Located 40-odd miles west of Detroit, Ann Arbor was a cauldron of social change in the '60s. Radical politics, courtesy of Students for a Democratic Society and John Sinclair's White Panther Party, mixed with a vibrant music scene which featured adventurous acts like Iggy Pop and the Psychedelic Stooges. In the midst of this fervor, local musician George Frayne IV felt the urge to form a country swing/boogie band, of all things. Cobbling together the name Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen from two old sci-fi film serials, Frayne and his compatriots began playing at The Canterbury House and other clubs around town beginning in 1967. After a few years, the band felt the need for a bigger platform prompting a move to San Francisco where they found kindred spirits and many opportunities for live work.