Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Thanks Jo, cool old film. I did not recall the bassist using a Rick. Anyone know the fellas name, and if he is still around?

I know that Nick St. Nick also played a 4005. There is a pic of him with one in the Smith book as well as pic of him with it on the Monster album.

FTR,
Nick St. Nicholas didn't play the bass parts on Born To Be Wild or Magic Carpet Ride. Those songs were recorded by the original bass player Rushton Moreve, who was a Fender Precision guy.

Rushton left the band just before Born To Be Wild became a hit with the release of the movie Easy Rider. Talk about bad timing!

Wasn't Magic Carpet Ride and Born to be Wild on different albums? Sounds like you're suggesting that Born to be Wild didn't become a hit until after the 2nd Steppenwolf album was recorded?

And all this time I thought I was hearing a 4005 on BTBW! Phooey.

John Kay says Nick was asked to leave the band. Reportedly, he once wore a pink ballerina outfit onstage, and at the Fillmore East, he wore bunny ears and his bass -- that's all. Or so the legend goes. I saw the band in 1968 as part of a "Shower of Stars" show with The Turtles, The Ohio Express, The 1910 Fruitgum Company and some other bubblegum acts (ah, those were the days). Both Kay & Nick had Ricks and the the band used Rickenbacker amps.

Greg, you are correct. Those songs are on different LP's. Born to be Wild was on the bands first LP called "Steppenwolf" and Magic Carpet Ride was on the bands second LP called "Steppenwolf the Second". Both were released in 1968.
Rushton Moreve played a Precision on both of these famous songs (LP's). In fact he is the co-writer of Magic Carpet Ride along with John Kay.

It's true that Nick St. Nicholas was part of Sparrow and Steppenwolf pre 1967. Then Rushton replaced him until he left the band in mid 1968. John Kay said they were in a bind when Rushton quit so he called Nick (back in Toronto) to ask him to rejoin the band thinking he would fit in easily once again. The rest is history.

I saw a video of one of their Ed Sullivan show appearances, Nick had a really nice 4001, did seem to be a very strange person, during the very short interview he mentioned The Fugs from Greenwich Village when asked what his favorite band was, Ed thought he said The Bugs or something like that. Ed was a little square.

Is that a rick guitar on BTBW?

Is that a Combo 800 on the video?

Nick St. Nicholas was fired because he was acting increasingly strange, according to John Kay..wearing the dress, bunny ears, and make-up...Kay felt he was being too feminine for the band's image. Nicholas was under the impression he was an essential part of the band's image, but apparently he was mistaken. Back in the mid 80's he was advertising for bass students in Minneapolis, and is now part of the "Rock and Roll All Stars", an assemblage of minor has-beens. Another reason he was fired was because his playing on "Steppenwolf Live" was horrible...out of tune and out of key...Kay has said he still can't listen to the album to this day.

Is that a Combo 800 on the video?

Sure is! Odd to see one being used by a hard rock band.

Also, back in the 80s, he was in a band[in Mpls] called"Starwolf", IIRC.One of my buddies bought an old JMI Vox AC50 head from him.

He sounded good on the records, I think he may have imbibed a bit too much in the funny stuff going on back then.