Canterbury Fair - Canterbury Fair (1967-69 us, heavy psych with baroque and early prog touches, Sundazed release)

The Canterbury Fair was a band from Fresno California that recorded between 1967 to 1969. The band, led by John and Philip Hollingsworth, skillfully employed keyboards and a fuzz bass to create a monstrous epic sound of swirling tapestries of mind-bending music that was way ahead of its time. Canterbury Fair created a sound the was reminiscent of the Doors but contained elements of the Left Banke and Love. 

The unique thing about this band is that no one played guitar in the band, the entire sound was based around the organ as the lead instrument together with drums bass and vocals. This collection of 10 songs includes the A-side of the ultra-rare single, "Song On A May Morning" originally released on the small local Koala label as well as the group's never-before-heard full-length album that was recorded but never released and one live track recorded during the band's hey day. 

This release contains in depth information on the band together with rare photographs and reproductions of concert posters. Another long lost legendary band finally resurrected for all to hear.

by Keith Pettipas

Tracks
1. Talk Song (Philip Hollingsworth) - 6:31
2. Song on a May Morning (P. Hollingsworth) - 2:53
3. Acid (John Hollingsworth) - 3:50
4. Bad for Anyone (J. Hollingsworth) - 3:37
5. Russian Opera (J. Hollingsworth) - 2:59
6. Long Brown Hair (Jim Baker) - 4:18
7. Winds of the Sky (P. Hollingsworth) - 5:18
8. A Spanish Serenade (J. and P. Hollingsworth) - 5:49
9. Sally Rover (J. Hollingsworth) - 10:15
10.The Man (Live) (J. Hollingsworth) - 5:22

The Canterbury Fair
*John Hollingsworth - Keyboards, Vocals
*Philip Hollingsworth - Bass, Vocals
*James Holley - Drums
*Sean Cosaro - Drums

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Dear Mr.Time - Grandfather (1970 uk, marvelous psych prog, with acoustic elements, strings and flute)

Dear Mr Time were an obscure British outfit who straddled the late-period psych/early prog divide with their sole album, a concept piece entitled Grandfather. It (loosely, of course, in true concept album style) tells the story of one man's life from his birth around the turn of the century to his own death, as recounted by his grandson. 

Birth - The Beginning makes for a pastoral enough start, but the pace picks up quickly enough as the story races towards the protagonist's experiences as a soldier in the trenches. The rest of the album veers between acoustic and electric, but quality's maintained throughout, avoiding the 'only two or three decent tracks' syndrome. On reflection, the concept actually owes a little to the Pretty Things' seminal SF Sorrow, but it's a very different album and, let's face it, a fairly universal subject.

No-one's credited with Mellotron, so I'll assume keyboard player Barry Everitt was responsible for the excellent MkII strings on Prelude (To Your Country Needs You?) and the rather shorter part in closer Grandfather. Pity they didn't use it more, but there you go. Incidentally, the cellos in Prelude are real.

All in all, this is really rather good, and undeservedly obscure, especially when you consider some of the third-rate stuff that's been available for years. The CD appears to've been pressed from a vinyl copy, but the surface noise isn't too bad, and rather a slightly crackly copy than none at all! A welcome addition to the field of UK psych/prog reissues, with a couple of good 'Tron tracks. Assuming you can find it, buy.

Planet-Mellotron

Tracks
1. Birth - The Beginning (Baker) - 3:58
2. Out Of Time (Baker) - 4:30
3. Make Your Peace (Everitt) - 5:20
4. Your's Claudia (Baker) - 2:51
5. Prelude (To 'Your Country Needs You?') (Everitt, Baker, Sewell, Sturgeon, Clements) - 3:00
6. Your Country Needs You? (Everitt, Baker, Sewell, Sturgeon, Clements) - 3:35
7. A Dawning Moonshine (Baker) - 3:52
8. Years And Fortunes (Baker) - 4:01
9. A Prayer For Her (Baker) - 2:53
10.Light Up A Light (Baker) - 3:23
11.On A Lonely Night (Baker) - 4:16
12.Grandfather (Baker) - 2:36

Dear Mr.Time
*Chris Baker - Lead, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
*John Clements - Drums, Percussion
*Barry Everitt - Vocals, Organ, Piano, Harpsichord
*Dave Sewell - Bass,Vocals
*Jim Sturgeon - Saxophone, Flute, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals

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David Wiffen - David Wiffen (1971 uk/canada, fabulous blend of country folk rock melted with jazzy tunes, 2014 remaster and expanded)

English singer/songwriter Wiffen moved to Canada at age 16. He started his music career with appearances at the Village Corner club in Toronto. After that he hitch-hiked across Canada where he ended up as manager of the Calgary coffeehouse The Depression.

In 1965 he was invited to perform at Vancouver's Bunkhouse with an ensemble of other musicians for a live album and when none of the other acts showed up the recording was continued. The result was Wiffen's first solo album 'David Wiffen Live At The Bunkhouse'.

He then joined The Pacers who were soon offered a recording contract in Montreal. Wiffen joined the group as they headed to Quebec but when the deal fell apart, Wiffen moved onto Ottawa where he joined the folk act The Children.

The act featured several of Canada's most prominent future artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Sneezy Waters (aka Peter Hodgkinson), and Richard Patterson (The Esquires) among others.

In 1966 another Vancouver folk trio, Three's A Crowd, played the Le Hibou Coffee House in Ottawa where Wiffen met them and was subsequently asked to join the band along with Children drummer Richard Patterson and bassist Comerie Smith from Toronto.

With the new line-up of Brent Titcomb, Trevor Veitch, Donna Warner, Wiffen, Patterson, and Smith they moved to Toronto but Warner dropped out and was replaced by Colleen Peterson who took over lead vocal chores. They began playing throughout North America and played at Expo '67.

Members of the Mamas And Papas soon discovered the act and convinced them to record a demo tape which got them signed to Dunhill Records where they recorded the singles "Bird Without Wings" and "Let's Get Together" which led to the full length album 'Christopher's Movie Matinee'.

They would disband in 1968, but in 1969 TV producer Sid Banks asked the members to appear on a CBC variety show called 'One More Time' and the band reformed with members Cockburn, Patterson, Wiffen, Crawley, Pendrith and Peterson.

Cockburn was picked up and signed to a solo recording deal with True North and the band split up once more. Though this final version didn't record together they did make a promotional music film of Cockburn's "Electrocution Of The Word" that was showcased at the Youth Pavilion of Ottawa's Central Canadian Exhibition.

Wiffen had also been spotted by executives of Fantasy Records during a Three's A Crowd gig at The Bitter End in New York and was signed to a solo recording deal. His eponymous debut was released in 1971 and produced two hit singles.

In 1973 he would shift to United Artists who released his 'Coast To Coast Fever' which gave Wiffen a Juno nomination. 

Maple Music

Tracks

1. One Step (Kaye Lawrence Dunham) - 2:33
2. Never Make A Dollar That Way - 3:24
3. I've Got My Ticket - 2:45
4. What A Lot Of Woman - 2:12
5. Since I Fell For You (Buddy Johnson) - 3:28
6. Driving Wheel - 4:24
7. Mr. Wiffen - 2:50
8. Blues Was The Name Of The Song - 1:34
9. Mention My Name In Passing - 2:20
10.More Often Than Not - 3:30

11.Cry In The Morning Rain - 4:10

12.Lover's Prayer (Randy Newman) - 1:55

13.Blues Was The Name Of The Song - 1:29

14.Mention My Name In Passing - 2:20

Music and Lyrics by David Wiffen except where noted

Bonus Tracks 11-14

Musicians
*David Wiffen - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Organ
*Jerry Corbitt - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar
*Ed Bogas - Piano
*John Mcfee - Steel Guitar
*Sandy Crawley - Acoustic Guitar
*Kelly Bryan - Bass Guitar
*Vic Smith - Bass Guitar
*Bing Nathan - Bass Guitar
*Greg Dewey - Drums
*Jeff Myer - Drums
*Jim Stern - Drums
*Jeremy Merrill - French Horn
*Germain Wallace - Saxophone
*Gerry Gilmore - Saxophone
*Bernard Krause - Moog Synthesizer

1973  David Wiffen - Coast To Coast Fever

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Thundermother - No Red Rowan (1970-71 uk, a must heavy acid psych blues folk rock, Kissing Spell release)

Thundermother hailed from UK and were actually a studio band, they recorded one and only album in a weekend, their music was a mix of heavy acid psych blues rock. The band's lead singer was David John who round 1962 formed David John and The Mood (broke up in early 1966).

Their bass player and vocalist as well, was Frank Newbould (The Purple Haze) who was a member of Little Free Rock .Thundermother shared some tracks on an album together with Lightyears Away called "Astral Navigations" (Holyground 1971).

Tracks

1. Someday (Frank Newbould) - 13:41

2. Country Lines (David John, Dave Wilkinson) - 1:05

3. Boogie Music (L.T.Tateman III) - 4:48

4. Woman (Dave Millen) - 3:17

5. Lady (Lay by Me) (David John, Dave Millen) - 3:39

6. The People Show (David John, Dave Millen, Frank Newbould) - 3:55

7. Come on Home (Dave Millen) - 4:53

8. Woman in my Life (David John, Dave Millen, Frank Newbould) - 4:17

9. Rock me Babe (Dave Millen) - 6:03

10.Boogie Music (Coke Version) (L.T.Tateman III) - 4:53

11.Duce Blues (Dave Millen, Jerusalem Smith, Fred Kelly) - 4:14

12.Watch Your Step (David John) - 3:30

13.You Know Me Baby (Dave Millen, Frank Newbould) - 1:26

14.Come on Home (Dave Millen) - 7:31

Tracks 1-7 recorded 1970

Tracks 8-14 recorded 1971

Thundermother

*David John - Lead Vocals

*Frank Newbould  - Vocals, Bass, Guitars

*Ginner(Dave Millen) - Lead ,  Acid Guitars, Vocals

*Daz(Dave Smith) - Bass

*Fred Kelly - Drums

*Jerusalem Smith - Drums On 'Woman'

*Dave Wilkinson - Piano

Related Acts

1969  Little Free Rock

1969-71  Little Free Rock - Time Is Of No Consequence

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Merrell Fankhauser HMS Bounty - Things (1968 us, fine tuneful slice of acid psychedelia with a pop edge, Sundazed extra tracks edition)

This was one of many Merrell Fankhauser bands throughout the mid to late 60?s and early 70?s. Things was released in 1968, sandwiched in between Fankhauser’s Fapardokly and Mu albums. Mu is agruably his masterpiece, an innovative slab of slide guitar desert psychedelia from the early 70?s. Things has more of a bona fide 60?s sound, coming across like a meeting between Buffalo Springfield, Spirit, the Byrds and Cream.

This album is much more psych minded than 1966?s folk-rock inclined Fapardokly too. A Visit With Ashiya is possibly Fankhauser at his most psychedelic, awashed with stoned vocals and walls of sitar. It’s also one of the album’s centerpieces and a raga rock killer that ends with some thick fuzztones. Things has a handful (about 4) of tuneful, melodic folk-rockers that hark back to earlier times. Ice Cube Island is one of the best of these folk-rockers, being so blissed out and eretheral. 

It’s an excellent example of acid folk-rock. Other songs like Madame Silky, What Does He See In You and Rich Man’s Fable work really well too and are characterized by paranoid vocals and liquidy fuzz guitar leads. For most listeners though, the highlight of this album is Your Painted Lives. It’s one of those incredible 60?s songs, an early foray into country psych that chugs along with echoed vocals and once again, hard fuzz guitar riffs.

Things is delicate and raunchy all at once and a great, American underground rock record. Fankhauser would go on to make better albums (Mu and his 1976 solo effort) but this record still deserves a special place among the psychedelic 60?s.

by Jason (The Rising Storm)

Tracks
1. Things (Goin' Round In My Mind) - 2:29
2. Girl (I'm Waiting For You) - 2:27
3. What Does She See In You - 2:29
4. Lost In The City - 2:04
5. Your Painted Lives - 2:11
6. Drivin' Sideways (On A One Way Street) - 2:09
7. In A Minute Not Too Soon - 1:51
8. A Visit With Ashiya - 3:20
9. The Big Gray Sky - 2:12
10. Rich Man's Fable - 2:18
11. Ice Cube Island - 3:16
12. Madame Silky - 2:37
13. I'm Flying Home - 2:47
14. Everybody's Talkin' - 2:43
15. Tampa Run - 2:43
All songs composed by Merrell Fankhauser except track#15 by Fred Neil.
Bonus Tracks from 13-15

HMS Bounty
*Merrell Fankhauser - Guitar, Sitar, Vocals
*Doctor Billy Dodd - Organ, Guitar, Vocals
*Jack Jordon - Bass, Vocals
*Larry Meyers - Drums, Tabla

Related Act
1967  Fapardokly

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Fapardokly - Fapardokly (1964-67 us, nice garage 'n' beat with Merrell Fankhauser, Sundazed issue)

The Fapardokly story goes back to the end of 1963 when I quit the surf band The Impacts in Pismo Beach and moved to the high desert area of Lancaster, California. There I met a young guitar player named Jeff Cotton and together with Jim Furguson on bass and Greg Hampton on drums we formed Merrell and The Exiles. We were discoverd by Glenn Records in nearby Palmdale and started recording in the small Glenn studio. I recorded one of my first vocals I had written back in 1961, 'Too Many Heartbreaks' and a new song 'Please Be Mine.'  It came out as our first single on the Glenn label and got airplay in the Antelope Valley and in L.A., reaching #9 on the local station KUTY April, 1964.

Glenn then released another single in 1965, 'Send Me Your Love' and 'Don't Call On Me;' in 1966, 'Sorry For Yourself' and 'I Saw Susie Cryin';' and in 1967 'Tomorrow's Girl' and 'When I Get Home.'  This was our best selling single and got national airplay and was even played on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. The Exiles lineup of members had already changed by this time, and this would be the last recording released by Merrell and The Exiles.

From 1964 to 1967 The Exiles and various studio players recorded enough material for more than two albums and even did sessions in Los Angeles studios that all ended up on the shelves at Glenn Records in Palmdale. Around May of 1967 I moved back to the central California coast and formed Fapardokly and began playing at The Cove nightclub in Pismo Beach. About two months later Glenn Records called and said they would like to put out an album with some of the songs on the shelf and a few new ones. So we made the trip to Glenn's studio in Palmdale, recorded several songs and even went down to Gold Star studios in Hollywood and recorded a song and delivered it to Glenn and told him the band was now called "Fapardokly."

Glenn randomly selected songs from their archives and released the Fapardokly album on a subsidiary label UIP Records #2250 in late 1967. The confusing part is the songs were not in chronlogical order--mixing new and old together and not really saying who played on what track. It just had a list of musicians that contributed to the album. 

There were actually only three songs on the Fapardokly album by the band Fapardokly; four songs by the studio group that were never released under any band name; and five songs by Merrell and The Exiles on the album. The remainder of the Merrell and The Exiles songs that were left on the shelves at Glenn Records eventually saw the light of day in the early nineties on two limited edition LPs and CDs.  Nobody would have ever thought that the Fapardokly album would end up being one of the most valuable and highly sought after historical recordings of the 1960s!

Bill Dodd and I later went on to form HMS Bounty in 1968 and released an album titled Things on Uni Records. I later got back together with Jeff Cotton , Larry Willey and Randy Wimer and formed the band MU in 1969. 

by Merrell Fankhauser, November 2009

Tracks
1. Lila (M. Fankhauser, D. Aldridge) - 3:23
2. The Music Scene - 2:35
3. Sorry For Yourself - 2:01
4. Glass Chandlier (M. Fankhauser, D. Aldridge) - 2:11
5. Tomorrow's Girl - 2:28
6. Suzie Cryin' - 2:23
7. Mr. Clock (M. Fankhauser, D. Aldridge) - 2:26
8. Gone To Pot (M. Fankhauser, D. Aldridge) - 2:02
9. No Retreat - 1:56
10.Too Many Heartbreaks - 2:28
11.When I Get Home - 2:47
12.Super Market (M. Fankhauser, D. Aldridge) - 2:12
13.The War - 2:33
14.Yes I Love You - 2:40
15.Run Baby Run - 2:20
All tracks written by Merrell Fankhauser unless as else stated

Fapardokly
*Merrell Fankhauser - Vocals, Guitar
*Bill Dodd - Vocals And Guitar
*John Oliver - Vocals And Bass
*Dick Lee - Drums
With
*Mark Thompson - Organ
*Jody Cobb - Bass
*John Parr - Drums
*Don Aldridge - Vocals
*Gary Lotspeich - Vocals
*Larry Willey - Vocals And Guitar
*Jim Furguson - Bass
*Greg Hampton - Drums
*John Day -Organ
*Randy Wimer - Drums
*Bruce Ulch - Trumpet

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Various Artists - Doin' The Mod Volume Five / That Driving Beat (60's uk, enjoyable mod, r 'n' b)

One of the minor strains of mid-'60s U.K. pop was a re-creation of American soul. It never crossed back over to America like other British music of the time because the real thing was so good that nobody wanted to hear a whiter shade of imitation. 

The sound never really took off in the U.K. either, but a great many bands played it. Castle's Doin' the Mod series is an attempt to round up the bands that were melding soul (Northern and otherwise) with mod and pop. There are also some girl group-style songs mixed in as well as some bubblegum soul. Vol. 5 of the series, That Driving Beat, lives up to its title and features 30 uptempo dance tracks, many of them lost classics, most of them top-notch blue-eyed soul. 

Most of the groups are obscure, the biggest names being Geno Washington (an American expatriate), the Alan Bown Set (whose "Headline News" is a charging and melodic highlight of the set), and the Koobas. If those are the big names, you know you are dealing with a bunch of unknowns. Names you should know after hearing the disc are Lucas & the Mike Cotton Sound ("Step Out of Line"), Kim D (the sultry "Come on Baby"), the Exotics (the bubblegum soul of "I Don't Want Nobody [To Lead Me On]"), Timebox ("I'll Always Love You"), Young Blood (a stomping cover of the American Breed's "Green Light," which pounds the original to dust), and Ways & Means (whose reverb-drenched and super-hooky "Make the Radio a Little Louder" may be the best song here). 

There are great songs that show that the Brits weren't too shabby when it came to hijacking American soul and giving it a uniquely British sound. 

by Tim Sendra

Artists - Tracks
1. Lucas  And Mike Cotton Sound, The - Step Out Of Line - 2:47
2. Geno Washington And The Ram Jam Band - If This Is Love (I'd Rather Be Lonely) - 2:39
3. The Timebox - I'll Always Love You - 2:57
4. Jimmy James And The Vagabonds - Ain't No Big Thing - 2:40
5. Ways And Means - Make The Radio A Little Louder - 2:15
6. Young Blood  - Green Light - 2:09
7. Nita Rossi - Every Little Day Now - 2:14
8. John L. Watson And The Hummelflugs - Lookin' For Love - 2:52
9. The Undertakers - Think - 2:30
10.Keith Powell  And Billie Davis - When You Move You Lose - 2:40
11.The Blue Chips - Tell Her - 2:51
12.Stella Star - Say It - 2:08
13.Felder's Orioles - Backstreet - 3:03
14.The Alan Bown Set - Headline News - 2:35
15.Eddie Cave And The Fyx - Fresh Out Of Tears - 2:02
16.Kim D - Come On Baby - 2:20
17.The Exotics - I Don't Want Nobody (To Lead Me On) - 3:02
18.The Loving Kind - Ain't That Peculiar - 3:13
19.Gentle Influence - Easy To Love - 1:58
20.The Hifis - I Keep Forgettin' - 2:07
21.Val McKenna - I Can't Believe What You Say - 2:31
22.The Koobas - Take Me For A Little While - 2:06
23.Peter's Faces - (Just Like) Romeo And Juliet - 2:21
24.Tawney Reed - You Can't Take It Away - 2:43
25.The Revolution - Hallelujah - 2:12
26.The Ferris Wheel - Taking Inventory - 2:18
27.Billie Davis - Hands Off - 2:14
28.The Bystanders - (You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself - 2:25
29.Felder's Orioles - Something You Got - 2:42
30.The Band Of Angels - Cheat And Lie - 2:16

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Pantheon - Orion (1972 holland, very good progressive jazz rock, similar to canterbury sound)

Pantheon sprung forth from a high school band in 1971. The band, starting off initially with five members, won a national talent scouting in The Hague at the annual Rekreade Festival. Their first prize was a recording session with record company Phonogram

The band, by then reduced to four band members, recorded its first single, I want to know / Master Basion, in what turned out to be the definitive cast consisting of Ruud Wouterson (keyboards, vocals), Hans Boer (saxophone, flute, vocals), Albert Veldkamp (bass and electric guitar) and Rob Verhoeven (drums). Because of the suggestive nauture of the b-side title it was censored by Phonogram from Masturbation into Master Basion

With the attention this record received in the media the number of live concerts substantially increased. Concerts in Pop temple Paradiso and the other big concert halls in the progressive scene were very successful. More and more Pantheon was asked as a supporting act for Focus and Solution

Their second single, Daybreak / Anais, received a great deal of attention on radio and television. This paved the way for Tony Vos, the producer of Phonogram, to record the album Orion in 1972, released on the prestigious Vertigo label. The album was well received and through Paul Acket's booking agency concerts abroad were booked, a.o. as a supporting act for Mungo Jerry during their Switzerland tour. An absolute highlight was their concert in the Doelen in Rotterdam as the supporting act for the Steve Miller Band

A youthful, none of the band members were older than twenty one at the time, lack of financial and commercial insight coupled with a cocky attitude towards the record company and booking agencies led to a premature breaking up of the band. An attempt to regain their position with a renewed cast (a.o. ex-Focus drummer Pierre van der Linden) failed. Up to 1992 they played at various revival concerts with the original line up

Ruud Wouterson owns a busy recording studio and writes ballet music/film scores. Albert Veldkamp is a much soughtafter guitar teacher. Rob Verhoeven is the owner of an advertising agency. Hans Boer gives management courses. 

Tracks
1. Daybreak - 2:32
2. Anais - 4:58
3. Apocalyps - 10:53
4. The Madman - 1:21
5. Orion - 19:28
6. I Want To Know - 2:42
7. Masturbation - 2:36
8. Anais (Single Version) - 3:27
All compositions by Ruud Wouterson.

Pantheon
*Ruud Wouterson - Keyboards, Vocals,
*Hans Boer - Saxophone, Flute, Vocals,
*Albert Veldkamp - Bass, Electric Guitar
*Rob Verhoeven - Drums

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Notes From The Underground - Notes From The Underground (1968 us,excellent west coast psychedelic folk rock)

Berkeley, CA, psychedelic outfit Notes from the Underground formed in 1965, originally comprised of singer/multi-instrumentalist Fred Sokolow, guitarist Mark Mandell, bassist Mike O'Connor, keyboardist John Miller, and drummer Joe Luke. One of the first Bay Area rock bands of any real distinction, the group played at the first Longshoreman's Hall concert presented by the now-legendary Family Dog collective -- they also regularly headlined the local club the Jabberwock when the house band, their chief rivals Country Joe & the Fish, were taking a night off. 

With the exits of Miller and Luke, Notes from the Underground recruited keyboardist Jim Work and drummer Peter Ostwald; soon after, fledgling producer and folklorist Chris Strachwitz proposed helming the Notes' first recording session, which yielded a self-titled EP issued in 1966 on the Changes label.

The attendant publicity no doubt prompted an offer to serve as the house band at Berkeley's New Orleans House, followed by a contract with Vanguard Records -- after swapping Work for jazz-trained keyboardist Skip Rose, the Notes traveled to New York City to cut their lone LP (also self-titled), an expansive, eclectic affair highlighted by the single "Down in the Basement." However, both O'Connor and Ostwald resigned soon after the sessions wrapped, and Vanguard -- questioning the band's continued existence -- opted to cut its losses, spending no money on promotion and voiding their contract.

Sokolow and Mandell nevertheless forged ahead, assembling a patchwork lineup that included prodigal bandmate Miller as well as bassist Bing Nathan and drummer Furry Grasso. Relocating from Berkeley to Taos, NM, did little to stave off the inevitable, however, and Notes from the Underground dissolved in 1969. Sokolow and Mandell then returned to Berkeley and formed a new project, Prince Bakaradi; in 1977, the former also recorded a solo bluegrass effort titled Bluegrass Banjo Inventions. 

by Jason Ankeny

Tracks
1. Follow Me Down (Mike O'Connor, Skip Rose) - 5:40
2. I Wish I Was a Punk (Mark Mandell) - 2:33
3. Mainliner (David Gale) - 2:59
4. Down in the Basement (M. O'Connor, M. Mandell) - 2:13
5. What Am I Doing Here (Fred Sokolow) - 2:16
6. Where I'm At (Mike O'Connor, Skip Rose) - 2:58
7. Cantaloupe Island (Herbie Hancock) - 4:24
8. Why Did You Put Me On (Mark Mandell) - 2:40
9. Tristesse (M. Mandell, F. Sokolow) - 3:08
10. Who Needs Me (M. Mandell, F. Sokolow) - 5:28

Notes From The Underground
*Mike O'Connor - Bass, Vocals
*Peter Ostwald - Drums
*Skip Rose - Harpsichord, Organ, Piano
*Fred Sokolow - Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Tambourine, Vocals
*Mark Mandell - Guitar, Vocals

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The Rainbow Band - The Rainbow Band (1971 us, beautiful spiritual oriental psychedelic folk rock, Wounded Bird 2008 issue)

This first song repeats the “rama rama” theme in group with mind blank naivety and at least some song inspiration, tablas, piano, tempura, acoustic guitar which repeat the rhythmic hypnosis with a hippie minded psychedelic devotion, before the guitar in a strummed raga fashion develops the theme in an energetic way with one more return of the group marching row singers. 

After this tuning in, the right atmosphere has been made. “Lotus” has a stoned rhythm and beautiful male / female harmony vocals in the song, with melancholic pickings with rhythmic and sound accents on drums, percussion, congas and electric guitar. 

The track calms down to a total free open space with pickings and sweet flute improvisation, for a last part to a “I am who I am” mushroom-effect of a last devotional song part. “Sweater song”, led by the female singer is accompanied by acoustic guitar and electric jazz guitar, is another sweet hippie song. “Simple Song” is an improvisation with all the hippies singing and with lots of percussion including hand claps and glockenspiel, piano, a somewhat naive song with high tones in the female voice reminding me a bit of Incredible String Band during their performances on “U”. 

“Midnite Song” is more electric (with slide effects) and with more drums, rocking a bit with an American country-rock flavour. “Song Of The Navajo” is a songwriter song, a lament with acoustic guitar. The last track, “Now Is The time” with tampura drones is an improvisation with Indian styled associations on the guitar unfolding like a raga as the instrumental foundation, with a dual vocal sad song on top. The song increases in rhythm towards a psychedelic raga orgasm, unfolding its speeding up rhythm with electrified raga guitar, drums and some bass. A very nice psychedelic conclusion.

from Psych-Folk

Tracks
1. Rama Rama - 05:20
2. Lutus - 05:31
3. Sweater Song - 02:24
4. Simple Song - 04:07
5. Midnite Sun - 03:14
6. Song Of The Navajo - 04:09
7. Now Is The Time - 09:06
All compositions by Mahesh and Pavarthi

Musicians
*Mahesh
*Pavarthi
*Muruga Booker - Drumset
*Nithyan Gefron
*Scotty Avedisian
*Phil Catanzaro
*Ragunath Mancini
*Trevor Young
*Gary Olerich
*Darius Brubeck
*Collin Walcott - Sitar, Tabla
*Nirmala
*Sharon Simon
*Lalitha
*Janiki Tenny
*Priscilla
*Victoria
*Felix
*Anandi
*Shiva

identical artists
1970  Oriental Sunshine - Dedicated To The Bird We Love
1971  Magic Carpet - Magic Carpet

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