Elephant's Memory

Although primarily associated today with their loose and ragged support of John Lennon on the 1972 release Some Time in New York City, Elephant's Memory accumulated a longer and more varied background. Rick Frank on drums and Stan Bronstein on saxophone and clarinet formed the band in 1967 after reportedly crossing paths on the New York City strip-joint circuit. The ensemble cultivated an eclectic blend of psychedelia, jazz, and acid-tinged rock reminiscent of Frank Zappa while presenting an outlandish live spectacle that incorporated inflatable stage sets. Their debut, the self-titled Elephant's Memory, appeared in 1969 on Buddah Records, a company then better known for bubblegum acts than for experimental horn-driven ensembles.

Two selections from that album, "Jungle Gym at the Zoo" and "Old Man Willow," were placed on the Midnight Cowboy film soundtrack later the same year, granting the group modest exposure without producing meaningful sales. A follow-up effort, Take It to the Streets, arrived in 1970 and fared even worse commercially. Lennon’s involvement with Some Time in New York City then brought brief prominence. Later in 1972 the band issued another album also titled Elephant's Memory, this one featuring David Peel and issued on Apple Records, before providing accompaniment for Yoko Ono on Approximately Infinite Universe in 1973. Their final recording, Angels Forever, emerged in 1974.

Elephant's Memory ultimately left a legacy that remains largely a footnote, forever tied most closely to Lennon and Ono. During the group’s seven-year existence an extensive roster of players moved through its ranks, among them Frank and Bronstein along with Carly Simon (yes, that Carly Simon, who was a member of the group for about six months), Jon Sachs, Gary VanScyoc, Michal Shapiro, Chris Robinson, Martha Velez, John Ward, Chester Ayres, Myron Yules, Richard Sussman, Wayne "Tex" Gabriel, Daria Price, and John Labosca. Footnote though they may be, Elephant's Memory exerted greater influence than might ever have been anticipated from a struggling New York City street band.