"Wanting to Be, to Hear, and to See..."

Flower Power: Part 6
Well, it's turning out that Flower Power means all kinds of things to different people. Sometimes it's psychedelic, hippie music, anything Summer of Love, or sometimes any late 1960s music that goes with images like smiley faces, peace symbols, lava lamps, and paisley prints. Well, here are some pop-ier sounds that go with all that retro groovy-ness.

Similar to the Flower Pot Men (just featured a few weeks ago here), British pop group Edison Lighthouse was originally a studio-only band that existed solely for session vocalist Tony Burrows, who has sung the lead vocals on hit singles for more groups than any other recording artist (including Flower Pot Men, as well as White Plains' "My Baby Loves Lovin'" and The First Class' "Beach Baby" to name a few). Released in January 1970, "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" became the fastest climbing UK #1 hit record in history and peaked at #5 on the U.S. charts. After the single's success, Burrows went on to record other projects, so a group was assembled to mime a performance of this million-seller on Top of the Pops (not the featured clip below). For several years to follow, many members would come and go from the group, but since they didn't score any further chart activity, they became known as a transatlantic one-hit wonder.

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Starting out in the mid-1960s in Los Angeles as R&B back-up singers, Sonny & Cher (Bono) were an American pop music duo and husband and wife team that even became media personalities with the success of their TV shows in the mid-'70s. In their ten years together, they sold over 80 million records worldwide, after which Cher went on to have a highly successful career as a singer and actress and Sonny became an elected Congressman. A defining record of the early counterculture movement, "I Got You Babe" was released in July 1965, becoming the duo's biggest hit and signature song. Written by Sonny Bono for himself and his wife late at night in their basement, he wanted to capitalize on the popularity of the word 'babe,' as heard in Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" (a hit for The Turtles). Spending three weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts, as well as hitting #1 in the UK and Canada, this song even made the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (Rolling Stone magazine). Just at the beginning of their career, here's a live performance by the comic relief duo Sonny & Cher.

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Known for their vocal harmonies, Spanky & Our Gang was an American folk rock/sunshine pop group that formed in Bloomington, Illinois in 1966. Led by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane, the band's name comes from the popular Our Gang comedies of 1930s (also known as The Little Rascals), and Elaine was nicknamed "Spanky" by one of the band members (possibly influenced by her last name) who said she resembled the character George "Spanky" McFarland. Released on their self-titled debut album in 1967, "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" was their biggest hit, which reached #9 on the Billboard charts during the Summer of Love. However, during the fall of 1968, an upsetting blow came to the group when their lead guitarist (and trombonist and vocalist) Malcolm Hale died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his home at the age of 27. He had done most of the music arrangements and pretty much had kept the group together, so after his death, deciding they were satisfied with their musical output, the group disbanded in early 1969. McFarland went on to have some success as a solo artist and even toured with The Mamas & The Papas in '80s, singing Cass Elliot's vocal parts. Originally written as a ballad until the group changed the feel, here's Spanky & Our Gang in a rare live performance of "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" for a Murray the K Special.

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While nearly every Flower Power CD set out there includes The Monkees' "Daydream Believer" (which we'll save for Bubblegum Week instead), I've decided to post another song that seems to relate more with the psychedelic sounds of the counterculture movement. Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King as the title song for The Monkees' 1968 feature film Head, the ethereal and psychedelic "Porpoise Song" is a great mix of distorted, echo-y vocals with organs riffs, strings, woodwinds, and horns floating in and out of the song, complete with lyrics that call into question one's place in the world (and as seen below, visually paired with the lava lamp-like solarization effects). Becoming a cult classic in recent years, Head itself is a 'head trip' that plays mind-games on the audience where each scene abstractly connects to the next. When my sister and I first saw this film as young teenagers, we were slightly disturbed that our beloved Monkees had made such a confusing and strange movie, nothing like their TV series, but years later, I've made sense of the symbolism and it's fascinating. In fact, it's all symbolic of how The Monkees were themselves manipulated by the greatest of manipulators, Hollywood, and how they fought their made-for-TV image (i.e. in this clip, Micky Dolenz is not committing suicide but "breaking free," which by the end of the film [or is it the beginning?], the others follow suit). OK, this film's analysis and music should be featured on its own separate post, so for now, here's the haunting yet beautiful "Porpoise Song" that only managed to reach #62 on the charts in the fall of '68.

San Francisco

Flower Power: Part 1
Alright, ready or not, we're taking the next month to explore the many sounds of Flower Power! The slogan "flower power" was used by the American counterculture movement during the late 1960s as a symbol of passive peace and non-violence philosophy. Embracing the symbolism, hippies wore colorful clothing with flowers in their hair and passed out flowers to the public. In later years, Flower Power has become a modern reference to the hippie culture including psychedelic music and art. In the late '60s, the Haight Ashbury district in San Francisco, California, was the iconic center of the Flower Power movement, and was the focal point for psychedelic rock music (Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and Janis Joplin all lived nearby this famous intersection). So today's post will feature Flower Power songs about the historic city of San Francisco.

During the 1967 Summer of Love, the song that brought literally thousands of young people to San Francisco was "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" by American singer Scott McKenzie. As McKenzie was childhood friends with John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, Phillips wrote and co-produced "San Francisco" for McKenzie, and it was released in May of 1967 to promote the Monterey Pop Festival. This psychedelic pop song became an instant hit, reaching #4 on the U.S. charts and #1 throughout most of Europe, selling over 7 million copies worldwide. Here's that infamous San Franciscan song that became an anthem of freedom during this time.

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So up next, we have the British pop group, the Flower Pot Men, who were created as a result of the successful single "Let's Go to San Francisco" in 1967. Written and recorded by songwriters John Carter and Ken Lewis, they had no actual group to promote the song after it became a big hit, and since they had no interest in going on the road themselves, the duo created the group by hand-picking session musicians and vocalists. Sometimes mistaken for The Beach Boys, the group's sound was characterized by their rich, three-part vocal harmony. Their name was partly derived from the BBC children's show also titled Flower Pot Men, and had obvious psychedelic-era puns on Flower Power and, well, "pot." The only Top-10 single for this group, here's the light-hearted, psychedelic pop song "Let's Go to San Francisco."

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Originating in Houston, Texas, Fever Tree was a psychedelic rock band that formed in 1966, and are mainly remembered for their 1968 hit, "San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native)." Written and produced by couple Scott and Vivian Holtzman, this psychedelic rock song was only a minor hit (reaching #91 on the U.S. charts), but it captured the essence of the group's trademark sounds including the searing, fuzz guitar by Michael Knust. Unfortunately, there's no live footage available, but here's a slideshow presentation of Fever Tree's "San Francisco Girls." (Thanks, Uncle Bill, for reminding me about these guys.)

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For the final San Francisco song of the day, we'll conclude with these guys: remember the British Invasion rock band The Animals (with their signature hit here)? Well, after undergoing several personnel changes as well as suffering poor business management, the group disbanded in 1966 and lead singer Eric Burdon formed a new incarnation called Eric Burdon & the Animals (sometimes "the New Animals"). Relocating to San Francisco as a psychedelic band characterized by a heavier, more experimental sound, this new group had its biggest hit with "San Franciscan Nights" released in 1967. Written by Burdon and his bandmates, this tribute to San Francisco reached #1 in Canada, #7 in the UK, and #9 in the U.S., and was a stand against the Vietnam War. Beginning with a brief parody of the Dragnet theme, this psychedelic/progressive rock song seems to pull in as many 1960s themes as possible.

The Heavy Second Wave

British Invasion: Part 9 (Second Wave, 1967-1970)

By 1967, the term 'roll' was generally dropped and the rock style of the 1960s emerged, also marking the end of the Invasion. However, from 1967-1970, the Brits did send off a much smaller 'second wave' of this newer rock sound (however, the official Second Invasion wouldn't take place until the 1980s). As the decade progressed, you can not only hear how much 'heavier' the music gets, but can also see a distinctive change in appearance, and boy, did hair get long! So hang on, we've got a whopping seven groups in this post!

First up, Cream was a British rock supergroup with bassist Jack Bruce on lead vocals, the bluesy guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton (of The Yardbirds), and jazz-influenced drummer Ginger Baker, who created a hybrid of blues rock, hard rock, and psychedelic rock. They were the world's first notable and successful supergroup, selling over 35 million records in just the short two years that they were together. From their third album Wheels on Fire (the world's first platinum-selling double album), "White Room" was released as a single in September 1968, reaching #6 on the US charts and later becoming another among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Recorded using an eight-track tape recorder (rare at the time), Clapton makes great use of the wah -wah pedal guitar effect on this classic psychedelic tune, a style he learned from fellow guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Here's live footage from their Farewell Performance in 1968.

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Joe Cocker was an English rock/blues musician known for his gritty voice and is ranked among the 100 greatest singers of all time. In 1968, he gained his biggest success with a radical re-arranged version of The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends," which features a longer introduction, is in a slower, 6/8 meter, and uses different chords in the middle section. Reaching #1 on the British singles charts, this songs is considered one of the greatest music covers of all time, and is sometimes referred to as "The Wonder Years" song as it was the theme for that American TV series from the late 1980s. The Beatles were so impressed with this version that they gave Cocker permission to sing some of their other songs including "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" and "Something." In the recording, Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin played the guitar lines.

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Speaking of Led Zeppelin, they were another English rock group that formed in 1968 and are considered as influential to rock music of the 1970s as The Beatles were to the '60s. With a heavy, bluesy guitar-driven sound, they are founding fathers of heavy metal and hard rock, however, about a third of their music is acoustic and they drew from several other styles including Celtic, Eastern Indian, and folk music. Some sources say they have sold over 300 million records, making them one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. Consisting of guitarist Jimmy Page (of The Yardbirds), singer Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones, they were probably the biggest band of the 1970s. However, here they are early in their career in the late 1960s performing "How Many More Times." Definitely no "Stairway to Heaven" (1971), but interesting to see their beginnings.

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In 1967, the English rock group Traffic was formed by Steve Winwood (from The Spencer Davis Group), Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, and Dave Mason, whose first singles were influenced by The Beatles. Initially starting out as a psychedelic rock group, they expanded their sound with the use of keyboards like the Mellotron, reed instruments, and included jazz and improv techniques in their music. Released in August 1967, the psychedelic pop classic "Hole in My Shoe" was written by guitarist Dave Mason (one of the chief songwriters with Winwood) and with its "Beatles-esque" sound, reached #2 on the UK charts. The little monologue in the middle was spoken by the stepdaughter of the boss of their record label, a simple effect, along with the sitar, that were typically traits of psychedelic music.

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Like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple was another English rock group from 1968 that are also considered pioneers of modern hard rock and heavy metal. Once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being "the loudest pop group," these guys are ranked among the greatest artists of hard rock and have sold over 100 million records worldwide. They have had many different personnel line-ups over the years and are still touring to this day. Their breakout success started with their first hit single "Hush," released in June 1968, reaching #4 on the US charts (though was overlooked in the UK). This song was originally performed by Billy Joe Royal (known for "Down in the Boondocks"), however, Deep Purple's hard rock version became better known and is still remembered today. Definitely a classic, however, I'm not a fan of the band's attire here.

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One of the most commercially successful and influential rock bands of all time was Pink Floyd, selling over 200 million albums worldwide. With their progressive and psychedelic rock music, they were known for their philosophical lyrics, audio experimentation, innovative album art, and their ornate live shows. Founded in 1965 by college students Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Richard Wright, and Syd Barrett, they got their start playing in London's underground club scene, and released their first single, "Arnold Layne," in spring of 1967. This psychedelic pop song was written by original frontman Syd Barrett, however, due to his unstable mental health, he was soon replaced by guitarist David Gilmour who was a part of the lineup when the band achieved worldwide critical success with albums in the 1970s such The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall. Once again, it's interesting to hear the early sound of these mega groups-to-be in the 1960s.

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At last, we've reached the final group of the day: The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Okay, I know we're talked a little about guitar-wizard Jimi Hendrix before and we all clearly know that he was American, however, this "power trio" included Brits, bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, and originally formed in London. Not only influential to the development of hard rock and heavy metal, The Experience will always be known for the skill, style, and charisma of one of the greatest guitarists of all time as their frontman. The group came to prominence in the US after the infamous performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 where Hendrix set his guitar on fire. After seeing the Festival, The Monkees actually asked The Experience to go on tour with them as their opening act (definitely a mismatch!), but Hendrix and the guys only lasted a few concerts before they couldn't stand the 'boos' from the unappreciative teenage audience. Released as their first single in December 1966 (in the UK), the band's blues-rock version of "Hey Joe" failed to chart in the US, however has since become one of those 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and remains the most well-known version of this song.

Harpy Tunes

Harp Week: Part 1
And now for something completely different (as Monty Python would say), it's officially Harp Week. As a professional harpist, I'm currently preparing for a big solo harp recital at the end of this week, and my mind is obviously in "harp mode." Although practicing is definitely a priority over blogging at the moment, I will still leave you this week with a couple of small, yet interesting posts about 1960's pop music that includes the harp!

A beautiful, sad song with thoughtful, observational lyrics, "She's Leaving Home" was the first Beatles song to use a female musician on a recording, harpist Shelia Bromberg. From Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of the most important albums in rock music history, this song was written by Paul McCartney, who was inspired by a newspaper article about a missing young girl. This baroque pop piece was also one of a few songs by The Beatles in which none of the members actually played on the recording, just lead vocals by Paul, and John Lennon signing the the parents' view in the chorus (Greek chorus). From June 1967, this is a wonderful piece of music with a lovely harp solo in the introduction.


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Also from 1967 but with a completely different sound, Tommy James & The Shondells' "Mirage" is a pop rock song with a distinctive harp part. Tommy got the idea for this song from a mistake in the studio: their producer accidentally put the tape of their previous hit, "I Think We're Alone Now," on the player backwards. The band liked the sound of the chord progression, and songwriter Ritchie Cordell wrote the lyrics. Hitting #10 on the charts, "Mirage" is a fun, yet very under-played song (on current "oldies" radio) with a noticeable harp accompaniment, including the infamous harp effect, the glissando.



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Coming from the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, this next song is from the psychedelic/rock album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake by the English rock group, Small Faces. One of the biggest original influences on the Britpop movement in the 1990's, the music of Small Faces is still among the most acclaimed British mod and psychedelic music of the late 1960's. From their two-act concept album in 1968, "Happiness Stan" is a whimsical, psychedelic fairy tale that is through-composed (music term for non-repetitive), and is narrated by old British comedian, Stanley Unwin. And so where does the harp come in all this? Well, only at the very beginning of the piece, of course. So I've posted two different videos of this song: the first is just the "Happiness Stan" portion from the Small Faces' performance of the entire Ogdens' album on the TV show Colour Me Pop (although because of the album's complexities, it was a mimed performance, however, their mics were left on to capture little ad libs, which are quite cute). Although it's a fun video, it actually cuts out almost the entire harp solo introduction (with the exception of one glissando), so I had to include an alternative YouTube post (though no video footage) with the entire harp solo at the beginning (just listen to the first 30 seconds). After all, this is Harp Week!

And for now, I'm going to try to stick with less overwhelming posts like that past few weeks, but please check back later in the week to hear more '60s music with harp!

"Outasite, Man!"

Psychedelic Week: Part 3 

Well, Psychedelic Week has quickly come and gone (not to mention, my computer contracted a virus in the midst of my blogging!), and I am without the time to go into further details about the following psychedelic songs. If you've been diggin' this week's music, here are some more groovy tunes for you to enjoy:

From 1967, it's the #1 psychedelic pop hit, "Incense and Peppermints" by Los Angeles group, Strawberry Alarm Clock (can't get more psychedelic than a name like that!). One of the group's guitarists, Ed King, would later go on to join the band Lyrnyrd Skynyrd. Sorry about the poor video quality.


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The English rock band, The Who, also had a hit in 1967 with "I Can See For Miles," their biggest US hit to date. Written by guitarist Pete Townshend, this psychedelic/early hard rock song was difficult to perform live because of the complex vocal harmonies, so this video was a mimed performance from the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. One of the greatest rock bands in music history, this isn't the last you'll hear about these guys.

 
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As an Ohio-based psychedelic pop band, The Lemon Pipers had a #1 hit with "Green Tambourine," also released in 1967. Also considered the first bubblegum pop chart-topper, this song has an electric sitar and a cool, psychedelic effect, the tape echo. --------------------------------------------------
Spirit, an American jazz/hard rock/progressive rock/psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1967. Sometimes considered more of an underground band, "I've Got A Line On You" was a big hit in 1969. My dad loves this group and introduced me to this song in more recent years. Spirit (and the band Poco) actually performed at his high school in Orange County around 1969 or '70! How cool is that? Definitely a great tune!

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Also from the Los Angeles area, The Electric Prunes were probably the first to gain international success as an experimental psychedelic group. Their second single, “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night),” was a hit psychedelic rock song released in November 1966, a tune that became influential in garage rock later in the 1970’s. Although I grew up listening to tons of music from the ‘60s, I’m actually more familiar with the cool cover version by Webb Wilder.


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Another group influential in the development of heavy metal and progressive rock is the psychedelic rock, Amboy Dukes, from Michigan. From 1968, the group is probably best remembered for their hit single, "The Journey to the Center of the Mind." Groovy stuff, folks!

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And before things get too trippy, the last band of the day is the American rock band, The 13th Floor Elevators. Also vital in the history of garage rock and punk rock development, these guys were considered one of the first psychedelic rock groups of the 1960's, releasing "I'm Gonna Miss You" in January 1966.

Well, if that hasn't hit the psychedelic spot, be sure to check out these other bands on YouTube: The Blue Magoos, The Chambers Brothers ("Time Has Come Today"), Cream, Eric Burdon & The Animals, The Idle Race, The Moody Blues ("The Best Way to Travel"), early Pink Floyd ("Arnold Layne"), Small Faces, Steppenwolf, Traffic, and The Yardbirds.

Although I pretty much have all the posted tunes on my iPod, I must admit that I'm not the biggest fan of some of the real heavy stuff, however, I appreciate its significance in music history in setting the foundation for many genres to follow. I think seeing "who" influenced "what" is one of the most fascinating things about 1960's pop music. Hopefully, Psychedelic Week has been as interesting to you as it has to me!

The Not-So-Usual Suspects

Psychedelic Week: Part 2
As you may have noticed, psychedelic music mainly emerged from the folk-rock and blues-rock bands of the 60's, which bridged the transition to eventual genres like progressive rock, glam rock, hard rock, and influenced sub-genres like heavy metal. However, psychedelic rock also had an impact on mainstream pop and rock, leading to groups who you wouldn't expect to produce some psychedelic sounds as well.

A group influential in developing the music style of psychedelic rock was the American rock band, The Byrds, with their March 1966 single, "Eight Miles High." From Los Angeles, the group initially founded the genre of folk rock by combining the influence of the British Invasion bands with contemporary and traditional folk music. Later into the 1960's, The Byrds became significant in other genres such as raga rock (East Indian influence) and country rock, in addition to psychedelic, making them one of the most influential bands of the 1960's.

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As a kid, a psychedelic pop song I loved listening to on my parents' record player was, "Crimson and Clover," by American rock 'n' roll group, Tommy James and the Shondells. Wanting to change the direction of the group's sound, singer-songwriter/guitarist Tommy James and drummer Peter Lucia Jr. wrote this single and released it in November of '68. The song uses a cool tremolo effect on the guitar that vibrates in time with the song's rhythm, and at the end of the song, they use the same vibrating effect on Tommy's vocal part, "crimson and clover, over and over..." This performance comes from the Ed Sullivan Show in January 1969, one week before the single reached #1 on the charts. By the way, does anyone else find Tommy a little creepy in this performance?


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Initially a folk-rock musician, Scottish singer-songwriter, Donovan, was also influenced by the sounds of U.S. West Coast bands (like Jefferson Airplane), which led him to develop a unique style that combined folk, pop, jazz, psychedelia, and world music. After Donovan's first psychedelic record, Sunshine Superman, became an American chart breakthrough in 1966, Donovan released the psychedelic/folk/acid rock song, "Hurdy Gurdy Man," in May of '68. He wanted to reach a wider audience in the U.S. where hard-rock artists (like Jimi Hendrix) were becoming quite popular, and as hoped, it became one of Donovan's biggest hits. On many of Donovan's recordings, he used session guitarist, Jimmy Page (later, of Led Zeppelin), though it's uncertain which guitarist is on this recording. Using a similar tremolo effect on the vocal part like "Crimson and Clover," "Hurdy Gurdy Man" is a harder rock sound than Donovan's previous music, using a variety of distorted guitars.

-------------------------------------------------------As you will eventually come to find out, I have a soft spot for the American band, The Monkees. Originally created for a zany TV show in 1966 and only allowed to sing on their first two albums, The Monkees fought "the system" and earned the right to write, record, produce, and play their own music. Singer-songwriter Michael Nesmith wrote a poem (full of psychedelic imagery) about the riots in '67 on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, and then set it to music as "Daily Nightly." This song features a Moog synthesizer and comes from The Monkees' fourth album, which was one of the first rock/pop albums to pioneer the use of this new synthesizer. Also one of the first to own this instrument, singer/drummer Micky Dolenz actually had no idea how to play the synthesizer, however, he makes wonderfully creative use of its psychedelic sound in this song, as heard in this video from their (normally in color) TV show. The first time my husband heard this song, he asked if it was Jefferson Airplane. Apparently, Grace Slick and Micky Dolenz have a similar quality to their voices (see last post with the video of "White Rabbit").
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Typically a folk rock/sunshine pop band, the American vocal group, The Mamas and The Papas, also ventured into psychedelic territory in the late 60's. Released in May 1968, the group became more experimental with their album The Papas and the Mamas, especially with the Jimi Hendrix-like guitar sound in "Gemini Childe," as well as the more down-beat, darker sound in the song "Mansions" (posted below). Still with their signature sound of four-part vocal harmonies arranged by the band's songwriter, John Phillips, the group recorded "Mansion" in the home of John and his wife, Michelle (also a founding member of the group). Until today, I actually had never heard this haunting song before; I know, what kind of Mamas and Papas fan am I?

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And now to finally end this post, it's The Rolling Stones performing, "Paint It, Black" on the Ed Sullivan. Another written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and released in May 1966, this psychedelic/raga rock song was a new direction for the normally rock 'n' roll/bluesy rock group. Also on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, it was the first #1 single to feature a sitar, which was played by the multi-instrumentalist of the group, Brian Jones. Influenced by the use of the sitar in The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood," Brian taught himself to play the Eastern instrument after a visit with the sitar-playing Beatle, George Harrison. Definitely a favorite Stones song of mine.

Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic Week: Part 1
After my last post about "Good Vibrations," I think it's a good week to look further into the genre of Psychedelic music. Well, as you could probably guess by the name, psychedelic rock is style of music that was influenced by the psychedelic culture of the mid-1960s, and even tries to imitate the experience of mind-altering drugs (which of course wasn't without its causalities). Other fusions of the genre include psychedelic folk, psychedelic pop, and psychedelic soul. Here are some of this genre's characteristics (from helpful Wikipedia):
- electric guitars, often used with feedback, wah wah and fuzzboxes;
- elaborate studio effects, such as backwards tapes, panning, phasing, long delay loops, and extreme reverb;
-exotic instrumentation, with a particular fondness for the sitar and tabla;
-a strong keyboard presence, especially organs, harpsichords, or the Mellotron (an early tape-driven 'sampler');
-a strong emphasis on extended instrumental solos or jams;
-more complex song structures, key and time signature changes, modal melodies and drones;
-surreal, whimsical, esoterically or literary-inspired, lyrics.

In 1965, when The Beatles began experimenting more with their music in the studio (as well as with "other things"), they were one of the first to use guitar feedback in "I Feel Fine" and the first to use a sitar in "Norwegian Wood" (although actually a folk song, it greatly influenced the further use of Eastern music in rock). However, one of the defining works of psychedelic rock music is "Strawberry Fields Forever." Inspired by The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" (see my last post), The Beatles released this double A-side single (with "Penny Lane") in February 1967.  

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A new favorite of mine that makes great use of the trademark psychedelic wah-wah guitar sound and the phasing audio effect is "Pictures of Matchstick Men" by the English group Status Quo. Sometimes considered as an example of bubblegum psychedelia, this song was released in January of '68 and was a hit single. This performance was from England's "Top of The Pops" TV show, on which Status Quo performed over 100 times throughout their career.

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When I think of the psychedelic '60s, one of the first band that comes to mind is the San Francisco group Jefferson Airplane, and particularly their breakout successes, "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love." And just your luck, I found a video that includes both performances, as featured on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. From the album Surrealistic Pillow released in February 1967, "White Rabbit," a psychedelic/acid rock song, was written by the group's lead female singer Grace Slick, and her husband, Darby Slick, wrote "Somebody To Love;" both are classic songs of the counterculture movement, included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

 
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Alright, so here come some of the "heavies."
A significant 1960's "power trio" (besides Cream with Eric Clapton) was the psychedelic rock group The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Written and originally recorded by folk rocker Bob Dylan, this cover of "All Along The Watchtower" was released in September 1968 and since has been voted the #5 song in Guitar World"s 100 Greatest Guitar Solos, as well as #48 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. One of the greatest electric guitarists in music history, Jimi Hendrix unfortunately died an early death two year later in 1970, but he remains one of the most influential musicians that made use of guitar feedback and wah-wah pedal like never before.

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Another sad causality of the psychedelic era was Jim Morrison, lead singer of the American rock band The Doors, who died in 1971. Released in April 1967, one of The Door's first #1 single was the psychedelic/acid rock "Light My Fire," another song on the Rolling Stone's “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list. Here's the infamous Ed Sullivan Show performance, after which the group was banned from further appearances on the show because they did not change the word "higher," as requested by the producers.

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And finally, my last featured group today is Janis Joplin with the San Francisco-based, psychedelic/blues-rock group Big Brother and the Holding Company, giving a great live performance of "A Piece of My Heart." Although originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967, the song gained greater mainstream attention after Janis and the gang released their cover on the summer of '68 album Cheap Thrills, reaching #12 on the U.S. pop chart, and it is another song on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list. Just a few weeks after Jimi Hendrix's death in 1970, Janis was also found dead at the age of 27, the same ages as Jimi and Jim Morrison (as well as Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones; see 27 Club).

Since this is probably only a third of the songs I've picked out for this week, I should probably end this post (finally, right?). Hopefully you're not in psychedelic overload because there's still some great tunes to come!

Good Vibrations

On February 17th, 1966 (45 years ago today!), Brian Wilson of the American band, The Beach Boys, began recording the backing track for "Good Vibrations" with L.A. session musicians (The Wrecking Crew). Released later in October of that year, the song became the biggest hit for The Beach Boys, reaching #1 on the U.S. and U.K. charts, and since has been considered one of the best rock singles of all time. Composed and produced by the group's leader, Brian Wilson, with lyrics written by Wilson and Mike Love, "Good Vibrations" set a new standard for musicians and what could be achieved in the recording studio. The song has been referred to as "pocket symphony," as it has as many changes in mood as a half-hour piece of classical music would, and it features unique instruments for a pop song, including the cello and electro-theremin (think of that eerie, 1950's sci-fi movie sound).

Over a six-month period, this song was recorded in about seventeen sessions in numerous studios, using over 90 hours of magnetic recording tape, and ended up costing $50,000 to record. One of the most complex pop productions ever undertaken, Brian Wilson's method of recording became known as the modular approach: he broke the song into sections, intentionally taping several versions in studios for the different sound and ambiance within the studio, and then combined his favorite sections. Previously releasing generally pop and vocal surf rock tunes, The Beach Boys entered the realm of psychedelic rock with "Good Vibrations" (a genre derived from baroque pop, of course!), and this song greatly inspired The Beatles when writing "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "A Day In The Life" the following year. As a child, Brian's mother told him that dogs could pick up vibrations from people, which he turned into the general idea for the song.

Although Brian Wilson was an innovative, musical genius, he had a mental illness that led to his phobia of playing in public, so he is not in the above video from 1967. Although this performance is lip-synced (as most TV performances were in the 1960's, with the exception of the Ed Sullivan Show), it's fun to see the other members of The Beach Boys in action: the adorable Carl Wilson on bass and Denny Wilson on drums (Brian's younger brothers), Mike Love playing the electro-theremin (the Wilson's cousin), and Al Jardin, a Wilson family-friend, on guitar. Playing piano/organ, Bruce Johnston (hardly seen in this video) was brought in to replace Brian Wilson when the band toured.
Next, here's a wacky promo video by the Boys.

When you have heard this song played numerous times throughout your life (as I have), it's sometimes hard to listen to this masterpiece with "fresh" ears. Well, I found this rare audio video on YouTube that includes the actual studio recording for the instrumental backing, and the ORIGINAL, unedited version of "Good Vibrations" with different lyrics. Not only is it too cool hearing the "new" sections within this recording, but it's wonderful to listen to the layers of instruments in the introduction as they record some of their first few takes in the studio. (EDITED 2/11/15: Original video posted has been removed from YouTube, so this is a pretty cool one with rare footage including those studio musicians of The Wrecking Crew).

It's no wonder "Good Vibrations" is the #6 song on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and is also included on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of songs that shaped rock 'n' roll!