Brewer & Shipley

California duo Mike Brewer and Tom Shipley began their careers separately on the 1960s Los Angeles folk club circuit before teaming up to write and perform together. Their song "Keeper of the Seven Keys" was recorded by H.P. Lovecraft and also appeared on the pair's 1968 debut album, Down in L.A. Their second LP, Weeds, featured guest appearances by Jerry Garcia, Mike Bloomfield, and Nicky Hopkins. In 1971, the duo scored a surprise Top Ten hit with "One Toke Over the Line," in spite of radio bans owing to the song's marijuana-oriented lyrics. Their partnership was dissolved in 1979, but at the request of a Kansas City radio station, Brewer & Shipley reunited for a concert in 1989 and began touring occasionally. In 1995, they released their first album in almost 20 years, Shanghai, with Heartland following two years later.