{{short description|American musician}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Randy Holden | image = Blue Cheer 1968.jpg | alt = Black & white photo of Randy Holden (right), Paul Whaley (center), and Dickie Peterson (left) seated at a small dining table (left) | caption = Holden (right) with [[Dickie Peterson]] (left) and [[Paul Whaley]] (center) of [[Blue Cheer]] (1968) | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|07|02}} | death_date = | origin = [[Pennsylvania]], U.S. | genre = {{hlist|[[Hard rock]]|[[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]|[[acid rock]]|[[psychedelic rock]]|[[blues rock]]}} | occupation = Musician | instrument = Guitar, vocals | years_active = 1959–70, 1993–present | label = | associated_acts = {{hlist|[[The Fender IV]]|[[The Sons of Adam]]|[[The Other Half (band)|The Other Half]]|[[Blue Cheer]]|Population II}} | website = {{URL|http://www.randyholden.com}} }}
'''Randy Holden''' (born July 2, 1945) is an American guitarist best known for being a member of the West Coast acid rock group [[Blue Cheer]] and performance on their third album, ''[[New! Improved!]]'' (1969). His solo album ''Population II'' (1970) is considered to be one of the earliest examples of [[doom metal]]. Holden is also a painter.
==Biography== Randy Holden was born in [[Pennsylvania]] and grew up on the move. He played in a number of bands, including the Iridescents ([[blues rock]]), [[the Fender IV]] ([[surf rock]]) and [[the Sons of Adam]] (surf rock/[[psychedelic rock]]).<ref name=gg>{{cite web |last1=Richards |first1=Arthur |title=Biography|url=http://www.randyholden.com/Biography.html|website=Randy Holden|access-date=17 February 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180218024302/https://randyholden.com/Biography.html |archive-date=18 February 2018}}</ref> Holden relocated the Fender IV from Baltimore, Maryland, to Southern California and they eventually became the Sons of Adam.<ref name="A Bit like You And Me">{{cite web|url=http://abitlikeyouandme.blogspot.com/2013/06/sons-of-adam-saturdays-son-1966.html|website=A Bit Like You And Me: 60s Music Blog |title=Sons of Adam – Saturday's Son (1966)|last=Zolland|date=21 June 2013 |publisher=}}</ref> While playing in the Sons of Adam, Holden opened for the [[Rolling Stones]] at their first show at the [[Long Beach Sports Arena]]. Holden was heavily influenced by [[Keith Richards]]' guitar and amp set up, which helped change his own attitude towards equipment and tone.<ref name=furious>{{cite web|url=http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/randyholden.html|title=Perfect Sound Forever interview with Randy Holden|access-date=2008-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307224137/http://www.furious.com/perfect/randyholden.html|archive-date=2012-03-07|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Sons of Adam (specifically Holden) began experimenting with distortion and feedback, which pushed into psychedelic rock. Holden left the band frustrated with the lack of original material.<ref name=gg/>
Holden joined [[The Other Half (band)|the Other Half]], a psychedelic garage band from Los Angeles. In 1968, they recorded an album, but Holden soon left and replaced [[Leigh Stephens]] in Blue Cheer. He toured with them for a year and contributed three songs for the album ''[[New! Improved! Blue Cheer]]'' (1969). He is credited with the songwriting, vocal, and guitars for "Peace of Mind", "Fruits & Icebergs", and "Honey Butter Love".<ref name="liner notes">{{cite AV media notes | year = 1969 | title = New! Improved! | type = Album notes | others = [[Blue Cheer]] | location = | publisher = [[Philips Records]] | OCLC = | id = PHS-600-305 | at = Back cover }}</ref> He left the group during the recording sessions and the rest of the album was recorded with other musicians.
Frustrated with lack of control over the bands, Randy formed his next new band with drummer Chris Lockheed.<ref name="pooterland.com">{{cite web |title=The Pooterland Interviews Randy Holden|url=http://www.pooterland.com/index2/looking_glass/randy_holden/randy_holden.html |website=Pooter's Psychedelic Shack|access-date=17 February 2018|date=January 2001}}</ref> Lockheed, also a keyboard player, uniquely played both drums and keyboard simultaneously in live performances.<ref name="pooterland.com"/> During this time Holden obtained a sponsorship deal with [[Sunn]] amplifiers. Through this, he received his famous sixteen 200-watt amplifiers. His new band was dubbed "Randy Holden – Population II",<ref name="pooterland.com"/> which referred to the band having only two members, and to the astronomical term "[[population II]]", which is "a category of stars that have heavy metal in their composition, an appropriate description of the original style of the music attributed to the band".<ref name=gg/> (In actual fact, Population II, or metal-poor, stars are those with relatively little of the elements heavier than helium.) The band recorded only one album, ''Population II'' (1970). Trouble with its release led to Holden going bankrupt, losing all his equipment, and departing from music for over two decades.<ref name=gg/> The album was released multiple times in bootleg forms over the years, with no official re-release until a limited issue in LP in 2005 and finally a remastered CD in 2008. The album has become a much-sought-after collector's item over the years.<ref name="furious"/><ref name="pooterland.com"/>
After more than two decades he returned to his guitar, and began creating music again, reportedly at the continual urging of a loyal fan.<ref name=gg/> He recorded ''[[Guitar God]]'' in 1994 and released ''[[Guitar God 2001]]'' in 2001, followed in 2008 with the release of ''[[Raptor (album)|Raptor]]''.
In 2008, [[Richie Unterberger]] said "He's a good candidate for selection as the great unknown 1960s rock guitar hero. No other American guitarist was as skilled at creating the kind of sustain-heavy, snaky guitar lines pioneered by [[Jeff Beck]] in [[the Yardbirds]]. His recordings with the Fender IV, the Sons of Adam, Ugly Things, the Other Half, and Blue Cheer, as well as his solo recordings, don't only contain some feverishly innovative playing, they also chart the overall rainbow of changes undergone by California 1960s rock guitar as a whole, from surf to pseudo-[[Beat music|Merseybeat]] to [[psychedelia]], [[hard rock]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]."<ref>[[Richie Unterberger]], ''Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers: Overlooked Innovators and Eccentric Visionaries of '60s Rock''. Backbeat Books, 2000; Softcover Edition [[United Business Media|Miller Freeman Books]], 2008, p. 68.</ref>
In 2010, Holden began working with Randy Pratt (Cactus) and drummer Bobby Rondinelli (Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Blue Öyster Cult) on ''Population III'', released by Ridingeasy Records on July 1, 2022. Pratt and Holden both composed the songs on ''Population III''.<ref>"[https://randyholden.bandcamp.com/album/population-iii Population III]". Ridingeasy Records. Liner notes. July 1, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.</ref>
==Personal life== Randy is married to American artist Ruth Mayer. His son, Marlon Holden, is a photographer.
==Discography== {{BLP sources section|date=April 2023}}
'''The Fender IV''' *"Mar Gaya" / "You Better Tell Me Now" (1964 [[Imperial Records|Imperial]] single)<ref name="Early"> {{Cite AV media notes | year = 1997 | title = Early Works '64{{snd}}'66 | type = Album notes | others = Randy Holden | location = Tokyo | publisher = Captain Trips Records | id = CTCD-056 | at = Back cover }}</ref> *"Malibu Run" / "Everybody Up" (1965 Imperial single)<ref name="Early"/> *''Fender IV: Surf 101{{snd}}Live'' (2016 DVD)
'''The Sons of Adam''' *"Take My Hand" / "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day" (1965 [[Decca Records|Decca]] single)<ref name="Early"/> *"[[You're a Better Man Than I]]" / "Saturday's Son" (1966 Decca single)<ref name="Early"/>
'''The Other Half''' *''The Other Half'' (1968 Acta<!--NOT Atco--> album)<ref> {{Cite web | url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-other-half-mw0000468722 | last = Eder | first = Bruce | title = ''The Other Half''{{snd}}Review | website = [[AllMusic]] | access-date = April 2, 2023 }}</ref>
'''Blue Cheer''' *''[[New! Improved!]]'' (1969 side 2 only)<ref> {{Cite web | url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/new%21-improved%21-blue-cheer-mw0000272234 | last = Deming | first = Mark | author-link = Mark Deming | title = ''New! Improved! Blue Cheer''{{snd}}Review | website = [[AllMusic]] | access-date = April 2, 2023 }}</ref>
'''Lucifer''' *Unreleased album (1969–1970)
'''Touch of Heaven''' *''Visions of You'' (2010 collaborative project with opera singer Jaclyn Guthrie)
'''Solo''' *''Population II'' (1970)<ref> {{Cite web | url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/population-ii-mw0000854360 | last = Unterberger | first = Richie | author-link = Richie Unterberger | title = Randy Holden: ''Population II''{{snd}}Review | website = [[AllMusic]] | access-date = April 2, 2023 }}</ref> *''[[Guitar God]]'' (1997) *''Early Works '64–'66'' (1997 compilation of singles with Fender IV and Sons of Adam plus some demos)<ref> {{Cite web | url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/early-works-64-66-mw0000708971 | last = Unterberger | first = Richie | author-link = Richie Unterberger | title = Randy Holden: ''Early Works '64–66''{{snd}}Review | website = [[AllMusic]] | access-date = April 2, 2023 }}</ref> *''[[Guitar God 2001]]'' (2001) *''Surf Guitar God 1963/2001'' (2007 Fender IV compilation plus new music) *''Raptor'' (2007) *''Psychedelic Blue'' (2011 largely a covers album with some new material) *''Population III'' (2022)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/randy-holden Randy Holden Interview] at [[NAMM Oral History Program|NAMM Oral History Collection]] (2016)
{{Blue Cheer}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holden, Randy}} [[Category:1945 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Musicians from Pennsylvania]] [[Category:American rock guitarists]] [[Category:American male guitarists]] [[Category:Blue Cheer members]] [[Category:20th-century American guitarists]] [[Category:Artists from Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Songwriters from Pennsylvania]] [[Category:20th-century American male musicians]] [[Category:American male songwriters]]