Wildfire (9)

From Austin, TX. & Laguna Beach, CA. Wildfire was Randy Love (guitar/vocals), Danny Jamison (bass/lead vocals), & Donny Martin (drums). Love & Jamison had previously been members of Phil Pearlman's band that recorded a rare surf 45 as "Phil & The Flakes." From 1969-'72, when Wildfire broke up, the band made Austin it's home three quarters of the year during the University of TX fall & spring semesters and returned to Southern California during the summers. When Wildfire determined it was time to cut a demo album they began in California at The Beach Boy's recording studio, putting down bass and guitar tracks. (guitarist Randy Love is Beach Boys' Mike Love's cousin.) A Texas promoter convinced the band that Texas was where they wanted to record, so they returned to Austin eventually ending up at Sonobeat's Josie Studio. (the same place and nearly the same time as Vince Mariani and Cold Sun/Dark Shadows). Sonobeat owner, Bill Josie Sr. produced Wildfire's 8 song album in what was almost certainly the first of Sonobeat's 'work for hire' sessions -- those in which Sonobeat simply provided engineering and studio time for an hourly fee. Since the band paid for the sessions, the band owned the master tapes and self-released this album. (which has come to be known as "Smokin'"). It was released in a plain white jacket bearing hand numbered stickers.