Johnny Steel and Lodi Stone

Mother Pumpkin

1968-1970

With

Johnny Steele: Guitar – Lodi Stone: Lead Singer

Dave: Bass Guitar – Richie: Drummer – Bobby: Organ

In the archives of Rock and Roll two songwriter/musicians from 1968 to 1970, “Johnny Steele and Lodi Stone with Mother Pumpkin”– enjoyed a fictional journey of success, playing their music before crowds of enthusiastic fans at different gigs along the Jersey coastline of, colleges, clubs and cabarets.
Johnny and Lodi attended the same high school and found a common ground of interest in music.
Johnny had a natural gift for mastering various musical instruments and arranging music while Lodi could write a line for a song upon request; skillfully composing a complete work that quickly gained notice.
In the remaining days of their high school attendance Johnny and Lodi put together a 12 piece band called Brian and the Soul Establishment. Johnny and Lodi, in the weeks to follow, composed four original works accompanied with a soulful horn section of dynamic orchestrations, shadowing the essence of Motown. Four of their original works are presented here.
Eventually Johnny and Lodi put together a group called “Mother Pumpkin;” five friends who came together in chords of harmony.
Originally doing covers of other groups Johnny Steele sensed “Mother Pumpkin” could play and perform just as well as the more successful groups of the day.
One memorable evening, while booked at a club in Staten Island called “The Zodiac,” Lodi Stone was approached by an audience member, a motor cycle club gang member, asking if “Mother Pumpkin” could do “The Beatles” song “Birthday.”
You might say the request was one that could not be ignored; similar to Don Vito Corleone “The Godfather” making a personal request or an “offer you couldn’t refuse.”
On Lodi’s cue “Mother Pumpkin” played “Birthday” 8 times in a row. That evening Johnny perfected his seamless chord and note changes, awakening the inner passion for leaving cover music to others; a Karma moment of “Got to pay your dues if you want to sing the blues, as you know it don’t come easy.”
During one of the band breaks Johnny shared with Lodi his dream of getting back to their roots, doing original works- like they did in the early years performing under the name “Brian and the Soul Establishment.”
Lodi agreed with Johnny.
Johnny and Lodi’s compositions reflected a philosophy as someone had once said: “… music is for the soul and should come from the depths of who we are…from the core. The mind isn’t deep enough, neither is the heart. To inspire it must come from the soul.”
An example of inspiration is found in the original work “Love In The Sun,” a Beatlesque composition influenced by two songs – “Good Morning Starshine,” written by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and George Harrison’s haunting melody “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Contributing as part lyricist with Johnny and Lodi to “Love In the Sun” was Dave the bass player. Dave’s unique bass lines, for Mother Pumpkin songs made it easy to “Dance to the Music.”
In a follow up to “Love In The Sun” Lodi and Johnny composed a stinging melody with a–Roger Daltry “Won’t be Fooled Again “scream at the bridge, by Lodi, delivering a powerhouse song entitled “All of My Time;” reminiscent of Sly and the Family Stone and a vocal pitch, by Lodi, reaching for that Robert Plant stratosphere.
“All of My Time” is a signature song with a driving dance beat.
Although the five friends, who made up the group called Mother Pumpkin, have followed separate paths of life, their songs remain and might be called “Best Of the Unknown Hits 1968 – 1970 playing somewhere in: “a distant season, a distant place.”
Enjoy six original works recorded more than fifty years ago by Johnny Steele and Lodi Stone, including the cover presentation of “Be My Baby.”

Set

Without You 2:12

Show Her the Way 2:13

It’s Too Late 2:53

I’m so Alone 2:12

Love in the Sun 2:14

All of My Time 1:59

Be My Baby (cover) 2:53

Spector-Barry-Greewich

Credits

Best of the Unknown Hits “a distant season a distant place”

All Mother Pumpkin songs are licensed through BMI.

Without You – Show Her the Way – It’s Too Late and I’m so Alone are prior Mother Pumpkin-recorded under the band name Brian and the Soul Establishment and are licensed through BMI

Love in the Sun and “All of My Time” was recorded under the band name Mother Pumpkin.

The cover song “Be My Baby “was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector. “It was first recorded and released by American girl group The Ronettes as a single in August 1963;”presented here as a tribute for “One of the best-known and most enduring songs of its era,” for entertainment purposes only.

Credit for Mother Pumpkin Illustration

Rado Javor, a digital artist from Slovakia who creates incredibly detailed illustrations from historical battles to sci fi or fantasy wallpapers.