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