BILL SODEN - AN ECHO IN YOUR MIND / RAINY DAY, APRIL 1967

This mellow and moody double sider features two great originals from the mystery man himself.  As mentioned in my previous post Bill Soden released a small handful of singles in the late 60's which were unsuccessful to say the least.  This was a highly sought after disc for me, mostly for the melancholy slice of brilliance 'Rainy Day' which I first heard on Fading Yellow vol. 11.  This downtrodden tune features some delicate acoustic guitar picking, tasteful orchestration and most importantly some wonderful songwriting and vocal delivery.  Some haunting harmonies are added near the end of the song making it a truly breathtaking piece.  Everyone can relate to a song about a rainy day, and sometimes simplicity gives way to indescribable complexity.  Such is the case with 'Rainy Day'.

'rainy day go far away
i'm tired of blues i've gone through
lonely nights, eight thousand sights
of times i once knew..

..transparent dreams, not what they seem 

float by in shades of grey"

Simply amazing..

The plug side, 'An Echo In Your Mind' was unheard of before I located a copy of the original single and to my knowledge isn't available anywhere else.  It's a very easygoing acoustic/folk tune, a bit of a downer once again, but that just adds to the charm.  It's really no surprise that this record didn't generate much airplay though it did receive a brief review in Billboard Magazine.  Both sides will be featured on my next podcast in all their monophonic glory so don't miss that..

THE POSSUMS - SHE'S LOVING ME / KING IN HIS WORLD, FEBRUARY 1967

It may be 2016 and things are nearing the end, but it's not too late for musical discovery.  Living proof is in my recent uncovering of this rare garage 45 by the Possums.  This is of course a reproduction, as I lack the funds to harness an original if it were to ever go up for sale.  And while we are on the topic let's face it;  Rare 60's garage records are now 50 years old and coming across original copies in good condition is slim and none.  I'm all about reissues if the quality is good and this one indeed IS.

'She's Loving Me' is an upbeat number featuring prominent compact organ, clanging tambourine, frantic teenage vocals, and TWO guitar breaks.  Absolutely killer and begs for repeated listens.  The subject is convinced his baby loves him though it is clearly a bout of mania.  This side can be found in the Teenage Shutdown series, VOL 2.

The flipside 'King In His World' is on the moodier side of the spectrum, though not as downtrodden as some.  Leaving all girl trouble aside our subject here is the misunderstood type; long hair, tight fit, etc.  Someday he will be understood, but until then 'he's a king in his world'.  Found on the stellar 'Shutdown '66' comp, also covered by contemporary garage hero Paul Messis.

SAGITTARIUS - HOTEL INDISCREET / VIRGO, AUGUST 1967

I picked this one up mainly for the Gary Usher instrumental flip 'Virgo', but the single version of 'Hotel Indiscreet' is a creature all of it's own.  This was the follow up single to the masterful all time fave 'My World Fell Down', and in similar fashion the 45 single version contains a bizarre midway passage of spoken word and noise rendering it useless in the commercial world.  The album version of 'Hotel Indiscreet' would omit this segment (performed in part with then recent Columbia signees The Firesign Theater) which leaves you with a perfect pop nugget featuring the glimmering voice of Curt Boettcher.  I prefer the album version, but the single is entertaining nonetheless.  You can hear both sides of this 45 in their original mono glory on my OPTICAL SOUND podcast.

THE TIFFANY SHADE

Currently in rotation is this LP by The Tiffany Shade.  Any fan of 60's garage and psychedelia is going to be drawn to an album with a cover like this, and further sealing the deal are song titles and lyrics such as 'Would You Take My Mind Out For A Walk' and 'There's A Quiet Revolution In My Mind'.  Original copies are reserved for wealthy collectors, but who cares when you can get a nice reproduction that sounds great for $12.

You really need to listen to the whole album to get the full spectrum of sounds.  Their style jumps around from the gritty and punky garage sound of 'Would You Take My Mind Out For A Walk' and 'An Older Man', to the jazzy and harmony driven sound of 'Jaguar City Blues'.  The lone cover on the album is a fine rendition of 'Softly To Me' from Love's first album (which is given false credit with a different song on the sleeve and label).  The Love influence is also apparent in tracks like the closing 'Not Worth The Pain'.  Other tracks such as 'Sam' which features an extended keyboard jam display a fondness of The Doors.  'A Very Grand Love' brings another west coast Elektra band to mind, Clear Light.

No need for me to go any further.  The Tiffany Shade have an official website with loads of information which can be found here.

THE BAROQUES

The Baroques lone album from 1967 has been a tough one to track down as it is highly collectible and prices are continuously on the rise.  Finding an affordable copy in any condition is near impossible these days, but luckily Lion Productions (a fantastic reissue label out of Chicago) has a deluxe edition reissue on their horizon which I have been waiting patiently for.  Until then I have managed to find a stunning copy of the single released from the album and for a fair price to boot.

'Iowa, A Girl's Name' backed with 'Mary Jane' may not have been the best pick commercially speaking (ha), but both cuts are superb and showcase the dark and slightly lo-fi (especially for the Chess label) garage sound in which The Baroques crafted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  My recent resurgence of interest in this band brought me to this interview from a local Milwaukee radio station that took place April 21, 2014 featuring original Baroques drummer Dean Nimmer.

http://www.radiomilwaukee.org/arts-culture-music-414-music-music/interview-dean-nimmer-baroques

The interviewer sounds slightly disinterested and Dean is a bit slow with his words, but it's still an excellent listen, and a real treat if you're into this sort of thing.  Dean gives some terrific info on the origin of the band, talks about getting signed by Chess Records and the ensuing label politics, recording details, the vision of songwriter Jay Borgenhagen, and provides key info on tracks such as the aforementioned single 'Iowa, A Girls Name'.  The action is still here folks.

THE CYRKLE - PENNY ARCADE / THE WORDS, JULY 1967

This non LP single from The Cyrkle barely cracked the Billboard top 100 in the summer of 1967 which isn't too surprising.  They had a lot of competition, to say the least.  

'Penny Arcade' written by Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer (a songwriting duo who also wrote a few lightweight numbers for the Monkees) is a decent piano driven pop number with lyrics that could be described as 'typical' for the times.  Some nice harmonies and handclaps are provided from the boys.

The spotlight belongs to the flipside, an original number written by founding member of the Cyrkle Tom Dawes. 'The Words' is lead by some classic folk rock jangle and backed with thumping bass, electric sitar, and treated harmony vocals.  This tune ranks among the best from this short lived group and should not be overlooked.

THE TURTLES - SHE'S MY GIRL / CHICKEN LITTLE WAS RIGHT, NOVEMBER 1967

In a post Sgt. Pepper world The Turtles found themselves recording another piece of Bonner & Gordon gold.  'She's My Girl' is a musical triumph of the highest order within the pop music spectrum.  The tune was further accompanied with a killer picture sleeve and a nice promo film which was becoming increasingly popular.  DIG IT.

'Chicken Little Was Right' on the flip is no disappointment.  This psychedelic hoedown is a bit different than the tamer version which appeared on the Battle Of The Bands LP the following year..

LAST FRIDAY'S FIRE - I CAN'T HELP THE WAY I FEEL / WHAT IS SHE THINKING OF, MARCH 1967

Last Friday's Fire was the moniker of the talented Mike Condello's Arizona based group who had been around for a few years in various incarnations.  In 1967 this group would cut two 45's on Lee Hazlewood's LHI label, and also serve as the backing band on the Lynn Castle single.

'I Can't Help The Way I Feel' written by Lee Hazlewood features a cool 'Eastern inspired' melody and a nice bass line from Ray Trainer who played and wrote a number of songs on Condello's excellent Phase 1 album released the following year.

The psychedelic undertones are dropped on the Condello penned flipside 'What Is She Thinking Of' in favor of a more basic rock sound.  These sounds would be further explored on the Phase 1 LP.

BAKER KNIGHT AND THE KNIGHTMARES - HALLUCINATIONS / I FEEL SICK ABOUT THE WHOLE THING, FEBRUARY 1967

I had a 'top score of the year' recently in the form of a minty promo copy of 'Hallucinations', a single released by Baker Knight in early 1967.  By that time Thomas Baker Knight had already racked up ten plus years in the music business, but this would be his first and only psychedelic single.  He sure made it count!  It's one hell of an outing with guitars a buzzing and sound effects that cascade around an absolutely killer vocal delivery.  You can go ahead an file it next to your singles from the Electric Prunes who were label mates of Knight at the time.

On the flip 'I Feel Sick About The Whole Thing' is mostly a return to form for Knight who is known more for his rockabilly/country/pop vocal sounds.  A decent tune it is, but 'Hallucinations' is enough for the price of admission alone...

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

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...

THE ROLLING STONES - WE LOVE YOU / DANDELION, SEPTEMBER 1967

Recording for 'We Love You' took place during the Satanic Majesties sessions, smack dab in the middle of summer 1967.  It's a rather busy yet delightful tune often noted for having high harmony vocals by Lennon and McCartney.  Prominent in the mix is Nicky Hopkins on piano and Brian Jones' first use of mellotron on record.  This 45 would be the last Rolling Stones release to receive a production credit from Andrew Loog Oldham.

The flipside 'Dandelion' charted higher than 'We Love You' in the US peaking at no. 14 in October 1967.  A perfect pop tune it is featuring Nicky Hopkins once again only this time on harpsichord.  It's an ideal companion piece to the Satanic Majesties track 'She's A Rainbow' which is very similar in theme and style.

HUMAN EXPRESSION - LOVE AT A PSYCHEDELIC VELOCITY

The Human Expression were a group of teenagers from the Los Angeles suburbs who (along with countless others) formed a garage band sometime in early 1966.  They recorded a few demo cuts and after a few negotiations got a deal with local label Accent Records.  Before disbanding post-1967 they released three singles, that of which are edgy, reverberated, garage psych nuggets of the highest order and highly regarded by collectors and 60's enthusiasts alike.  In fact, original copies of their 45's fetch for prices well over the thousand dollar range.  I'm not sure who is paying these prices (and what they are doing with them), but knowing this I am even more happy to have all of these tunes on a nice new slab of wax for a meager $12.

Local record store/label Mississippi Records co-released this collection a year or so ago with Swiss label Moi J'Connais and they did an absolutely fantastic job.  All of the material has been previously released on various cd compilations, but this is the first 12" vinyl release of Human Expression material and it's an absolute gem.  The heavy duty flipback sleeve is killer, only adding to the contents inside.  I had (foolishly) passed this record up several times before deciding to give it a go, and I couldn't be more pleased with my decision to give in and cop it.

Aside from the aforementioned singles this release includes alternate versions, unused demos and a few haunting lofi gems from lead singer Jim Quarles' tape reel recorded prior to joining the band.  Also included is a bonus 45 RPM with two great tracks 'Following Me' b/w 'Who Is Burning',  recorded by Jim Quarles post Human Expression. 

BLUES MAGOOS - ELECTRIC COMIC BOOK, APRIL 1967

(Like always) I'm finding myself immersed in a select handful of killer records, one of them being The Blues Magoos second LP 'Electric Comic Book'.  'Electric Comic Book' was released in April 1967, just five months after their successful debut album 'Psychedelic Lollipop' (quite the testament to how incredible the music market was in this era).  It largely fell in the shadow of 'Lollipop' which was in the charts well into '67, but I find it every bit as engaging and fun.  The highlight for me is album opener 'Pipe Dream', a two and a half minute blast featuring guitar and organ breaks that are cooler than just about anything.  'Pipe Dream' was originally released as the b-side of 'There's A Chance We Can Make It', but in one of those strange cases ended up charting higher.  The freak flag flies high throughout the rest of the album, and they even throw in the nice baroque tinged 'Summer Is The Man' for good measure.  Covers on this record are limited to a great take on 'Gloria' and a more traditional blues arrangement, 'Let's Get Together'.  This is a record that will drive your square neighbor crazy when played repeatedly at volumes.  Too bad for them!

THE PEANUT BUTTER CONSPIRACY - THE PEANUT BUTTER CONSPIRACY IS SPREADING, APRIL 1967

'LOVE IS THE GROOVIEST THING UP 'TILL NOW IN THE WORLD'

Instead of chiming in with my own unorganized thoughts about this fabulous record I have transcribed the 'custom' liner notes handwritten on the inner sleeve of my unique copy by a previous unknown owner.  The Peanut Butter Conspiracy's debut album was released in March of 1967, produced by the great Gary Usher and is most definitely A HAPPENING THING.

YA WANT FLOWER POWER?  HERE IT IS, FROM 1967!!!

What I’m surprised by is that all the stuff, even the big hit single is ORIGINAL material.  While I cringe at the word “GROOVY” (the word long went the way of ‘Daddy-O’) this group can rock out and then sing it pretty too… one nice trademark of flower power bands was that they had a soft lyrical side too.  So while “It’s Happening” blasts off, “Then Came Love” is reminiscent of softer Mama’s and The Papa’s type material.  Songs like “Twice Is Life” sort of echo the Byrds… So really, this band fits right in with the Byrds, We Five, Jefferson Airplane, and perhaps even Sweetwater (before Sweetwater’s lead singers accident, that is)…  Well, OK, “Second Hand Man” was written by someone not in the band… It’s a friendly little folkie toe-tapper.  Back when this LP came out, record companies were signing up everyone… and from what I can tell, a lot of bands had a ‘folk’ influence before things got really heavy…  Good album coordination too… Lots of variety.  “You Can’t Be Found” rips out, sorta like the Seeds “Pushin Too Hard”… really, this album is a real period piece.  Sure this was a LESSER band but this record is nothing to be ashamed of, and is probably how a LOT of bands in that area sounded like way back when.  Folk, British invasion, and even some country were all interwoven by bands of that time.  “Why Did I Get So High” is very British in approach, with a cute little Jane… and she is “high” on Love by the way… Maybe this album tries a bit hard to be ‘hip’ but this WAS the climate way back when.  “Dark On You Now” is a smooth fast-paced number, while “Market Place” is weird in vocal and lyrical approach (hey, the hippies gathered in the market place didn’t they?)  So this song must be a direct reflection of the times?  “You Should Know” almost sounds like the Seekers turned up a notch… and it then shifts tempo for a bit of Jazzy guitar – so this is a fairly talented band!  Also the chick doesn’t sing ‘lead’ on every song.  “The Most Up Till Now” for instance, so the group can change and weave their sound.  This album is much more real than I thought it would be – I’m pleasantly surprised… and “You Took Too Much” closes the album harmoniously.  Not bad, not bad. And ‘tasty’ too.  They don’t ‘spread’ it on ‘too thick’ (groan!)
6/09/01

BLUES MAGOOS - ONE BY ONE / DANTE'S INFERNO, JUNE 1967

'One By One' was featured on the Blues Magoos debut LP released in late 1966 and reappeared as a single in the summer of '67 with a different, slightly uptempo mix.  It was backed with the insane noise piece 'Dante's Inferno' which I can imagine had a few stuffy DJ's scratching their heads...

THE WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND - VOL. 2, 1967

On to the next fascination: I'm a newcomer to The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and after reading a few bits and pieces recently I put their discography on my list.  I started with Vol. 2 due to listening to 'Smell Of Incense' a few times and being completely taken by it.  The drums, the bass line, the guitars, the lyrics... all stunning!  There's some really captivating stuff on this record, and it's taking all kinds of spins on the turntable.  You can read into their strange history plenty, but it's probably best just to listen.

It seems original copies of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band's albums are fetching for high prices in our current state of 2014, so in this case I rushed and went with this inexpensive and easily obtainable reissue (on translucent vinyl which I'm not the biggest fan of).  It has the usual flaws of a new 'high quality' pressing including uneven edges and cheapish looking labels.  The sound is acceptable.  On with the show!