The ensemble originated in 1969 under the direction of violinist and vocalist Don ‘Sugarcane’ Harris—described as laidback yet supremely talented and born 18 June 1938 in Pasadena, California, USA, where he also died on 30 November 1999 in Los Angeles—alongside drummer Paul Lagos and bassist Larry Taylor. These three seasoned session players had only recently backed UK guitarist John Mayall before uniting. Guitarist Randy Resnick, born 1947 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, soon completed the lineup as Pure Food And Drug Act. Taylor, however, departed after just a few months to rejoin Mayall, prompting the arrival of replacement bassist Victor Conte; guitarist Harvey Mandel, born 11 March 1945 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, joined concurrently to expand the roster. Their music fused jazz and rock elements, revealing its full strength in performance where collective improvisation took center stage. The sole release, a live recording captured in Seattle during 1972, marked their only document, yet Harris’s inconsistency together with repeated personnel shifts curtailed any sustained momentum, leading to dissolution the next year. Conte later performed with Tower Of Power, Mandel and Harris each pursued solo paths, Resnick became part of Richard Greene’s circle, and Lagos resumed his association with John Mayall.
