Almost as underrated pop masterpieces from the psychedelic era

Thought there was enough material to make another entry on the subject, after this I'll go on with other stuff.

Songlist:
The Marmalade – I See The Rain (1967)
Timebox - Gone Is The Sad Man (1968)
The Fox – Mr. Carpenter (1968)
Ramases And Selket – Mind’s Eye (1968)
Gentle soul – See My love (Song For Greg) (1968)
Listen to them here

The Marmalade – I See The Rain (1967)

I See The Rain is The Marmalades flagship song which managed to become a hit in Holland, but not really anywhere else. Hendrix was apparently a big fan of this one, which isn't very strange considering the unusually heavy guitar tuning for it’s time, sounding more like something out of a grunge song. However it only serves to create a warm, comfortable sound together with the songs light hearted melancholy and slower-side-of-mid-pace.

Timebox - Gone Is The Sad Man (1968)

This blog has already a great summary. Might as well just quote:

‘Gone Is the Sad Man’ appeared as the b-side to ‘Girl Don’t Make Me Wait’ in 1968. ‘Gone is the Sad Man’, co written by Patto and Halsall is just about a perfect example of UK psyche. It balances a dreamy texture (Halsall’s vibes help this a lot) with a biting guitar lead, a classic melody and vocal harmonies with enough phasing for the heads in the room. The influence of the Beatles is strong (as it was in probably 80% of all pop records in 1968). The tune manages to be sunny without resorting to treacle and psychedelic without wearing its “far-out-ness” on its sleeve.

The Fox - Mr. Carpenter (1968)

Bouncy, up-and-go rock song which insanely catchy (or annoying, you decide) riffing will probably cause a sleepless night or two. It really is up there with I Can’t Get No Satisfaction and Rebel Rebel, only much more enjoyable since it hasn’t been overplayed to dirt.

Ramases And Selket – Mind’s Eye (1968)

Psychedelic love song with cinematic, eastern-exoticism instrumentation and a wonderfully hypnotic romantic violin riff. The instrumental track is pretty sharply contrasted by an echoing, not-all-too-skilled vocal performance by mentally unstable Martin Raphael (he started to go under the name Ramases after a revelation about him being the reincarnation of the Egyptian pharaoh) with probably sincere yet laughable lyrics ("we found ourself in outer space, to propagate the human race, there was another planet there, we lived alone with time to spare"), but these quirks doesn’t ruin the romantic side of the song and rather just add a "far out" feel to it’s wholeness. The "In my mind’s eye, mind’s eye, mind’s eye… In my mind’s eye" chorus is at least as snappy as the epic violin riff.

Gentle soul – See My love (Song For Greg) (1968)

Gentle soul was a one-album folk rock duo with psychedelic elements lead by Pamela Polland and Rick Stanley, who both sung and wrote most material as a duo. Interestingly enough this one track written and sung by Polland alone is the definite the standout, perhaps because of the artistic and egmotional lack of restraint working alone offers. See My Love is a soft folk tribute her husband and is a very skillful marriage between lyrics, melody and sound. At the center of it all is Pollans beautifully airy, somehow fragile and strong voice, harmonized by harp, piano, guitar among other instruments to create a flowing, dreamy atmosphere, with the lyrics mostly dealing with how aesthetic and mystical her husband is… Remember, this was when the "free spirited poet" still was hot shit.

P.S Think of a guy you really like while listening ;'D

Underrated pop masterpieces from the psychedelic era

Hello, my name is Simon. Robin and I had this idea that it’d be a mighty combo attack if we fused our music blogs, but it ended up with me just posting on his old one like a foreign sidekick. I’ll mostly do recommendations/lists/compilations on various musical styles here, starting with five songs in the subject just mentioned, in chronological order.

Sagittarius - My World Fell Down (1967)

Listen

Superior psychedelic sunshine pop cover of the pop trio The Ivy Leagues original featuring possibly the best multi-harmonic vocals in the genre, and a prime example of how sunshine pop sounds best when it’s melancholic yet unsentimental. It’s pretty much a laboratory product by producer Gary Usher who previously had written songs for the Beach Boys and here seem to have been inspired by Brian Wilson's ballad works on Pet Sounds and the experimentation of the Good Vibrations single. The altogether atmosphere of the song is very interesting and similar to that beginning to move on from the death of a near and dear, with sadness always dwelling at the bottom but not really bursting out directly. Even the explosive and rather upbeat first part of the chorus still manages to keep the songs melancholic feel intact. As a warning there is a completely unnecessary bridge of awkward stock sounds lasting for twenty seconds. Perhaps to represent ‘’the world falling down’’ or just to appear more psychedelic, remember, this is the 60’s after all. But it’s forgiven when the second bridge interrupts with it’s cold, eerie chant which Usher wrote himself and may be the best part of the song.

The Fairytale – Lovely People (1967)

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Gentle, base driven song about rainbow colored people washing each other which sung in death sincerity. Supposedly the band attempted to catch the spirit of the times and hoped for this to become a hit as a hippie anthem, though Scott McKenzie’s San Francisco took that spot and Lovely People has fallen into obscurity. But the fact that all the greatest melody slings the band ever produced compressed into this single song shows that it was a real ambition.

The Smoke – My Friend Jack (1968)

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Cool blues-rocking freakbeat with the wall-of-sound qualities that made the British psychedelic scene unique. Unlike most of even the most critically acclaimed pop hits there is not a single weak moment here, no filling out just to deliver some single awesome riff or chorus the song centers around. It’s pure compositional perfection, and would probably be appearing on Rolling Stone lists, be used as one of those stock song on TV shows whenever someone get’s high and what not had it been recorded by a more famous band.

Argosy – Imagine (1969)

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Roger Hodgson who would later become vocalist and key songwriter for Supertramp is the singer and writer of the orchestral flower power piece Imagine, another flawless pop composition which echoes The Logical Song he’d write ten years later both melodically and lyrically, only that here we find him still refusing to leave the magic of childhood and urging others to find back to it, rather than being sentimental about the loss of it. This was the B-side of the only single Argosy released (Mr.Boyd/Imagine) with the A-side featuring Elton John and some of his studio musicians.

Time Machine – Turn Back Time _ Bird In The Wind (1971)

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French song which borders nightmare fuel. Deals with the subject of turning back time to ask H.G Wells how to turn back time, if turning back time was possible, which the singer don’t believe. The actual music is separated into two parts, the first featuring song with a strong feeling of wondering accompanied by reversed rhythmic, interesting use of violins, pan-flutes and a thumping beat. The second half of the song is all reversed except for the vocals and a dark piano melody.

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Tracklist:

Count Five - Psychotic Reaction (1966)
The Electric Prunes - I had too mutch to dream last night (1966)
Sagittarius - My World Fell Down (1967)
Living Daylights - Lets live for today (1967)
The Fairytale - Lovely People (1967)
Blues Magoos - Tobacco Road (1967)
Mark Wirtz - Here's our dear old weatherman (1967)
The Smoke - My Friend Jack (1967)
Californians - Golden Apples (1967)
The Marmalade - I See The Rain (1967)
See My Love - Gentle Soul (1968)
Staccatos - Butchers And Bakers (1968)
Spencer Davis- After tea (1968)
The Status Quo - Pictures Of Matchstick Men (1968)
John's Children - A Midsummer's Night Scene (1968)
Ramases And Selket -Mind's Eye (1968)
Timebox - Gone Is The Sad Man (1968)
Fox - Hey Mr Carpenter (1968)
Turquoise - Woodstock (1969)
The French Revolution - Shoo-Doo-Bee-Do (1969)
Kevin Ayers - Girl On A Swing (1969)
Argosy - Imagine (1969)
We All Together - It's A Sin To Go Away (1970)
Time Machine - Turn Back Time _ Bird In The Wind (1971)

Some tracks can hardly be considered ''lost'' really, just not played to death like White Rabbit, My Green Tambourine, Incense and Peppermints etc. But enjoy nevertheless.