Canned Heat left a significant footprint in the world of Blues Rock and there’s nothing stopping them. From their beginning in 1965 as a jug band, to some of the most exciting records released in the late 60s, including their debut self-titled album, ‘Boogie With Canned Heat,’ ‘Living the Blues’ and countless others.

Canned Heat was founded by obsessive record collectors Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson and Bob “The Bear” Hite. Hite took the name “Canned Heat” from a 1928 recording by Tommy Johnson. They were joined by Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine, who was a former member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention.

Fito de la Parra joined the band in late 1967 after the band was busted in Denver for drugs. Frank Cook was replaced with de la Parra, who had been playing the drums in Bluesberry Jam (the band which evolved into Pacific Gas & Electric). As an official member of Canned Heat, de la Parra played his first gig on December 1, 1967, sharing top billing with the Doors at the Long Beach Auditorium.

Was there a certain moment in your career when you heard something and thought, “this is it?”

Fito De la Parra: After my audition with Canned Heat, the managers asked me if I wanted to join, I answered “I was born to-lay with Canned Heat”… that was that moment.

You’re still driving the Canned Heat, but it’s been awhile since your fantastic last album, are you planning to release anything new in the near future? If so, can you reveal some details?

We have 50 albums and CD’s out now. Yes, we are planning to make a studio album next year … maybe the last one.

Were you involved with any other project lately?

I jam with friends in my area of Ventura County, we play some local joints and it is mainly for fun and to enjoy playing music. We also do jams in my home music room, that’s what is all about …music and pleasure.

I would really recommend your book, Living The Blues where you have written about your life on the road. Did you have any difficulty remembering all the details? After all, you know how they say, “if you remember the ’60s, you really weren’t there.” [Laughs]

My co-writers interviewed me for a few weeks and they recorded the whole thing before making it into a book. It was like going to therapy …

Did it bring any (almost) forgotten memories?

Yes, while doing the interviews and going through my scrapbooks et cetera. Many memories came back, just like being in therapy … some sad, some funny …

“Bob Hite and Alan Wilson were very different personalities”

What would be a typical day for Canned Heat in let’s say 1967, tell us what were Bob Hite and Al Wilson like? Did you listen to a lot of Blues records when you were together?

Bob Hite and Alan Wilson were very different personalities, yes Bob liked to play records all the time and educate and entertain. His house in Topanga Canyon was a center of party and Boogie, many musicians and fans would gather there to listen to Blues music, get high and eat Bob’s famous chili, that he made with almost every ingredient he would find in the kitchen, sometimes it tasted good … sometimes terrible … but that was Bob’s chili … read my book for more details.

I once saw a really cool photo of Bob Hite’s record collection, telling us more about his collection and how obsessed he was.

Since he was a little boy Bob was fascinated with records, he knew so much! He could tell you who played on any record , where it was made et cetera. He was a real expert on Blues and Jazz music. He loved his record collection more than anything … When the big earthquake hit in the 70’s, Bob placed his body against his record collection, spreading his arms and legs holding all the boxes where the records were, instead of running outside like everybody was doing … he said, “if my records go , I go with them.”

Do you know where his collection is these days?

When Bob died, Richard, his younger brother rented a trailer and went to his house, broke in and stole most of the valuable records and tapes. He kept them and sold most of them until he died. Some of the leftovers ended up with his ex wife number one. And after Richard’s death somebody from Arkansas called me and offered me some of the records that were abandoned in a warehouse … I don’t know what happened after that…

Jim Morrison loved your band and I’m curious if he ever visited your band at home? Did you listen to any particular records together, what do you recall?

Jim Morrison lived in Venice for a while and that is where he met Alan Wilson. One time when we were playing at the famous Marco Polo hotel in Miami, Jim – who was there to appear in court the next day – showed up and sang with us during our set, it was fun, after that, he and Alan sat down and talked for a while. The two tormented souls would not last another year, they both died shortly after that meeting.

Canned Heat, Holland Pop Festival, Kralingen, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (1970) | Fotoburo De Boer | Public Domain

How did you get involved with Etta James before joining Canned Heat and what was that like for you?

Before Canned Heat, I was playing with a band in a club in Torrance Calif, called “The Tom Cat Club.” It was a nice funky place that presented R&B and Blues artists every weekend. We were the house band, so we got to play and back some of these great artists. Etta James used to live in Torrance and occasionally she would come to the club and sing … We also had the privilege to back other great people like, The Platters, T-Bone Walker, Mary Wells et cetera. It was a great era and a great club.

Frank Cook, and even before him for a short period of time Keith Sawyer was the drummer for Canned Heat. Listening back, what do you think are some key differences between you and Frank Cook when it comes to drumming? I’m not sure if you ever meet Sawyer?

The main difference was that Frank Cook was a Jazz drummer and I was a Rhythm and Blues drummer, which is what Canned Heat was looking for. I never met Keith Sawyer.

You were growing up in Mexico City where you were part of the local scene… Did you stay in touch with the Mexican rock scene? There were some truly fantastic bands coming from Mexico later on such as La Revolución De Emiliano Zapata, La Fachada de Piedra, Kaleidoscope, El Ritual, The Spiders and many many others. Were you familiar with any?

The bands you mentioned are from an era when I was not in Mexico anymore. I came to the US in 1967. Before that I was part of what is known as the Pioneers of Rock in Spanish. That included bands like Los Hooligans, Los Sinners, Los Sparks and Javier Batiz. Those were the bands I played with before I came to the US.

Have you ever done LSD or mushrooms? And did it have any impact on who you become as a person or as a musician? What about other band members?

I took LSD twice and didn’t like it. Mushrooms yes, more mellow and I still do some weed, it goes well with music…

What are some of the most important players that influenced your own style?

Most of the old Blues masters and Jazz drummers of the 50’s and 60’s.

Have you found some new artists lately you would like to recommend to our readers?

My friends in Ventura County, Delta by the Beach.

Thank you for taking your time

Thank you, Klemen.

Klemen Breznikar

Headline photo: Canned Heat pictured in 1970. From L-R; Larry Taylor, Henry Vestine, Bob Hite, Alan Wilson, Fito De la Parra | Skip Taylor Productions (management)/Liberty Records | Public Domain

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