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n r The Band “Water Brother” and the Song “Oh Brother”

Here is the link to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_cEHF6hzXQ

Here is a summary of what was written about Water Brother on the Album: Praise Poems V7

Brothers John Simonetti and Steve Simonetti started playing music and singing together in the mid 1960’s formed several garage bands with good friends in Redondo Beach and Torrance, California. John got his first guitar and Steve a set of drums as soon as possible after watching and hearing the harmonic blends and life changing beats of the Beach Boys in late 1962 and the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. John and Steve started to play guitar on their dad’s Harmony guitar. They learned how to harmonize together in their bedroom, furnished with drums and amps, and were always anticipating the next band practice.

They met the next Water Brother, Dave Baugh, through mutual friends around 1971 at the band’s “Lemarand” house in San Diego, California, where Steve and John attended San Diego State University. Dave had recently gotten out of the US Army and had stories to share and songs to sing. Dave moved in and brought his upright piano. The trio spent as much time as possible on music and harmonies and laughter in the next several years that they lived together. Dave played the piano, recorder and a classic old beat-up but beautifully mellowed nylon string guitar.

Steve Simonetti and John Hoffman, one of our bands best friends and contributing songwriter along with Dave on the 45 rpm’s flipside song entitled: Highway Song, met Grant Karle and his twin water brother Greg in line to register for classes at SDSU. As luck would have it, Grant played the bass guitar, and he was always in a good mood and had a big heart. This was the birth of Water Brother. Steve, John, Dave and Grant, all living away from home now, were true “Strangers in a Strange Land” (a mandatory-reading novel from which the band took their name: Water Brother). Happy to have “day jobs” (some of us) to afford to eat (frequently it was potatoes and mac and cheese) and pay rent, we pursued our true calling as lifelong passionate musicians.

A little-known fact of great interest (to us anyway), was that John Simonetti, Steve Simonetti and John Hoffman all attended El Camino College in Torrance, CA just about 5-6 years after Brian Wilson and Al Jardine of The Beach Boys also studied in the early 60’s.

The song Oh Brother was written by John Simonetti and has been interpreted by friends and family over the years to have quite a few interesting meanings. John has said that the meaning of the lyrics is whatever the listener is hearing. Oh Brother features the band “Water Brother” and was first recorded in the living room of the house where Grant and Greg lived while attending college in San Diego.

In this recording (circa 1972), John sings and plays the guitars, Steve Simonetti sings and plays percussion, Dave Baugh sings and plays the recorder and Grant Karle plays the bass guitar. The harmonies in Oh Brother, in the voices of John, Steve and Dave, were a product of guys who loved to sing together.

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usician San Diego California guitar songwriter

John Simonetti Musician San Diego California guita r songwriter

John Simonetti Musician San Diego California guitar songwriter

n Simonetti Musician San Diego California guitar songwriter

John Simonetti Musician San Diego California guitar songwriter

I was in a band in my college days at SDSU in San Diego, CA in 1972. We recorded two songs on a demo 45 rpm vinyl. The band was “Water Brother” and the songs were: “Oh Brother” and “Highway Song”. Both songs were played on San Diego local radio stations. my college days at SDSU in San Diego In 1972. We recorded two songs on a demo 45 rpm vinyl. The band was “Water Brother” and the songs were: “Oh Brother” and “Highway Song”

In a remarkable turn of events, the 45 made its way to Germany and “Oh Brother “was heard by a record producer, Tobias Kirmayer, who wanted to include it on a compilation of songs from the ‘70’s. Called Praise Poems V7

In a remarkable turn of events, the 45 vinyl somehow made its way to Germany and “Oh Brother “was heard by a record producer, Tobias Kirmayer, who wanted to include it on a compilation of songs from the ‘70’s. Called Praise Poems Volume 7.

L to R: John, Dave, Steve and Grant