Boenzee Cryque

Denver canyon rock band the Boenzee Cryque was formed in 1964 by bassist/singer Sam Bush, guitarist/singer Dan Nash, guitarists Jim Jenson and Terry Jones, saxophonist/singer Joe Neddo, organist/harpsichordist Bill DeLugt, and drummer Tad Collier. Military service obligations forced significant lineup changes during 1966, with the group now featuring Bush, Nash, Jones, Neddo, guitarist Malcolm Mitchell, drummer George Grantham, and steel guitarist Rusty Young, rumored to be the first steel player ever to record in a rock format. Their nascent country-rock sound attracted a loyal local following, and in 1967 the Boenzee Cryque recorded their debut single, "The Sky Gone Gray," for the local Chicory label, topping radio charts throughout the Rockies. The single was ultimately picked up for national distribution by Uni, which subsequently issued the follow-up, "Watch the Time." The band also recorded their original "Ashbury Wednesday" for the soundtrack of the low-budget exploitation classic Psych-Out, but by the time the film premiered, Young had relocated to Los Angeles, where he joined Buffalo Springfield alums Richie Furay and Jim Messina to form Poco; after Young recruited Grantham to join the fledgling band's lineup, the Boenzee Cryque dissolved in mid-1968. Bush later resurfaced in the New Grass Revival and enjoyed a solo career. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide