Technicolour Dreaming

Serendipity is a much-touted term, but when it happens, it really makes you realise that everything (in the musical world, anyway) is connected - sorry, I'm getting all mystical here! Quite unintentionally, my serendipitous connection this week is a fellow by the name of Allan Crockford - and he pulls all the strings together by being an original member of The Prisoners, producer of the first album by fellow-Medway scenesters The Dentists, and he's currently writing and performing with The Galileo 7. All bands which I played this week, with The Galileo 7 having just released their new album "Live-O-Graphic", which was recorded in a working lithographic press (in the workshop, not the actual press itself).

I don't normally do reviews, but these "nearly live" tracks are as good as it gets - compared to "really live", that is! A stupendous amount of energy drips from every cut - a touch faster than the originals, but every bit as accomplished. The swirling organ is a highlight, along with the precise vocal harmonies and pounding, volcanic drums and bass powering it all along - if this is "nearly live", then being at an actual performance would obviously be an event that will endure in the memory, for those ever lucky enough to see the band in the flesh (sadly, the Antipodes are a touch far away for me to get to a gig in the UK). This is The Galileo 7 as you've never heard them recorded before - and as fantastic an introduction to their back-catalogue as you could ever hope to own. And so endeth my rave.

Also on the show (phew, I'm out of breath - and words), I featured the first installment of the Mega Dodo Singles Club - 2 limited-edition slices of 7 inch vinyl goodness from The Octopus Syng and The Honey Pot (the former a lovely strawberry-red colour - I do love my coloured vinyl!), complete with a membership card, colour band picture-postcards, download cards, sticker and a tiny bee! And I'm not even going to get started on the "A Seance at Syd's" hardback book and double-CD combo (also from the nice people at Mega Dodo records) - think I might leave that til next week, so I can do it justice - it's just such a lovely thing to behold!
Ok, enough of this ranting - here's the playlist, with some moving pictures.... 

Vibravoid - What You Want  ("Psychedelic Blueprints: An Introspection of the Years 2000-2013" Dusseldorf, Germany 2016)

Robyn Hitchcock - I Want You (She's So Heavy) [Beatles] (7" split single [with Terry Edwards] 2011 UK)

Night Beats - The Other Side  ("Night Beats" 2011 Seattle, Washington USA)

The Octopus Syng - Flaming [Pink Floyd]  (7" single [b-side to "Reverberating Garden No. 7" ] 2016 Finland)

The Honey Pot - Lisa Dreams  (7" single 2016 UK)

The Galileo 7 - Don't Fly Too High  ("Live-O-Graphic" 2016 UK)

King Penguin - Thoughts and Words [Byrds]  ("A Seance at Syd's" 2 x CD and Book 2015 UK)

The Dentists - Burning the Thoughts From My Skin  (7" single [b-side to "Strawberries Are Growing in My Garden (And it's Wintertime)"] 2014 re-issue, The Medway, UK)

The Luck Of Eden Hall - Another High Speed Blowout  ("The Acceleration of Time" LP [to be released 1 June 2016] Chicago USA)
The Paperhead - She is Above Me  (7" single [b-side to "Pictures of Her Demise"] 2012 Nashville USA)

The Dead Skeletons - Psycho Dead  ("Live in Berlin" 2016 Reykjavik, Iceland)

Sproatley Smith - Pixieled ("A Seance at Syd's" 2 x CD and Book 2015 UK)
Beaulieu Porch - The Colour 55 ("A Seance at Syd's" 2 x CD and Book 2015 UK)

Balduin - Everything  ("Choose Balduin" 2011 Switzerland)
Jacco Gardner - Notus  (7" single [b-side to "The End of August"] 2013 Netherlands) 

Graham Day and the Forefathers - 30-60-90  (7"single  [b-side to "Love Me Lies"] 2014 UK)

Beaulieu Porch - Keep On Screaming  ("Beaulieu Porch" 2012 UK)

Chevalier Avante Garde - Young  (7" single 2011 Montreal, Canada)

Dark Ocean Colours - When Both Our Worlds Collide  (digital single 2013 Toledo, Ohio USA)

Torpa - Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Theme  (digital single 2013 UK)

Flavor Crystals - Ivan in the Park  ("Three" 2012 Minneapolis, USA)

Forever Pavot - Christophe Colombe  ("Forever Pavot" 7" EP 2014 Paris, France)

Happy Dagger - Waves  ("Happy Dagger" EP 2014 Portland, Oregon USA)

Has A Shadow - Can't Stop the Fall  ("Sky Is Hell Black" 2013 Guadalajara, Mexico) 

MIMICO - Man from Japan  ("MIMICO" 2013 Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
New Electric Ride - Bye Bye (Baton Rouge) ("Balloon Age" 2014 London UK)

Prince Ruperts Drops - This Evening's Arms  ("Run Slow" LP 2014 Brooklyn, New York USA)
Quilt - Open Eyes  ("New Hampshire Freaks" split 10" [with MMOSS] 2013 Boston, USA)

Technicolour Dreaming

I actually managed to stay for the whole 2 hours of this week's show, whichwas a welcome change, while Harry had a well-earned rest. Amongst the bands I played were The Moving Sidewalks, which included Billy Gibbons,later of ZZ Top, as well as The WC Fields Memorial Electric String Band,who were the first band to release Stepping Stone, the classic version of which was made famous by The Monkees not long after. Also featured were a selectionof bands playing at the "Going Steady Festival" at Jive on December 13 2015, such as local acts The Dunes, Black Coral and Glass Skies, and headliners Moon Duo.

...and here's the playlist,moving pictures and all!

Pinkunoizu - Necromancer ("The Drop" LP 2013 Copenhagen, Denmark) 

Sudden Death of Stars - I'm Not Among Believers ("Getting Up, Going Down" LP 2011

Rennes, France)

Dead Skeletons - Dead Mantra ("Dead Magick" 2011 Reykjavík, Iceland)

The Moving Sidewalks - 99th floor (7" single 1967 Texas USA)

The Purple Gang - Granny Takes a Trip (7" single 1967 UK)

The Litter - Action Woman (7" single 1967 Minneapolis USA)

The WC Fields Memorial Electric String Band - Hippy Elevator Operator 

(7 " single 1966 California USA)

The Rokes - When the Wind Arises (7" single 1968 UK)

The Pretty Things - Defecting Grey (7" single 1967 UK)

Flamin Groovies - Slow Death (7" single 1972 San Francisco USA)

Goat - Gathering of Ancient Tribes ("Commune" 2014  Sweden)

The Night Beats - Outta Mind ("Sonic Bloom" 2013 Seattle USA)

Holy Wave - Spooky Fuckin' Blues ("Evil Hits" LP 2012 Austin, Texas USA)

Wall of Death  - Marble Blues     ("Main Obsession" LP 2012 Paris, France)

Magician - Fuck for Peace ("Golden State Psychedelia" compilation, late 1960's San Francisco USA)

Wooden Shjips - We Ask You To Ride ("Wooden Shjips" 2007 San Francisco, USA)

Six Organs of Admittance - Actaeon's Fall (Against the Hounds) ("Luminous Night" 2009

California USA)

Espers - Widow's Weeds ("Espers II" 2006) 

Black Coral - Please Never (CD Single 2014 Adelaide, Australia)

Moon Duo - In A Cloud ("Shadow of the Sun" 2015 San Francisco, USA)

Glass Skies - Highway ("Glass Skies" EP 2014 Adelaide, Australia)

The Dunes - When You Wake Up ("Live at the Sound Lounge, Three D Radio" 2015 Adelaide Australia)

The Systemaddicts - Black [The Throb] ("Broken Hearted on the Nullarbor" 2015 AdelaideAustralia)

Richard Hell - (I Belong To The) Blank Generation ("Ork Records: New York, New York" compilation 2015 USA)

Alex Chilton - Can't Seem to Make You Mine [Seeds] ("Ork Records: New York, New York"

compilation 2015 USA)

Technicolour Dreaming

Another of the Nuggets series of boxsets was our choice for this edition’s “Compilation of the Week”... This time it was “Where the Action Is!  Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968” which was released in 2009, in a hard-cover book format with the 4-CDs slotted into the back cover – lots of very cool photos and articles with detailed liner notes about each song and artist... and what great songs they are! This is probably our favourite of the Nuggets boxset collection [the 1972 original double-LP stands separately of course!] because LA was producing a plethora of wonderful bands in this period, many well-known, but most not, which in no way diminishes the quality of the sounds coming out of the area however – brilliant stuff! Basically, if you can only have one boxset, this is the one! Another producer of fine music is the UK’s Fruits de Mer label whose latest compilation “Strange Fruit & Veg” is packed with goodies. From it this week we chose a great version of the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows”, complete with filmclip. We also featured an Australian 60’s section with tracks by Ray Brown and Hugo amongst others, plus recent music from acts such as Lumerians, the Myrrors and Elephant Stone. So now, we bid you “adieu” until next week, when we’ll have more psychedelia and associated obscurities for your listening and viewing pleasure....

.....until then, here is the playlist and some visuals to amuse you, including the Kikagaku Moyo “official clip” for ‘Kodama’..... enjoy!

Lumerians - Hook for an Eye      ("Transmissions from Telos - Volume III" 2014 UK)

Elephant Stone - Between The Lines      ("The Three Poisons" 2014 Montreal, Canada)

Rob Gould - Tomorrow Never Knows [Beatles cover]      ("Fruits De Mer Records presents ‘Strange Fruit and Veg’ – promo 2” compilation 2015 UK)

Les Annees - Freaktown Stars      ("Les Annees" 2009 Melbourne, Australia)

Jake Holmes - Leaves Never Break      ("A Letter to Catherine December" LP 1968 San Francisco, USA)

Ray Brown and the Whispers - Ain't It Strange     (7”single 1966 Australia)

the Moods – ‘Cos of You       (7”single b-side [to Say Hello to Me] 1966 Australia)

the Wild Cherries - Krome Plated Yabby      (7"single 1967 Melbourne, Australia)

Hugo - Girl in the Garden      (7"single 1969 Adelaide, Australia)

Quilt - Cry Baby Cry [Beatles cover]      ("The Magical Mystery Psych Out - A Tribute to the Beatles" compilation 2015 USA)

Deep Sea Arcade featuring Megan Washington - Bonnie and Clyde [Serge Gainsbourg cover]      ("Melodie Francaise" compilation 2013 Sydney, Australia)

Peoples Temple -   Twice Burned       (7"single b-side [to Brand New Thing] 2013 USA)

Clinic - The Lion Tamer      ("Bubblegum" 2010 UK)

the Myrrors - Juana Laguna      ("Arena Negra" LP 2015 Tucson, Arizona USA)

Amon Duul II - Archangel Thunderbird     ("Yeti" LP 1970 Germany)

Dr Cosmo's Tape Lab - The Secret of Tibetan Grapefruit is...      ("Ever Evolving Lounge" 2014 USA)

the Warlocks - House of Glass      ("Rise and Fall" 2001 USA)

      “Compilation of the Week”

  “Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968”

WC Fields Memorial Electric String Band - Hippy Elevator Operator       (7" single 1966 USA – taken from disc 1 of “Where the Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968” compilation boxset 2009 USA)

Keith Allison - Action, Action, Action          (7" Single b-side [to Glitter and Gold] 1966 – taken from disc 3 of “LA Nuggets...” boxset)

the Monkees - Daily Nightly    ("Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd" LP 1967 USA – taken from Disc 3 of “LA Nuggets...” boxset)

the Leaves - Doctor Stone      ("Hey Joe" LP 1966 USA – taken from disc 1 of “LA Nuggets...” boxset)

the Merry-Go-Round - Listen, Listen      (7" single 1968 USA – taken from disc 2 of “LA Nuggets...” boxset)

Gene Clark - Los Angeles      (recorded 1968, unissued – taken from disc 4 of “LA Nuggets...” boxset)

the Black Hollies - Benevolent Beacon      (7" single 2011 USA)

Toy - Motoring      ("Toy" LP 2012 UK)

Dead Skeletons - Dead is God      ("Ord" EP 2012 Iceland)

Kikagaku Moyo - Kodama      ("Forest of Lost Children" LP 2014 Japan)

Technicolour Dreaming

Sometimes we just can’t resist playing the old favourites, and this was one of those weeks, with songs by the Dead Skeletons, the Monks, the Flower Machine, Kelley Stoltz and Wooden Shjips peppering the playlist (and just what is a “Kim Chee Taco” the Cat has often wondered??) Our choice for “Compilation of the Week” was similarly a particular favourite of ours, Scott Walker‘s “BoyChild : the Best of Scott Walker 1967-1970”. Strictly speaking it’s an anthology rather than a compilation, but hey, who’s making up the rules – we are! The collection in question covers Scott’s first four LPs, “Scott”, “Scott2”, “Scott3” and “Scott4” plus 1970’s “'Til the Band Comes In” and was originally released in 1990 and then re-mastered and re-released in 2000, which is the version we used. So, until the next instalment of “Technicolour Dreaming” next Tuesday.....

..... here is the playlist, with a few visual goodies, including a full episode of the 60’s TV show “Adventures in Paradise”, whose memorable ‘surf instro’ theme song has been covered by a number of bands, including Normie Rowe’s backing band, the Playboys, who included it on their 1965 LP.

Dead Skeletons - Psychodead      ("Dead Magik" 2011 Iceland)

Molting Vultures - Insane Jane      ("Drop in and Go"  2009 Adelaide, Australia)

 

Zakary Thaks - A Passage to India      (acetate recorded 1966, released on "Passage to India" anthology 2010 Texas, USA)

Sons of Hippies - The Soft Parade (Doors cover)      ("A Psych Tribute to the Doors" compilation 2014 Germany/USA)

H.P. Lovecraft - The White Ship      ("H.P. Lovecraft" LP 1967 Chicago, USA)

Neighb'rhood Childr'n - She's Got No Identification     ("Neighb'rhood Childr'n" LP 1968 Oregon, USA)

the Silhouettes  - All a Lie     ("Psychedelica 5" compilation 2013 UK)

the Janitors - Aside (Outside)      (recorded 2013 Sweden – taken from "Trip Inside this House, Summer Solstice Vol. VI" compilation 2013 Missouri USA)

the Flower Machine - In A Play Anyway      ("Marmoset Meadow" EP 2010 USA)

the Fallen Angels - Introspective Looking Glass     ("The Fallen Angels" LP 1967 USA)

the Monks -  I Hate You    ("Black Monk Time" LP 1966 USA/Germany)

Sheetah et les Weissmuller - Pire que le silence      ("!Hola Ye Yeah! " 2007 France)

the Cool Ghouls - Insight      ("A Swirling Fire Through the Rye" 2013 USA)

the Playboys - Adventures in Paradise [TV theme cover]      (“The Playboys” LP 1965 Australia)

the Gothic Archies - Crows      ("The Tragic Treasury: Songs From "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" 2006 UK)

                        ### “Compilation of the Week” ###   

 “BoyChild : the Best of Scott Walker 1967-1970”

Scott Walker - The Plague      ("Scott 2" LP 1968 - taken from "BoyChild - The Best of Scott Walker 1967 - 70" anthology 2000 UK)

Scott Walker - Girls from the Streets ("Scott 2" LP 1968 – taken from “BoyChild” anthology)

Scott Walker - Plastic Palace People     ("Scott 2" LP 1968 – taken from “BoyChild” anthology)

Scott Walker - The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated To The Neo-Stalinist Regime)         ("Scott 4" LP 1969 – taken from “BoyChild” anthology)

Scott Walker - Prologue      ("'Til the Band Comes In" LP 1970 – taken from “BoyChild” anthology)

Kelley Stoltz - The Kim Chee Taco Man      ("Double Exposure" 2013 USA)

Paul Parrish - Walking in the Forest (Of My Mind)      ("The Forest of My Mind" LP 1968 USA)

Sonny and the Sunsets - Alice Leaves for the Mountains      (“Talent Night at the Ashram" 2015 USA)

Wooden Shjips - Down By the Sea      ("Dos" 2009 USA)