Snail (band)

Snail is an American rock band best known for their Billboard charting single, The Joker.[1] They toured nationally and shared the stage with Santana, Thin Lizzy, Sammy Hagar, Taj Mahal, and Iron Butterfly, as well as touring with Styx and The Doobie Brothers, among others.[2][3][4][5] In 1978, the group performed on American Bandstand.[6][7][8] The band has had various members but original members Bob O'Neill and Ken Kraft have remained throughout the band's history.

Snail
OriginSanta Cruz, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1967 (1967)–present
Members
  • Bob O'Neill (guitar)
  • Ken Kraft (guitar)
  • Craig Owens (bass)
  • Jimmy Norris (drums)
Websitesnailrocks.com

History

Snail was formed in Santa Cruz in 1967 by Bob O'Neill (guitar, vocals), Ron Fillmore (drums), and Dave Kibbler (bass). Ken Kraft (guitar, vocals) joined the band in 1968. The band interchanged bass players and drummers but O'Neill and Kraft have remained throughout the group's history. Ken Kraft (guitar/vocals), Bob O'Neill (guitar/vocals), Craig Owens (bass), and Jimmy Norris (drums) make up the current lineup.[9]

Past bass players include Dave Kibbler, Howard Dumble, Jim Hampton Larry Hosford, Jack Register, Bret Bloomfield, and Tiran Porter. Past drummers include Ron Fillmore, Bob Aguirre, Jimmy Norris, Donny Baldwin, and Gary "killer" Andrijasevich. Dale Ockerman was also a longtime band member.[10][11][12][13][14][15]

The band toured extensively in the late 1960s through the late 1970s, sharing the stage with such artists as The Chambers Brothers, Elvin Bishop The Doobie Brothers, West, Bruce and Laing, Thin Lizzy, Sammy Hagar, Styx, Charlie Daniels, Jerry Miller, and Iron Butterfly. They have performed at Winterland, the Carousel Ballroom, and the Fillmore West, among numerous other venues.[8]

After performing for over ten years in the San Francisco Bay Area, Snail signed a record deal with Cream Records in 1977, making them one of the first bands from Santa Cruz to sign a major record deal.[16] Cream Records launched an extensive radio campaign for the release of their debut album, Snail, which led to the group's album charting on Billboard's Top 200 Albums and its single, The Joker, charting at #93 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 1978.[1][17][18][19] The album received favorable reviews and Billboard Magazine said that it was Cream Record's strongest rock release in some time.[16] Their single, Tonight also received favorable reviews.[20]

At the height of their career, Kraft suffered a near-fatal brain hemorrhage which took him a year to recover. The band renamed themselves, The Millionaires, as O'Neill stated that "Snail wasn't Snail without Kraft". But shortly after, members Bret Bloomfield (bass) and Donny Baldwin (drums) joined up with Starship.[21]

Snail has reunited for concerts throughout the years and is performing as a band again, based in Santa Cruz, CA.[8]

Discography
  • 1977 - Snail[9]
  • 1979 - Flow[22]
  • 1996 - Let it Rock (live album)[12]
  • 2019 - Snail Now
  • 2022 - Snail Rocks[23]

References
  1. "Snail - Billboard Top 100". Billboard. September 23, 1978. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  2. "Santana, Snail at Selling Arena, Fresno". Concert Archives. October 10, 1969. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  3. "Styx concert dates - Snail opening act". Styx Toury. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  4. "Spotlight", Santa Cruz Sentinel, Page 13, June 22, 1979
  5. "Five-hour Rock Concert to Spotlight Three Bands", The Dispatch, Page 44, June 19, 1971
  6. "Snail Crawls to the Top by Lee Upton", Lansing State Journal, Page 47, August 19, 1978
  7. "Snail Returns to Santa Cruz", Santa Cruz Sentinel, Page 31, September 24, 1978
  8. "Snail". Good Times 2. May 4, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  9. "Santa Cruz Legend Snail Reunites, Releases First Album in Four Decades by Aaron Carnes". Good Times 1. December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  10. "Ex-Doobie Dale Ockerman pulls together a team of veterans for a run at Sly's by Stuart Thornton". Monterey Bay Herald. March 25, 2004. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  11. "Snail". Do 512. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  12. "Snail CD Release Party", Santa Cruz Sentinel, Page 55, December 20, 1996
  13. "Snail", Santa Cruz Sentinel, Page 61, June 7, 1985
  14. "Santa Cruz legends Snail and Jerry Miller, plus a bevy of other stars, return to celebrate the Catalyst's yearlong 20th birthday party by Kelly Luker". Santa Cruz. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  15. "Santa Cruz' Fast Moving Musical Landmarks"", Santa Cruz Sentinel, Page 30, April 3, 1981
  16. "Billboard's Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. May 13, 1978. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  17. "Radio, Promo, Retail Tie Breaks Snail Single Ray Herbeck Jr" (PDF). Billboard. October 7, 1978. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  18. "Cream Set To Launch Major Snail Campaign" (PDF). Cash Box. June 24, 1978. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  19. "Billboard's Top 200 LPs and Tapes" (PDF). Billboard. July 22, 1978. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  20. "Billboard's Top Singles Picks" (PDF). Billboard. November 6, 1979. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  21. "The Millionaires Go For Broke by Greg Beebe", Santa Cruz Sentinel, Page 14, August 29, 1980
  22. "Promotion Fast for Snail’s Flow", The Daily Oklahoman, Page 61, November 6, 1979
  23. ""Snail Rocks", 2021". Santa Cruz Public Library. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
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