Rare Earth
Hard-rockin' white-soul band from Detroit, Michigan, USA.  I believe they were the only all-white band signed to the Motown label.  Thanks to Tom White and Thomas Doerr for helping me with the lineup from the 1980s to Present.
The Sunliners / Rare Earth I (1964 - 1969)
  • Pete Hoorelbeke (aka, Pete Rivera) - drums/vocals
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • John Persh - bass/trombone/vocals
  • Steven Fischer - sax
  • Russ Terrana - guitar
  • Ralph Terrana - keyboards
Album:
  1. "Dreams/Answers" (1968)
Name changed to Rare Earth in 1968.
Rare Earth II (1969 - 1970)
  • Pete Hoorelbeke (aka, Pete Rivera) - drums/vocals
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • John Persh - bass/trombone/vocals
  • Rod Richards - guitar/vocals
  • Kenny James - keyboards
Album:
  1. "Get Ready" (1969) - Single: "Get Ready"
Rare Earth III (1970)
  • Pete Hoorelbeke (aka, Pete Rivera) - drums/vocals
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • John Persh - bass/trombone/vocals
  • Rod Richards - guitar/vocals
  • Kenny James - keyboards
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
Album:
  1. "Ecology" (1970) - Singles: "Born to Wander", "(I Know) I'm Losing You"
Rare Earth IV (1970 - 1971)
  • Pete Hoorelbeke (aka, Pete Rivera) - drums/vocals
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • John Persh - bass/trombone/vocals
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
  • Ray Monette - guitar/vocals
  • Mark Olson - keyboards/vocals
Albums:
  1. "One World" (1971) - Single: "I Just Want to Celebrate"
  2. "Rare Earth In Concert" (1971) - Single: "What'd I Say"
Rare Earth V (1971 - 1974)
  • Pete Hoorelbeke (aka, Pete Rivera) - drums/vocals
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
  • Ray Monette - guitar/vocals
  • Mark Olson - keyboards/vocals
  • Michael Urso - bass/vocals
Albums:
  1. "Willie Remembers" (1972) - Singles: "Good Time Sally", "We're Gonna Have a Good Time"
  2. "Ma" (1973) - Singles: "Ma", "Hum Along and Dance"
Rare Earth VI (1975)
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
  • Ray Monette - guitar/vocals
  • Jerry LaCroix - sax/flute/vocals - formerly with Edgar Winter's White Trash and Blood, Sweat and Tears.
  • Paul Warren - guitar/vocals
  • Barry Eugene Frost - percussion
  • Gabriel Katona - keyboards/vocals
  • Reggie McBride - bass/vocals
Album:
  1. "Back to Earth" (1975) - Single: "It Makes You Happy (But It Ain't Gonna Last Too Long)"
Rare Earth VII (1976)
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
  • Ray Monette - guitar/vocals
  • Jerry LaCroix - sax/flute/vocals
  • Reggie McBride - bass/vocals
  • Frank Westerbrook - keyboards
Album:
  1. "Midnight Lady" (1976)
Jerry LaCroix later forms Jerry LaCroix and the Blues Krewe.
Rare Earth VIII (1977)
  • Pete Hoorelbeke (aka, Pete Rivera) - drums/vocals
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
  • Michael Urso - bass/vocals
  • Daniel Ferguson - guitar
  • Ron Fransen - keyboards
Album:
  1. "RarEarth" (1977)
Rare Earth IX (1978 - 1983)
  • Pete Hoorelbeke (aka, Pete Rivera) - drums/vocals
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
  • Michael Urso - bass/vocals
  • Ray Monette - guitar/vocals
  • Mark Olson - keyboards/vocals
Albums:
  1. "Band Together" (1978) - Single: "Warm Ride"
  2. "Grand Slam" (1978) - Single: "I Can Feel My Love Risin'"
  3. "Tight+Hot" (1982) - released in Canada. [Ref: Tomas Doerr - Apr. 7, 2006]
Pete Hoorelbeke (aka, Pete Rivera) later joins The Classic Rock All-Stars.
Rare Earth X (1983 - 1987)
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
  • Ray Monette - guitar/vocals
  • Mark Olson - keyboards/vocals
  • Randy "Big Bird" Burghdoff - bass/vocals
  • Jerry Leboch - drums
[Ref: Tomas Doerr - Apr. 7, 2006]
Rare Earth XI (1987 - ? )
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/percussion/vocals
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
  • Ray Monette - guitar/vocals
  • Randy "Big Bird" Burghdoff - bass/vocals
  • Jerry Leboch - drums
  • Rick Warner - keyboards/vocals
  • Wayne Baraks - vocals
Album:
  1. "Made In Switzerland" (live) (1989)
[Ref: Tomas Doerr - Apr. 7, 2006]
Rare Earth XII ( ? - ? )
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/vocals
  • Edward Guzman - conga/percussion
  • Ray Monette - guitar/vocals
  • Randy "Big Bird" Burghdoff - bass/vocals
  • Rick Warner - keyboards/vocals
  • Wayne Baraks - vocals
  • Dean Boucher - drums
Album:
  1. "Different World" (1993)
[Ref: Tom White] [Ref: Tomas Doerr - Apr. 7, 2006]
Rare Earth XIII ( ? - ? )
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/vocals
  • Randy "Big Bird" Burghdoff - bass/vocals
  • Wayne Baraks - vocals
  • Floyd Stokes, Jr. - drums/vocals
  • Ivan Greilick - guitar/vocals
  • Mike Bruner - keyboards/vocals
[Ref: Tomas Doerr - Apr. 7, 2006]
Rare Earth XIV ( ? - Present)
  • Gil Bridges - sax/flute/vocals
  • Randy "Big Bird" Burghdoff - bass/vocals
  • Floyd Stokes, Jr. - drums/vocals
  • Ivan Gurlick - guitar/vocals
  • Mike Bruner - keyboards/vocals
Compilations:
  1. "Greatest Hits & Rare Classics" (1974)
  2. "Get Ready / Ecology" (2-fer) (1990)
  3. "Earth Tones: The Essential Rare Earth" (1994)
  4. "The Best of Rare Earth" (1995)
  5. "Anthology: The Best of Rare Earth" (2-CDs) (1995)
  6. "The Very Best of Rare Earth" (1998)
  7. "20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Rare Earth" (2001)
  8. "The Collection" (2004)
Links:
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Last Revised:  February 13, 2007
Copyright © 2000, 2005, 2007 by Gary S. Hartman.  All rights reserved.