Ivory

In the late 1960s psychedelic era, the California rock outfit Ivory appeared without warning, left a strong but fleeting mark, and then disappeared into the 1970s along with its recordings, remaining silent thereafter. Few of the era’s overlooked acts warrant rediscovery, yet Ivory stands among the rare exceptions that merit the modest recognition made possible by later CD reissues.

During high school in Boron, California—a town adjacent to Edwards Air Force Base roughly ninety miles from Los Angeles—guitarist and songwriter Ken Thomure performed in numerous amateur and semi-professional groups alongside his classmate and keyboardist Mike McCauley. Their successive lineups appeared at military clubs, teen venues, schools, battle-of-the-bands contests, and any other available spot. After graduation the pair relocated together to Hollywood in pursuit of a career in music. Shortly after arriving they encountered Chris Christman on the Sunset Strip while hitchhiking and invited her to audition, partly because of her striking blonde appearance. She proved to be an emerging songwriter and vocalist whose abilities recalled those of Grace Slick. The newly formed trio shared a downtown loft with art students and supported itself through engagements at small clubs in Hollywood and Santa Monica while also staging periodic rent parties that featured additional bands. This informal experience eventually produced a working production company and bookings for concerts beyond Los Angeles.

Ivory secured auditions and was commissioned to compose music for an underground film. The band also obtained a recording contract; under the guidance of producers Al Schmitt and Les Brown Jr. it cut the album Ivory, whose sound closely echoed the Jefferson Airplane effort produced by Schmitt. The release brought the group an agent, larger concerts, and an appearance on The Tonight Show. Its sole promotional tour covered nearly every city in Colorado. Upon returning to Los Angeles, McCauley was drafted, deployed to Vietnam, and wounded, which effectively ended the band. Christman later released a solo album in the early 1970s before marrying and relocating out of state. Thomure and McCauley stepped away from professional music yet continued to perform together on occasion.