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13th Floor Elevators

Band, 1965-1969 US, Austin, Texas
Rock

Hailing from Austin, Texas, the members of 13th Floor Elevators were quite possibly the first artists to describe their music as psychedelic. Their lyrics and sleeve notes openly and religiously endorsed the use of drugs (particularly LSD) to alter human consciousness for the better. The band rattled to the middle of the Hot 100 in 1966 with You’re Gonna Miss Me, anchored by Roky Erickson’s unforgettable yelping vocals, Stacy Sutherland’s guitar, and Tommy Hall’s electric jug runs. According to myth, Tommy’s jug was tuned by the amount of marijuana stored in it. The group pioneered some of the first garage psychedelia on its albums The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators 1966, and the followup Easter Everywhere 1967. However, Texas at that time was an extremely conservative area that still hadn’t come to terms with 50’s rock ‘n’ roll. The authorities and the police set out to bust the entire band for pot (and—not surprisingly—succeeded). Stacy Sutherland was jailed. To avoid a prison term, Roky pleaded insanity—a misguided ploy that landed him in Rusk State Hospital for the criminally insane for 3 years. That turn of events spelled the end of the band, although there was a posthumous 1968 LP, Bull of the Woods. Roky Erickson was released from hospital in 1973 and embarked upon a successful solo career that resulted in a CBS album produced by Stu Cook from Creedence Clearwater Revival. During the 1980s he struggled with mental illness and withdrew from public life for many years. However, in the 2000s he has re-emerged with one of his late 70s/early 80s backing bands, The Explosives, playing regular gigs including the Austin City Limits festival in September 2005, as well as Coachella in California, the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden and Montreal World Film festival in Canada.

     
Members
PortraitRoky Erickson
voc, g *1947 US
PortraitStacy Sutherland
g, voc 1946-1978 US
PortraitJohn Ike Walton
dr *1942 US
PortraitBenny Thurman
b, vn 1943-2008 US
PortraitTommy Hall
bvoc, eb *1942 US
PortraitRonnie Leatherman
b US
Dan Galindo
b 1949-2001 US
PortraitDanny Thomas
dr, voc US
PortraitDuke Davis
b US
Popular Tracks   
You're Gonna Miss Me (2008 Remastered Original Mono LP Version) on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators - 2008 Remaster by 13th Floor Elevators
Slip Inside This House - Stereo LP Version on Easter Everywhere by 13th Floor Elevators
You're Gonna Miss Me (Original Mono Single Mix) on 7th Heaven: Music of the Spheres by 13th Floor Elevators
Kingdom of Heaven (Is Within You) [2008 Remastered Original Mono LP Version] on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators - 2008 Remaster by 13th Floor Elevators
Reverberation (Doubt) [2008 Remastered Original Mono LP Version] on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators - 2008 Remaster by 13th Floor Elevators
Roller Coaster (2008 Remastered Original Mono LP Version) on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators - 2008 Remaster by 13th Floor Elevators
Splash 1 (2008 Remastered Original Mono LP Version) on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators - 2008 Remaster by 13th Floor Elevators
(It's All over Now) Baby Blue - Mono LP Version on Easter Everywhere by 13th Floor Elevators
Don't Fall Down (2008 Remastered Original Mono LP Version) on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators - 2008 Remaster by 13th Floor Elevators
Slip Inside This House - Mono LP Version on Easter Everywhere by 13th Floor Elevators

Track list and 30sec audio provided by


Band Membership
Discography



Title Artist Year Type
Kingdom Of Heaven13th Floor Elevators2015Compil.
Live Evolution Lost13th Floor Elevators2014Album
Wait For My Love13th Floor Elevators2011Single
The Albums Collection13th Floor Elevators2011Album
Music Of The Spheres13th Floor Elevators2011Album
Rockius Of Levitatum13th Floor Elevators2011Compil.
Headstone: The Contact Sessions13th Floor Elevators2010Album
Sign Of The 3 Eyed Men13th Floor Elevators2009Album
Psychedelic Circus13th Floor Elevators2009Compil.
7th Heaven: Music Of The Spheres The Complete Singles Collection13th Floor Elevators2009Compil.
I'm Gonna Love You Too / May The Circle Be Broken13th Floor Elevators2008Single
Sign Of The 3 Eyed Men13th Floor Elevators2008Compil.
The Complete Elevators IA Singles Collection13th Floor Elevators2007Single
Psych-Out13th Floor Elevators2005Compil.
Going Up: The Very Best Of The 13th Floor Elevators13th Floor Elevators2004Compil.
Reverberations13th Floor Elevators2004Compil.
Unlock The Secret13th Floor Elevators2002Compil.
Grackle Debacle13th Floor Elevators2002Album
Absolutely The Best Of The 13th Floor Elevators13th Floor Elevators2002Compil.
The Psychedelic World Of The 13th Floor Elevators13th Floor Elevators2002Compil.
Up On The 13th Floor13th Floor Elevators2000Compil.
Never Come Down13th Floor Elevators1999Album
His Eye Is On The Pyramid13th Floor Elevators1999Compil.
Dawn Of Time13th Floor Elevators1998Album
The Best Of... Manicure Your Mind13th Floor Elevators1998Compil.
The 1966 - 1991 Unreleased Masters Collection Vol. 2 Rehearsal From The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators13th Floor Elevators1997Compil.
The Masters13th Floor Elevators1997Compil.
All Time Highs13th Floor Elevators1997Compil.
The Interpreter13th Floor Elevators / Roky Erickson1995Compil.
The Interpreter Vol.213th Floor Elevators / Roky Erickson1995Compil.
The Best Of 13th Floor Elevators13th Floor Elevators1995Compil.
The 1966 - 1967 Unreleased Masters CollectionRoky Erickson & 13th Floor Elevators1994Compil.
Levitation / Live In Concert13th Floor Elevators1994Album
Texas Rockmusic Heritage Vol.2 - Paradise Lost13th Floor Elevators1994Compil.
The Best Of The 13th Floor Elevators13th Floor Elevators1994Compil.
Last Concert13th Floor Elevators1994Album
You're Gonna Miss Me13th Floor Elevators1993Compil.
4 CD Box Set13th Floor Elevators1993Compil.
Live In Dallas And San Francisco 196613th Floor Elevators1992Album
The Collection13th Floor Elevators1991Album
The Magic Of The PyramidsRoky Erickson & 13th Floor Elevators1991Compil.
Live In Texas13th Floor Elevators1989Album
Live In United States 196613th Floor Elevators1989Album
Easter Everywhere / Bull Of The Woods13th Floor Elevators1988Compil.
The Psychedelic Sounds Of / Elevators Live!13th Floor Elevators1988Compil.
Flivver13th Floor Elevators1988Album
Live - I've Seen Your Face Before13th Floor Elevators1988Album
Elevator Tracks13th Floor Elevators1987Album
Fire In My Bones13th Floor Elevators1985Compil.
Live "S.F. 66"13th Floor Elevators1980Album
You Really Got Me13th Floor Elevators1978Single
Hurricane Fighter Plane / ReverberationRed Krayola / 13th Floor Elevators1978Single
Bull Of The Woods13th Floor Elevators1969Album
Livin' On13th Floor Elevators1969Single
May The Circle Remain Unbroken13th Floor Elevators1968Single
Live13th Floor Elevators1968Album
Slip Inside This House13th Floor Elevators1968Single
I've Got Levitation13th Floor Elevators1967Single
Easter Everywhere13th Floor Elevators1967Album
Easter Everywhere13th Floor Elevators1967Album
Attack Of The LP's Vol. 213th Floor Elevators1966Compil.
The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators13th Floor Elevators1966Album
Attack Of The LP's Vol. 113th Floor Elevators1966Compil.
You're Gonna Miss Me13th Floor Elevators1966Single
Reverbaration (Doubt)13th Floor Elevators1966Single
Psychedelic Sounds (Alternate Mix)13th Floor Elevators1966Album
Reverberation (Doubt)13th Floor Elevators1966Single
She'd Rather Be With Me / You're Gonna Miss MeThe Turtles / 13th Floor ElevatorsSingle
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Acknowledgements
To all the music fans that are contributing on Discogs, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Thanks to Franz Flückiger for providing Storygram used to visualize band membership.
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