I needed a home for the obscure and sometimes poorly documented songs of Rock and Pop history, so I’ve built this cozy little space for them to inhabit. It will be a mobile home, appearing on different days, maybe once a week, or month, or in place of a regular post if need be. Who knows? Let’s see what happens.

For now, let’s see about William Truckaway, a guitarist who began his musical career with the San Francisco band Sopwith Camel, a sunny-sounding outfit who scored a modest hit in 1967 with “Hello Hello” and then broke up at the end of the year. Truckaway kicked around a bit before joining with former Sopwith Camel and Lovin’ Spoonful producer Eric Jacobsen, along with his former bandmates, to work on Norman Greenbaum’s massive hit “Spirit In The Sky” (it was his suggestion to add a gospel choir).

Truckaway and Jacobsen then recorded his one and only solo album, titled Breakaway, and released in 1971. Alas, it sold poorly, and he exited the chaotic music business to drive a cab for many years and before going into realty.

A beautiful and soulful acoustic ballad, opening track “Breakaway” sounds like it could have been released by The Rascals or The Temptations in the mid 1960’s.

As long as we’re here, might as well post the one song that garnered a bit of airplay, and appeared in a Taco Bell commercial back in the day! (I didn’t expect to go plumbing through the history of Taco Bell but these posts can lead you anywhere. Founded in Downey, CA just south of Los Angeles in 1962 by Glen Bell after watching crowds at a local Mexican restaurant….but I digress.)

“Bluegreens” (sometimes titled “Bluegreens On The Wing”) — a Beach Boys pastiche inspired by Winnie the Pooh and philosophy (no, seriously) — gained attention in a few cities on the local radio charts, but unfortunately not enough to break the single nationally.