The Rockets

A little-known Los Angeles outfit active at the close of the 1960s, the Rockets issued only one poorly circulated album before the group’s central figures formed Crazy Horse, Neil Young’s longstanding electric support ensemble. Their lone release blended styles unevenly yet competently, moving from lighthearted folk-rock into offbeat psychedelia and revealing potential without establishing a steady direction.

Guitarist Danny Whitten and bassist Billy Talbot had already collaborated in Los Angeles since roughly 1964, when they cut a single for Valiants as members of Danny and the Memories. Drummer Ralph Molina came aboard during the mid-1960s, prompting a name change to the Psyrcle in 1966; the lineup recorded unreleased tracks under Sly Stone’s production. After guitarist brothers Leon Whitsell and George Whitsell joined, the group adopted the name the Rockets, completing its most characteristic lineup with the arrival of electric violinist Bobby Notkoff.

White Whale released the Rockets’ self-titled album in 1968, produced by Barry Goldberg of the Electric Flag. The record featured engaging though modest original songs whose textures stood apart because of Notkoff’s distinctive electric violin lines. Beneath those surface details, however, the band operated as a reliable club act able to deliver capable white soul alongside playful folk-rock and psychedelia.

Impressed by that versatility, Neil Young, then embarking on a solo career after Buffalo Springfield, asked the Rockets to accompany him on tour in early 1969. He also enlisted Whitten, Talbot, and Molina, along with Notkoff on the track “Running Dry,” for the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. Although the Rockets had intended to maintain their own recording and performing schedule, Young’s rising profile and continued use of the musicians gradually shifted their priorities. The remaining members eventually renamed themselves Crazy Horse and issued occasional recordings as an independent unit apart from their work with Young.