The group was "formed at a church by a church" under the name Scratch Band in
Sacramento, California, during the late 1970s according to Mike Roe. Accompanying him were Mark Tootle on guitar and keyboards, Jan Eric Volz on bass guitar, and Mark Proctor on drums. They were occasionally joined by singer Sharon McCall and guitarist
Jimmy A. Their repertoire included originals and songs by English poet
Steve Scott among others. The "church" that brought the players together was Sacramento's Warehouse Christian Ministries with the band being a part of the ministry’s artistic outreach, performing every weekend at the Warehouse. The name of the band was changed to the Seventy Sevens before the release of their first album,
Ping Pong Over the Abyss in 1982, on WCM’s own Exit label. While the meaning of the group's name has never been revealed, it is thought to be derived from either Matt 18:22, Daniel 9 or, simply, a year – possibly 1977 – which holds some significance to the band. In 1984, the group toured with labelmate
Vector and
Resurrection Band with all three bands playing the very first Cornerstone festival. Critically, the 77s are considered by fans and music critics; such as Dwight Ozzard (
Prism magazine), Brian Quincy Newcomb (
HM) and John Thompson (
True Tunes), as the greatest—or "best" depending on whom one might quote, rock and roll band in the world. ==Discography==