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Notes From The Underground was an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1965 in Berkeley, California. The original lineup included singer/multi-instrumentalist Fred Sokolow, guitarist Mark Mandell, bassist Mike O'Connor, keyboardist John Miller, and drummer Joe Luke. They gained recognition as one of the first notable Bay Area rock bands, performing at the inaugural Longshoreman's Hall concert organized by the Family Dog collective and regularly headlining the Jabberwock club. After the departures of Miller and Luke, the band brought in keyboardist Jim Work and drummer Peter Ostwald. They recorded a self-titled EP in 1966 under the Changes label, which led to an offer to be the house band at Berkeley's New Orleans House and a contract with Vanguard Records. Following a lineup change that replaced Work with jazz-trained keyboardist Skip Rose, they recorded their only LP, also self-titled, featuring the single "Down in the Basement." However, O'Connor and Ostwald left soon after the recording sessions, leading Vanguard to question the band's future and ultimately void their contract. Despite these setbacks, Sokolow and Mandell continued to push forward, forming a new lineup that included former member Miller, bassist Bing Nathan, and drummer Furry Grasso. The band relocated to Taos, New Mexico, but ultimately disbanded in 1969. Sokolow and Mandell returned to Berkeley to form a new project, Prince Bakaradi, while Sokolow

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