SCOTT RICHARDSON MEMORIAL TRIBUTE

UP ALL NIGHT: Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People Editor / Publisher Michael McDowell and SCOT RICHARD CASE / SRC front man SCOTT RICHARDSON pictured above during a summit lunch meeting in West Los Angeles, California on Thursday 29 December 2016. Blitz Magazine salutes the extraordinary legacy of Richardson below, in the wake of his passing on 07 December 2025, following a lengthy illness. C&P 2016 Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People. All rights reserved. (Click on above image to enlarge). 

I'M SO SAD:

REMEMBERING SRC AND

SCOT RICHARD CASE FRONT MAN

SCOTT RICHARDSON

By Michael McDowell

The word "original" has been invoked so many times over the years that it now often falls short of its intended meaning. 

Nonetheless, the term continues to be a perfect fit for the catalog of the band that began as the Scot Richard Case. The band was formed from the remnants of the Chosen Few and the Fugitives, whose brief yet enduring legacies were captured via 45s released on such labels as D-Town (also the recording home of the great Lee Rogers and Silky Hargraves) and Westchester. 

Having put the Rationals on the map in 1965, Jeep Holland's Ann Arbor, Michigan-based A-Square label followed suit by releasing the Scot Richard Case's I'm So Glad / Who Is That Girl? single in mid-1967. Ongoing exposure on WKNR Keener 13 and on Robin Seymour's Windsor, Ontario-based Swingin' Time television series led to a three album deal with Capitol Records the following year as SRC.

Following a one-off single for Big Casino and a final release as Blue Scepter for Rare Earth in 1972, SRC opted to call it a career. Front man Scott Richardson went on to varying degrees of success in music, film and television.

Dogged by ill health in his later years, Richardson nonetheless remained impassioned about his art. A frequent presence on social media, he graciously fielded questions from fans about his extraordinary legacy.

Sadly, that legacy came to a conclusion on the morning of 07 December 2025 after a lengthy illness. While the loss is of course an enormous one, it nonetheless seemed more appropriate to celebrate his lighter moments in keeping with Richardson's propensity towards relentless optimism.

On the afternoon of Thursday 29 December 2016, Scott Richardson and Blitz Magazine - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People Editor / Publisher Michael McDowell met for lunch at the Souplantation Restaurant in West Los Angeles, California. The account of that summit meeting first appeared in Blitz Magazine on 05 January 2017, and is reprised below. 

RIDE THE WIND:

HAVING LUNCH WITH SRC AND

SCOT RICHARD CASE FRONT MAN

SCOTT RICHARDSON

By Michael McDowell

Originality is a rare gift in music.

Almost invariably, every artist who has committed their work to record will bring to mind the inspiration of those who preceded them, either by their own proclamations or by evidence of such in their own delivery.

This is not to say that all who have recorded were derivative in their efforts. But many will draw accordingly from that which inspires them and take it to the next level by putting their personal stamp on it.

That said, there are few releases which come to mind that do not in any way invoke the work of other artists upon each listen. Legendary vocalist and composer Lori Burton's landmark 1967 Breakout album for Mercury Records is one such example. Another is the richly diverse and highly unique catalog of the pioneering first generation garage rock quintet, the Scot Richard Case.

An early signing to the late Hugh "Jeep" Holland's Ann Arbor, Michigan-based A-Square label, the Scot Richard Case made their debut for A-Square in mid-1967 with their ambitious and acclaimed cover of blues veteran Skip James' signature track, I'm So Glad.

But it was the flip side of that A-Square single which hinted at the greatness to come. The brooding original, Who Is That Girl? set the stage for the high drama that would characterize the band's soon to develop high impacting mission statement. A cover of the Pretty Things' Get The Picture followed for A-Square. The Scot Richard Case then signed with Capitol Records, abbreviating their name to SRC in the process.

As SRC, the band hit the ground running in 1968 with the two-fisted hard rocker, Black Sheep. Suburban Detroit AM radio giant WKNR Keener 13 took notice, and the band quickly followed up with their self-titled debut album for the label. SRC ultimately recorded three albums for Capitol, including 1969's landmark Milestones album and 1970's Traveler's Tale. Throughout each, SRC presented a series of dramatically arranged and executed originals that evoked the imagery of the Dark Ages of a millenium ago, arguably providing a direct inspiration of the work of such bands that followed as Yes and Tranquility. 

To their considerable credit, as mainstream rock in general continued on an unprecedented downward aesthetic spiral overall (borne of an increasing emphasis on technique over heart, as well as the prevalence of self-indulgence over accessibility), SRC briefly signed with Motown's affiliate Rare Earth label, where they released the refreshingly upbeat and inspiriational Out In The Night single as Blue Scepter. Other equally inspiring sessions from that period eventually saw release as SRC Lost Masters on the One Way label in the early 1990s. 

Having relocated to Southern California in the present decade, SRC front man and co-founder Scott Richardson had been battling health concerns in recent months (including injuries to his left leg, as well as undergoing cataract surgery). Thankfully, Richardson has experienced a full recovery.

That encouraging development in turn prompted a celebration of sorts several days ago, when Scott Richardson and Blitz Magazine's Michael McDowell met for lunch at the Souplantation Restaurant in West Los Angeles. In between helpings of salad, soup and pasta, Richardson enthusiastically recalled highlights of his half century career, from adventures on the road with such bands as the Monkees and the Grateful Dead, as well as new material that he has in the works.

"It's spiritually stimulating to talk about music and the cultural zeitgeist that flows in its wake", said Richardson.

With Souplantation providing (presumably unintentionally) an appropriate bit of psychedelically-themed lighting. Blitz Magazine's Michael McDowell (pictured at left) and Scott Richardson closed out a great afternoon.