Timeline/1960s

1966

The Red Crayola

• Summer 1966: Houstonians Mayo Thompson and Frederick Barthelme work on an film together. They eventually abandon the project and decide to start a band, The Red Crayola
• September 1966: The Red Crayola line-up adds Steve Cunningham, Bonnie Emerson, and Danny Schacht. The line-up soon consolidates to Mayo Thompson (guitar, vocals), Frederick Barthelme (drums), Steve Cunningham (bass).
• Late 1966-1967: The group plays live shows around Houston, Texas
• December 21, 1966: First known mention of the group published

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  "The Red Crayolas" mentioned in the Baytown Sun, December 21, 1966

Shows/1966

1967

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  Flyer for show on January 14, 1967
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  Article in the Houston Chronicle, January 18, 1967
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  Frederick Barthelme, Steve Cunningham, Mayo Thompson, 1967
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  The Red Crayola performing live, 1967

First recording

• February 1967: Record producer Bob Steffek approaches the group to record a single after hearing Thompson play "Mother" live. The band's first recording session results in an unreleased single Dairymaid's Lament / Free Piece.

First album: The Parable of Arable Land

• March 23-26 1967: Following the band's performance in the KNUZ Battle of the Bands, producer Lelan Rogers signs The Red Crayola signs to independent label International Artists.
• March? 1967: The Red Crayola records demos for their first album
• March 31, 1967: The Red Crayola perform at Rice University's Archi-Arts Ball
• April 1, 1967: "Free Form Freak-Out" recording session with The Familiar Ugly

• 
  "Free Form Freak-Out" invoice from Andrus Studio, April 1, 1967

• April 5, 1967: Second recording session
• April 10, 1967: Third recording session: "Pink Stainless Tail", "Hurricane Fighter Plane", "War Sucks", "F.R.E.D.", "Concrete Block". Roky Erickson from The Thirteenth Floor Elevators added harmonica to "Transparent Radiation" and keyboard to "Hurricane Fighter Plane"
• April 13 & 19, 1967: Mono mix
• April 25, 1967: Mastering
• May 11, 1967: Unknown fourth recording session (2:30pm - 5:00pm)
• May 25, 1967: Mixing
• June 3, 1967: The Red Crayola play the opening of Love Street Light Circus

• 
  Poster, first version, June 3, 1967
• 
  Poster, second version, June 3, 1967

• June 7 & 9, 1967: Final mixing, editing
• June 1967: The Red Crayola's first album The Parable of Arable Land is released

• 
  The Parable of Arable Land cover art, 1967
• 
  Back cover

Shows/1967

Coconut Hotel and California performances

• 1967: Recording sessions for improvisatory instrumental album Coconut Hotel. Unreleased until 1995.
• 1967: Band photoshoot by Les Blank

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  Steve Cunningham, 1967
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  Mayo Thompson, 1967
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  Frederick Barthelme, 1967
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  The Red Crayola, 1967
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  The Red Crayola, 1967

• June 1967: The group travels to California to perform at festivals
• June 29, 1967: The Red Crayola perform at the Angry Arts Festival (later released on Live 1967)
• July 2-4, 1967: The Red Crayola perform at the Berkeley Folk Music Festival (later released on Live 1967). Guitarist John Fahey joined their performance on July 3
• July 9, 1967: The Red Crayola open for John Fahey at the New Orleans House
• July 1967: Recording session with guitarist John Fahey. Their label International Artists forces the group to hand over the tapes in order to return to Houston. The tapes have never been found

The Red Crayola break up

• July? 1967: The band breaks up; Frederick Barthelme moves to New York
• July 21, 1967: A review of Parable, the group's performance at the festival and afterward appears in the Berkeley Barb
• November 1967: A piece by Frederick Barthelme is exhibited in the opening of Joseph Kosuth's Normal Art gallery in New York City

The Red Krayola

• Late 1967: The Red Crayola's first album The Parable of Arable Land becomes an unexpected success so their label International Artists asks them to make another album. The band reforms as "The Red Krayola" with a new drummer. The new line-up is Mayo Thompson (guitar, vocals), Steve Cunningham (bass), Tommy Smith (drums)

1968

Second album: God Bless The Red Krayola and All Who Sail With It

• January 16, 1968: The group is interviewed by Houston music magazine Mother

• 
  Mayo Thompson, 1968
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  Tommy Smith, 1968

• February 12, 1968: First recording session for second album God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail With It: "Say Hello to Jamie Jones", "Green of My Pants"

• February 17, 1968: Overdubbing session
• February 18, 1968: Recording session #2: "Leejol", "Victory Garden", "Music", "Free Piece"
• February 20-23, 1968: Remaining songs recorded
• March, 1968: Additional recording
• March 8, 1968: Mayo Thompson records Johndavid Bartlett's demo Mother's Milk
• March 9, 1968: God Bless the Red Krayola completed
• May 1968: Second album God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail With It is released
• July 1, 1968: Both Red Crayola albums are reviewed in the Chicago Seed

• 
  God Bless the Red Krayola and All Who Sail With It cover art, 1968
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  Back cover
• 
  Ad from International Artists, 1968

The Red Krayola break up

• 1968: The band breaks up for the second time
• 1968: Publisher Doubleday buys Frederick Barthelme's upcoming book War and War

1969

• February 19, 1969: Thompson marries his first wife Dana
• March 12 - April 1969: Frederick Barthelme writes what will become his second book, War and War
• 1969: Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis invites Thompson and Cunningham to visit New York to consider becoming involved in his musical theatre project Opera for Five
• 1969?: Mayo Thompson illustrates Frederick Barthelme's first released book, Rangoon

• 1969: Steve Cunningham moves to Austria
• October? 1969: God Bless the Red Krayola receives a release on 8-track tape

1970s

• Timeline/1970s

References

• Timeline/1970s
• Timeline/1980s
• Timeline/1990s
• Timeline/2000s
• Timeline/2010s
• Timeline/2020s