Canned Heat, an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965, launched by two blues enthusiasts, Alan Wilson and Bob Hite, who took the name from Tommy Johnson’s 1928 “Canned Heat Blues.”
After appearances at the Monterey and Woodstock festivals at the end of the 1960s, the band acquired worldwide fame with a lineup consisting of Hite (vocals), Wilson (guitar, harmonica, and vocals), Henry Vestine and later Harvey Mandel (lead guitar), Larry Taylor (bass), and Adolfo de la Parra (drums).
On the night that Henry Vestine quit Canned Heat, Mandel was in their dressing room at the Fillmore West. Mike Bloomfield joined them for the first set, and Mandel came in for the second set. His third gig with the band was the Woodstock Festival in 1969. He stayed with the band for a year, touring and recording material which appeared on three albums. “Let’s Work Together”, a song by Wilbert Harrison which was included in the album “Future Blues” became an international hit.
Today, Harvey hasn’t been playing out, he’s fighting cancer again. He needs several surgeries and time to recover. And, Harvey needs our help to pay for all this medical care. So, we’ve put together a Help Harvey beat cancer GoFundMe page. Please come look at the page, see what he needs and get updates on his condition. Help with what you can, it means the world to Harvey.
