Steve Miller Band

Biography

The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1966. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group had a string of mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock radio, as well as several earlier psychedelic rock albums. Miller left his first band to move to San Francisco and form the Steve Miller Blues Band. Shortly after Harvey Kornspan negotiated the band's contract with Capitol Records in 1967, the band shortened its name to the Steve Miller Band. In February 1968, the band recorded its debut album, Children of the Future×Children of the FutureJune 1968 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Children of the Future3:00A2Pushed Me to It0:39A3You’ve Got the Power0:53A4In My First Mind7:35A5The Beauty of Time Is That It’s Snowing (Psychedelic B.B.)5:18B1Baby’s Callin’ Me Home3:17B2Steppin’ Stone3:09B3Roll With It2:30B4Junior Saw It Happen2:30B5Fanny Mae3:10B6Key to the Highway6:19. It went on to produce the albums Sailor×SailorOctober 1968 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Song for Our Ancestors5:59A2Dear Mary3:35A3My Friend3:29A4Living in the U.S.A.4:04B1Quicksilver Girl2:44B2Lucky Man3:06B3Gangster of Love1:23B4You’re So Fine2:52B5Overdrive3:54B6Dime‐a‐Dance Romance3:27, Brave New World×Brave New World16 June 1969 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Brave New World3:30A2Celebration Song2:31A3Can’t You Hear Your Daddy’s Heartbeat2:32A4Got Love ’Cause You Need It2:27A5Kow Kow4:27B1Seasons3:51B2Space Cowboy4:56B3LT’s Midnight Dream2:30B4My Dark Hour3:07, Your Saving Grace×Your Saving GraceNovember 1969 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracksA1Little Girl3:22A2Just a Passin’ Fancy in a Midnite Dream3:40A3Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around2:29A4Baby’s House8:51B1Motherless Children6:02B2The Last Wombat in Mecca2:56B3Feel So Glad5:20B4Your Saving Grace4:50, Number 5×Number 5July 1970 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Good Morning2:48A2I Love You2:45A3Going to the Country3:48A4Hot Chili3:31A5Tokin’s4:23B1Going to Mexico2:30B2Steve Miller’s Midnight Tango2:40B3Industrial Military Complex Hex3:54B4Jackson‐Kent Blues7:19B5Never Kill Another Man2:42, The Joker×The Joker19 October 1973 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Sugar Babe4:02A2Mary Lou2:57A3Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma5:42A4Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ but Trash3:22B1The Joker4:26B2Lovin’ Cup2:12B3Come On In My Kitchen4:07B4Evil4:35B5Something to Believe In4:43, Fly Like an Eagle, and Book of Dreams, among others. The band's album Greatest Hits 1974–78×Greatest Hits 1974–781978 · Album · CompilationSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracksA1Swingtown3:30A2Jungle Love3:09A3Take the Money and Run2:53A4Rock 'n Me3:07A5Serenade3:13A6True Fine Love2:41A7The Stake3:59B1The Joker3:38B2Fly Like an Eagle3:05B3Threshold1:06B4Jet Airliner3:36B5Dance, Dance, Dance2:19B6Winter Time3:15B7Wild Mountain Honey4:52, released in 1978, has sold over 13 million copies. In 2016, Steve Miller was inducted as a solo artist into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

History

In 1965, after moving to Chicago to play the blues, Steve Miller and keyboardist Barry Goldberg founded the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band along with bassist Roy Ruby, rhythm guitarist Craymore Stevens, and drummer Maurice McKinley. The band contracted to Epic Records and recorded a single, "The Mother Song", which they performed on Hullabaloo, before Miller left the group and moved to San Francisco.
In November 1966, Miller formed the Steve Miller Blues Band, consisting of Miller and a trio of Wisconsin transplants: guitarist James "Curley" Cooke, drummer Tim Davis, and bassist Rich Personett; in January 1967, Lonnie Turner replaced Personett, who had been drafted. The band performed regularly in the San Francisco area, and in June they appeared at the Magic Mountain Festival (held June 10/11, 1967). Tim Davis' former college roommate, Jim Peterman, then joined on Hammond B3 organ in time for the band's appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival the following week (the festival was held June 16/17/18, 1967). Later that same month, the group backed Chuck Berry at a gig at the Fillmore Auditorium that was released as the live album, Live at Fillmore Auditorium. In September, guitarist/vocalist Boz Scaggs, who had played in various bands with Steve in the early 1960s in Texas, replaced Curley Cooke, who had taken ill.
In November 1967, the Steve Miller Blues Band signed with Capitol Records. Harvey Kornspan, Miller's lawyer and managing partner, wrote and negotiated the contract ($860,000 over five years as well as $25,000 of promotion money that was to be spent at the band's discretion) with the label's then-president Alan Livingston, who had first approached Miller after seeing the band play at the Monterey Pop Festival in June. Shortly after, the band's name was shortened to the Steve Miller Band at the recommendation of George Martin, in order to broaden its appeal.
In January 1968, the band went to London, England to record their debut album, Children of the Future×Children of the FutureJune 1968 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracksA1Children of the Future3:00A2Pushed Me to It0:39A3You’ve Got the Power0:53A4In My First Mind7:35A5The Beauty of Time Is That It’s Snowing (Psychedelic B.B.)5:18B1Baby’s Callin’ Me Home3:17B2Steppin’ Stone3:09B3Roll With It2:30B4Junior Saw It Happen2:30B5Fanny Mae3:10B6Key to the Highway6:19 at Olympic studios, with Glyn Johns as engineer/producer. The album did not score among the Top 100 album chart. The visit itself got off to a poor start also as the group and their entourage were arrested for 'importing drugs and possession of a dangerous firearm'. Kornspan's wife had called Johns asking if he would appear as a character witness in the magistrate's court the day after the arrest and, hopefully, stand bail for them. Johns agreed and the group was released on condition that Johns would 'stand surety for their good behavior' for the rest of their time in England. Both accusations were dropped. The 'dangerous firearm' turned out to be a non-working flare gun that was being used as a wall decoration in the house where the group was staying. The 'imported drugs' happened to be some hash that was buried in the middle of a large fruitcake that had been sent to the group by a stateside friend, unbeknownst to anyone in the group.
The second album Sailor×SailorOctober 1968 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Song for Our Ancestors5:59A2Dear Mary3:35A3My Friend3:29A4Living in the U.S.A.4:04B1Quicksilver Girl2:44B2Lucky Man3:06B3Gangster of Love1:23B4You’re So Fine2:52B5Overdrive3:54B6Dime‐a‐Dance Romance3:27 appeared in October 1968 and climbed the Billboard chart to No. 24. Successes included the single "Living in the USA". Brave New World (No. 22, 1969) featured the songs "Space Cowboy" and "My Dark Hour×My Dark Hour1969 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAMy Dark HourBSong for Our Ancestors". Paul McCartney, credited as "Paul Ramon", played drums, bass and sang backing vocals on "My Dark Hour". This was followed by Your Saving Grace (No. 38, 1969) and Number 5 (No. 23, 1970). In 1971, Capitol Records released the album Rock Love×Rock LoveSeptember 1971 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracksA1The Gangster Is Back2:31A2Blues With Out Blame5:50A3Love Shock11:41B1Let Me Serve You2:24B2Rock Love2:29B3Harbor Lights4:08B4Deliverance9:14, featuring unreleased live performances and studio material. This is one of two Steve Miller Band albums not to be reissued on CD until 2022, the other being Recall the Beginning...A Journey from Eden from 1972. Later in 1972, the double album compilation Anthology was released, containing 16 songs from five of the band's first seven albums.
The style and personnel of the band changed radically with The Joker (No. 2, 1973), concentrating on straightforward rock and leaving the psychedelic blues side of the band behind. The title track, "The Joker×The Joker19 October 1973 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracksA1Sugar Babe4:02A2Mary Lou2:57A3Shu Ba Da Du Ma Ma Ma Ma5:42A4Your Cash Ain’t Nothin’ but Trash3:22B1The Joker4:26B2Lovin’ Cup2:12B3Come On In My Kitchen4:07B4Evil4:35B5Something to Believe In4:43", became a No. 1 single and was certified 7× platinum, reaching over seven million sales. It was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA on January 11, 1974.
Three years later, the band returned with the album Fly Like an Eagle×Fly Like an Eagle1 January 1976 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracksA1Space Intro1:15A2Fly Like an Eagle4:43A3Wild Mountain Honey4:50A4Serenade3:11A5Dance, Dance, Dance2:17A6Mercury Blues3:43B1Take the Money and Run2:50B2Rock'n Me3:07B3You Send Me2:42B4Blue Odyssey0:53B5Sweet Maree4:19B6The Window4:17, which charted at No. 3. Three singles were released from the album: "Take the Money and Run×Take the Money and Run21 May 1976 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksATake the Money and RunBSweet Maree" (No. 11), "Fly Like an Eagle" (No. 2) and their second No. 1 success, "Rock'n Me". Miller credits the guitar introduction to "Rock'n Me" as a tribute to the Free song, "All Right Now".
Book of Dreams (No. 2, 1977) also included three successes: "Jet Airliner" (No. 8), "Jungle Love×Jungle Love1977 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAJungle LoveBWish Upon a Star" (No. 23), and "Swingtown" (No. 17).

Released in 1978, The Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits 1974–78 has sold over 15 million copies.
1982's Abracadabra album gave Steve Miller his third No. 1 success with the title track. Miller's hit pushed Chicago's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" out of the No. 1 spot, just as his "Rock'n Me" had knocked Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now" out of the No. 1 spot in 1976.
Bingo!, an album of blues and R&B covers, was released on June 15, 2010. Let Your Hair Down, a companion release to Bingo!, was released 10 months later, on April 18, 2011.
Founding member Tim Davis died from complications due to diabetes on September 20, 1988, at the age of 44. Long-time band member Norton Buffalo died from lung cancer on October 30, 2009. John King (drummer during "The Joker" era) died after a short bout with kidney cancer on October 26, 2010. James Cooke died from cancer on 16 May 2011. Original bassist Lonnie Turner died from lung cancer on April 28, 2013. His time with the band led to songs such as Jet Airliner, Swingtown, Take the Money And Run, Jungle Love and many more. Blues guitarist Jacob Petersen officially joined the band before the Spring 2011 tour. Following Petersen joining the band, longtime guitarist Kenny Lee Lewis switched instruments to become the band's full-time bassist. In 2014, Steve Miller Band toured with fellow San Francisco rock band Journey.
When it was announced that Steve Miller would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist without his band, Miller told Rolling Stone, "It wasn't my decision, and I didn't have any input into any of it. If they had asked me what do, I think I would have said, 'Here's a list of everyone that was ever in my band. They all ought to be here.'"

Musical style and influences

The Steve Miller Band's early material was blues rock that was influenced by psychedelic music. The band played pop rock in their later output. The songwriting has a strong emphasis on melody. Miller experimented with new wave music in the 1980s before reverting back to his initial style with the band.

Members

Current members

Steve Miller – lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards (1966–present)
Kenny Lee Lewis – bass (1983–1987, 2011–present), guitar (1982–1983, 1987–1988, 1994–2011), backing vocals (1982–1988, 1994–present)
Joseph Wooten – keyboards, backing vocals (1993–present)
Jacob Petersen – guitar, backing vocals (2011–present)
Ron Wikso – drums (2021–present)
Former members

Lance Haas – drums (1965)
Lonnie Turner – bass, guitar, backing vocals (1966–1970, 1975–1978; died 2013)
Boz Scaggs – guitar, lead and backing vocals (1967–1968)
Jim Peterman – keyboards, backing vocals (1966–1968)
Tim Davis – drums, backing vocals (1966–1970; died 1988)
James "Curley" Cooke – guitar (1967; died 2011)
Ben Sidran – keyboards (1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1987–1991)
Nicky Hopkins – keyboards (1969, 1970; died 1994)
Bobby Winkelman – bass, guitar, vocals (1969–1970; died 2023)
Ross Valory – bass, backing vocals (1970–1971)
Jack King – drums (1970–1972)
Gary Mallaber – drums, keyboards, backing vocals (1972, 1975–1987)
Roger Allen Clark – drums (1972; died 2018)
Dick Thompson – keyboards (1972–1974)
Gerald Johnson – bass, backing vocals (1972–1974, 1981–1983)
John King – drums (1972–1974; died 2010)
Les Dudek – guitar (1975)
Doug Clifford – drums (1975)
David Denny – guitar, backing vocals (1975–1978)
Norton Buffalo – harmonica, guitar, backing vocals (1975–1978, 1982–1987, 1989–2009; died 2009)
Greg Douglass – slide guitar, backing vocals (1976–1978)
Byron Allred – keyboards (1976–1987, 1990; died 2021)
John Massaro – guitar, backing vocals (1982–1983)
Billy Peterson – bass, backing vocals (1987–2011)
Bob Mallach – saxophone (1987–1996)
Paul Peterson – guitar (1988, 1991–1992)
Ricky Peterson – keyboards (1988, 1991)
Keith Allen – guitar, backing vocals (1989–1990)
Sonny Charles – backing vocals (2008–2011)
Gordy Knudtson – drums (1987–2021)