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Fritz
Fritz
Fritz Live 1967.
Background information
Origin San Jose, California, USA
Genres Psychedelic Rock, Rock and Roll
Years active 1966 - 1971
Associated acts Changing Times, Buckingham Nicks, Fleetwood Mac

Fritz (Also known as The Fritz Rabyne Memorial Band) was a diverse high school Rock band active between 1966 and 1971. The band performed early rock and roll and California 60s psych. Notably it's the first band that Lindsey Buckingham had performed in, with Stevie Nicks joining a year after formation and some years before their career as Buckingham Nicks and later Fleetwood Mac.

The band's name was derived from a fellow student in high school at the time, and derived as "a kind of joke."

History[]

Fritz was formed in the fall of 1966, and its original vocalist Jody Moreing, pictured at left, and also included her cousin, Cal Roper, Bob Aquirre and Lindsey Buckingham. Javier Pacheco would join on keyboards. By the summer of 1967, Cal and Jody had left the group to go off to college, and by late summer the group was comprised of Brian Kane (lead guitar), Bob Aguirre (drums), Javier Pacheco (keyboards), Stevie Nicks (vocals), and Lindsey Buckingham (bass, vocals). Prior to joining Fritz, Stevie Nicks had also played in a folk rock band known as The Changing Times (not substantiated). Though the Fritz band often performed at high schools and at graduation parties the band did manage to perform marquee gigs, sharing the stage with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Nicks credits the acts as having inspired her stage intensity and performance. Stevie Nicks and Javier Pacheco attended San Jose State University, where Nicks majored in speech communication and planned to become an English teacher. With her father's blessing, Nicks dropped out of college to pursue a musical career with Buckingham.

According to Javier Pacheco, Fritz initially practiced at Lindsey's house in Atherton. After 1968, the band would rehearse at the Italian Gardens Restaurant (banquet room) in San Jose, with the owner allowing this on a semi-permanent basis. Most of the band's gigs were in Santa Clara County." They began their professional career in 1968 as one of the major local acts in the San Francisco Bay music scene. This core worked together approximately three and a half years. The majority of songs by Fritz were written by Javier Pacheco and "spoke to the human condition"-- "Yellow" (about the media), "Product of the Times" (conformity), "Empty Shell" (the ego), "Bold Narcissis" (more ego), "Sharpy" (about slick-talking agents), "The Power" (about finding God), "Eulogy" (about rebirth), "Existentialist" (about intellectual self-gratification), and "Crying Time" (about the death of innocence). The band recorded several songs and live recordings of the band's performances do exist though no official studio material ever surfaced.

When Fritz disbanded in late Summer, 1970, Lindsey continued to work with bandmate Stevie Nicks. Their romantic started in late 1969. After 1972, the two were signed to Polygram and released their first album, Buckingham Nicks, in 1973. Sometime after, the duo would join Fleetwood Mac and attain a greater level of success.

Members[]

Stevie_Nicks_"Dream_Away"_(Javier_Pacheco)_FRITZ

Stevie Nicks "Dream Away" (Javier Pacheco) FRITZ

Fritz_-_Born_To_Be_Wild_1968_(Stevie_Nicks)

Fritz - Born To Be Wild 1968 (Stevie Nicks)

  • Lindsey Buckingham - Bass (1966 - 1971)
  • Bob Aguirre - Drums (1966 - 1971)
  • Javier Pacheco - Keyboards (1966 - 1971)
  • Cal Roper - Guitar (1966 - 1967)
  • Jody Moreing - Vocals (1966 - 1967)
  • Brian Kane - Guitar (1967 - 1971)
  • Stevie Nicks - Vocals (1967 - 1971)

External Links[]

References[]

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