1978 Firefall – Strange Way

1978 Firefall – Strange Way 

Singer/songwriter Rick Roberts and guitar player Jock Bartley met for the second time in Boulder, Colorado, and began playing together. That went well enough that they decided to form a band. For the bass guitar, they recruited Mark Andes, who had formerly played with Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne. Rick had previously met guitar player Larry Burnett and got him to join the band as well. Michael Clarke had been a member of The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers and he became the group’s drummer.

By 1974, they began appearing as Firefall, a name based on the Yosemite Firefall at Yosemite National Park. The band signed with Atlantic Records in 1975, and later that year, Rick’s friend David Muse joined the band, playing keyboards and flute.

Firefall released their first album in 1976 and began touring. Their first single barely missed the top forty. Their second single, You Are The Woman, reached #9 on the Hot 100, and the band began touring with Fleetwood Mac.

In 1978, the band released their third album. It contained a half-dozen songs written or co-written by Rick, including the song Strange Way. The single reached #11 on the Hot 100 late in the year.

Firefall had two more singles reach #35 in 1980 and #37 the next year, but the hits were finally gone. Various members came and went over the years, but three of the original six members continue to appear in concerts with additional members.

The band even recorded a new album in 2020. The group’s official website is at http://firefallofficial.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefall

I have collected older articles about Lost or Forgotten Oldies in my books.

Please visit my author page on Amazon where I sell my paperbacks, eBooks, and audiobooks. I priced a special eBook at only 99 cents!

You can even read the books for free if you have Kindle Unlimited.