The Seventy Sevens

    The Seventy Sevens

    Also credited as 77's, 77s, Seventy Sevens, The 77's

    Sacramento, California22 reviews across 11 releases

    alternative rockblues rockclassic rockrock
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    The Seventy Sevens, also known as 77s, is a Sacramento, California, rock band formed in the late 1970s through Warehouse Christian Ministries, first performing as the Scratch Band. Its early music combined alternative pop with new-wave textures and a strong melodic sense; Sticks and Stones, a 1990 collection of older material, presented that side in polished form. The live Eighty Eight captured a different emphasis, built from blues, hard rock, and extended jams. By The Seventy Sevens (1992), the band could move from Hendrix-influenced blues-metal into Beach Boys-style pop, with Mike Roe's falsetto giving the melodic songs a distinct ache. After guitarist David Leonhardt and drummer Aaron Smith left, Tom Tom Blues made the change audible: the trio became heavier, more groove-oriented, and more willing to experiment.

    Mark Tootle left after the live period documented by Eighty Eight. Roe then rebuilt the group with Mark Harmon and David Leonhardt, while Aaron Smith stayed on drums; Leonhardt and Smith later departed before the 1995 three-piece lineup. The band established Fools of the World in 1996, issuing new recordings and reissues through it, including Seventy Sevens EP in 1999 and the expanded live set 8ighty 8ight / When Numbers Get Serious in 2000. Roe also worked outside the group with Lost Dogs and as a solo artist, while 7&7iS became an outlet for separate material, including Fun with Sound in 2004. The Seventy Sevens remains active; later releases included Twenty Twenty and Hymnshow, both issued in 2021.

    11 releases reviewed