Technicolour Dreaming

With Michael Hunter in the Technicolour Dreaming chair for the week, the music ranged from the Croatian psych pop of Pridjevi to stoner psych metal (OHHMS) and a couple of examples of psy-chill and psy-dub.  This came via some unreleased demos of 1960s Australian rock from The Wild Cherries and The Down'N'Out and live unreleased Screaming Believers, with a nod to Peter Brat with one of Rashamra's hit singles and a mash-up of The Cure and The Commodores (!) via BRAT Productions (no relation).  No wonder the Sapphire Thinkers felt a bit strange by the end!

Pridjevi - 1. Svijet Na Dlanu  2. Lucifer I Ja  ("Pridjevi" 2014 Croatia)

Ancient Sky -  1. Garbage Brain  2. Protection  ("Mosaic"  2015 US)

New Zealand Avengers - Love Hate Revenge  (7" single  1968  NZ)

Wild Cherries - Alice Is (Coming Through)  (unreleased demo 1968 Australia)

Jim Keays - Shake Some Action  ("Age Against The Machine" 2015 Australia)

John Michael Roch -  1. Sky  2. Silver Rain  ("With You In My Arms"  1976, reissued 2015  US)

Trembling Bells - 'Tween The Womb And The Tomb  ("The Sovereign Self"  2015  Scotland)

OHHMS - Dawn Of The Swarm  ("Cold"  2015 UK)

Normala - Dreamwards Again  ("The Return Of Quetzalcoatl" compilation  2011 UK)

Digital Conception - The Mystical Quest  ("The Return Of Quetzalcoatl" compilation  2011 UK)

Rashamra - Mr Timekeeper  (7" single 1972 Australia, Adelaide)

The Down'N'Out - I'm Not Talking  (unreleased demo 196?  Australia, Brisbane)

Screaming Believers - Baby You Flirt  (station live to air 1982  Australia, Adelaide)

Koral & the Goodbye Horses - Pony (Nocturne For A Night Drive)  ("Nocturnes" 2015 Australia, Adelaide)

BRAT Productions - Easy Heaven  (mash-up of The Cure & The Commodores  2015  UK)

David Bowie - Width Of A Circle  ("The Man Who Sold The World"  1971 UK)  

Pridjevi -  Pjesma O Drvecu   ("Pridjevi" 2014 Croatia)  

Sapphire Thinkers - I Feel A Bit Strange  ("From Within" 1968  US)

Technicolour Dreaming

For one week only, "Obscured By..." alumni Michael Hunter filled in for Technicolour Dreaming.  Unsurprisingly, a few obscurities therefore surfaced such as the completely unknown Australian band Melody Mae, and Adam & The Ants' cover of a Village People song! Some sad RIPs were also acknowledged for Gulliver Smith and John McInerney (both from classic Australian 70s band Company Caine), and Jim Keays' excellent new, posthumous album, chok full of garage classics.

New psych-folk-rock from Trembling Bells and Wand also merged with 70s jazz rock fusion from Mackenzie Theory, and it all made sense, in a Technicolour Dreaming kind of way!

Not quite so many videos to be found for this selection of songs, as it happens.

Wand - Fire On The Mountain I-II-III  ("Ganglion Reef"  2014 US)
Trembling Bells - Killing Time In London Fields  ("The Sovereign Self"  2015 Scotland)

Go Home Productions - 2000 Light Years From Bolan  (Rolling Stones / T.Rex mash-up)

The Lammas Tide - 1. Soldier Of The Sun  2. Bethnal Green  ("Barefoot Electric" 2014 Australia)

Mackenzie Theory - Supreme Love  ("Highlights Of Sunbury '74"  1974 Australia)
Melody Mae - The Stars They Are In Line  ("Melody Mae" EP, c1978 Australia)
Jim Keays - 1. Come On  2. Hot Smoke & Sassafras  ("Age Against The Machine" 2015 Australia)
Peter Tilbrook - Goodbye My Friend  ("Living In The Sixties", 2015 Adelaide, Australia )

Company Caine - The Day Superman Got Busted  ("Product Of A Broken Reality" 1971, Aztec reissue 2015 Australia)

The Rope Sect - Da Da Da   (7" single  year unknown Germany)
Tom Dae Turned On - I Shall Walk  (7" single  c.1970 US)
Berry Clan & The Revolution - My Crock  (7" single  year unknown Belgium)
Illes - Nem Erdekel, Amit Monsz  (7" single  year unknown Hungary)

"Flexipop" magazine flexidiscs, 1981/2:
Adam & The Ants - A N T S

Altered Images - Leave Me Alone
The Cure - Lament
Fad Gadget - King Of The Flies

Mystic Siva - 1. Keeper Of The Keys  2. And When You Go  ("Mystic Siva"  1970  US)
Wand - 1. Growing Up Boys  2. Generator Larping  ("Ganglion Reef"  2014 US)
Trembling Bells - I Is Someone Else  ("The Sovereign Self"  2015 Scotland)

Technicolour Dreaming

Lots of music was played this week from all around the world, some new, some older, but all interesting. Amongst them, from Moscow we heard the excellent new single by Mystic Brew, from Tokyo a track off of Kikagaku Moyo’s 2013 debut album, from Chicago we heard the Luck of Eden Hall and Secret Colours, as well as a single by the Hedgehogs from Denmark, Blondi’s Salvation from Nantes in France with a song from their new “Crusades” album, plus the UK’s Elephant Stone and Chile’s Föllakzoid,  both with a track from their respective debuts, and not forgetting a few 60’s gems such as Scott Walker’s “The Amorous Humphrey Plugg” for good measure. We were saddened this week by the passing of the Masters Apprentices’ singer Jim Keays, the only constant member of the band from their early days here in Adelaide through to their final recordings many years later in London. I was fortunate enough to know Jim in the early ‘70’s and even play in a band with him for a while – being a teenager I was slightly in awe of him as a rock hero, but he always just treated me as a fellow musician which was a good lesson to learn – famous people are still just ‘people’ after all. Jim continued playing until this year and recently released a great new album of 60’s garage covers – a fine last release! However, we chose to play his 1971 ode to another psychedelicist, “Our Friend Owsley Stanley III” not just as a tribute to him but also to Swedish psychedelic philosopher Patrick Lundborg, who also died suddenly this week. He was a well-known music-writer and author, most well-known for his “Acid Archives” compendium, his recent opus “Psychedelia : an ancient culture, a modern way of life”, his articles in Shindig!, Ugly Things, Mojo and other magazines, plus his website of everything psychedelic at http://www.lysergia.com . Both will be sorely missed!

...... so here is the playlist, plus visuals.......

Kikagaku Moyo – Zo No Senaka      (“Kikagaku Moyo” LP 2013 Japan)

Elephant Stone – Setting Sun      (“Elephant Stone” LP 2013 UK)

New Electric Ride – All Who You Know      (digital-only single 2013 UK)

Mystic Brew – Don’t You Want To Stay      (7”single b-side [to Your Reality] 2014 Moscow, Russia)

the Luck of Eden Hall – Chrysalide      (“Greatest Hits, Vol.1” anthology 2014 Chicago, USA)

Secret Colours – Tomorrow Never Knows [Beatles cover]      (digital-only single 2010 Chicago, USA)

Human Expression – Optical Sound      (7”single 1966 California, USA)

Children of the Night – World of Tears      (7”single 1967 Connecticut, USA)

the Hedgehogs – Make Me Wanna Cry      (7”single 2014 Denmark)

Pinkunoizu – Death Is Not A Lover      (“Free Time!” LP 2013 USA)

Andrew Douglas Rothbard – Golden Calf      (“Abandoned Meander” 2006 Canada)

Jack Ellister – Dear Prudence [Beatles cover]      (“The White EP” 2012 UK)

Cranium Pie – the Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill [Beatles cover]      (“The White EP” 2012 UK)

Blondi’s Salvation – Just a Puppet      (“Crusades” 2014 Nantes, France)

Forever Pavot –  Le pénitent le passe      (“Christophe Colomb” EP 2014 Paris, France)

 

the Masters Apprentices – Our Friend Owsley Stanley 111      (”Choice Cuts” LP 1971 Australia)

Dungen – Panda      (“Ta Det Lungt” 2004 Sweden)

Ursula – Through the Ether      (“A Silhouette in the Hourglass“ 2014 Los Angeles, USA)

Jim Noir – The Tired Hairy Man With Parts      (“Jimmy’s Show” 2012 UK)

the Flower Machine – Summer Ever Comes      (demo 2012 Los Angeles, USA)

Scott Walker – The Amorous Humphrey Plugg      (“Scott 2” LP 1968 UK)

Joy Zipper – Transformation Fantasy      (7”single 1999 Brooklyn, USA)

Octopus Syng – If You Were a Flower      (prev. unreleased 2014 Finland – taken from “Evolver : Mega Dodo Records compilation” EP 2014 UK)

Föllakzoid – Loop      (“Föllakzoid” 2012 Chile)

 

Obscured By...

Burt Ward (60s TV's Robin) sang a song about himself, written by Frank Zappa.  A creative soundscape based on crank phone calls was provided by Brendon Locher.  Mexican bands performed covers of well known hits in their own language.  Penetration covered Patti Smith while Tin Huey did a Monkees song.  The last line-up of Esperanto creatively arranged Eleanor Rigby, and The "A" Sound had a very young Doug Parkinson's first appearance on record.  Mother Goose were just odd. Psychedelia abounded.  Need we say more - it was another Obscured By... with Cat and Brat and Michael Hunter.   Incident report as follows...

The Kinetics - Excuses  (7”single 1966 Aust)
The "A" Sound - Talk About That  (7”single 1966 Aust)
Autumn - Just Couldn't Believe It   (7”single 1972 Aust, also on CD reissue of 'Comes...Autumn')

Mother Goose - See If I Care  (‘Stuffed' 1977 NZ)

Jim Keays - Time Has Come Today  ('Dirty Dirty' 2011 Aust)
Burt Ward - Boy Wonder I Love You  (7”single 1966 US)

The Stained Glass - My Buddy Sin  (7”single 1966 US)
The Other Side - Streetcar  (7”single 1966 US, B of Walking Down The Road)
Teddy & His Patches - Suzy Creamcheese  (7”single 1967 US)
Esperanto - Eleanor Rigby  ('Last Tango'  1975 Aust)
The Wallace Collection - Daydream   ('Laughing Cavalier'  1969  Belgium)

Dickens  Ain't Got... And That's Better  ('Royal Incarnation' 1969 France)
The Cowsills  Mister Flynn  (7”single 1968 US, B of In Need Of A Friend)
Brandon Locher  Conversations, 2012  (mp3 2012 US) 
Kaleidoscope  Mr Small, The Watch Repairer Man ('Tangerine Dream' 1967 UK)  
Singapore Sling - Godman  ('Perversity, Desperation and Death' 2008 Iceland)

The Dolly Rocker Movement - Mystery Man  (7”single 2009 Aust, B of Our Brave New World)
The Medicine - Send The Rain  (provenance unclear, from 'Psychedelica 4' comp 2011 UK)
Los Locos Del Ritmo - Hey Joe  ('Negro es Negro" EP 1967  Mexico)
Hermanos Carrion - Todo A Su Tiempo (Turn Turn Turn)  (7”single c 1965 Mexico)
Los Apson - Ya No Hay Beatles   (prob 7"single 196?  Mexico)

The Pretty Things - Talkin' About The Good Times   ('The Psychedelic Years 1966-70'  2001 UK)

Noel Deschamps - Curieux Docteur (I'm Your Witchdoctor)   ('Ah, Si J'avais Pense' EP 1966 France)
Tin Huey - I'm A Believer  ('Contents Dislodged During Shipment' 1979 US)
Penetration - Free Money  ('Moving Targets' 1978 UK)
Roy Hamilton - Let The Music Play  (rec 1966, unreleased until 'Dark End Of The Street' compilation 2009 US)

Obscured By...

 After the regular opening set of 60’s Australian rarities, we ventured off into space with Jim Keays and eventually ended with ‘Moondawn’, a slice of 70’s deutsche drone from Klaus Schultze... all very ethereal! Stuffed within these bookends however, we ventured, as usual, all over the place! Included was a track from Harvey Matusow, once named “America’s Most Hated Man” for his role in the McCarthy anti-communist witch-hunt of the ‘50s before reinventing himself as an avant-garde artiste and moving to the UK, hanging out with Yoko Ono, Warhol and Mailer etc (check out his story on wiki) and recording an LP. We also indulged our fondness for obscure compilations such as the ‘Sounds from Psychedelphia’ put out in the ‘90s by US label, Lounge Records, as well as some rarities made so by being ‘limited editions’, for example, the 7" orange vinyl single by the Black Angels and the 1979 Brian Sands EP featuring the Monkees cover... All brought to you by this week’s ‘DOTS’,  the Cat and the Brat.....

..... and here is the full playlist..... 

the Reverbs – Say Mama     (7”single b-side 1966 Tasmania, Australia)

the Syssys – Three Long Days     (unreleased acetate 1966 Adelaide, Australia – taken from ‘Big Beat Cellar Scene’ compilation 2010 Adelaide)

Ray Brown – That’s it, I quit, I’m movin’ on    (7”single b-side 1967 Australia)

Animation Unlimited – Big Bad Woman     (unreleased acetate 1966 Adelaide – taken from ‘Big Beat Cellar Scene’ comp.)

Lloyd’s World – Goodbye Goodbye     (7”single b-side 1968 Aust.)

1863 Establishment – Picture of a Girl     (7”single 1968 Aust.)

Toni McCann – My Baby     (7”single 1965 Brisbane, Aust.)

Jim Keays – Space Brothers     (‘Jim Keays as... The Boy From The Stars’ LP 1974 Aust.)

Three 4 Tens – I Feel Fine     (‘Sounds from Psychedelphia’ compilation 1998 Philadelphia, USA)

Harvey Matusow’s Jews Harp Band – Wet Socks     (‘War Between Fats and Thins’ LP 1969 USA/UK)

Soundpool – Do What You Love     (‘Just Like a Daydream’ compilation 2008 UK)

Agitation Free – A Quiet Walk     (‘2ND’  LP 1973 Germany)

the Flamin’ Groovies – Doctor Boogie     (‘Teenage Head’ LP 1971 USA)

the Black Angels – I’d Rather Be Lonely     (7”single 2012 Austin, Texas, USA)

the Higher State – These Things Take Time     (‘Freakout at the Gallery’ 2012 UK)

Roxy Music – Pyjamarama     (7”single 1972 UK)

801 – RongWrong     (rehearsal tape August, 1976 UK – released as bonus disc on ‘801 Live: Collector’s Edition’ 2010 UK)

the Plastics – Last Train to Clarkesville [Monkees cover]     (bonus 7”flexi-disc with their 1^st LP 1979 Japan)

Brian Sands – Baby, You’re a Rich Man [Beatles cover]     (‘Reheated Chocolate Tangos’ 12” EP 1979 USA)

Gina X – Drive My Car [Beatles cover]     (12”single 1984 Germany)

Klaus Schultze – Floating     (‘Moondawn’ LP 1976 Germany)

Obscured By...

We began this week with a tribute to Vince Lovegrove, who was killed in a road accident last weekend... Vince was a well-respected and much-liked veteran of Australian rock’n’roll, with a long career that incorporated solo work and playing in bands such as the Valentines and, more recently, Mongrels of Passion, plus working as a journalist, television presenter and producer, band manager and AIDS awareness pioneer... and the man who introduced Bon Scott to AC/DC! From there we moved onto a bunch of songs from the extensive Aztec Music re-issue catalogue, with the sad news that the company has gone into receivership, due to large debts owed them by overseas distributers... yet another victim of rapacious multinational capitalism. As virtually the only large re-issue organisation in Australia, our rich musical heritage is once again in danger of being consigned back to the obscurity from which they, and several smaller companies, have bravely attempted to rescue it. **Buy an Aztec Music reissue or 2 today, to help them out! ** Then it was on to another of our “celebration of the compilation” selections... this time a great 2005 single-disc collection from Paris, France called “Gloria: International Garage Rock Club!” from which we played, amongst others, Baby Woodrose and the Dirtbombs. Throw in some wild cover versions by the likes of Pere Ubu and Jim Keays, some Psychedelia, new and old, then finish with a Moog classic and there it is – another “Obscured by...”, brought to you by the 3 DOTS, Michael, Megan & Peter.....

..... and here is the full playlist.....    

the Valentines – My old man’s a groovy old man     (7”single 1969 Australia)

the Valentines – Peculiar Hole In the Sky [Easybeats cover]     (7”single 1968 Aust.)

Vince Lovegrove – Rented Room Blues     (7”single 1971 Aust.)

Vince Lovegrove – Livestock [Fraternity cover]     (7”single b-side 1971 Aust.)

Mongrels of Passion – Sorry     (‘Mongrels of Passion’ 2008 Aust.)

Spectrum – Love’s my Bag     (‘Milesago’ LP 1971 Aust.)  [Aztec Music reissue]

Madder Lake – Ride On, Fast     (‘Butterfly Farm’ LP 1973 Aust.)  [Aztec Music reissue]

Autumn – Lady Anne     (‘Comes Autumn’ LP 1971 Aust.)  [Aztec Music reissue]

Levi Smith’s Clefs – Relief from a Lighted Doorway    (‘Empty Monkey’ LP 1970 Aust.)  [Aztec Music reissue]

the Bleeding Hearts – Rock Star     (‘What Happened?’ LP 1977 Aust.)  [Aztec Music reissue]

“Gloria : International Garage Rock Club!” compilation – 2005 France

   Baby Woodrose – Too Far Gone     (7”single 2003 Denmark)

   the Priscillas – Gonna Rip Your Photograph     (7”single 2005 UK)

   the Barracudas – Subway Surfin’     (7”single 1979 UK/USA)

   the Dirtbombs – King’s Lead Hat (Eno cover)     (7”single 2003 USA)

the Chesterfield Kings – Satisfaction Guaranteed     (‘Here are the Chesterfield Kings’ LP 1983 USA)

J D Blackfoot – Flushed You From The Toilet Of My Heart     (7”single c.1974 USA)

Barnes & Barnes – Gotta Get a Fake I.D.     (‘Dr Demento’s Dementia Royale’ LP compilation 1980 USA)

C Newman & Janet Smith – California Girls [Beach Boys cover]     (‘Janet Smith’ LP 1985 Germany)

 the Lemon Kittens – Shakin’ All Over [Johnny Kidd & the Pirates cover]     (‘Spoonfed & Writhing’ EP 1979 UK)

Pere Ubu – Pushin’ Too Hard [Seeds cover]     (7”single 1980 USA)

Jim Keays – Whiskey Woman [Flamin’ Groovies cover]     (‘Dirty, Dirty’ 2012 Aust.)

Pinocchio & the Puppets [aka the Teddy Boys] – Fusion     (7’single 1967 USA – taken from “Going Slowly Insane” comp. CD)

Liquid Visions – Morning Rain     (‘Hypnotized’ 2002 Germany)

Mugstar – Bethany Heart Star     (7”single 2007 Ireland – taken from ‘Psychedelica 3’ comp. 2007 UK)

Walter Carlos – What’s new Pussycat?     (‘By Request’ LP 1975 USA)

Obscured By..

Proving songs don't have to be old to be obscure, we featured one track that was only released this week (Melbourne band Zeptepi) and one from an album yet to be issued - Jim Keays' "Dirty Dirty".  A Facebook post alerted the solo-flying Michael Hunter to the latter track's existence mid-show, and led to an online video which was streamed to air - possibly the first time played on radio!   Of course older rarities were heavily featured too, including music from Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, Peru and South Korea.  Plus some oddness from the late Ivor Cutler, Bill Cosby in soul music mode and some highly "unique" covers of well known songs, along with our random selection of material from the 'B' section of the station library.  All in a day's work for Obscured By...!

Janice Slater with The No Names  He Really Cares  (B of I'm Gonna Live single 1965 Australia)  The No Names became The Throb.  Both sides of the single are now on iTunes.
Robin Gibb  One Million Years  (single 1969)
Moonshine Jug & String Band  She Belongs To Me  (single 1974 Australia)  Pre-Angels.
Bobbi Marchini & Ted Mulry  I Found My Way  (1973)  Mash-up of 2 separate records using the same backing track.
Zeptepi  Winter In My Blood  (mp3 2012 Australia)
Shin Joong Hyun  The Man Who Must Leave  ("Beautiful Rivers & Mountains" comp 2011, rec 1969 South Korea)
Plastic People Of The Universe  Kolejnice Duni  ("Kolejnice Duni" compilation 1977-82  Czechoslovakia)
Jean Le Fennec  Marie Cecile  ("Phantastic" 1968 France)
Jim Keays  Whiskey Woman (pre-release from "Dirty Dirty", forthcoming CD of garage punk covers)


Walter Steding  Hound Dog  ("Walter Steding" LP, US 1980)
Judy Nylon & Crucial   Jailhouse Rock  ("Pal Judy" LP, US 1982)
Frank Sumatra & The Mob  Telstar  ("Te Deum" 12" EP, UK 1979)
Nurse With Wound  Antacid Cocomotion 93 (The Loco-Motion)  ("Three Minute Symphony", UK 1984)
Magazine  The Burden Of A Song  ("No Thyself", UK 2011)
Bill Cosby  Yes Yes Yes  (single, US 1976)
Ivor Cutler  I'm Happy  ("Ludo", UK 1967)


Yma Sumac  Magenta Mountain  ("Miracles", Peru 1971)
Cocteau Twins  Seekers Who Are Lovers  ("Milk & Kisses", Scotland 1996)


The Big Dish  Christina's World  (12" single, Scotland 1987)
The Black Box  Poison Shadows  (single B-side, Australia 1989)
Boom! Bap! Pow!  My World  (CD single, Aust 2009)
Bergerac (with Liz Dooley)  Sugarjag  ("Voice Of Translator", Australia 2001)

The She Creatures  Moonman  ("She Creatures Invade" UK, 2009)
Catself  Alien Vampiress Is Fitting In  (demo, Finland 2009)
Gabba  Mamma Mia  ("Gabba Leave Stockholm", UK 1999)
The Spiders  Don't Blow Your Mind  (single US 1966)  The 'Alice Cooper' band before it took that name.
Wind In The Willows  Djini Judy  (self-titled LP, US 1968)  Early Debbie Harry.
Flaming Youth  Changes  ("Ark 2" LP, UK 1969)  Early Phil Collins.