Lift was undoubtedly one of the finest US Progressive Rock bands, crafting remarkable, organ-driven Prog of the highest order. While their production quality didn’t match the polish of the aforementioned UK groups, this was largely due to their circumstances. Some collectors might argue that the band’s “raw” sound adds a unique and special vibe.
Although Lift never officially released an LP, their work was unofficially circulated in small quantities, and thanks to dedicated collectors worldwide, it has endured over the years. I recently had the chance to connect with one of the band’s members to discuss the Lift years, the influences on US Progressive Rock bands, and what they’re currently working on. Chip Gremillion, still an active musician, has something special slated for release in the coming weeks.
Were you a member of a band as a youth? What types of music did you play? Who were some of the artists you shared the stage with?
I formed or was a member of a number of bands from the time I was 12 through 18. Every band I was part of at the time was strictly a pop cover band. I actually worked in several cover bands with Lift drummer Chip Grevemberg and Lift bassist Cody Kelleher years before we formed Lift.
At first, I played guitar, but around 1967, organ became a main instrument in many popular songs. It was always easy to find guitar players—most of them better than me—so with a few years of piano lessons as my credentials, it was easy to guess who the “organ player” was going to be. ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,’ ‘Light My Fire,’ ‘House of the Rising Sun,’ along with ‘Born To Be Wild’ and ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ were among the first rock keyboard songs we performed.
By 1968, the combo organ sound had given way to the mighty Hammond B-3. The Farfisa I had just couldn’t replicate that sound, even with a single-rotor Leslie and light use of a distortion pedal. So, in late 1969, I acquired a Hammond L-100 and a 122 Leslie. That was heaven and all I thought I’d ever need—until I heard King Crimson, ELP, and Yes.
At that stage, we didn’t often perform with other groups, local or otherwise. There weren’t many venues or events back then to accommodate multiple bands in a single space, except for occasional weekend jams in the park. One version of a group I was in played one or two of those. Chip and I had been playing together for a while by then, and Cody was on bass, but it was still a couple of years before we formed Lift.
When did you begin writing music? What was the first song you wrote? What inspired it, and did you ever perform it live or record it?
The first song I wrote was when I was about 12. It was more folk rock, with my sister and me on guitar and singing. It was strictly for family gatherings and never recorded. The first songs I was truly inspired to write were the four that Lift recorded. The inspiration came from a desire to prove to myself that I could do it, and from the growing influence progressive music had on us as a band. We wanted to compose and play something other than the blues, rock, and jazz so prevalent in New Orleans.
By the time Lift was performing the four tunes on the ‘Caverns of Your Brain’ LP (I hate that title), we were the only band playing progressive music and one of the few bands doing original songs in New Orleans at the time. I remember giving a ride home to the lead guitarist of a popular local rock band. He asked me why we played such “crazy music.” Before I could answer, he said I’d grow out of it and get back to good blues-rock. I guess not. Just to be clear, there are many blues artists I love; we just didn’t want to be another Southern rock band.
What’s the story of Lift?
As I mentioned, I had worked with Chip and Cody in other groups before forming Lift. From late 1970 to mid-1972, I lived in Pensacola, Florida, where I met and played in a couple of cover bands with Courtenay Hilton-Green, our lead vocalist. I moved back to New Orleans in the summer of 1972, fully immersed in ELP, Yes, the Moody Blues, and Pink Floyd.
Once back, I contacted Chip and Cody. They weren’t working with anyone, and we realized we were on the same wavelength regarding progressive music. Sitting around Cody’s kitchen table in early June 1972, Lift was born. Our only goal was to cover progressive tunes and write our own, aiming to “make it” as a progressive band from the South.
From 1972 to 1973, I wrote the four tunes on ‘Caverns of Your Brain,’ but we didn’t perform them until after recording. We called them our “album set.” We thought we’d sign with a label and go back into the studio to properly record the songs for our first release. That didn’t happen. Lift grew a fan base and remained popular in certain circles. To this day, some people in New Orleans are still fans of the band.
In the fall of 1975, we relocated to Atlanta, hoping for a broader platform. Rumors circulated that Eddie Offord was building a studio there, and we thought our unique style would stand out. Things quickly went south—pun intended.
We managed one final studio session with the original lineup. We drove to Philadelphia and, in one night, recorded Simplicity, ‘Tripping Over the Rainbow,’ and an instrumental titled ‘To Undulate Rapidly.’ The producer seemed blown away, and we heard a rough mix that sounded promising. But we never received the tapes. Shortly after, Cody and Courtenay left the band. It took almost a year and a half to find replacements. When we did, the new members—Mike Mitchell, Laura “Poppy” Landres, and Tony Vaughn—brought about a creative explosion during early rehearsals.
From: https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2015/07/lift-interview-with-chip-gremillion.html
