The Charlatans (U.S. band)

The Charlatans
The Charlatans in 1967 From left to right: George Hunter, Richard Olsen, Mike Wilhelm, Dan Hicks, and Mike Ferguson.
Background information
Origin	San Francisco, California, United States
Genres	folk rock,Psychedelic rock,acid rock,blues
Years active	1964–1969
Labels	Kapp, Philips
Associated acts	Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, Loose Gravel, Tongue and Groove, The Flamin' Groovies
Past members	George Hunter Richard Olsen Mike Wilhelm Mike Ferguson Dan Hicks Sam Linde Patrick Gogerty Terry Wilson Darrell DeVore

The Charlatans were an influential folk rock and psychedelic rock band that played a role in the development of the San Francisco music scene during the 1960s and are often cited by critics as being the first group to play in the style that became known as the San Francisco Sound. Exhibiting more pronounced jug band, country and blues influences than many bands from the same scene, the Charlatans' rebellious attitude and distinctive late 19th-century fashions exerted a major influence on the Summer of Love in San Francisco. Their recorded output was small, with their first album, The Charlatans, not being released until 1969, some years after the band's heyday. The band is notable for featuring the first commercial appearance of Dan Hicks, later of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks.

Formed in the summer of 1964 by amateur avant-garde musician George Hunter and music major Richard Olsen, the earliest lineup of The Charlatans featured George Hunter (autoharp, vocals), Olsen (bass, vocals), Mike Wilhelm (lead guitar, vocals), Mike Ferguson (piano/keyboards, vocals), and Sam Linde (drums). Linde's drumming was felt to be substandard by the rest of the band and he was soon replaced by Dan Hicks (drums, vocals). The group was known for their style of dress, clothing themselves in late 19th-century attire, as if they were Victorian dandies or Wild West gunslingers. This eye-catching choice of clothing was influential on the emerging hippie counter-culture, with young San Franciscans dressing in similarly late Victorian and early Edwardian era clothing.