Although they never released any records, the Prime Movers were a pivotal band in Southeastern Michigan during the late '60s. Where many of their Michigan contemporaries played straight, frat-house rock & roll, the Prime Movers were a blues band. They were purists, inspired first by classic Chicago blues and then by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, who proved that white boys could play the blues. Led by brothers Michael and Dan Erlewine, the Prime Movers set out on the same path as Butterfield, playing countless gigs at clubs, frat parties, and festivals around the Ann Arbor and Detroit areas. They were slightly older than contemporaries like the Rationals, the MC5, and the Amboy Dukes, and were a core part of the scene -- not only as a blues band, but they also touched on folk and avant-garde music, as well -- and they earned a large local following. They did venture out to San Francisco, playing a few opening dates at the Matrix, Straight Theater, Haight "A", and Fillmore West, yet they never quite achieved national success. Nevertheless, almost all of the band's core members made their mark in music one way or another.
The Prime Movers were formed in the summer of 1965. Initially, the group featured Michael Erlewine on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Dan Erlewine on lead guitar and vocals, Robert Sheff on keyboards and vocals, Robert Vinopal on bass, and Spider Winn on drums. All the members lived in a house on North Division street. Before too long, Michael began playing amplified harmonica, in addition to lead vocals and rhythm guitar. Vinopal left the band and was replaced by Jack Dawson, while James Osterberg, a former member of the Iguanas, took over the drums. (Since Osterberg played in the Iguanas, the other members called him "Iguana," which metamorphosed to "Iggy," which led to the name he became famous as -- Iggy Pop.) As it turned out, this would be the classic lineup of the Prime Movers -- the one that rose to popularity in Southeastern Michigan, the one whose members went on to greater fame after their disbandment.
Initially, the Prime Movers played frat parties, leaning toward bluesy rock & roll, but they soon decided to concentrate on blues, spiked with a little soul and gospel; they became known for a cover of the Swan Silvertones' "Seek, Seek and Ye Shall Find." They played frequently around Ann Arbor, traveling from gig to gig in a Dodge van with "Gonna Ring a Few Bells in Your Ear," a quote from Jessie Hill's "Oop Oop Pah Do," on the front and "The Prime Movers" emblazoned on the sides; occasionally, they were mistaken for a moving company.
Early on, they hired Jeep Holland as their manager. As the manager of the Rationals, Holland spearheaded a local success story, and he attempted to push the Prime Movers in a similar direction. He wanted the group to play rock & roll and wear matching jackets, like a British Invasion group. Although they did play some shows on the teen rock circuit (Mt. Holly, Daniel's Den, etc.) in Michigan (as well as a couple of shows in Chicago in places like Mother Blues), they obstinately refused to abandon Chicago blues. One of the hallmarks of the Prime Movers was their dedication to the blues and their stubbornness. Once, Motown courted the band with the idea of having the Prime Movers be their showcase White group that played like a Black group, but they refused to abandon the blues and rejected Motown's offer. Often, the Prime Movers traveled down to Chicago, where they heard such greats as Little Walter, Magic Sam, Big Walter Horton, Buddy Guy, and Junior Wells play. Bob Koester of Delmark Records showed the band around Chicago, but it was the Paul Butterfield Band that turned their heads. Butterfield and his band illustrated that not only were the blues alive, but that White boys could play it -- not only credibly, but astonishingly well. The Prime Movers listened to the Butterfield Blues Band whenever they could and they became friends of the band; Butterfield himself was not the easiest to approach, but Mike Bloomfield and Mark Naftalin were friendly to the Ann Arbor blues band.
After hearing the Butterfield band, the Prime Movers were more dedicated to the blues than ever. Unlike many of their contemporaries, they now played frat parties only rarely, concentrating on clubs like Schwaben Inn, the Town Bar, Mr. Flood's Party, the 5th Dimension, and Clint's Club, the only Black bar in Ann Arbor; they also played free concerts and concert halls like Mothers (in Ann Arbor) and the Depot House. Among the Detroit venues, they played at the Grande Ballroom, the Chessmate, Wisdom Tooth, and a number of times at the Living End.
Despite earning a local fan base, the group never had much money. They all lived at the same house, and they often took as much catered food from frat parties that they could possibly carry. Nevertheless, they all stuck it out for the love of music -- not just blues, either. Michael and Dan Erlewine had a deep love of the blues, but they also knew folk well. Robert Sheff, who was a classically trained musician, was involved with the Once Group, a collective that performed the work of modern classical composers like Bob Ashley, Gordon Mumma, and John Cage. Iggy -- who, by all accounts, was a shy, well-mannered, quiet guy during his time with the Prime Movers -- worked hard on his drumming, and he sung the occasional song with the group. Iggy left the group around early 1967, and he was replaced by J.C. Crawford; Crawford also became known as an emcee and announcer at such places as the Grande Ballroom.
During the summer of 1967 -- the summer of love -- the Prime Movers went to San Francisco. Mike Bloomfield, the former guitarist in the Butterfield band and the founder of the Electric Flag, helped the group secure a place to stay near the Sausalito heliport, which is also where they practiced. The group played a couple of shows at a rib joint, as they spent the days auditioning for headlining gigs. When the Electric Flag couldn't make a gig, Bloomfield asked the Prime Movers to fill in for his new band at the Matrix. At that show, they opened for Cream.
Upon returning to Michigan, they returned to the bar/frat/teen circuit. They also became the honorary house band at Mothers, where they supported traveling R&B bands like the Shang-ri La's and the Contours. The Prime Movers also were a big part of the first three Ann Arbor Blues Festivals. The group also became regulars at the 5th Dimension, where they often played as an after-hours band, starting their shows after they completed their set at Clint's Club around 2:00 A.M..
The Prime Movers did make some recordings, but they were never released. The band continued in various incarnations -- according to Michael's estimation, some 37 musicians passed through the band over the years, as the group added keyboards and horns, and then shed them -- until 1970. Throughout it all, Michael and Dan Erlewine were at the core of the band. Following the group's slow disbandment, Dan became an internationally known guitar repairman and a monthly columnist for Guitar Player magazine. Michael played as a solo piano act for about a year; after his marriage in 1971, he stopped playing music. In 1977, he founded Matrix Software, which was the first astrological computer software company in the nation. In 1991, he founded the All Music Guide, which became the largest music database in the world; he also helped found AMG's companions, All Movie Guide and All Game Guide.
Robert Sheff became a well-known avant-garde composer under the name Blue "Gene" Tyranny. Jack Dawson became the bassist for the Siegal-Schwall Blues Band before fading away from the spotlight. Iggy Pop, of course, became a punk rock legend. ~ Terry Jenkins, Rovi
Although they never released any records, the Prime Movers were a pivotal band in Southeastern Michigan during the late '60s. Where many of their Michigan contemporaries played straight, frat-house rock &...Read More