Obscure UK/US Pop-Psych Round Table Discussion

I bought the UK vinyl of My Mind Goes High: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults, and I think if you are into the pop side of psych music, it would be a must-have purchase (though side three has more of a "rock" sound, with the Salt, Electric Prunes and Music Machine). Our own Andrew Sandoval compiled the project. It's worth it for "Man of Straw" by John Wonderling alone!

 

"Man of Straw" is great. I have it on this comp:
http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=7821

Another big fave of mine off that is "Her Name is Melody" by Adrian Pride.

 

I totally agree. Those are the same comps--the UK version had both a different cover and a different title, for some reason!

(Tom, have we hijacked your thread? I think we're all just excited to have a place to discuss our passion for this music. Thanks for starting it! )

 

Not at all. I started it so I could learn new things. Even if I'm not posting, I'm still reading faithfully.

 

Me too. I don't have a whole lot to contribute (yet), but I'm making sure I see every post.

 

I have My Mind Goes High on CD, and it's a superb collection. "Man of Straw" is indeed a highlight. I really like the odd, somewhat Smiley Smile-esque vibe of the Tokens' "How Nice?" too ... I'm also thrilled that it includes the mono single version of the Monkees' "Porpoise Song" (one of my all-time favorite psych-ish songs).

 

I deliberately titled this thread a "round table discussion" because I wanted a free flow of information without having to adhere to any predetermined topic. I'm thrilled at the way this is going so far. The wealth of knowledge on display in this thread is staggering.

 

In addition to My Mind Goes High, one of the other comps that introduced plenty of obscure psych-pop-styled material to my collection was Haunted: Psychedelic Pstones II. Track list:

1. Peter Thorogood - "Haunted" (3:13)
2. Rockin' Berries - "Yellow Rainbow" (2:48)
3. Orange Machine - "Real Life Permanent Dream" (3:15)
4. Marmalade - "Kaleidoscope" (4:05)
5. Poets - "Locked in a Room" (3:02)
6. Tremeloes - "Suddenly Winter" (2:23)
7. Episode Six - "Time and Motion Man" (2:35)
8. Kinks - "Wicked Annabella" (2:42)
9. Blonde on Blonde - "Spinning Wheel" (2:45)
10. Searchers - "Crazy Dreams" (2:36)
11. Anan - "Haze Woman" (2:48)
12. Status Quo - "Auntie Nellie" (3:21)
13. Tuesday's Children - "In the Valley of the Shadow of Love" (4:14)
14. Flying Machine - "The Flying Machine" (2:38)
15. West Coast Consortium - "Colour Sergeant Lillywhite" (3:07)
16. Scrugg - "Only George" (2:50)
17. Orange Seaweed - "Stay Awhile" (2:25)
18. Glass Menagerie - "She's a Rainbow" (2:20)
19. Onyx - "So Sad Inside" (2:32)
20. Bobcats - "She Can't See for Looking" (2:15)
21. Montanas - "Roundabout" (2:45)
22. Orange Machine - "Three Jolly Little Dwarfs" (2:14)
23. Consortium Project - "The Day the Train Never Came" (2:46)
24. Blonde on Blonde - "Country Life" (3:35)
25. Anan - "Medena" (2:32)
26. Episode Six - "Plastic Love" (2:31)
27. Kinks - "Phenomenal Cat" (2:37)
28. Tuesday's Children - "Mr Kipling" (2:21)

Peter Thorogood's opening track in particular is a delightfully catchy but very slightly dark slice of psych-pop.

 

Thanks everyone for contributing to this thread, it's a lot of fun, and I agree there's a wealth of knowledge here!

To get specific for a moment, what is the CD situation on The Factory? Last I heard the best place to get their tracks was on a combo disc of them and another band called Five day rain (I THINK). I have an email address for the person who distributes the disc, I do NOT think it's a bootleg - please correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway I just want the songs I consider essential "Path through the forest" "Try a little Sunshine" and "Gone, movin' on' in the best quality I can get them. I guess "Path" on Nuggets 2 is probably as good as it gets for that one, right?

I hope the info is valuable to someone else, too, I just am crazy about this band and I have to get a hold of some good sounding versions....you know the story all too well, I am sure. Thanks in advance!

 

I am really digging this box. Everyone needs to get it before it's OOP and goes for exorbitant prices on eBay, Amazon, etc. I had some of the more obscure tracks from other sources, but the sound quality is greatly improved on this set. I'm on my second listen of the second disc. It flows very well, more of a freakbeat and heavier sound on some of it. It opens with an alternate version of the End's "Loving Sacred Loving." A track that really stands out is a previously unreleased one by Icarus entitled "Yellow Balloon." The Eire Apparent's "The Clown" is in excellent quality--much better than what I had! It's a revelation. On the first disc: I had Floribuna Rose's "Linda Loves Linda" but it really stands out on this comp. Great folk-psych.

 

Alison,
For some reason your use of the term "folk-psych" got me thinking about a group I have VERY little info on that maybe someone else hear knows about. The group is called the Daisy Chain, and the one song I have by them fits that description, it might be an all female band, too. Anyone?

 

Is this the band you're thinking of? I've never heard them, but the name rang a bell. I recall seeing that album listed in a Sundazed catalog.

 

Another gentleman, one of us who is in small group of people who initiate these little reissues, has stated than an "official" Factory CD is coming out. I doubt there are master tapes involved but it would be nice to get it all in one place. I think Path Through the Forest is best on Nuggets. There was a reissue 45 out a couple of years ago that also sounds good. That's one stunning song IMO. Try a Little Sunshine doesn't sound good on anything I can find. The beginning is slightly cut off. Still a great one. Also love Red Chalk Hills. Both tracks are really John Pantry.

Speaking of whom... for anyone into the poppier side of things The Upside Down World of John Pantry (on Tenth Planet) is my top favorite reissue comp of all time. Pantry is (or was because he doesn't write pop any more) a great songwriter very much a long the lines of the Bee Gees and Paul McCartney. I know that LP is still available because it didn't sell out when it was released in 1999. I can't recommend it enough

 

I have that Factory cd; from the Evangel label which also distributes Peter Daltry's (Kaleidoscope UK) solo work...http://hem.passagen.se/chla1014/Records/Factory.html

 

I'd recommend Return to Catatonia. Here's what Allmusic lists as in print.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0jfexq8gldfe

While I didn't check the track listings, Cold Turkey only showed up on the Electric Sugarcube Flashback when I searched the song.

 

There are finally good sounding releases of the UK Kaleidoscope out. I got mine on vinyl, but I think there are master tape sourced cds too. I dumped my needledroped copies a couple years back. Apparently after being informed there was a US band with the same name, they became Fairfield Parlour, and there has been an excellent two album, heavy vinyl release consisting, I believe, of all their recordings.

A dvd came out a few years ago that features a performance by the Misunderstood. Does anyone remeber what it was called? I tried to get one on e-bay but was sniped.

 

I could never get that CD. Where did you buy it?

 

I finally pulled the trigger on this today. The songs I do know from this have just completely floored me:

 

I sent you a PM. A friend gave it to me.

 

Alison, I'm curious too. Please PM if you think it's appropriate. How does it sound? I think it's supposed to be the best sounding available, but what that actually means, I don't know. I have a horrible boot - which I did NOT know was a boot when I purchased online through GEMM.

 

Thank you Jeff! I had no idea anyone had re-released this in any form. I'm not doing a good job of keeping up, am I?

If this sounds like it appeals to anyone, all I can say is I've heard the song "Superfluous Daisy" and it's A-ok. Unfortunately, Sundazed hasn't included any clip samples for this release

 

Here's a very cool future release from Sanctuary. Just a few repeats and some very uncommon tracks. The two Graham Gouldman tracks are from his very rare 1972 solo single and they sound very much like tracks from his solo album.

Tea and Symphony: the English Baroque Sound 1967-1974

1. Time To Wander - Kerruish, John
2. Nowhere To Go - Gouldman, Graham
3. Alice - Plum, John
4. Stop - Vigrass
5. Strange Girl - Kate
6. Off To Find A New Land - Nixon, Lea
7. For Where Have You Been - Honeybus
8. Captain Jones - Addenbury, Eddie
9. Maisie Jones - Nimbo
10. Summer Love - Almond Marzipan
11. Very Well - Payne, Les
12. Nothing Else To Say - Reilly, David
13. Here Before The Sun - Balmer, Lori
14. Copper Coloured Years - Consortium (1)
15. My World Turns Around You - Reid, Marc
16. Watching The Boat - Charles, Roger
17. 'Til The Sun Goes Down - Tremeloes
18. Growing Older - Gouldman, Graham
19. Seductress - Elgin, Steve
20. Justine - Brooks, Julian
21. If I Call Your Name - Campbell, Junior
22. There Is A Mountain - Quiet World Of Lea & John
23. Her Father Didn't Like Me Anyway - Humblebums
24. Sewing Machine - Tuesday

 

How far into the future in this release, Mark?

I dig the title.

 

Good for you, picking up Wimple Winch. Somebody release this beast legitimately!!!!

 

Uh-oh. You mean ...