Gideon and Power
some recently digitized tracks from our 45rpm of “Hallelujah“, from 1971.
Gideon Daniels, Bobby Castro, Denny Geyer, Bill Meeker, Doug Kilmer, Steve Miller(Elvin Bishop Organist at the time) and The Pointer Sisters(?), and me. recorded at Wally Heider Studios on Hyde St, SF, CA:
Hallelujah(I Feel Like Shouting)
Movin’ On
here’s from Apple. the only Gideon and Power for sale on Apple’s music site: (https://music.apple.com/us/album/drinkin-that-wine/518571470?i=518571611):
Drinkin’ That Wine – Live at Keystone
Gideon and Power: Live at Keystone Korner SF, CA – 1972
Below: a review of Gideon and Power – Newsweek Magazine – 1972:
charlie hickox - piano player 
G&P FANS, FRIENDS, MUSICIANS, AND ACQUAINTENCES, I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU (see last paragraph).
Charlie – Thank you for sharing this wonderful information, Charlie. And thank you to those in the comments for sharing your memories too!
I came across this record on the other side of the country, nearly 50 years after the fact. I wasn’t around when it initially came out and had no real context for it, but I’m always willing to gamble on a dollar gospel record if it looks interesting. I picked it up in 2020 right before the pandemic shut everything down, and hearing this album against the unrest that plagued this country in the spring and summer of 2020 was uplifting to say the least. I always found the title track to be schmaltzy, at least in the versions I was familiar with, but G&P’s version had my hair standing on-end. “I am somebody”, and Gideon and his band were somebodies too.
Aside from this page and its comments, there is so little info on Gideon Daniels & Power here in the “information age.” I’d like to gather more information. If anyone would like to correspond or wouldn’t mind being interviewed for an independent research project, PLEASE drop me an e-mail: joebuckroberts(at)gmail(dot)com
✌
Thanks Charlie for posting these songs. Although Gideon and others from that time might be “In the upper room with Jesus” I’m glad you’ve had a lengthy career. Gideon always said your piano was vital to the full group sound— the power for sure. I met Gideon at Mooney’s Irish Pub on Grant. My boyfriend at the time Rick Myers (now my husband of 48 years) was a fan from day one. He played various gigs around town as well: The Drinking Gourd, the Wine Cellar, Boarding House and of course Mooney’s. Sean Mooney said, “Ricky my boy, you’ll never make it. You don’t know any Irish tunes.” Gideon didn’t play enough Irish tunes either I guess.
We listened to these songs tonight. It was like a time machine. It shot us back to those days of wine,roses, young love, cheap beer. A time as sweet as a slice of Gideon’s sweet potato pie.
thanks so much for this note, Kathy. those were amazing times. give a hello to Rick. congratulations on your long marriage.
i met met my wife, Patrice, back then. we’re still going strong, too. such a cool note. Sean Mooney, indeed! xoxc
My friend Ronni Lundy sent me here, looking forward to the music!
Greg
Oh, my! Foolin’ Around and Fallin in Love with Gideon and Power via a Mickey Thomas online interview, I only found two cuts on youtube. Longing to hear Get Away Jordan (which I could see on the label of the disc in one clip) I googled and landed here, which is pure and amazing paradise. Thank you, Charlie Hickox, for making such glorious music in the first place, and sharing it here. Bless you!
Hi Charlie fun site Gideon days were fun crazy. Have been playing with Blues Power again the last 4 years. Have been playing the Saloon outside sat. and Sun 2-5 really fun talk to you soon
Hi Steve. thanks for the note. i saw mike rinta. hez lovin the blues power gigs. i hope you’re well. love to your sisters and to your drummer twin. thanks for the note. i’ll send u a proper email. ch
I remember gigs at the Mother Lode on Union St., and I’d see Gideon other places. Usually in North Beach. Lots of learning from hanging out at clubs I was too young to be in, but I made it work. I remember that apt. where you, Elvin, and Glen Quan lived in, maybe Jackson or Clay St.?
thanks Stevie. that was the heyday. i met patrice thru glen. started shacking up soon thereafter, at that very same washington st flat. we still hanging out together. i hope you are doing great.
i have a fond memory of peaking into the holy city zoo, and greditzer and gurr were playing a cool lattimore song. during my band break at the last day.
and took my 17 yr old son to see you with rev stallings and dr john, at slim’s. great night for father and nerd drummer son.
where r u these days?
i see kevin hayes sometimes and we talk about minnies and the 1970s magic in the western addition. blue bear. all that good stuff.
haven’t seen u since forever. tim’s winery gig? maybe at the sonoma joint? remember opening for the nevilles at georges. major!
much love,
patrice says hey, too,
thanks a million for the note.
c
Great memories!
Hi Charlie,
Thanks for all the great memories on this site!
We did some great shows with Gideon.
hi terry, great to hear from you. i hope you are doing well. we had some cool times. survived country road, too. please say hey to your family.
please keep in touch. charlie h
Bobby Castro, where are you my dear…? Hair reunion? Lawdy…I am feeling older and fatter this very moment!!!
hey Debi, hope you’re doing well.
Oh Gideon…..Lord have mercy! Music from the past…Amen…we have lost too many…Ace Avizado, Bruce Payne…Charlie…and on and on…Miss you all- Remember me…Debi Dye…The Gospel Pearls…..Gelon Lau, Bobby Kent, Timmy McKenna, & on and on…I pray you are still doing the Good Thing!!!
Debbie, this is Karl Richey. Are you still with us? I still miss you all. I’m in Ketchikan, where I own Alaska’s only jazz club. Call or text (907) 617-7070 or find me on Facebook. Check Creek Street Cabaret. ♥️💃🎙🕺🏻🎶
I saw them only that one time but they made such an impression on me I never forgot about them. Or the name which is the surprising part. I forget people’s names I’ve known for years but haven’t seen for a long while.
I saw these guys at Country Roads ion Clement in Sam Francisco on the early 70s. Gideon would walk around the place singing. He (they) were great. Are they still around. That place always had great bands. Elvin Bishop played one night too. I loved that club.
Hey, Thanks Jim.
I was playing at Country Road one night in the 1970’s when Gideon, Elvin, and Micky Thomas(Fooled Around and…) all came in and tore it up.
Bobby Castro, from Gideon’s band was the leader and singer of our club band. Terry and Steve Hazlewood, also with Gideon, were the rhythm section.
Thanks for the memory.
Charlie
I was also fortunate enough to see Elvin Bishop there one night. I guess that means I saw you too. I assume the owner was friends with all you guys. That was a very good nightclub. I wish the place was still open exactly like it was then. Too bad about Gideon but we all have to go sometime. Thanks for replying.
Gideon passed away.
had moved to the Northwest.
was sitting in now and then with Denny Geyer, guitar player from album, when he was up there with Queen Ida.
taught us a lot of music. Clara Ward style Philadelphia gospel, and more.
I always tell people that Gideon & Power were the best live act I ever saw. I’m not the most demonstrative, but I’d find myself clapping, singing, jumping up & down, and even standing on tables. The lineup with you, Gideon, Bobby Castro, Bruce Payne (singing “He Knows How Much We Can Bear”), and Arsenio Avecado (sp) was amazing. Also Ross Hiyashida and Johnny Vernaza on bass. But I think the first time I saw y’all, opening for Charlie Musselwhite at Keystone Korner, with just you, Gideon, and Bobby was at least as good – maybe better. Do you have a tape of “Holy Ghost” you can stick on here? That was always the highlight. I was so lucky to see many, many shows.
hi Dan,
wish I had Holy Ghost. tried to get the tv show we had done on KQED in 1972, but KWED couldn’t track it down. said they had lost a lot of film in a fire. a couple of shows had all those good tunes.
hope you’re doing great. thanks again for dropping by.
will try to put a couple more tunes up there. Arsenio Avizado died a couple of years ago. was a way fun person. too fun.
Ross passed away also. I play with an old friend of his Bobby Simmons. they had all come over from Hawaii together. Bruce gone, too.
I see our Sonny and Cher Show performance listed in TV archives, but have never been able to find the video.
ch
Thank you so much for making this available. I just found an old 45 of his that belonged to my Mom and was hoping I could find a copy to download. I found three on iTunes, but so happy to be able to listen to all of these here. My mother was a friend of Gideon’s, and I saw him in San Francisco several times. He had Thanksgiving dinner with us twice, and I remember him singing all the time. I don’t know what happened to him, but I miss him. He put on a fantastic live show and had everyone up and on their feet the whole time. There will never be anyone quite like him.
Hi Debbie,
Thanks for the note.
Was an amazing time.
Thanks for listening.
I will try to update the site more often. Post some pictures, tell the stories, and put that 45, that you have, up for people to hear.
I still play with Denny Geyer, the guitar player on the Gideon album. And on the 45. He still sings, plays, and writes great.
Please keep in touch,
thanks again,
Charlie
This is so very cool!! I am happy to say that I was in the audience of a Gideon and Power performance at Keystone Korner and absolutely loved it. I am assuming that this is the same evening I was there. Listening to these songs just reminds me of how truly excellent and entertaining Gideon and Power actually were back then. I just wish the Gideon and Power record that I had on vinyl would be issued on CD, but for now, this is great to remember and enjoy them. I grew up in San Francisco and have been living in New Jersey since the mid-80’s, but this takes me back to some very fine times. Thanks!!!
Thanks for the wonderful note.
Those were great days.
I know the tracks were recently available on iTunes.
I’ll look around and let you know, if I see them.
There’s a great interview on youtube with Mickey Thomas,
who sang with Gideon, Elvin Bishop, and the Jefferson Starship. He sang Fooled Around and Fell in Love.
Said he learned a lot about singing from Gideon.
Thanks again.
Keep in touch.
Charlie
The Mickey Thomas interview (9 parts) you speak of is precisely what led me to this blog. Outstanding interview. I had never heard Gideon & Power. Although I am 5th generation San Franciscan, I was 7 years old in 1971… so hearing the music now is a treat. Wish I could have been hitting those clubs back then. I was still able to see Elvin, Mickey, Country Joe, Barry Melton, Ciopolina, Gravenites, and others… joints like Keystone, The Fillmore, The Saloon… SF was/is a wonderful place. I basically grew up in Marin, which was also a melting pot for musicians/bands… and moved back to SF when I was an adult…Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge! Peace. – Smiley
thanks Smiley.
San Francisco is always amazing.
what knocked me out about Mickey’s interview was his respect and gratitude.
he’s a survivor. Johnny V Vernazza played bass with Gideon when we first got going, late night jams with Elvin
led to Johnny joining Elvin’s band. Johnny’s a road warrior, playing blues up and down the state.
thanks so much for the note.