Rare Earth

and Kenny James (born Ken Folcik), keyboards. The group's recording style was hard-driving. In late 1969, Edward "Eddie" Guzman (congas and assorted percussive instruments) was added to the group.

During 1969, the group contributed music to the film Generation that starred David Janssen and Kim Darby. An accompanying soundtrack album was released, but quickly withdrawn after the film failed commercially, with only a small number of copies sold. Several tracks were remixed and included on the next LP, Ecology, in 1970. The soundtrack album was reissued as a limited edition LP for Record Store Day 2020. The issue was pressed on hot pink vinyl and limited to a run of 2,000 copies.

In 1971 Rod Richards left due to musical differences, and Kenny James, weary of the group's increased touring schedule, also departed. Ray Monette (guitar) and Mark Olson (keyboards, vocals) joined to replace them.

The group's hits from late 1970 to early 1972 were "Born To Wander" (number 17), "I Just Want to Celebrate" (number 7), and "Hey, Big Brother" (number 19). There were no significant hits thereafter. Nevertheless, the band continued to record into the 1990s.

By 1972, Motown had decided to relocate from Detroit to Los Angeles and Rare Earth soon followed suit. John Persh, however, decided not to make the move and was succeeded in the band by Mike Urso (John Persh later died from a hospital staphylococcal infection on January 27, 1981).

Their 1973 album, Ma, written and produced by Norman Whitfield, is considered one of their best overall works, and features their version of "Hum Along and Dance". But the record did not sell well, and produced no hits.

Rare Earth was the opening act at California Jam festival in Ontario, California on April 6, 1974. The festival attracted over 250,000 people, and the band appeared alongside 1970s rock groups Black Sabbath; Emerson, Lake & Palmer; Deep Purple; Earth, Wind & Fire; Seals and Crofts; Black Oak Arkansas  and the Eagles. Portions of the show were broadcast on ABC Television in the U.S., exposing the band to a wider audience.

In 1974 the group began working with Motown producer Frank Wilson on their next project. But in his autobiography, "Born to Wander", Peter Rivera described his having objections when Frank Wilson okayed a song contributed by Mark Olson without running it by the others first. Pete Rivera thought the song was not up to the band's usual standards and Frank Wilson ended up being taken off the project.

It was during the recording of Ma when the friction between Peter Rivera and the group finally blew. The band described Peter as having “lead-singer syndrome”. Although tension originally began a few years prior in 1973, when Peter approached the band with the desire to change the group’s name to ‘Peter Rivera and Rare Earth’ of which the band was not having it.

In 1975, the band was living in California, and Rare Earth was at the top of the charts. However, the tension in the band grew and was eventually settled in court in favor of Gil Bridges and Eddie Guzman and they were awarded the name “Rare Earth”.

Ma was the final work that featured Peter Rivera and Mike Urso. The Frank Wilson sessions, which would have been the follow up to Ma, were mainly completed but remained in the vaults of Motown. A double live set in 1974, and Live In Chicago was also shelved.

In July 1974, Mike Urso and Peter Rivera formed a new band, HUB, with Rare Earth's 1970–1972 co-producer, Tom Baird, using the initials of their surnames (Hoorelbeke (Peter Rivera), Urso and Baird). HUB went on to record two albums for Capitol Records ("HUB" and "Cheata'") but came to a sudden end in November 1975 after Tom Baird was killed in a boating accident.

Rare Earth brought in new players: Jerry LaCroix (vocals, sax, harmonica, formerly of The Boogie Kings, Edgar Winter's White Trash and Blood, Sweat & Tears), Paul Warren (guitar, backing vocals), Bartholomew ("Frosty") Eugene Smith-Frost (formerly with Sweathog and Lee Michaels, drums), Reggie McBride (ex-Stevie Wonder, bass) and Gabriel Katona (keyboards). The new line-up recorded Back to Earth in 1975 and went back on the road. However, both Paul Warren and Frosty left during this tour and new drummer Chet McCracken (who would go on to join the Doobie Brothers) was hired to finish out their 1975 tour. The band then recorded "Midnight Lady" (minus Gabriel Katona and Chet McCracken), which was released in 1976. Frank Westbrook replaced Gabriel Katona on keyboards, whilst Chet McCracken was not replaced,

instead session musician Ollie Brown handled percussion duties for "Midnight Lady". But neither of these releases sold as well as the band had been used to.

In late 1976, a former Motown vice president, Barney Ales, an earlier champion of Rare Earth, returned to the company to head up one of their new offshoot labels, Prodigal Records. He made an offer to reunite the 1972–1974 members of the band; Gil Bridges, Guzman, Hoorelbeke, Urso, Olson and Monette to record a new album on Prodigal.

However, Ray Monette and Mark Olson did not agree to the terms and abstained. Session players Dan Ferguson (guitar) and Ron Fransen (keyboards) were brought in instead to play on Rarearth, which was produced by both James Anthony Carmichael and Cal Harris  (both of which later had success with The Commodores and Lionel Richie). It was released in 1977 but failed to reach expectations.

Later in 1977, the group reassembled with Chicago-based producer John Ryan (who worked with Styx and others) to begin work on two new albums. This time, Ray Monette and Mark Olson agreed to join in and the results were "Band Together" and "Grand Slam",

both released in 1978 and featuring more of a late 1970s disco sound, with the former providing the Bee Gees-penned hit "Warm Ride", which peaked at number 39. Other than the one solitary hit, neither album was a big seller. The Gap Band bassist Robert Wilson contributed to some of the tracks on "Band Together".

In June 1979 Urso left the band again. On his recommendation, and after hearing several bass players, the group recruited bassist Ken Johnston, who joined the group's road tours for two years until June 1981.

Ken Johnston had just completed a stint with jazz singer Maxine Weldon and had rejoined Las Vegas comedian/songster Kenny Laursen. He interrupted his tour with Kenny Laursen to join Rare Earth in Florida.

By the summer of 1981, Mike Urso had returned to Rare Earth after a two-year absence, but he left again in mid-1983, and has not returned to the band since then. Tim Ellsworth was then brought in as new bassist/vocalist in September 1983. By the tail end of that year, Peter Rivera was let go from the band again after disagreements with Gil Bridges. (Peter Rivera went on to form The Classic Rock All-Stars in 1992.) Drummer Tony Thomas replaced Peter Rivera on drums. After Peter's departure, Tim Ellsworth and Mark Olson took over lead vocals.

By that time most of the members of the band had moved back to Detroit, and the group continued to tour. Personnel shuffles abounded in the mid-1980s. In September 1984, Bob Weaver took over the drum throne and played with the group into 1985. He was temporarily succeeded by Bob Brock, whose professional name was Bobby Rock (not Bob Rock, the famous Hard rock/Heavy metal producer from Canada), but returned only to be replaced by Jerry LeBloch in mid-1985. Also in September of '84, Andy Merrild replaced Tim Ellsworth as bassist until the end of June 1985.

Tim Ellsworth then returned and toured with the group until the end of August of '85. The group's road manager, Randy "Bird" Burghdoff, took over as Rare Earth's bassist in September 1985 and has remained in that position ever since. Mark Olson was let go in 1986 after increasing personal and substance abuse troubles. (Mark Olson died on April 14, 1991, at the age of 41, from liver disease.)

Rick Warner was then brought in as the band's new keyboardist and Wayne Baraks, who was recruited in 1987 on rhythm guitar, took over much of the lead vocals as well. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the personnel changes slowed down somewhat as things stabilized and the band found itself in demand to play on "oldies" bills with other acts of the 1960s and 1970s.

Drummer Dean Boucher replaced Jerry LeBloch on drums in 1989 and re-signed with the small foreign label Koch International and began work on a new album. The result was "Different World" (released in February 1993) which was a collection containing a few covers of older songs and new material. It was mostly overlooked by the public and not even issued in the U.S.

On July 29, 1993 the band suffered the loss of another member when long time percussionist Eddie Guzman (age 49) died at his home in Howell, Michigan.

The group kept going, though, and brought in new drummer Floyd Stokes Jr., who also took over for the departing Dean Boucher, and took on lead vocal duties too after guitarist Wayne Baraks pulled out of the group in 1994.

Other than Mike Bruner's succeeding Rick Warner in January 1998 and Ivan Greilich's filling in for Ray Monette for five years (2004–2009), the line-up was stable overall until Ray Monette's final departure in 2017.

Rare Earth continued to perform at corporate events on the oldies circuit. Bits from their recordings have been used as samples on recordings as diverse as Beck's "Derelict", Unkle, and DJ Shadow's "GDMFSOB (feat. Roots Manuva - U.N.K.L.E. uncensored version)", Black Sheep's "Try Counting Sheep", Peanut Butter Wolf's "Tale of Five Cities", Scarface's "Faith", NWA's "Real Niggaz Don't Die" and Eric B. and Rakim's "What's Going On".

Gil Bridges, the last original member appearing in the current Rare Earth lineup, died from complications arising from COVID-19 on December 8, 2021, aged 80.

In 2022, Metallica released a live recording from the MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert at Club Nokia in Los Angeles on May 12, 2014. The performance includes a cover of "I Just Want to Celebrate" by Rare Earth.

In 2023, several artists performed Rare Earth's "I Just Want to Celebrate" to kick off the 2023 Grammy Awards.

It seems that as of March 2023, Mike Bruner and Wayne Baraks have restarted the band.

Mike Bruner – keyboards (1998–present)

Wayne Baraks - guitar, lead vocals (1987–present)

Dan Medawar - lead guitar, backing vocals (2023-present)

Ronnie Nelson - Percussion (2023-present)

"Rollo" Michael Rollin - Vocals, Flautist, Saxophone (2023-present)

Ron Cousineau - Bass, backing vocals (2023-present)

Keith Christian - Drums, backing vocals (2023-present)