Ronnie Leatherman - Old School (2024) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

First solo album by Ronnie Leatherman - bassist in the classic line-up of The 13th Floor Elevators - who had the distinction of playing on all three of the band’s studio albums.

Ronnie released his first single in June 1965 as Max & the Penetrators: ’Prayin’ Til Then / Kurl’ and apart from lead singer Roky Erickson, he is the only former member of the 13th Floor Elevators to release a solo album.

Ronnie attended Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas Hill Country with Stacy Sutherland, the Elevators’ lead guitarist, songwriter and singer. Stacy formed The Lingsmen without Ronnie in the summer of 1965 because he didn’t graduate high school in time to start their residency. So instead, the band, which featured former Penetrators singer, Max Range with John Ike Walton and Benny Thurman on bass, formed the Elevators. When it was discovered that Benny had never played bass, Ronnie stood in whilst teaching him how to play bass. Although Stacy, John Ike and Benny went on the become founding members of the Elevators, Benny was sacked shortly after the band released their seminal first single ’You’re Gonna Miss Me’ and Ronnie was his inevitable replacement. The band relocated to San Francisco to promote the single in August 1966 and Ronnie appeared on national TV - Dick Clark’s ’Where the Action Is’ and ’American Bandstand’ - and also headlined at major venues such as The Fillmore and The Avalon Ballroom alongside Janis Joplin and The Grateful Dead.

He played on the band’s seminal Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators recorded in Dallas and Houston with Bob Sullivan, who recorded with Elvis. ’Reverberation’ - which was also issued as the 2nd single featured Ronnie’s outstanding lead bass line. After the West Coast tour and release of the album, he and John Ike quit the band, disillusioned by lack of promotion after waiting months for an East Coast promotional tour. However, Ronnie had already contributed sessions that were not only used on the 2nd LP, Easter Everywhere, but also as singles: ’(I’ve Got) Levitation’ and ’She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own’.

TRACKLIST

1. Ronnie Leatherman - Old School
2. Ronnie Leatherman - Further Down The Road
3. Ronnie Leatherman - Sensitive Kind
4. Ronnie Leatherman - Coming Day
5. Ronnie Leatherman - I Still Miss Someone
6. Ronnie Leatherman - Wonderful Tonight
7. Ronnie Leatherman - Solitary Man
8. Ronnie Leatherman - Born Under A Bad Sign
9. Ronnie Leatherman - My Baby Says She Loves Me
10. Ronnie Leatherman - Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
11. Ronnie Leatherman - Just A Closer Walk With Thee



Thanks to the Original customer.