A Couple of Singles from 45s

As an admitted conformist to the digital age of music, I've had difficulty getting into 60s psychedelic singles and 45s. iTunes can seem so cluttered filled with tons of single songs by obscure bands. So now I'm finally starting to venture into this territory and have came across some pretty amazing stuff already.

The Gordian Knot - Broken Down Ole Merry-Go-Round


My intentions of posting singles is to showcase the work of groups who didn't release albums. As it turns out, Gordian Knot did release an album in '68, but I've just been so into this song that I can't help but put it out here. I love how this song naturally eases from a somber verse to a cheery chorus. There's some great lead guitar that compliments the vocals and harmonies beautifully. In the middle of the song, it deviates into a weird, carnival-esque bridge. I don't really feel this as much as the rest of the song, but it's amusing enough. If you're dying for information on the Gordian Knot, here's a write-up on allmusic.com.

The Mass - Without You


I'm having trouble finding solid information on this band. This article might be about them, but I'm not sure. If anyone can confirm or disprove this, it would be appreciated. Anyhow, "Without You" is a pretty straightforward R&B tune with great guitar, drums and vocals. It's just an all around good song... nothing more, nothing less.

Much thanks to Sir Psych and others from The It's Psych Forum for posting 45s.

Moon - Without Earth and the Moon (1968/1969)

This is a CD release that features psych-pop supergroup Moon's two albums, Moon Without Earth and Moon. Moon was most remembered for featuring ex-Beach Boy David Marks on lead guitar. At just 14, Marks filled in for Al Jardine who left the Beach Boys to attend dental school. After leaving the group around the age of 16, he formed two bands prior to the formation of Moon, including Dave & the Marksmen and Band Without a Name. Marks would form Moon with pianist/vocalist Mathew Moore who wrote most of Moon's songs. Bassist David P. Jackson and drummer/producer Larry Brown completed the line-up, although bassist Andy Bennet played on Moon and session drummer Jim Keltner contributed as well. The band actually moved into Continental Recorders in Hollywood and recorded Moon Without Earth in 1968 and Moon in 1969 for Imperial. Marks has since admitted that they recorded both albums under the influence of LSD. Moon would disband sometime shortly after the release of these albums, neither of which had any successful singles. Although relatively unheard at the time of their release, they have since become favorites of psychedelic collectors. Both albums are composed of catchy tunes with dense instrumentation, liberal use of vocal harmonies and occasional psychedelic effects. Moon is less focused on creating psychedelic sounds as the debut, and more focused on pure songwriting. I tend to prefer their debut for this reason, although Moon is a quality album nonetheless. This release also features five bonus tracks, three of which are recordings of Matthew Moore Plus Four.

Download Without Earth and the Moon

Les Fleur De Lys - Reflections (1965-69)

This is a compilation of the British mod-psychedelic band, Les Fleur De Lys. Besides drummer Keith Guster, the band's lineup was in constant flux. Forming in Southhampton, Hampshire in 1964, they released a cover of Buddy Holly's "Moondreams" produced by Jimmy Page, which never took off leading to every one but Guster leaving. Guster revived the band with some musicians from London and released a cover of the Who's "Circles" which was also produced by Jimmy Page. Combining catchy hooks, driving rhythm guitar, and ridiculous psychedelic lead guitar, "Circles" is what Les Fleur De Lys is most remembered for today. Despite it's accessibility, the single flopped. The band then picked up a new lead vocalist in Chris Andrews, who had been a child actor that worked in the 1964 production of Oliver in London. They were signed by Polydor in 1966 but more lineup changes ensued and they became a three piece. Soon a young female vocalist named Sharon Tandy joined the band and they toured Holland with Aretha Franklin. After working on a short lived project called Rupert's People with guitarist Rod Lynton, Chris Andrews left the band and they became a three-piece again. They continued to release singles and began working on an album for Polydor that never surfaced. By 1969, the band disbanded for good. Reflections captures the various phases and styles Les Fleur De Lys explored. There's some classic mod-psychedelia, straight up pop like "Stop Crossing The Bridge," and more ambitious rock songs like "Liar." I also enjoy the compilation for it's mixture of male and female vocals.

Download Reflections

T.I.M.E. - Time & Smooth Ball (1968/1969)

T.I.M.E. (Trust In Men Everywhere) were a 60s band from Los Angeles that combined pop, blues, and psychedelia. This is a CD release that includes their self-titled debut and it's follow-up, Smooth Ball. Originally known as The Hardtimes, T.I.M.E. featured future Steppenwolf guitarist Larry Byrom as well as bassist Nick St. Nicholas on Time. Recorded in 1968, T.I.M.E.'s self-titled album is a more poppy record than Smooth Ball. Although there are many psychedelic elements like fuzz guitar and mild acid leads, Time is more pop than psychedelia. With Smooth Ball, T.I.M.E. became more ambitious with longer songs, less straightforward pop, and an overall heavier sound. Lead guitar plays a much larger role with frequent acid lead guitar by William Richardson and Larry Byrom prominently mixed. New bassist Richard Tepp also adds to the heavier sound of Smooth Ball. The connection to Steppenwolf becomes more apparent on this record as well, with occasional "Magic Carpet Ride"-esque organ. Despite remaining relatively unknown, both T.I.M.E. albums have their own brand of the late 60s West Coast sound.

Download Time & Smooth Ball

Psychedelia Alive in Iowa

So I've been a little slow to post on here with graduation, trying to find a job, and generally trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing with my life. But don't worry, I still have plenty in store and don't plan on letting the Always Blue Society die a slow, neglected death. Anyhow, I've been meaning to write an entry about my recent trip to Iowa City. I went to visit my friend Chris and see Dead Meadow at a venue called the Picador and ended up encountering some great musicians from Davenport, Iowa. The Picador had an all-day event going on which included a craft fair, record swap, and live music.
As a basketball fan, I was surprised to come across a screen printed T-Shirt with a hilarious drawing of Lakers legend Kurt Rambis, as well as four basketball themed postcards from a separate stand. The Rambis shirt was done by a dude named Andrew who runs a screen printing business called the Kitchen Press. There was music throughout the craft fair, which is where I saw a duo named Johnnie and Bambi from Davenport who go by the Quiet Bears. They played a set of enjoyably melodic folk and happened to be super cool folk as well. I'm really feeling the song "We Are All Legend" from their myspace profile. Johnnie from the Quiet Bears also played drums in another great Davenport band called Mondo Drag, who opened for Dead Meadow. Mondo Drag played droned-out, heavy riff rock that made for a very appropriate opening act for Dead Meadow. I managed to get a copy of their album Holy Spirit at the show, which I highly recommend. Another opening act for Dead Meadow was a 60s psych-pop throwback group from Jersey City called the Black Hollies, who put on an impressive set. I got a copy of their album Casting Shadows, which I also recommend. Check out the song "Whispers Beneath the Willows" on their myspace for an idea of how authentic these guys sound. Of course, Dead Meadow put on an amazing set. If you haven't seen them live yet, do yourself a favor and go see them the next opportunity you have. I guess that's about all the plugs I've got from that trip. Thanks again to Chris and Skye for letting me stick around Iowa City for close to a week.

Alright, back to posting some albums.

The Tremeloes - What A State I'm In: The Psych Pop Sessions

Formed back in 1958, the Tremeloes are one of the most overlooked British pop bands of the 60s. Signed by Decca in favor of the Beatles in 1962, the Tremeloes and Beatles would fight for position on the British charts from the early to mid 60s. Most of their hits were covers of popular R&B and rock and roll songs as they didn't write the majority of their material. In 1965, lead singer Brian Poole would leave the band and they were dropped by Decca when their cover of Paul Simon's "Blessed" failed to chart. A friend who left Decca managed to have them signed to CBS, which helped them reclaim success. At the end of the decade, they reached the peak of their stardom with their album Here Comes the Tremeloes charting in Britain and the US. In 1970, they attempted to become a more serious band with the release of their album Master. It ultimately failed after they called their fans "silly suckers" for listening to their older pop music. What A State I'm In collects their most psychedelic work from the 60s and it's a hell of a compilation. It's packed with some amazing psych-pop and there are a few really great instrumental tracks, including the raucous opener, "Hard Time." All of the instrumentation is superb, particularly the lead guitar of Rick West, who was known for perfecting the use of fuzztone guitar in concert. They were also great vocalists, with harmonies that rival the Beatles' best work.

Download What A State I'm In: The Psych Pop Sessions

The Smoke - High In A Room - The Smoke Anthology

Hailing from York, England, the Smoke formed from members of Tony Adams & the Viceroys and the Moonshots. After shortening the name to the Shots, they began to pursue a different sound from their R&B roots, which lead to their rhythm guitarist leaving and their financing being cut. In a tight spot, they hooked up with twin brother entrepreneurs, Ron and Reg Kray. The Kray brothers turned out to actually be gangsters that have since become famous in England. There's even a movie about them called The Krays. The Shots abandoned their deal with the Krays, which led to an injunction that withheld them from performing. Luckily they still had a publishing and recording contract with EMI, so they focused on recording. During this time, they changed their name to the Smoke and recorded their most famous single, "My Friend Jack." Unfortunately, the drug references were so blatant that EMI made them rewrite the song. The lyrics changed from, "My friend Jack eats sugar lumps / Oh what beautiful things he sees!" to "My friend Jack eats sugar lumps / Sugar man hasn't got a clue." Pretty fucking lame. It made it to number 45 on the UK charts but was banned by the BBC after three weeks. It became a big hit in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, which led to their relocation to Germany and the release of their album, It's Smoke Time. After they refused to return to England to record, the band parted ways. In the 70s, bassist Zeke Lund created a new version of the Smoke that's sound was much different than the mod-psychedelic pop of the original Smoke. Disc 1 of High In A Room is the work of the original Smoke, while Disc 2 collects the works of the second version. Disc 2 has some pretty strange shit, particularly "Sweet Wilfred-A Rodent of Note" which is about a homosexual rat...seriously. The songs are all pretty different, though many are attempts at glam rock. Last off, I must say that the cover of this anthology is amazing.

By the way, this post marks the Always Blue Society's first birthday.

Download High In A Room