Collectors Items: The First Three EPs

This collection of songs represents the very first successful American attempt to use a record as propaganda and promotion. In 1965, Joe McDonald was to have performed at a demonstration to protest the draft in Oakland, California; to politicize his audience, he and his then (and sometimes current) associate Barry Melton and Ed Denson (Kicking Mule Records) decided to form a jug band to accompany them at this event. Along the way, they also decided to make a record to sell at the demonstration. They asked along some musicians they knew to Chris Strachwitz (Arhoolie Records) to record two songs for this record; as he had recording equipment and a way to get the records pressed. They recorded 2 songs, "Superbird" and "I Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag", a young songwriter from the Bay Area, Peter Krug recorded "Fire In The City" and "Johnny's Gone To The War" which were added as B-Side. This record was conceived as a "talking" edition of Joe's magazine RAG BABY. They called themselves Country Joe And The Fish, a name which was arrived at as a compromise to Country Mao and the Fish (as in the Mao saying regarding the "fish that swims in the sea of the people") since they were in effect conceived as an agit-prop group. This "record" and the appearance in Oakland led to requests for them to appear as a band and their emphasis slowly shifted from an acoustic jug band to an electric "rock" band playing a brand of what later came to be called "psychedelic music". To promote themselves as an "electric band" and may be make some money, they again formulated and recorded another EP. This was recorded at Sierra Sound Studios in Berkeley, California and formally established the existence of the RAG BABY Label. This EP numbered 1002 with its distinctive cover (by Berkeley artist Tom Weller) became one of the most identifiable of the many locally produced items from the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1960's. It was released in June of 1966, sold for $1.00. It certainly achieved notoriety as a collector's item, for it established the band in New York long before they ever appeared there and was available in record and "head shops" as far away as London. It contained three songs: "Section 43", "Thing Called Love" and "Bass Strings". In 1971, Country Joe again decided to mix commerce with politics and EP's. Then working with Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland in a political musical revue they did shows for GI's to draw attention to the war in Vietnam. This FTA (Free The Army) Show was presented at "alternative" coffee houses (with names such as "Oleo Strut") that became centers for anti-war activism. One of these in Mountain Home, Idaho was burned to the ground after their appearance there. Joe made another record that would contain material relevant to this period and songs that he performed in the show. The third EP (RAG 1003) contains "Tricky Dicky", "Free Some Day" and "Kiss My Ass". They were recorded at Jack Leahy's Funky Features Recording Studio in San Francisco. The record was to have sold for $1.50 to raise money for the show and the VVAW (Vietnam Veterans Against The War), but some were burned, some were lost in transit and others just disappeared. It was probably more political in tone than the first one as it went directly to the point; it received considerable airplay, however, on what were then known as "progressive" FM radio stations. - Bill Belmont, August 1980 San Francisco. Sleeve Design: WA Richard Müller Cover Photo/Concept: Phil Bray LP Remastered by David Turner (p) 1980 Rag Baby Records ̧© 1980 Intercord Ton GmbH Marketed by Intercord Ton GmbH, Licensee Printed in Western Germany Manufactured by Intercord Ton GmbH, Stuttgart, Licensee. Tracks A1, A2, B1, B2 recorded 1965 Tracks A3, A4, A5 recorded 1966 Tracks B3, B4, B5 recorded 1971