The Prime Movers

Barely Appreciated

THE PRIME MOVERS
 
 
The Prime Movers  were a blues band based in the Ann Arbor, Michigan, formed in 1965.  The band originally consisted of Michael Erlewine (lead singer, harmonica), Dan Erlewine (lead guitar), Robert Sheff (keyboards), Robert Vinopal (bass), and Michael “Spider” Wynn (drums).  Vinopal left soon after the band’s formation and was replaced by Jack Dawson.  Wynn left a short time later and was replaced by James Osterberg, who would later become famous as Iggy Pop.  When he joined the Prime Movers, Osterberg took the name “Iggy”, from his previous band The Iguanas.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

In 1965Michael Erlewine and his brother formed a blues band called the Prime Moversoriginal bandmembers were Michael Erlewine (lead singer, harmonica), Dan Erlewine (lead guitar), Robert Sheff (keyboards), Robert Vinopal (bass), and Michael “Spider” Wynn (drums).  After Wynn left the band, he was replaced by James Osterberg.  A few years later, Osterberg began performing as Iggy Popand under this name, he founded the proto-punk band the Stooges.  His nickname was due to Osterberg’s serving as the drummer for another Michigan band called the Iguanas.  

 

(March 2014/2)

 

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Some months back, I included a story on the Prime Movers, yet another Michigan band, which numbered among its members Michael Erlewine, the man who started All Music Guide (now Allmusic), along with All Movie Guide and All Game Guide; and James Osterberg, better known today as Iggy Pop. He started out as a drummer, as he was for this band; and the other bandmembers started calling him Iggy because he had previously been the drummer for a band called the Iguanas, this month’s Under Appreciated Rock Band. The band name also gave Greg Shaw the name for his long series of Stooges albums, The Iguana Chronicles.
 
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James Osterberg left the Iguanas in 1966 to join the Prime Movers; the Iguanas then hired a new drummer and played some dates in Boston and New York. When they were unable to land a record deal with Columbia Records, the band broke up in 1967.  
(December 2016)
Last edited: March 22, 2021