Chris and Lorin Rowan originally performed as a duo called The Rowan Brothers.
The young brothers had been playing since their teen days in the rural town of Wayland, Massachusetts, and grew up with their big, awe-eyed cuteness intact.
Signed by Columbia Records, the brothers spent seven months and $110,000 cutting a debut album, and the label splashed out a further $100,000 for a promotional push which came skidding to a halt in the fall of 1972 after the album was released to so-so reviews (good songs buried by saccharine overproduction) and quickly bombed.
Jerry Garcia ofΒ The Grateful DeadΒ called them “the Californian Beatles“, but – asΒ Rolling StoneΒ rock critic Dave Marsh remarked – he was probably stoned when he said it.
In late 1973 older brother Peter joined the group, and for the next year the three Rowans – along with a rhythm section – eked out a living in San Francisco Bay Area clubs as a better-than-average boogie band that wildly excelled on harmony vocals.
The hard work paid off with a new recording contract, this time with Asylum – at a decidedly more modest advance than the one Columbia had thrown at them.
This trio of brothers recorded two albums with Asylum –Β Sibling RivalryΒ (1976) andΒ JubilationΒ (1977). Each record contained super-slick MOR in a bewildering range of styles – from rinky-tink Tin Pan Alley to reggae, Latin rock and bluegrass.
The 1976 and 1977 albums are now available on a single CD via Collectors Choice Music.
Lorin Rowan
Chris Rowan
Peter Rowan