Album Title: "Big Brother Ernie Joseph featuring Toby Sheldon & Dain Heald with
Brian Faith & Friends"
The album of 13 original songs features singer/songwriter Toby Sheldon from Germany and Dain Heald originally from Berkley, California. Special guest performers include bassist Nic St. Nicholas (Steppen wolf), and sax player Cornelius Bumpus (Doobie Brothers) who passed away February 4, 2004.
Thru various reincarnations Big Brother Ernie Joseph has done it all - from West Coast tours to East Coast concerts. Starting out in Southern California as Ernie & the Emperors then to Strawberry Alarm Clock and Giant Crab recording projects, their original sound concept had strong R&B and British influences. Favorite groups were the Beach Boys, Jimmy Hendrix, British Mersey groups, the Rascals, Vanilla Fudge and Three Dog Night.
Legendary producer Jimmy Bowen was the first to sign the Santa Barbara group to a major label. The regional hit for Ernie & the Emperors was "Meet me at the Corner", a Warner Bros./Reprise Records release.
Later, manager Bill Holmes (All American Records), also manager for the Strawberry Alarm Clock, set up tours with the late Wolfman Jack presenting shows at California colleges and metropolitan areas. National tours followed with Big Brother Ernie Joseph and vocalist Greg Munford (Strawberry Alarm Clock), original lead singer of the number one hit record "Incense and Peppermints".
Six albums were released on MCA's UNI Records. The recording sessions often involved joint efforts with Strawberry Alarm Clock members, including Gary Lovetro, guitarist Ed King (co-founder of Lynyrd Skynyrd), and "Mr. Incense and Peppermints" -- vocalist Greg Munford.
Although the band originated in Santa Barbara, California as Ernie & the Emperors, a young Ernie Joseph eventually migrated to the East Coast. Southeastern tours followed as Ernie assimilated into a thriving Southern rock culture.
The band headed by Ernie Joseph and brothers Cory (aka "Cory Colt") and Brian (aka "RT Jett") , soon evolved into a popular concert act as the group promoted the Big Brother Ernie Joseph LP "Confusion", and the hit single "ESP." The group gained major notoriety status after performing at the legendary Love Valley Music Festival in North Carolina -- the concert that has been acclaimed as the birth place of "Southern Rock". The Allman Brothers were the featured act at the Love Valley concert where attendance was estimated at over 50,000.
A year after the Love Valley concert, 24 year old lead guitarist Duane Allman died in a tragic motorcycle accident. Sadly, the accident occurred just as Duane had completed the Derrick & the Domino's LP with Eric Clapton. A few months later, 22 year old bassist Berry Oakley of the Allman Brothers Band also died in a motor cycle accident just a few block away from the site of Duane's accident.
Intent on recording new material, Ernie returned to California where he established "Songwiter's Recording Studio (SRS). With brothers Cory, Brian and bassist Jeff Armstrong (aka "Johnny Podz"), the group recorded the Brian Faith Band album "Good Times," to benefit the Cripple Children's Fund.
On CD and collector's vinyl, the "Good Times" album features guest artists including: Cornelius Bumpus (Doobie Brothers), Floyd Sneed (Three Dog Night), Tim Bogert (Vanilla fudge/Beck-Bogert-Appice), Hubert Tubbs (Tower of Power), Kenny Cetera (Chicago), Mike Hamilton (Kenny Loggins Band), Gary Window (The Tubes/Todd Rundgren), Dennis Marcellino (Elvin Bishop Band), Chuck Wild (Missing Persons), Dave Muse (FireFall), Burleigh Drummond (Ambrosia), and Peter Hoorelbeke (Rare Earth). The Good Times CD is scheduled for a December 15, 2006 release date.
The Band is currently performing with Ernie Joseph and brothers Cory and Brian, (original members of the concert act -- Big Brother Ernie Joseph), as Brian Faith Band (aka Ernie & the Emperors). A recent addition to the group is singer/actress Malia Mathis. The multi-talented Malia Mathis can be seen starring in the popular WB television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Her feature film credits also include the movies "Drowning Mona" (with Danny Devito), and "Five Aces" (starring Charlie Sheen).
Track List:
1. Deeper
2. Back In Town
3. Take a Stand
4. Cruel Mad World
5. Michael
6. Gimme My Music
7. Promise Land
8. In Loves Time
9. Mirror Man
10. Gonna Get You
11. New World
12. Running
13. Piece of the Cake
Other Genres:
