Cyril Jordan

CYRIL JORDAN
 
 
Cyril Jordan  (born August 31, 1948 in San Francisco) is a guitarist and founding member of San Francisco cult band the Flamin’ Groovies.  They are best remembered for their influential 1976 album Shake Some Action.  His song “Shake Some Action”, co-written with Chris Wilson, appeared in the 1995 movie Clueless.  After the death of George Harrison in 2001, Cyril performed a tribute to George with a band known as the New Moondogs at a special charity event at CD Land in Palo Alto, California.  Cyril also backed up Gordon Waller (of Peter and Gordon) at the same venue a few months later.  In 2013, the Flamin’ Groovies, including Jordan, reformed to play dates in Japan, Australia, England, and the United States.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
The second single by the Poppees for Bomp! Records later in 1975 – “Jealousy” b/w “She’s Got It” – was produced by Cyril Jordan of the Flamin’ Groovies; the first 45 on Bomp was by this band and was released in December 1974.
 
(December 2010)
 
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One fascinating view of the whole story is the history of the British Invasion as told from a musician/fan’s perspective – Cyril Jordan, a founding member of the Flamin’ Groovies (whose roots go all the way back to 1965) – which is the cover story of the current issue of Ugly Things magazine that also includes my own article on Milan the Leather Boy.  
 
(January 2013) 
 
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The first CD in particular walks the listener through the chronological history of Bomp! Records, beginning with the “A” side of their very first release:  You Tore Me Down by the Flamin’ Groovies.  Greg Shaw’s liner notes about this song describe how Bomp! Records got started:  “When Cyril Jordan first played me this, and the other stuff that they’d done in England (including ‘Shake Some Action’) that nobody would release, I was stunned.  Then he said, ‘why don’t you put it out?’  I couldn’t think of a good reason, except of course that there was no way to distribute, promote or sell it . . . all I knew was that music this good had to come out.  So we did.  And that’s as good a foot to start on as any, I reckon.” 

 

(September 2013)

 

Last edited: March 22, 2021