The James Gang

James Gang was an American rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966. The band went through a variety of line-up changes until they recorded their first album as a power trio consisting of Joe Walsh (guitars, lead vocals), Tom Kriss (bass) and Jim Fox (drums). Dale Peters replaced Kriss on bass for the band's second and third albums. Two of the band's songs, "Funk #49" and "Walk Away", continue to be popular on classic rock and AOR stations.In late 1971, Walsh left to pursue a solo career and would later join the Eagles. The band carried on with a number of other guitarists and lead singers to replace Walsh. However, after failing to produce a hit song over the course of six more studio albums, the band finally broke up in 1977. Walsh, Fox and Peters have reformed for reunions since then, including September 3, 2022, when the power trio returned for a performance at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert held in Wembley Stadium.Drummer Jim Fox first played with the Cleveland-area band the Outsiders but left them in 1965 to attend college. After they had a national hit the following year with "Time Won't Let Me" (no.5 on the Billboard Hot 100), Fox returned temporarily to play with them after their drummer was drafted. After leaving them again to return to school, Fox, heavily influenced by the sound of British Invasion bands such as the Beatles, the Who and the Yardbirds, began to think about forming his own band and teamed up with schoolmate Ronnie Silverman (guitar), bassist Tom Kriss and keyboardist Phil Giallombardo in 1966.The James Gang's earliest lineup consisted of Fox (drums), Kriss (bass), Silverman (guitar), Giallombardo (vocals, keyboards), and after auditioning some 25 candidates for lead guitar, the band decided to go with Greg Grandillo, who later played with another popular Cleveland band, Rainbow Canyon. He was soon replaced by Dennis Chandler, who was then succeeded by John "Mouse" Michalski who, with the Count Five, had just enjoyed a national hit with "Psychotic Reaction".A short time later, Fox was invited to audition for a nine-piece rhythm and blues band that was being assembled. Fox initially declined the offer but changed his mind when he heard that local guitar legend Glenn Schwartz, who was fresh out of the army, was to be in attendance. After hearing Schwartz play, and hearing that two of his influences were the Spencer Davis Group and Jeff Beck, Fox was impressed and invited Schwartz to join the James Gang. However, Michalski was not as enthused by his playing and left the band. Silverman soon departed as well to enter the military. Bill Jeric was then brought in to play alongside Schwartz. No recordings were ever released by these early lineups of the band.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.