Flutist/
bassist Andy Kulberg and
drummer Roy Blumenfeld of
Blues Project formed the band with Jim Roberts, ex-Mystery Trend guitarist John Gregory, former
Blue Grass Boy and
Jim Kweskin Jug Band violinist/fiddler
Richard Greene, and saxophonist Don Kretmar. Seatrain recorded their first album,
Planned Obsolescence, in 1968, but had to release it as a Blues Project album for contractual reasons. In 1969, they released a self-titled LP (
Sea Train), but faced a major change in membership a few months later. The group's second self-titled album was released in late 1970 under the single-word name
Seatrain. By then, Blumenfeld, Gregory, and Kretmar had been replaced by drummer Larry Atamanuik, keyboardist Lloyd Baskin, and
Earth Opera guitarist and former Blue Grass Boy
Peter Rowan. The album's "13 Questions" was released as a single and became a minor hit in the US, reaching No. 49 on
Billboard's national chart in 1971, and No. 25 in
Canada.
George Martin produced the album, marking the first time he had acted in that capacity with a rock act since his work with the Beatles. He also produced Seatrain's much-anticipated 1971 follow-up album,
The Marblehead Messenger. In September Seatrain toured
Great Britain for the first time, usually performing as a support act for
Traffic. However, Rowan and Greene left the band soon after to form
Muleskinner, while Roberts and Atamanuik joined the backing band of
Emmylou Harris. Kulberg and Baskin replaced these members with guitarist Peter Walsh, keyboardist
Bill Elliott, and drummer Julio Coronado, but released only one more album, 1973's
Watch. ==Line-ups==