they were asked to headline with future Hall of Famers Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and The Beach Boys before they had their first hit record at "Soundblast ’66" in Yankee Stadium.

In 1969 Bill was fired from the group by his father after he was caught smoking Marijuana.
Bill once recorded with a guitar borrowed from John Lennon.