User:Hennyboo13/Sandbox

Origins and Formation (1964-67)
Ross Dolan began his performing career in a garage rock group called the Pylots, based in Ross's hometown of Buffalo, NY. In 1966, after marrying his high school girlfriend Laura Whitney, the newlywed couple moved to San Francisco, California. It was during the Summer of Love in 1967 that Ross and Laura Dolan met fellow musicians Nate Wagner, Nick Vogel and Joseph Quinn. The five musicians joined together and formed the Electric Lightning Citizen, which was quickly shortened to the Electric Citizen.

Early Years and Sateen (1967-70)
From 1967 to 1969, the Electric Citizen performed with groups such as the Doors, the Grateful Dead, and the Mothers of Invention. After the group's first few performances, however, keyboardist Joseph Quinn left the Electric Citizen, leaving the band as a group of four. In 1968, the Electric Citizen signed to Rider Records, releasing their debut single, "Light Years Beyond", in early 1969. They followed it up in June with their debut album, Sateen, which featured a heavy, riff-driven sound, and also featured the group's iconic middle sections made up of a false ending, followed by a change in tempo.

Sateen has often been seen as an important yet forgotten piece of rock history. While it is widely considered to be psychedelic rock, many have claimed that Sateen may be one of the earliest examples of proto-metal, as its heavy emphasis on guitar riffs predates Black Sabbath's debut album by eight months. In addition, the five-minute, dreamy "Hawk Nightingale" has been stated by some to be an early prototype for experimental rock. While Sateen was not a nationwide hit, it did lead Electric Citizen to gain attention from outside the San Francisco area.

Higher Time (1970-72)
Following the release of Sateen, Electric Citizen began touring outside of San Francisco as their audience grew significantly. Nick Vogel left the band in April 1970 and was replaced by Randy Proctor, who toured with the group on their first headline tour during the summer. As trends in rock music evolved, so did the Electric Citizen's sound. On May 13, 1971, the group released their second studio album, which was a self-titled release, but has since become known as Higher Time. The group's sound became noticeably heavier, supposedly influenced by hard rock and early heavy metal.

In Higher Time, the Electric Citizen's sound began to take on a more occult angle in songs such as the self-titled debut track, which contained Laura Dolan chanting Satanic-inspired verses. Despite this, however, the Electric Citizen would not become a full-on Satanic band like later metal bands would.

The Crossing and Later Years (1972-75)
In 1972, the Electric Citizen embarked on their first overseas tour of Europe. The hassle they faced while traveling abroad as well as performing in cities behind the Iron Curtain greatly exhausted Nate Wagner, who departed from the group in January of 1973. Colin Smith took over on drums, though was known for being impatient and sometimes uncommitted to the group. Smith's drumming helped shape the group's third album the Crossing. Released in 1973, the Crossing contained less psychedelic and occult elements, instead taking on a faster-paced, more metallic sound. By this point, the Electric Citizen had become a straight heavy metal band, though this style was not to last.

By 1974, the Electric Citizen's popularity had noticeably declined. the Crossing was less successful than their previous two albums, and much of their following had left them in favor of softer music acts. Colin Smith announced in September that he had "had it" with the group and was ready to quit. The Electric Citizen made their last performance on October 28, 1974.