Blues Image
{{short description|American rock band}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=August 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Blues Image
| image = Blues Image (1970).jpg
| image_upright =1.25
| landscape =
| alt =
| caption = Blues Image in 1970
| alias =
| origin = Miami, Florida, U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|Blues rock|hard rock}}
| years_active = {{start date|1966}}–{{end date|1970}}
| label = Atco
| associated_acts =
| website =
| current_members =
| past_members = {{plainlist|
- Manuel "Manny" Bertematti
- Joe Lala
- Malcolm Jones
- Mike Pinera
- Emilio Garcia
- Frank "Skip" Konte
- Denny Correll
- Kent Henry
- Michael Franklin
- Tim Franklin
- Bill Britton
}}
}}
Blues Image was an American rock band. They had a hit in 1970 with "Ride Captain Ride", which reached No. 4 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian RPM magazine charts.
Career
Blues Image was formed in Miami, Florida in 1966 by singer-guitarist Mike Pinera, singer-drummer Manuel "Manny" Bertematti, singer-percussionist Joe Lala, keyboardist Emilio Garcia, and bassist Malcolm Jones.{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=280}} They were later joined by keyboardist Frank "Skip" Konte when Emilio Garcia left the band to become a pilot. Blues Image moved to Miami in 1968, where they helped form an innovative new music venue, Thee Image. Blues Image became the house band at the club, which featured acts like Cream, Grateful Dead, and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
File:Jim Morrison, Eric Burdon & Blues Image - Whisky a Go Go (1969).png with Jim Morrison and Eric Burdon in May 1969]]
The band moved to Los Angeles and signed with Atco Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in February 1969. Their second album, Open was released in April 1970 and included the single "Ride Captain Ride." Written by Pinera and Konte, it featured Kent Henry on guitar solo and fills, with Pinera playing solo at the end. The album sold over one million copies, and earned a gold record from the R.I.A.A. in August 1970.{{Cite book |last=Murrells |first=Joseph |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/274 |title=The Book of Golden Discs |publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd |year=1978 |isbn=0-214-20512-6 |edition=2nd |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/274 274] |url-access=registration}} It was Blues Image's only charting hit.
Pinera left the band to join Iron Butterfly in the fall of 1969, during the recording of Open, with Henry becoming his official replacement on guitar and new lead singer Denny Correll handling vocals. The band broke up after the release of their third album, Red White & Blues Image, in May 1970.
The various members of Blues Image went on to become parts of other rock bands. Bertematti later played and recorded with the New Cactus Band and toured with Iron Butterfly, Chi Coltrane, and Bobby Womack. Pinera also played with Iron Butterfly, New Cactus Band, Ramatam, and Alice Cooper. Konte joined Three Dog Night, and Lala played with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Lala's percussion work also figures prominently on the Stephen Stills/Chris Hillman led group, Manassas. Henry played lead guitar with Steppenwolf prior to their breakup in 1972.
Correll later recorded a series of successful contemporary Christian music (CCM) albums, helped expand the genre's commercial appeal, and achieved airplay with several singles on CCM radio during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He died in 2002. Gary Dunham, who also toured with the last incarnation of Blues Image, also became a solo CCM artist.
Pinera released several solo albums, including In the Garden of Eden.
Kent Henry died on March 18, 2009, at the age of 60.{{cite web|last=Russell|first=Michael|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/local_blues_musician_dies.html|title=Local blues musician dies|work=The Oregonian|date=March 19, 2009|access-date=November 22, 2024}}
Joe Lala died of complications from lung cancer on March 18, 2014, at the age of 66.{{Cite news |last=Meacham |first=Andrew |date=March 19, 2014 |title=Legendary Tampa percussionist Joe Lala dies at 66 |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/legendary-tampa-percussionist-joe-lala-dies-at-66/2171028/ |access-date=April 14, 2015}}
Mike Pinera died of liver failure on November 20, 2024, at the age of 76.{{Cite web|last=Tamarkin|first=Jeff|url=https://bestclassicbands.com/mike-pinera-obituary-iron-butterfly-blues-image-11-22-24/|title=Mike Pinera, Guitarist for Blues Image & Iron Butterfly, Dies at 76|date=November 22, 2024|work=Best Classic Bands}}
The group can briefly be seen performing "Ride Captain Ride" in the 1971 film, Dusty and Sweets McGee.
Personnel
- Manuel "Manny" Bertematti – drums, vocals (1966–1970)
- Joe Lala – percussion, vocals (1966-1970; died 2014)
- Malcolm Jones - bass (1966–1970)
- Mike Pinera – guitar, vocals (1966–1969; died 2024)
- Emilio Garcia – keyboards (1966–1967)
- Frank "Skip" Konte – keyboards (1967–1970)
- Denny Correll – vocals (1970; died 2002)
- Kent Henry – guitar (1970; died 2009)
- Michael Franklin
- Tim Franklin
- Bill Britton – guitar (1967–1969)
- Oscar Vildosola – drums (1970)
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Album |
|---|
| 1969
| style="text-align:center;"| 112 |
| rowspan="2"| 1970
| Open | style="text-align:center;"| 147 |
| Red White & Blues Image
| style="text-align:center;"| — |
=Compilation albums=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Album |
|---|
| 2005
| Rhino Hi-Five : Blues Image |
=Singles=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Name !Australia{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=39}} |
|---|
| 1969
| "Lay Your Sweet Love on Me" | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |
| rowspan="2"| 1970
| style="text-align:center;"| 4 | style="text-align:center;"| 23 | style="text-align:center;"| 4 |
| "Gas Lamps and Clay"
| style="text-align:center;"| 81 | style="text-align:center;"| 58 | style="text-align:center;"| 88 |
| 1971
| "Rise Up" | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — | style="text-align:center;"| — |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{AllMusic |class= artist|id= p15950|tab= biography |label= Biography of The Blues Image|first= William |last= Ruhlmann|accessdate= }}
- {{Discogs artist|Blues Image}}
- [http://www.oldies.com/artist-view/Blues-Image.html Blues Image biography at Oldies.com]
- [https://www.45cat.com/artist/blues-image 45cat.com entry as 'Blues Image']
- [https://www.45cat.com/artist/the-blues-image 45cat.com entry as 'The Blues Image']
- {{IMDb name|3067287}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20000229031155/http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/2214/mpine_b.htm Mike Pinera biography]
- [http://www.realrock.com/pinerabio.htm Mike Pinera fansite]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blues Image}}
Category:Musical groups from Tampa, Florida
Category:Rock music groups from Florida
Category:1966 establishments in Florida