Todd Rundgren -- to rehearsal, and after seeing Rundgren play guitar, Bob Radeloff convinced Miller that having twin stereo lead guitarists -- like Paul Butterfield's band -- would be a good thing. Rundgren joined and they continued playing gigs, mostly at low-key coffeehouses like The Second of Autumn and The Second Fret. They later relocated to the Boston area. Miller and Rundgren began arguing about the band's direction during this time. Miller wanted the band to remain more blues-oriented, while Rundgren wanted them to venture off in a more psychedelic-rock direction. On May 7, 1967, the band found themselves playing with the Blues Project at the Town Hall. After the audience pelted them onstage with pies, Rundgren decided to split and concentrate on his own music; he was replaced by rhythm guitarist Greg Radcliffe. Woody's Truck Stop continued on without
him, and in February of 1968, the band landed on a bill with Rundgren's newly-formed band, the Nazz, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Rundgren's new band also featured bassist Van Osten, who had quit Woody's Truck Stop to concentrate on college. His replacement was bassist Ron Bogeon. Woody's Truck Stop, meanwhile, recorded their first album, the self-titled Woody's Truck Stop, at Regent Sound in New York City. It was released in 1969 on Mercury's Smash label. The album failed to bring them success, and soon after its release, the band broke up. Incidentally, a few of Rundgren's early demos with Woody's Truck Stop from late 1966 and early 1967-- including Why Is It Me, and another an early Nazztrack, The Lemming Song -- have been collected on various Rundgren compilations, including a 2CD Nazz set released in 2002 on the Japanese Airmail Recordings label. The U.S.-based Distortions/Philly Archives also plan to reissue the
Woody's Truck Stop CD. ~ Bryan Thomas, Rovi