Biography
The Dirty Blues Band originated in Riverside, California, as a white blues ensemble that functioned for a period as an early showcase for Rod Piazza and Glenn Ross Campbell. Its lineup coalesced from participants in several local groups, with the rhythm section—John Millikan on drums and Les Morrison on bass—consisting of high school classmates who had previously performed in the L-J's, the same unit that supplied keyboardist Pat Moloney. Formed initially as a jazz outfit in 1964, the L-J's had become the Mystics by the close of 1965, a blues-oriented band that also included Bob Sandell on rhythm guitar and Rod Piazza handling lead vocals and harp. Their primary influences stemmed from British Invasion groups including Them—whose “Mystic Eyes” supplied the new name—the Animals, the Yardbirds, and the Rolling Stones, yielding a hybrid of blues and R&B modeled on those acts rather than a strict blues approach.
Exposure to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, which opened for the Byrds at The Trip in Los Angeles, prompted a decisive turn. Piazza and several Mystics members attended the show, after which the group, led by Piazza, committed to authentic blues. They dropped the Mystics identity and became House of DBS, denoting Dirty Blues Sound, in 1966. Extensive club work around Los Angeles sharpened the revised style while necessitating the departure of original lead guitarist Jeff Ray; Piazza then enlisted Glenn Ross Campbell, an acquaintance from the recently disbanded Misunderstood. Campbell’s arrival expanded the band’s sonic range through lengthy solos and improvisations that extended across many live performances.
Summer 1967 brought the House of DBS coverage in the nascent rock press, and by autumn Lee Magid—already established as Della Reese’s manager—had arranged management and production. Magid helmed the debut album, secured its placement with ABC Records, and oversaw the name change to the Dirty Blues Band. The self-titled record surfaced in early 1968 on ABC’s Bluesway imprint after only two days of hurried sessions that left the musicians unsatisfied, even as prospects appeared favorable. Conscription soon claimed the entire rhythm section of Millikan, Morrison, and Sandell, while Campbell left voluntarily, anticipating no viable continuation. The remaining members nonetheless recruited Rick Lunetta on guitar, Greg Anderson on bass, and Dave Miter on drums; augmented by trumpeter Freddie Hill and saxophonists Jimmy Forrest and Willie Green, this configuration completed the follow-up album Stone Dirt. By the end of 1968 even that lineup had dissolved, scattering all participants into solo and new-band ventures. Piazza and Campbell emerged as the most prominent alumni, and their earlier involvement continues to sustain interest in the recordings among listeners who never encountered the original releases.
Exposure to the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, which opened for the Byrds at The Trip in Los Angeles, prompted a decisive turn. Piazza and several Mystics members attended the show, after which the group, led by Piazza, committed to authentic blues. They dropped the Mystics identity and became House of DBS, denoting Dirty Blues Sound, in 1966. Extensive club work around Los Angeles sharpened the revised style while necessitating the departure of original lead guitarist Jeff Ray; Piazza then enlisted Glenn Ross Campbell, an acquaintance from the recently disbanded Misunderstood. Campbell’s arrival expanded the band’s sonic range through lengthy solos and improvisations that extended across many live performances.
Summer 1967 brought the House of DBS coverage in the nascent rock press, and by autumn Lee Magid—already established as Della Reese’s manager—had arranged management and production. Magid helmed the debut album, secured its placement with ABC Records, and oversaw the name change to the Dirty Blues Band. The self-titled record surfaced in early 1968 on ABC’s Bluesway imprint after only two days of hurried sessions that left the musicians unsatisfied, even as prospects appeared favorable. Conscription soon claimed the entire rhythm section of Millikan, Morrison, and Sandell, while Campbell left voluntarily, anticipating no viable continuation. The remaining members nonetheless recruited Rick Lunetta on guitar, Greg Anderson on bass, and Dave Miter on drums; augmented by trumpeter Freddie Hill and saxophonists Jimmy Forrest and Willie Green, this configuration completed the follow-up album Stone Dirt. By the end of 1968 even that lineup had dissolved, scattering all participants into solo and new-band ventures. Piazza and Campbell emerged as the most prominent alumni, and their earlier involvement continues to sustain interest in the recordings among listeners who never encountered the original releases.