Commander Cody

Commander Cody (a.k.a. George Frayne) had attained a fair amount of success recording on the Paramount Records label (including a Top 40 hit with a re-make of the 1958 rockabilly...more

Commander Cody (a.k.a. George Frayne) had attained a fair amount of success recording on the Paramount Records label (including a Top 40 hit with a re-make of the 1958 rockabilly classic, "Hot Rod Lincoln") with his previous big band group, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. However, they had fallen on hard times after switching to a major label, Warner Brothers Records, in 1975. Warner Bros. had no idea how to market the pro-hippie, pot enthusiasts who played a sassy blend of country-swing, old time rock 'n' roll and classic rockabilly material. The band eventually splintered in 1976, after recording We've Got a Live One Here during their European tour that year. When he returned to the road, the Commander enlisted a new group to replace the Lost Planet Airmen. Now dubbed the Commander Cody Band, the new lineup featured two key members from the Lost Planet Airmen - bassist Bruce Barlow and pedal steel guitarist Bobby Black. After recording a few albums on Arista, Cody returned to the Lost Planet Airmen as a name for his back-up band, and released a series of albums on a number of independent labels. He continues to tour and record, but his latest offerings have been mostly live albums, on which he can still easily combine his musical ability and a ferocious sense of humor. Musically, Commander Cody and all of his bands have been similar to Asleep at the Wheel, with an emphasis more on rockabilly and less on country swing. Like his contemporary, Frank Zappa, Frayne has always incorporated humor into his live show. Unfortunately, he has never gotten credit for his enormous talent as a piano player....less