There is not much information available about The Liberty Party. They were a five-piece band that formed in Seattle sometime around 1965. According to Music in Washington by Peter Blecha, the group formed in 1963 as The Enchanters, a Beatles-inspired act that lasted through the following year. In 1965, the group reformed as The Liberty Party, featuring guitarist-singer Gordon Kjellberg, guitarist Jerry Hawkes, bassist-singer Bill Rieben, keyboardist Mike Robbins, and drummer Al Malosky. The group released only three songs in its short career-- Jerden 787 Get Yourself Home c/w Weep On in 1966, and Send For Me on the original Battle of the Bands LP in 1967, a song that was reportedly recorded under pressure from Jerry Dennon of Jerden Records.
Guitarist Gordon Kjellberg was drafted into six months of military service in 1965. A few recording sessions took place after his return, but the band soon went their separate ways. Both Kjellberg and Robbins later played with Merrilee and the Turnabouts.
Today, seven Liberty Party recordings are available, six of which are on CD. Three previously unissued songs were released on Big Beat's Northwest Battle of the Bands CD compilation-- Goodbye, Jim's Milk Song, and my personal favorite, Please Help the Man. Get Yourself Home is also included on volume 3 of the compilation. Send For Me and It's Not too Late have been released on other Northwest CD compilations, making Weep On the only Liberty Party song to remain solely on vinyl.
Guitarist Gordon Kjellberg was drafted into six months of military service in 1965. A few recording sessions took place after his return, but the band soon went their separate ways. Both Kjellberg and Robbins later played with Merrilee and the Turnabouts.
Today, seven Liberty Party recordings are available, six of which are on CD. Three previously unissued songs were released on Big Beat's Northwest Battle of the Bands CD compilation-- Goodbye, Jim's Milk Song, and my personal favorite, Please Help the Man. Get Yourself Home is also included on volume 3 of the compilation. Send For Me and It's Not too Late have been released on other Northwest CD compilations, making Weep On the only Liberty Party song to remain solely on vinyl.