What do you do when you are offered the opportunity to head to England to play guitar in a band formed by your hero? Well that was the question that faced the fifteen year old Randy Craig Wolfe when his mentor… one James Marshall Hendrix made that offer. In the world of rock ‘n’ roll dreams the youngster packed his guitar and headed across the Atlantic to make his fortune. Unfortunately his parents had other ideas and insisted that he stay home and finish his studies. Wolfe (now renamed California by Hendrix) would do as he was told, but that did not mean that he would hang up his guitar and by 1967 he had formed his own outfit, Spirit. Formed from the ashes of local band the Red Roosters California, Mark Andes (bass) and Jay Ferguson (vocals) were joined Randy’s drumming stepfather Ed Cassidy and keyboard player John Locke. The band released their debut album in 1968 and went on to record thirteen further studio albums over the next twenty eight years.
Originally released in 2002 by Randy California’s estate, Sea Dream, was a 2 compact disc collection of demos and unreleased tracks along the lines of 2000’s Cosmic Smile, this time featuring sessions which Randy California had been working on since the late 1980’s and were later put together by trustee of the California estate, Mike Skidmore who supplies the extensive sleeve notes to this new collection. Expanded to four CDs and now including two discs of previously unavailable live material from the mid 80’s this latest Esoteric compilation is firmly aimed at the die hard fan rather than the Spirit virgin.
Disc one leads us through an updated (from the 2002 release) package of demos and works in progress. Although ‘Line By Line’ from the original release is excluded here, due to it featuring on the 2005 Son Of America album, a few new findings have been added to make up for it. The easy listening, ‘He’s No Good’, instrumental jam ‘Mind Frock’, light weight ‘Each Other’, ‘It Feels Like Love’, and late 80’s ‘Girl’ all add to the cosmic melting pot of Spirit lore. There are plenty of more “Typical” moments to be had across this disc, mainly on ‘Jack Rabbit’, ‘Jailhouse’, ‘Centre For Truth’, the funky ‘Dirty’, ‘Shock Or Confusion’s driving rhythms, and (previously mentioned rocker) ‘Girl’, which find California alone in the studio showing his multi-instrumental skills. Rounded off by Randy’s solo instrumental ‘Cool B’ and two classic live tracks, ‘12,000 Miles’ and ‘Farther Along’, from the 1994 line-up of Spirit including Scott Monahan on keys/vocals and Bruce Gary on drums, this opening group of tracks are an interesting if not essential mix.
Disc two opens with a trio of further out-takes including a fun instrumental cover of Lennon and McCartney’s 1967 Beatles single, ‘Hello Goodbye’ plus two eastern inspired tracks, ‘Hare Sai’, and ‘His Love’ which point the way towards what was to come on what should be classed as “the main event” of the set. The Sea Dream Suite is something of a departure for Spirit and was greeted with a mixed reaction from the faithful on its original release thirteen years ago. Ambient (‘Whale’, ‘Dolphin’, ‘Deep Blue Sea’, ‘Purr Of The Black Cat’), cosmic (‘Heaven’/’Heaven Reprise’), spiritual (‘Sai Baba aka T4’, ‘Garden Of Eden’), joyous (‘Daylight’, ‘Bhagavaghita (Lovin’ You Is Singing Your Song)’), mainly instrumental, and at times highly personal and heartfelt (‘Take My Sign’, ‘Question One’), the suite opens up something totally unique (but probably not for everyone) from the Spirit treasure chest including a stripped back take of the Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus track, ‘Nature’s Way’ which fits well into the overall vibe of this collective. You will need to make up your own mind as to which side of the fence you sit on.
By the time you reach the end of disc two you may be wondering what has happened to the Spirit that you know and love, and the answer is found within the second half of the set. From the time that California crashes in with seven minutes of the instrumental guitar acrobatics of ‘Veruska’ to the concluding strains of the buoyant ‘Uncles Jack’, the experience is wholly spiritual. All those favourites are present, ‘Fresh Garbage’ from the 1968 debut, ‘All The Same’ and two versions of the ever popular ‘I Got A Line On You’ from The Family That Plays Together, ‘Dark Eyed Woman’ from Clear, ‘Animal Zoo’, the psychedelic powerhouse of ‘Mr. Skin’ and the full band version of ‘Nature’s Way’ from Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus, through to radio friendly, keyboard driven power pop of ‘Black Satin Nights’ from the groups second reunion, The Thirteenth Dream (known as Spirit Of ’84 in the U.S.), as well as the bands rip-roaring covers of Bob Dylan’s (via Jimi Hendrix), ‘All Along The Watchtower’ and ‘Like A Rolling Stone’. The sound quality may not always be hi-fidelity but every base is covered and the musicianship is always hi-calibre on this all encompassing live compendium.
Randy California was an immense but under appreciated songwriter and guitarist, and unfortunately due to his untimely death (from drowning) in 1997 at the age of just 45, there are many incomplete recording sitting collecting dust within the archives. Luckily, his estate, in the capable hands of Skidmore, who continues to get the most from these source limited recordings, making it possible to release these hidden nuggets as and when the time and resources become available. In his closing words Skidmore sums it up… “It might not be perfect, but it still reflects a point in time for a wonderful musician that to this day remains under rated”.
- .Reviewed By Peter Brockwell.
- Sea Dream (4xCD Expanded & Remastered Edition) is released via Esoteric/Cherry Red Records on 28th November 2025
- Spirit: Sea Dream, 4CD Expanded & Remastered Edition
- Randy California – A True Spirit and Guitarist Extraordinare
Track List:
Disc One:
1. Cages
2. Just for You
3. Jack Rabbit
4. He’s No Good
5. Jailhouse
6. Father and Son
7. Mind Frock
8. Each Other
9. Ego Spray
10. Suntronics
11. Centre for Truth
12. Shock or Confusion
13. Dirty
14. Fallen Hero (Ode to JFK)
15. Girl
16. It Feels Like Love
17. Cool B
18. 12,000 Miles
19. Farther Along
Disc Two:
1. Hare Sai
2. Hello Goodbye
3. His Love
The Sea Dream Suite:
4. Whale
5. Heaven
6. Take My Sign
7. Sai Baba aka T4
8. Daylight
9. Dolphin
10. Deep Blue Sea
11. Garden of Eden
12. Heaven (reprise)
13. Nature’s Way
14. Bhagavaghita (Lovin’ You is Singing Your Song)
15. Purr of the Black Cat
16. Question One
Disc Three:
1. Veruska (live in Philadelphia)
2. Mr Skin (live in Philadelphia)
3. Body for Sale (live in Philadelphia)
4. 1984 (live in Philadelphia)
5. Nature’s Way (live at The Coach House)
6. Black Satin Nights (live at The Coach House)
7. Dark Eyed Woman (live in Detroit)
8. Don’t Call it Love (live in Detroit)
9. Miss This Train (live in San Juan Capistrano)
10. Animal Zoo (live in San Juan Capistrano)
11. Like a Rolling Stone (live in Philadelphia)
12. Fresh Garbage (live in Philadelphia)
13. All the Same (live in Philadelphia)
14. I Got a Line On You (live in Philadelphia)
Disc Four:
1. Prelude Nothing to Hide (live in Philadelphia)
2. Run to Your Lover (live in Detroit)
3. Sweet Child (live in Bloomington)
4. Island of Roses (live in Bloomington)
5. Is There Anybody Out There (live in Bloomington)
6. Sister Tell Me (live in Detroit 1984)
7. All Along the Watchtower (live in Detroit 1984)
8. Romance in Time (live in Kitchener)
9. Working In (live in Kitchener)
10. Mr Skin (live in Detroit 1985)
11. Fresh Garbage (live in Detroit 1985)
12. 1984 (live in Detroit 1985)
13. Nature’s Way (live in Detroit 1985)
14. Like a Rolling Stone (live in Detroit 1985)
15. I Got a Line On You (live in Detroit 1985)
16. Uncle Jack (live in Detroit 1985)
