line up 1  

- Williams Truckaway (aka William Sievers) -- vocals, guitar,

  keyboards, harp

  supporting musicians:

- Ed Bogas -- violin, vibes

- Bobby Castro -- percussion

- Russell Dashuekk -- guitar

- Terry Dolan -- guitar

- Bill Douglass -- bass

- Buddy Emmons -- pedal steel guitar

- Arcelio Garcia -- backing vocals 

- Richard Green -- violin, viola

- Larry Hanks -- Jews harp

- David Hayes -- vass

- Doug Killmer -- bass

- Walt Koken -- banjo, fiddle

- Charles Lloyd -- flute

- Frank Maestropasqua -- backing vocals

- Norm Mayell -- drums, percussion, backing vocals

- John Nonziato -- percussion, backing vocals

- Doc Storch -- backing vocals

- Lillian Stovall -- backing vocals

- Joyce Stovall -- backing vocals

- Netta Stovall -- backing vocals 

- Dallas Williams -- autoharp, percussion, backing vocals

- Sopwith Camel

Genre: country-rock

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Breakaway

Company: Reprise

Catalog: RS 6469
Year: 1971

Country/State: Dallas, Texas

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: timing strip on back cover; includes lyric insert

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 2373

Price: $25.00

Embedded in a Sopwith Camel website I stumbled across a brief autobiographical segment Wiliiam Sievers (aka William Truckaway) had posted.  Hopefully he won't mind getting a bit of publicity by having me reprint it here.  The link to the original web page is found at: http://www.sopwithcamel.com/Bill.html 

As the engine of the Sopwith "Camel" began to sputter and it began to fall in a downward spiral, I strapped on a not-so -golden parachute and jumped.  I landed in San Francisco for awhile, then moved into a house high above Mill Valley on the Panoramic Highway with some other songwriter/artists and Erik Jacobsen, who had produced the "Camel" and the "Lovin' Spoonful."  Our goal was to make hit records and develop new artists and writers.  There, I wrote and later recorded a single called 'Bluegreens on the Wing' which was released on Reprise under the nom d' tune of William Truckaway.

'Bluegreens' was not about algae from Oregon, but rather based on various events and Zen philosophies found in Winnie the Pooh. The record was a tour de force of vocal overdubbing, unusual sounds, and a unique utilization of the synthesizer, which was a hot new item at that time.  Reviewed as a sure hit in Billboard, this record actually received airplay in France and certain parts of New Mexico. It also became a Big Hit with the advertising agency handling the Taco Bell account, which proceeded to use parts of it in a Taco Bell commercial.  

I later wrote and recorded an entire album for Reprise entitled "Breakaway" with Camel drummer, Norman Mayell and brilliant bassist Doug Kilmer plus some outstanding guest artists such as Charles Lloyd, Richard Green and Buddy Emmons. The Truckaway album had some good tunes on it too, even though it didn't make the charts or ring the Taco Bell again.

- 1971's 'Bluegreens On the Wing' b/w 'Besides Yourself' (Reprise catalog number 0842)

Co-produced by Truckaway and Erik Jacobsen, "Breakaway" is one of those album's that has a hard-to-describe charm that keeps drawing me back.  Over the years I've sod multiple copies of the collection, only to decide I miss it.  Each time I've paid more than I sold my copy for to find a replacement.  So much for my business model ...   On the surface the set was little more than a collection of early-'70s singer/songwriter material with Truckaway showing a disconcerting affection for non-rock genres including country ('Hard, Cold, City Life') and blue-eyed Gospel ('Leave It There').  That alone should have seen me shunting the album to the "for sale" pile.   As mentioned, it's hard to put my finger on the album's charm, but Tuckeraway's voice was certainly part of the draw.  The man had one of those crystal clear voices that simply oozed calm, peace, and relaxation.   Coupled with a knack fro penning sweet melodies (check out 'Way To My Heart' and 'Send Me Some') and an occasional surprise (the Indian flavored 'I Go Slow'), the set had a nice RBI percentages.  

"Breakaway" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Breakaway (William Truckaway) - 3:32  rating: **** stars

The title track ballad served as a nice showcase for Truckaway's surprisingly sweet voice.  And in spite of the hippy cover vibe, 'Breakaway' was a surprisingly conventional and commercial performance.   Would have gotten an even higher rating were if not for the short, spoken word segment.  Nice.

2.) Hard, Cold, City Life (William Truckaway) - 3:07 rating: ** stars

Another autobiographical memory -- country-tinged acoustic ballad ... not my thing.

3.) Way To My Heart (William Truckaway) - 2:18 rating: **** stars

One of the album's hidden gems, 'Way To My Heart' almost sounded like a sea chantey.  Kicked along by what sounded like an accordion, the song had a gentle, charming melody that just kind of wormed its way into your head and never left.  I've been humming it for years.

4.) Send Me Some (William Truckaway) - 2:27 rating: **** stars

Opening up with some Charles Lloyd flute, was another tune reflecting a slinky, slightly jazzy melody that was highly infectious.  Love the Stovall Sisters on backing vocals.

- 1971's 'Send Me Some' b/w 'Be the One' (Reprise catalog number REP 1066)

5.) Jaded Lace (William Truckaway) - 6:14 rating: ** stars

Pleasant, but another mid-tempo track with a bit too much country quotient for my tastes.

(side 2)
1.) Be the One (William Truckaway) - 2:34 rating: **** stars

'Be the One' was the album's most commercial and pop oriented tune ...  Sweet and you had to wonder why it wasn't tapped as the single.

2.) I Go Slow (William Truckaway) - 2:38 rating: **** stars

'I Go Slow' offered up a near perfect mash-up of pop and Indiian influences.  Yeah, I know it sounds totally bizarre, but it was a lovely performance.   Kudos to Norm Mayell for the sitar and percussion.  The track was also tapped as a promotional 45:

- 1971's 'I Go Slow' b/w 'Be the One' (Reprise catalog number REP 0966)

.) Where's My Baby (William Truckaway) - 2:40 rating: ** stars

Hum, why not  trot out a bit of Greek musical influence - Ed Bogas on mandolin, though it sounded like a balalaika.

4.) Soundaround (William Truckaway) - 2:17 rating: ** stars

Way too cutesy country tune, though the multi-tracked vocals were mildly entertaining.

5.) Bluegreens (William Truckaway) - 2:42 rating: **** stars

Strange tune ...  Perhaps due to The Stovall Sisters' chirpy backing vocals, to my ears tit has always reminded me a bit of a mash-up of The Partridge Family and Norman Greebaum's 'Spirit In the Sky' (which happened to be produced by Truckaway).  Same Gospel revival feel although 'Bluegreens' was actually release before the latter.  The synthesizer blurbs and beeps were an interesting addition.  As mentioned, the song apparently captured the attention of Taco Bell which acquired rights to use it in a commercial.  The album version appears to have a different mix (along with a slightly different title).

6.) Leave It There (William Truckaway) - 3:55  rating: *** stars

Blue-eyed Gospel - Truckaway's voice has always reminded me of Lobo on this one.   Pretty, but kind of forgettable.   The synthesizer washes were probably the most memorable aspect of the tune.

And here's another interesting tidbit from his musical biography:

Some of our other endeavors did a little better, however. While I was making Bluegreens, Erik and our band of merry record makers were also busy collaborating in the creation of the Norman Greenbaum album.  Being a fan of gospel music, I suggested that some gospel singers might sound real good on "Spirit in the Sky," adding a needed level of authenticity.  My search for authenticity led me to a gospel church in Oakland where I found a trio known as the Stovall Sisters. We put the Stovalls on the record and the rest is history.  Greenbaum did have a friend in Jesus and "Spirit in the Sky" came out of nowhere to become Number One and eventually Warner Brothers' largest selling single to that time. Erik and I, together with Doug Kilmer as musical director , later co-produced a pop gospel album with the Stovall Sisters which included their own version of "Spirit in the Sky".

At this point, in the interest of completeness I might as well included the rest of Sievers' story:

While doing all of the above, I got married, had a wonderful son named Teal, and lived in a magical house with a leaky roof in middle of an enchanted redwood forest in Mill Valley. The marriage was not magical, however, and the roof never stopped leaking. So, I eventually moved out of the house and into my music studio. There I got together with outlaw engineer/producer Pete Slauson to create the Heliport Studios, a down home rehearsal/recording complex in the Heliport building on the Sausalito/Mill Valley border. At the Heliport, we played host to many of the up and coming bands of times such as Malo, Marty Balin's Bodacious and Pablo Cruise. I also worked with next generation of the Sopwith "Camel" on the other side of the double glass wall, engineering a few demos for their second album including a danceable, up-tempo version of "Orange Peel". This, thought I, might follow up the tangarine question, but it lost its dance and hit quality in the final translation.

Heliport Studios was also where, with a group called Magic, we recorded the tracks for the last William Truckaway single, "Roller Derby Starr". A balls to the wall rocker, "Roller Derby Starr" was an adaptation of the song by Kent Hausman which had also been recorded by Quicksilver's John Cippolino. Our version featured blazing guitars over up close stereo sounds of real skates rolling, jammers jamming and the crowd screaming recorded live at the Roller Derby track. We finished it at the Record Plant in Sausalito and released it upon an unsuspecting public.

The record was well received by the Roller Derby folks and we were invited to put on a half-time show at a Cow Palace Roller Derby performance. It was even rumored that "Roller Derby Starr" was to be adopted as the official theme song of the Roller Derby. However, someone must have actually listened to the lyrics (describing our Roller Derby heroine with such colorful phrases as "the redness of your face and your telescopic nose" and "first you knock 'em down and then you slowly choke 'em 'til they're green") and nothing more was heard of that idea.

Credited to Willy Truckaway and Magic:

- 1973's 'Roller Derby Starr' b/w 'Pat and Joe's' (Reprise catalog number REP 1149)

Deciding that the music business was an economic and spiritual dead end, I moved on to seek out the kind of real life experiences I had missed in the protected atmosphere of college which had been followed by the raw unreality of the music business in the purple haze of the 60's. I needed money and my ex, hopeful that I would become a little more regular with my support payments, told me about a job driving a cab.

What could be more real than driving a taxi? So, I became a cab driver, first in Mill Valley, then in San Francisco. It was fun, filled with bizarre adventures and, unlike the music business, I got paid for it. But, alas, the pay was not enough. So, noticing that real estate commissions were a bit larger than taxi tips, I got a real estate license and began driving people around with bigger payoffs in mind. I later located a resort condo complex where, instead of driving, I could walk people around by the bay and sell them condos. And that became my day job from then on.

Today, I still live in Mill Valley with my wonderful wife and love of my life, Daria, who I met on the day of the Dipsea Race while driving my taxi. We have two wonderful children and live in a house named "La Casa de la Luna Azul". At parties and other special occasions, I still sing versions of the classic "Camel" songs (which could still become great hits as the 30 year events cycle pushes 60's artists back into the spotlight) and lately I've been writing a new set of songs which are a lot more fun than my old ones. One of these new songs is being written with the modest purpose of creating an event to see if we can unite the consciousness of everyone on the entire planet all at the same moment, just to see what would happen if we do that. I'm also working with an inspired translator to create a French version of "You Always Tell Me, Baby" for all those fans in France who enjoyed Bluegreens.

And then, there is ec, which I became aware of about 20 years ago. ec defies a quick explanation because everything is contained in ec. It is, among other things, a process of evolving consciousness and a key to daily awareness and mindfulness. I find it so interesting that I'm working on a book about it which I hope I can share in the very near future. There are also rumors that the "Camel" might fly once again. Stranger things have happened. CamelMania may be yet to strike, so be alert.

By the way, as recently as 2012 Tuckeraway was still performing at local clubs:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBGLLs_897E

© Scott R. Blackerby June 2024