THE TEA COMPANY - FLOWERS / COME AND HAVE SOME TEA WITH ME, AUGUST 1968

The Tea Company's origins begin with Queens, New York garage band The Naturals.  After cutting a pair of 45's in 1967 with local label Jowar Records they underwent a line up/name change and were signed to Smash Records.  The bands exploration of heavy psychedelic sounds was displayed on their LP released on Smash in 1968.

'Flowers' was pitched as a single which is interesting to say the least.  The album was basically lacking any kind of commercial appeal with its extended pieces and freaky sounds.  The single version of 'Flowers' is much edited in form omitting six-odd minutes of lysergic freakout which is featured on the end of the LP version.  Stealing the show is the ever-present shrill, reverb-drenched guitar, a unique pairing of sorts combined with Frankie Carr's loose vocal delivery.

'Come And Have Some Tea With Me' might be better than 'Flowers' and features more reverb soaked madness with echoed vocals and sound effects throughout.  Not a very inviting sound to the average human ear, but I find it to be quite pleasing.

Billboard Magazine May 6, 1967

THE SUNSHINE COMPANY - HAPPY IS THE SUNSHINE COMPANY, OCTOBER 1967

There are many pleasantries to be found within the Sunshine Company's body of work, that of which is somewhat impressive given the fact that they released three LP's and a string of singles in just over a years time.  Their sound is most easily compared to the Mama's and The Papa's although the vast majority of their songs harvest more mellow sunshine vibes due in large part to the lush arrangements of George Tipton.  They rarely venture out of easy listening / bubblegum territory, and this can be partly attributed to the pressures of the square record company heads they were working with.  Their debut LP which hit the streets in October 1967 included a pair of chart hits and plenty of album specific gems worthy of mention.

Happy Is features some well known cover songs which are surprisingly done with class and are very enjoyable companions to their original compositions.  My pick among these is an excellent folk-rock-lyte version of the Beatles 'Rain'.  The arrangement is peppered with harpsichord and of course features some terrific harmonies.  The back of the sleeve contains a thank you note addressed to folk singer Mary McCaslin who apparently helped out with the recording of 'Rain' and the other Beatles tune on the album 'I Need You'.

I must mention side one closer 'Four In The Mornin', another cover that is undeniably based on the Youngbloods version which appeared on their debut album early in the same year.  The Sunshine Company melds their signature harmonies with some killer fuzz guitar action showing the tune a new light.  It's further accompanied by piano, bongos and handclaps giving the listener a refreshing change of pace.  The hard-time lyrics don't particularly reflect their namesake...  

In fact, quite a few tunes on the record contain moments of beautiful melancholia.  Aside from a few happy go lucky 'fluffers' the sad undertones are a far more prominent theme.  This is presented beautifully on 'Warm In My Heart' and 'A Year Of Jaine Time'.  The formers woeful verse gives way to a triumphant chorus while the latter maintains it's plaintive longing.  'A Year Of Jaine Time' is the only track on the album written by a member of the group.  

'Back On The Street Again' proved to be the groups biggest moment reaching number 36 on the charts.  Once again the arrangement is sunny and upbeat on the surface, but it's lyrics written by folksinger Steve Gillette are forlorn at best.  I'm particularly fond of the line 'Once I thought the world belonged to me, now it belongs to someone else.'   The Sunshine Company would continue to explore this territory with it's subsequent releases.  More on that later...

Billboard Magazine ad October 28, 1967

THE BYRDS - PREFLYTE (TOGETHER RECORDS)

Preflyte has been released in many incarnations over the years, but the original Together Records release from 1969 is a special occasion.  In fact, this post is just as much highlighting the label as the music within.

Together Records was formed in the early months of 1969 by Gary Usher, Curt Boettcher and Keith Olsen.  Gary Usher had just been fired from his position at Columbia Records and was looking to start a 'boutique' label where he and a select group of friends could exercise complete artistic freedom.  Although the label folded rather quickly they started off on the right track with a few first rate releases.  First of all just look at that beautiful label!  The unique design which was an original drawing by artist Keita Colten is worth the price of admission alone.

Preflyte was the first album released on Together in the summer of 1969, a time when Roger McGuinn was the only original member left in The Byrds.  It featured 11 tracks recorded at World Pacific Studios in 1964 by the original lineup, the majority of them being Gene Clark originals.  The groups early folk leanings really radiate on such notable tracks as 'You Showed Me' which became a big hit for the Turtles in 1969.  Early recordings of favorites like 'You Won't Have To Cry' and 'I Knew I'd Want You' shine a new light upon the greatness of their final polished incarnations.  Although they were still finding their definitive sound this set of songs creates a cohesive statement which is enjoyable all the way through.  Above I have included an excerpt from liner notes written by Billy James, a publicist who wrote the sleeve notes for the Mr. Tambourine Man album.  Choice words indeed...

Billboard Ad August 23, 1969

THE OUTSIDERS "SUN'S GOING DOWN"

The (Dutch) Outsiders are one of my all-time favorite groups.  Their unique blend of garage, beat, r&b, and folk rock stands out among the best of the era, and their string of singles from late 1965 through 1968 are hard to beat, especially considering their location.

I recently found a bootleg reissue copy of this EP which combines their first two 45's originally released in October 1965 and February 1966, respectively.  All four cuts are classics and each evokes a distinct mood or feeling.  Wally Tax's songwriting was simple and often redundant, but in most cases he manages to turn everyday girl trouble into vivid realness that, combined with Ronnie Splinter's guitar work, is unmistakeable.

It's a tough choice, but 'Sun's Going Down' is my pick from this set.  It's one that has stuck with me since I first heard it.  Some listeners comment on the slightly out of tune guitar, and I suppose that's in part what makes the opening four note riff so great.  The gritty guitar work is accompanied by a wandering bass line, and tender, heartfelt lyrics which Wally Tax claimed to have wrote when he was 14.  That comes as no surprise to me, the man was brilliant.

THE LEFT BANKE - THE LEFT BANKE TOO (Sundazed reissue), NOVEMBER 1968

The Left Banke Too often seems to be passed off as a secondary work to its predecessor, but such is not the case.  It's simply brilliant.  Absent is the prominent harpsichord and key work of Michael Brown, but nonetheless the album is packed to the brim with wonderful harmonies, tighter playing and heavier 'baroque' production than their debut.  There are so many fantastic moments on this record, from the dramatic and gloomy 'Dark Is the Bark' to the perfectly orchestrated pop psych of 'Nice To See You' and most everything in between.  Band member Tom Finn who had no writing credits and limited contributions on the first Left Banke record seemed to really come through in this outing and provided some excellent songwriting and playing.  His McCartneyesque bass work is prominent throughout the majority of the record along with bits of tasteful 12-string guitar as highlighted in the delicate ballad 'Sing Little Bird Sing'.  This album was not rushed by any means which probably helps it in the long run, but was hurtful to it's immediate success as the sound it projects was fading out of the spotlight by the time of its release in late '68.

Original copies of this record are not very economical these days, but thankfully we have Sundazed who continues to please...

COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH - ELECTRIC MUSIC FOR THE MIND AND BODY, MAY 1967

The swirling sounds of Country Joe and his Fish are currently filling my head with repeated plays.  I won't speak for the rest of the bands work, but their debut album, Electric Music For The Mind And Body is an essential plot in the psychedelic garden of delights.  The cutting guitar tones which often lean towards the bluesy side are killer, but it's the piercing organ sound courtesy of David Cohen that make this record a keeper for me.

There are highlights aplenty on this LP, but I will focus on the instrumental piece 'Section 43' which is seven and a half minutes of abrasive Farfisa that is not only captivating in it's sound but addicting to a poor soul such as I.  In an interview included in the liners of a recent CD reissue of 'Electric Music' David Cohen is on record claiming he had no idea what he was doing and was simply trying to recreate his guitar licks on the keys.  I can assume with confidence that this goes for most garage bands who implement a compact organ into their sound, I think it's great.  It does, however, help to be a talented musician at the peak of creativity...

Some nice bits of history on the origins of the group along with plenty of details concerning 'Section 43' can be found here.

THE BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD - ROCK 'N' ROLL WOMAN / A CHILD'S CLAIM TO FAME, SEPTEMBER 1967

Every now and again I dig some 'country-tinged' tunes, and a fine example of this is 'A Child's Claim To Fame' written by Richie Furay for The Buffalo Springfield, a track I absolutely love.  You'll never catch me listening to full blown country records, but throw in a little lap steel, or in this case dobro guitar once in a while and I'll be a happy camper.

This 45 was released in September 1967, a time when many happening bands started exploring country sounds.  The Buffalo Springfield pulled off this sound quite naturally and tunes like this fit nicely next to their more rocking numbers like the top side 'Rock n Roll Woman'.  This record failed to chart for the group, but both tracks would appear on the Buffalo Springfield Again album released the following month.

THE CRYAN' SHAMES - A SCRATCH IN THE SKY, DECEMBER 1967

A recent find that has been delighting my ears repeatedly is this LP by The Cryan' Shames.  This group hailed from Chicago, Illinois although one listen to their second album, A Scratch In The Sky would have you thinking otherwise.  Their intricate harmonies are more akin to the sunshine coming from their California contemporaries, and this is demonstrated on the opening track 'A Carol For Lorelei' in the finest way possible.  Along with glowing harmonies this track features a cutting bass guitar, nice work on the keys and bells aplenty.  Quite an excellent way to start things off.

Things change rather quickly going into the next track 'The Sailing Ship' which drops the California vibes for a British Invasion sound that is quite Revolver/Lennonesque, but maybe a bit more resembling an early Bee Gees take.  Either way it is a damn fine psychedelic outing featuring distinct bagpipes from band member Jim Fairs, who along with Lenny Kirley penned 10 of 12 songs on the album.

Things get a bit moody on the third track 'In The Cafe' which contains an absolutely sublime break mid-song.  The change in tempo gives way to a magical bit of instrumentation including a haunting accordion which reappears as the song fades from view.  It's hard to pick a favorite from this set, but this one sits near the top.

Closing out side one is 'Mr. Unreliable' which is more of a traditional rocker while 'The Town I'd Like To Go Back To' brings mellow vibes and a bit of subtle experimentation.

The rest of the LP continues to feature glowing harmonies that rank among the finest in their class and top notch instrumentation provided by the band members.  Another fine relic of 1967 that I'm happy to have found...