Stillwater: Still jammin' after all these years

By Matthew Barrett and Christopher Cousino

Daily Arts Writers

There's no doubt in the last few weeks you might have heard about Troy, Michigan's own Stillwater, featured in writer-director Cameron Crowe's latest film "Almost Famous." Crowe chose to center his new film about his experiences covering the '70s rock scene and the band's 1973 Almost Famous tour.

The raucous quartet Stillwater made a quick rise to the top, opening for such bands as the Allman Brothers and Black Sabbath while their breakthrough single "Fever Dog" tore up the pop charts. The foursome consisted of lead singer Jeff Bebe, guitarist Russell Hammond, bassist Larry Fellows and drummer Ed Vallencourt, with Bebe and Hammond garnering the most attention for their wild onstage antics, outspoken drug advocacy and late-night post-concert partying, including Hammond's notorious leap from a house roof top into a pool. Bickering over media coverage, popularity among fans and songwriting credits led to a vicious fight between Bebe and Hammond and the eventual demise of the band.

Sound like a good episode of "Behind the Music?" (Producers must be thinking the same thing because rumor has it that an episode is in the works for VH:1's winter season). Due to the release of the film, popularity of the legendary rock band has skyrocketed in recent weeks, including an increased demand in any and all things relating to Stillwater.

Several items hit recordbreaking prices on E-bay, including the rare Farrington Road demo single of "Fever Dog," an unused concert ticket from their March 1973 appearance at San Diego Sports Arena as well as the very rare Jeff Bebe t-shirt. A limited edition animation cell from the unreleased 1974 cartoon "Stillwater and Friends" went for a bid upwards of $2,500.

A Rocky start

Before Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd's guitar driven sounds reigned as rock demi-gods, a young, ambitious Jeff Bebe started his own garage band in his hometown of Troy, calling the group simply The Jeff Bebe Band. Bebe's band went on to cut their teeth at many metro Detroit restaurants and clubs, playing in exchange for food, drink and gas money. Bebe's favorite venue was Phil's Pizza (located on Mack Avenue in Warren before being destroyed by a kitchen fire in 1987), where the band would rock out for slices of Chicago style deep dish and a pitcher of ice cold Pepsi. After winning the 1970 Michigan State Fair Band Jam, Bebe coined the popular phrase, "I'm a golden god," which later Stillwater band member Russell Hammond claimed ownership of.

Parting the water

In early 1971, on a suggestion from famed rock critic Lester Bangs, Bebe hooked up with the band Blues Reduction to form Stillwater. And on a lazy summer day in the beginning of June that year, so goes rock history, Stillwater hit the stage of Callahan's to play their first set, a monumental jam that lasted well into the night concluding with an epic, 25 minute fusion cover of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life." Immediately, they scored an instant success locally, and it wasn't long before the ripples of Stillwater's splash into the music world were felt throughout the midwest. College campuses, including Wisconsin, Northwestern, Purdue and Michigan State became popular venues for the band's epic three set shows.

Riding the wave

On the riptide midwest wave of popularity, Stillwater garnered attention from Gregg Allman and Ozzy Osbourne, respectively, who then tapped the band to play several opening acts on each of their 1973 summer tours. Although the band received critical acclaim and nationwide attention in sales and radioplay, many view the Almost Famous tour as the beginning of the end for Stillwater. Reports of drunken backstage fistfights and raunchy hotel sex parties left a bad taste in mouths of many fans. Though Bebe and Hammond disagreed on everything from musical styles to blondes or brunettes, they both, at times, had a common distaste for band manager Dick Roswell.

Water runs dry

We won't tell you how the story ends: we'll leave that up to "Almost Famous" writer-director Crowe, a fil mmaker who has explored everythingfrom the high school scene in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Say Anything..." to Seattle grunge in "Singles" and most recently, sports management in "Jerry Maguire."

Opening this Friday, the film stars Jason Lee, Billy Crudup and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Newcomer Patrick Fugit plays Crowe's on-screen alter-ego William Miller, a 15-year-old hired by "Rolling Stone" to write and report on Stillwater and their 1973 tour. So hit theaters this weekend for Crowe's inside autobiographical look at the ins and outs of a '70s rock band. If that doesn't satisfy your thirst, the soundtrack contains Stillwater's "Fever Dog." And don't forget, cross your fingers for "Stillwater: Behind the Music," because there's always a reason to keep rocking and rolling and making better music.

Courtesy of famed rock photag Neal Preston

Stillwater (from L to R): Ed Vallencourt, Larry Fellows, Jeff Bebe and Russell Hammond.

Still Rockin': The Discography "Fever Dog" - #8 on the Billboard Charts "Hour of Need" - WKOR (LA) jam of the Week "Love Thing" - Future Shining Star Award "Love Comes and Goes" - Best Love Song, nominee

Village Voice 3/22/73 6/18/73 9/12/74 1/14/74