George Frayne, also known as Commander Cody, has taken off his ship bound for another planet, never to return. Frayne, singer and pianist, founded his band Commander Cody And His Lost Planet Airmen in 1967, these were years when Psychedelia and Progressive Rock reigned among young Americans. Commander Cody vindicated the music of American roots like Western Swing, Cajun, Honky Tonk, Country Rock, etc; But the most interesting thing is that at the same time that they recreated Country music classics and their own compositions in their repertoire there were R&B, Boogie, Doo Wop, Rockabilly and 50's Rock & Roll, all in equal parts, this was not surprising since the band had participated in some of his last Gene Vincent albums. In the early 70's the band was a breath of fresh air between so much brainy Rock with songs of more than 10 minutes, the Commander Cody were a quite popular band, with many performances throughout the USA, their headquarters since 1969 It was San Francisco, it had to be quite a sight to see them play “Git It” by Gene Vincent, “Midnight Shift by Buddy Holly or“ 20 Flight Rock ”by Eddie Cochran in front of a congregation of hippies. The Commander Cody shared a lot of things in common with groups like Flamin´ Groovies, CCR and NRBQ, all of them true defenders of the original Rock & Roll between the late 60's and early 70's, but although they shared musical roots Commander Cody were a special band, much more purist than any of the aforementioned groups and very respectful of vintage sounds, you just have to listen to the versions of "20 Flight Rock", "Hot Rod Lincoln" and "Midnight Shift" or the original song of the group "Lost In The Ozone ”, belonging to their first LP, to realize that Commander Cody's link to 50's Rock & Roll / Rockabilly Country and Western Swing is very serious, on their albums they achieved a sound that totally separated them from the bands of The 70's, as if all this were not enough, the magnificent covers of many of his albums, the work of Chris Frayne, George's brother, which refer to the comics and sci-fi novels of the 50's, in addition to e The very name of the group makes Commander Cody a group with a strong connection to the 1950s. Commander Cody got a few hits on the charts, like their cover of the song "Hot Rod Lincoln," and a well-deserved reputation as a live band. In 1976 the band was dissolved, but George Frayne continued his career with different formations that included some musicians from the original band, under different names such as; Commander Cody And His Modern Day Airmen, Commander Cody And His Western Airmen, Commander Cody Band, making excellent records and maintaining their reputation as a great bar band.
The singer and guitarist Bill Kirchen, nicknamed "The Titan of The Telecaster", who among others has collaborated and accompanied Gene Vincent, Link Wray, Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello or Marti Brom is perhaps the member of the band that has achieved the most recognition. , with a flawless solo career.
My first Commander Cody album, I bought it when I was 16 years old and it was his 1971 LP "Lost In The Ozone". From that moment on I have bought all the George Frayne albums, and his different Commander Cody bands, which have been within my grasp, becoming one of my musical heroes of the 70's. From Poison Ivy Lovers I want to offer my condolences to his family and friends. Thanks for so many good times listening to your records George, rest in peace, or as his dear friend Bill Kirchen said; "Keep making a good scandal wherever you are"
Juanmy "The Hunter".

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