THE HIGH SPIRITS

1965 saw the High Spirits become major players in the local music scene.  Over the lifespan of the band, it included many residents from St. Louis Park.

Members of the band included:

• Cliff Siegel (aka "Little" Cliff Stone):  Lead Singer.  Cliff was often described as a cross between Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones) and Eric Burden (The Animals).  He lived at 3108 Louisiana in the Park and was in the Class of 1964.  Cliff later became Lauren Siegel and works at  KARE 11.
   

• Rick Levinson:  Rhythm Guitar - 4216 W. 25th Street, Class of 1966.  The name the High Spirits was born during a conversation in Rick's kitchen.  Also billed as Rick Anthony, he left the group in 1966 and went on to become a doctor.  With fellow physicians, Rick went on to form a very successful Minneapolis band called Dr. Rock.
   

• Bob Cohen:  Lead Guitar.  Bob was from Golden Valley.  He replaced Rick Levinson in 1966.  He had been in the Vigilantes with Rick Beresford and Randy Resnick.  Bob lives in L.A. and continues to be a technology wizard.
   

• Owen Husney:  Lead/Rhythm Guitar - 2580 Vernon Ave., Class of 1965.  In 1967, Owen switched to bass to accommodate the addition of lead guitar player David Rifkin.  Owen became a music publisher and the man who discovered and managed Prince.  he continues to be a very successful executive in the music industry with Warner Brothers.
   

• David Rivkin:  Lead Guitar - 3721 Glenhurst, Class of 1965.  David had come from the Chancellors in 1965 and left the High Spirits in late 1968 to join Stillroven.  David sang backup on the High Spirits' "(Turn on Your) Love Light" while still with the Chancellors.
   

• Doug Ahrens:  Drummer.  Doug was from Southwest Minneapolis, Class of 1965.  Prior to the High Spirits, Doug had been in a band with Mike Judge, who went on to be a guitar placer/singer for the Chancellors.
   

• Jay Luttio:  Keyboards.   Jay was from South Minneapolis, Class of 1965.  Jay sang backup on all High Spirits records.  Jay has always been the ultimate keyboard guy, able to transition from Piano Lounge entertainer to solid blues keyboarding in a nanosecond.  Today he is a successful financial accountant.
   

• Rick Beresford:  Rick used the name Rick Becket, and was from Edina, Class of 1966.  he and Bob Cohen had been in the Vigilantes, along with Randy Resnick, who lived on 25th Street around the corner from Owen Husby.  Rick joined the group in April 1965 at the age of 16, playing bass and singing harmony.  He left the High Spirits in 1967.  Rick has continued to play music and is currently in a Minneapolis band called the Blues Benders with two of his sons.
   

• Frank Prout:  Bass - 5201 W. 28th Street, Class of 1964.  Frank had been a member of Gregory Dee and the Avanties, and joined the High Spirits in late 1966.  He left the group in 1967.

The group's first hit was a raveup of Bobby "Blue" Bland's "(Turn on Your) Love Light," recorded on May 7, 1965 and issued on Soma Records.  The B side was "Tossin' and Turnin," recorded at the same session.  The record did well in the Twin Cities, and hit Number 1 in both Kansas City (the band performed in KC on two occasions) and Dallas during the fall of 1965, and also was beginning to do well in California.  A Top 40 chart from San Jose in September 1965 showed that the record was ranked Number 33 in that market.

Their second release was "I Believe" (not the Frankie Laine song), recorded on January 12, 1966 and released on Soma.  it was written by rhythm guitar player Rick Levinson.  The flip side, recorded at the same session, was "Bright Lights, Big City," a cover of a Jimmy Reed/Animals tune.

From Rick Beresford:
 

Doug Ahrens and I reformed the band in 1968 with some musicians including Tom Hopp, now a country music writer from Steamboat Springs. We played for another year before the High Spirits finally folded altogether in 1969. However, many of the original High Spirits started playing reunion gigs in 1984, 1998, and 1999. We performed at the Medina Ballroom, the Fine Line, the Cabooze, and Mills City Music Festival. We played the reunion gigs with many of the original Twin Cities bands from the 60's including Gregory Dee and the Avanties (the first group Frank Prout played in), the Chancellors, the Trashmen, Underbeats, Del Counts, Canoise, the Litter, and the Castaways. It was great to renew acquaintances again.

The music of the High Spirits can be found on the “Big Hits of Mid-America” compilation of Soma records: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/1306/soma.htm

On May 26, 2006, the High Spirits were inducted into the Minnesota Rock/Country Hall of Fame: http://www.rockcountryhall.com/06show.htm

Top 40 Charts from Minneapolis, Denver and Kansas City showing the popularity of (Turn On Your) Love Light can be viewed at:

http://www.users.uswest.net/~oldiesloon/kd080765.htm

http://www.users.uswest.net/~oldiesloon/kd081465.htm

http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=3846

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.