Timeline/1960s

1966

Summer 1966: Houstonians Mayo Thompson and Frederick Barthelme work on an unfinished film. 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

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

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.

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

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

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

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
July? 1967: The band breaks up; Frederick Barthelme moves to New York

Late 1967: The Red Crayola's first album The Parable of Arable Land is an unexpected success via word-of-mouth so International Artists asks for 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)

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

1969: Thompson and Cunningham visit New York to consider working on Opera for Five
1969: Mayo Thompson illustrates Frederick Barthelme's first book, Rangoon
1969: Steve Cunningham moves to Austria