Glass Sun are another of those Vietnam War-era bands whose progress was hindered, blocked even, by being drafted and then ignored by the influential radio stations when they reformed after their national service.

Originally formed as The Cyclones in 1964 by brothers Rick and Bruce Roll together with friend and drummer Danny Sills, the Westland, Michigan triumvirate played locally until the ‘call-up’ came and they were drafted in to the war effort.

Upon return, the band reformed, but opted for a more contemporary sounding name; one that reflected a harder, psych-infused sound that had been popularized by likes of Hendrix, Iron Butterfly, et al.

Gigs were secured in the Michigan area and the band certainly gained a good ‘local’ following, but without the promotional help of more far-flung radio stations, their music simply didn’t reach the masses.

It was not until 1971 that Glass Sun laid down a couple of 7″ singles in the recording studio. ‘Silence of the Morning‘ b/w ‘ Oh Sandy’ was the first to be released on the local Sound Patterns label.

Both tracks were written by Rick while he was on tour of duty in Vietnam, and three hundred copies were pressed up. Of course, like many of its kind and time, the single more or less bombed, purely through lack of exposure.

Fast forward fifty-plus, and with the help of the internet and (amazing!) blogs like this, the record has finally found a wider and appreciative audience. According to Discogs, copies of this record now exchange hands fro between two hundred and fifty / three hundred and fifty pounds!

A second release followed in 1972, ‘Stick Over Me‘ / ‘I Can See The Light’ after which, to be honest, I’m unsure what happened to the band. I do know they continued playing until the passing of Bruce Roll in 2010, but as far as recordings are concerned, other than re-pressings of their material on both vinyl and now CD, I don’t see any fresh output.

However, a book was published by Rick and Danny, and some of their popular old songs were gathered into CD format to accompany the book.

I don’t have any direct links for this, indeed, other than through E-Bay, I’m not sure if it is still available. However, it’s called ”America’s Garage Band’ The Glass Sun Story,‘ if you can track it down. I bet it’s an interesting read, and certainly the music is going to be tops!

GLASS SUN

Rick Roll – Bass
Bruce Roll – Lead Guitar
Dan Sills – Drums

TITLE	FORMAT	YEAR	LABEL	NOTES
Silence of the Morning	7″ Single	1971	Sound Patterns	Copies have sold for between £250 and £350
Stick Over Me	7″ Single	1972	Sound Patterns
Cyclonic Review	LP	2014	Not on Label	Companion release to ‘The Glass Sun Story’ book.