The 23rd Turnoff: Liverpool quartet, issued one 1967 Deram single: “Michael Angelo” (b/w “Leave Me Here”). Evolved from beatsters The Kirkbys. Further recordings (demos, alternates) collected on the Bam Caruso disc The Dream of Michaelangelo. Singer/guitarist Jimmy Campbell cut three 1969–72 solo albums and one with Rockin’ Horse.>
The Accent: Bradford quintet, issued one 1967 Decca single: the much-comped “Red Sky at Night” (b/w “Wind of Change”). Guitarist Rick Hayward cut a 1971 folk-psych album.>
The Act: Essex quartet, issued three 1967/68 freakbeat singles on Columbia: “Cobbled Streets” (b/w “One Heart”), “Here Come Those Tears Again” (b/w “Without You”), and “Just a Little Bit” (b/w “The Remedies of Dr. Brohnicoy”). Both sides of the first and third singles have been comped, “Brohnicoy” being a cornerstone of the Rubble series.>
The Action: .>
The Actress: One single on CBS: “It’s What You Give” (b/w “Good Job With Prospects”). Bassist/songwriter Alan Barry (Bowery) joined the Shy Limbs (see below) and subsequently teamed with that band’s drummer, Andy McCulloch, in Fields. Barry and Actress drummer Tino Licinio later re-teamed in the ’77 one-off King Harry.>
Anan: Pop-psych duo, cut two 1968/69 singles on Pye and Astor: the harmony ballad “Haze Woman” (b/w the phased waltz “I Wonder Where My Sister’s Gone”) and the jaunty “Madena” (b/w “Standing Still”). The latter features backing by Deep Purple and appears on their comp of pre-band and early side-projects, Pre-Purple People.>
A New Generation: Three 1968 Spark singles: “Sadie and Her Magic Mr Galahad” (b/w “Digger”), “Smokey Blue’s Away” (b/w “She’s a Soldier Boy”), “Police Is Here” (b/w “Mr. C”), all written by guitarist Iain Sutherland. “Smokey” also on Columbia 7″ w/ cover “Coloured Rain.” He and bassist brother Gavin formed the Sutherland Brothers. John Wright surfaced in folksters Cyril Dagworth Players and NWOBHM Demon.>
The Apostolic Intervention: Evolved from Hertfordshire beatsters The Little People. One 1967 Immediate single: “(Tell Me) Have You Even Seen Me” (b/w “Madame Garcia”), both Marriott–Lane compositions produced by Steve Marriott (Small Faces). Incl. keyboardist Dino Dines (T. Rex, Keef Hartley Band) and drummer Jerry Shirley (Humble Pie, Natural Gas, Magnet, Fastway).>
The Aquarian Age: Post-Tomorrow duo of bassist John “Junior” Wood and drummer John “Twink” Alder. One Mark Wirtz-produced single on Parlophone: the shimmery/cello-laden “10,000 Words In a Cardboard Box” (b/w the acting dialogue “Good Wizard Meets Naughty Wizard”). Also cut a third track, “Me.” All three are included on the 2009 EMI deluxe reissue of Tomorrow. Alder concurrently played on The Pretty Things‘ S.F. Sorrow. He later co-founded the Pink Fairies and fronted ’77 one-off punks The Rings.>
Arcadium:
Argosy: One 1969 single on DJM: “Mr. Boyd” (b/w “Imagine”). Essentially a pre-Supertramp solo single by Roger Hodgson with support by Elton John (piano) and his nascent backing players, Caleb Quaye (guitar) and Nigel Olsson (drums).>
Art: One 1967 album of Hendrixian psych on Island: Supernatural Fairy Tales, sporting a technicolor, fish-eyed cover. (The title was later appropriated for a V.A. progressive-rock box set on Rhino.) Evolved from Carlisle mods The V.I.P.’s. Subsequently became Spooky Tooth (see below) with the addition of American keyboardist/singer Gary Wright.>
The Attack:
Balloon Busters: One 1969 Pye single of treated harmony pop: the drum-rolled, machine-gun overdubbed “Alcock and Brown” (b/w the 2/4 singsong ballad “Bluer Than Blue”). Produced by Mark Edwards (Curved Air, Marsupilami); written by the team of Blaikley/Howard with Barry Mason.>
The Bamboo Shoot: Bristol combo, issued one 1968 Columbia single: the Rubble cut “The Fox Has Gone to Ground” (b/w “There and Back Again Lane”), produced by David Paramor (Head Machine).>
The Barrier: Fulham quartet, formed as Purple Barrier for intended 1967 single “Shapes and Sounds” (b/w “Dawn Breaks Through”). Dropped ‘Purple’ at the insistence of Deep Purple‘s management. B-side appeared on ’68 Eyemark single “Georgie Brown.” Two ’68 Philips singles: “Uh!” (b/w “Spot the Lights”) and “The Tide Is Turning” (b/w “A Place In Your Heart”), produced by Mark Edwards↑ (Air Conditioning). Missing “Tomorrow of Yesterday” issued on 10″ First, Last And Always. “Shapes” issued in 2013 on Top Sounds Records. “Spot” and “Dawn Breaks” on multiple Bam-Caruso comps.>
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band: .>
The Brain: One 1967 single of rupturous baroque-psych on Parlophone: the echoey “Kick the Donkey” (b/w with the cackling, much-comped “Nighmare in Red”). A second 7″ — “Murder” (b/w Dylan’s “Most Likely You Go Your Way (and I’ll…)”) — exists only on acetate. Evolved from beatsters Trendsetters Limited/The Trend. Drummer Michael Giles and bassist Peter Giles proceeded to Giles, Giles and Fripp (see below), the precursor to King Crimson.>
Breakthru: Brummie psych, pooled from The Clampets and The Set. One 1968 Mercury single: “Ice-Cream Tree” (b/w “Julius Caesar”). Completed album of originals (incl. “The Story of Peer Gynt,” “Alice Dropped Out”) vaulted after label drop. Fifteen tracks comped on 2007 Circle Records CD Adventures Highway. Incl. organist Bill Hunt (Hannibal, ELO, Wizzard), drummer Plug Thomas (Jonesy), bassist Frank Farrell (Supertramp, Leo Sayer).>
Bulldog Breed: One 1969 single of raunchy freakbeat — “Halo In My Hair” (b/w “Portcullis Gate”) — and the like-minded 14-song album Made In England. Evolved from the beat-psych Please (originally Neon Pearl). Drummer Louis Farrell played on the two Gun albums. Bassist Bernard Jinks formed T2 with two late-arriving Bulldog members. Guitarist/singer Rod Harrison resurfaced in Asgærd.>
The Bunch: Bournemouth beat septet, cut four 1967/68 CBS singles and one acetate, produced by Eddie Tre-Vett. Psyched up on “Spare a Shilling” (b/w “Looking Glass Alice”). Recordings compiled on the Record Collector Magazine CD Spare a Shilling.>
The Buzz: Renamed from Edinburgh beatsters The Boston Dexters. One 1966 Columbia single: stinging punk-psych “You’re Holding Me Down” (b/w “I’ve Gotta Buzz”). Bassist Brian Henderson played on Nirvana‘s Story of Simon Simopath. Singer Tam White made five ’67–69 Decca singles and eponymous ’70 album.>
The Bystanders: Welsh harmony pop/beat group, issued seven 1965–68 singles, mostly on Piccadilly. Edged into organ-psych on 1967’s “Pattern People” and two 1968 Pye singles: “When Jezamine Goes” (b/w “Cave of Clear Light”) and “This World Is My World” (b/w “Painting the Time”). Mutated into legacy jam-rockers Man.>
Caleb: Guitarist Caleb Quaye. One 1967 Philips single: the phased/vocally distorted “Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad” (b/w “Woman of Distinction”). Became a mainstay of Elton John‘s backing band and its early ’70s rustic-rock spinoff Hookfoot.>
The Casuals: Lincolnshire beat group, part of the British Invasion of Italy (The Rokes, The Primitives). Cut numerous 1965–69 singles in English and Italian on assorted labels (Fontana, Joker, Decca, Vogue), embracing orchestral pop on 1968’s “Jezamine” (UK #2), previously recorded as “When Jezamine Goes” by The Bystanders.>
Cats Pyjamas: >
Cherry Smash: Gosport psychsters, issued the 1967 Track single “Sing Songs of Love” (b/w “Movie Star”), the a-side included on Up The Junction (OST). Two 1968/69 Decca singles: “Goodtime Sunshine” (b/w “Little Old Country Hometown”) and the Tony Hazzard-penned Rubble fave “Fade Away Maureen” (b/w “Green Plant”). The first two singles were co-written by producer Mike Hugg (Manfred Mann, Chapter Three) and Brian Hugg.>
Chocolate Frog: An alias of Les Fleur de Lys (see below) on the 1968 Atlantic single “Butchers and Bakers” (b/w “I Forgive You”).>
The Chocolate Watch Band: .>
Chords Five: .>
Christopher Colt: AKA singer/songwriter Chris Simpson. One 1968 Decca single: the vibraslap-laden “Virgin Sunrise” (b/w the zither-echoing “Girl In the Mirror”). Subsequently co-founded Magna Carta.>
Cinnamon Quill: Brummie pop-psych. Two 1969 singles on Morgan: “Girl On a Swing” (b/w “Take It or Leave It”) and the Tony Hazzard cover “Hello, It’s Me” (b/w “Candy”). Cut prior EP as Katz (Live at the Rum Runner) and masqueraded as The Worrying Kynde on “Sand & Water” (on the Strange Things comp Circus Days Vol 5).>
Coconut Mushroom: Unsigned Portsmouth pop-psych w/ singer/songwriter Colin Carter. Culled from beatsters The Inspiration and Tangerine Slyde. Cancelled 1968 Decca single “Run” (b/w “Time Will Tell”). Five originals — “Any Day Now,” “Run Run Run,” “Mirror,” “Like a Butterfly,” “Without Her” — appear on the RPM Retrodisc CD 94 Baker Street Revisited (Poptastic Sounds From the Apple Era 1967-1968). Allegedly behind Good Ship Lollipop’s Beatles cover “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” and The Good Vibrations’ Who cover “Call Me Lightning.” Guitarist Roger Giffin was the brother of Colin Griffin (The End). Carter surfaced in Flash.>
The Cortinas: One 1968 Polydor single of harmony-laden toytown: “Phoebe’s Flower Shop” (b/w “Too Much In Love”). Morphed into Octopus for the 1970 album Restless Night. Bassist Nigel Griggs later joined Kiwi art-rockers Split Enz.>
Craig: Birmingham quartet, issued two 1966 Fontana singles: the much-comped “I Must Be Mad” (b/w “Suspense”) and “A Little Bit of Soap” (b/w “Ready Steady Let’s Go”). Guitarists Geoff Brown and Richard Pannell formed brass-rockers Galliard. Drummer Carl Palmer joined The Crazy World of Arthur Brown and its offshoot Atomic Rooster, ultimately finding fame in ELP.>
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown:
Cream: Super-trio comprised of ex-Yardbirds slowhand Eric Clapton and the GBO rhythm section, bassist/singer Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. Three 1966–68 albums of blues-rock/psych on Atco. Evergreens include the breezy/exuberant “I Feel Free,” the wispy “Strange Brew,” and the melodramatic “White Room.” Disraeli Gears (1967) sports one of the era’s iconic dayglo covers.>
Crocheted Doughnut Ring: Southend freakbeat quintet, cut two 1967 Polydor/Decca singles: the phased/sparkly “Two Little Ladies (Azalea & Rhododendron)” (b/w the proto-ambient drone “Nice”); “Havana Anna” (b/w the harpsichord/fuzz-adorned “Happy Castle”). Two additional Decca singles of streamlined pop followed in 1968. Produced by Donovan manager Peter Eden.>
The Cuppa T: Harmony pop-psych duo, cut two 1967–68 Decca singles: the cockney music-hall “Miss Pinkerton” (b/w the woodwind ditty “Brand New World”) and “Streatham Hippodrome” (b/w “One Man Band”). Bassist/singer Terry Widlake passed through a sequence of beat and bubblegum acts (The Overlanders, The Pudding, The Art Movement).>
Curiosity Shoppe: One 1968 Deram single of monster organ/tribal drum soul-psych: “Baby I Need You” (b/w the somber, minor-key “So Sad”). Both sides written by Malcolm Rabbitt of The Fairytale↓.>
The Cymbaline: Redbridge beatsters, issued seven 1965–69 singles (Pye, Mercury, Philips), including the ’68 fuzz-box ditty “Down By the Seaside” (b/w “Fire”). Morphed into the more psych-oriented Infinity (1968–70). A third incarnation as Lodestone yielded the 1971 German release Time Flies. Keyboardist John Da Costa moonlighted in The Flies↓. Guitarist/bassist Gerry Morris issued a 1973 solo album, Only the Beginning. Singer Stuart Calver became a prolific backing vocalist (Cockney Rebel, Linda Lewis, Al Stewart, Cliff Richard, Alan Parsons, Danny Kirwan, Roger Daltery, etc).>
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich: .>
Dead Sea Fruit: .>
Deep Feeling: Brummie pop-psych, spun from beatsters The Hellions. Recorded 12 songs in early 1967, compiled on 2008 Sunbeam comp Pretty Colours. Singer Jim Capaldi joined Traffic (on drums). Guitarist Luther Grosvenor joined Spooky Tooth. Drummer John “Poli” Palmer became a journeyman (Blossom Toes, Family, Streetwalkers). Not the same as Deep Feeling.>
The Drag Set: London freakbeat quartet, issued the 1967 Go single “Day and Night” (b/w “Get Out of My Way”). Morphed into The Open Mind for an eponymous 1969 album on Philips.>
Dr. Marigold’s Prescription: London popsike combo, formerly The Followers. Two 1968/69 Pye singles, (“My Old Man’s a Groovy Old Man,” “You’ve Got to Build Your Love”) and Marble Arch album Pictures of Life. Eight ’70–74 singles and ’73 Santa Ponsa album Hello Girl. Backed multiple singers (Bruce Channel, John Walker, The Flirtations, Madeline Bel, Billy Fury).>
Dry Ice: One 1969 B & C single: “Running to the Convent” (b/w “Nowhere to Go”). An album’s worth of 1967–69 recordings are collected on the archival disc Dry Ice (Morgan Blue Town, 2018). Guitarist/songwriter Paul Gardner formed Pluto. Drummer Terry Sullivan joined Renaissance.D
Edwick Rumbold: .>
The Empty Vessels: Torquay pop-psych trio, issued 1969’s “My Son John” (b/w the “Low Toby”) on Metronome (Germany). The multi-comped b-side appears on Elastic Cat’s We All Live On Candy Green.> Evolved from unrecorded beatsters The Torinoes. Did a record-less (1969) stint as Tanglewood before bassist Martin Turner and drummer Steve Upton formed Wishbone Ash.>
The Excelsior Spring: .>
The Exception: Brummie pop/freakbeat combo, issued two singles in 1967 on CBS and five in 1968/69 on President Records. Spun from local instigators The Brumbeats. Select sides (“Gaberdine Saturday Night Street Walker,” “Sunday Night at the Prince Rupert”) feature vibraphone (ala Timebox.) Their ’68 a-side “Rub It Down” is a rare example (along with early Locomotive) of white ’60s UK ska. Complete recordings gathered on the 2014 RPM comp The Eagle Flies On Friday. (Not to be confused with stateside Chicago/Aorta precursors The Exceptions.) Bassist Dave Pegg did lengthy stints in Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull. Guitarist/singer Roger Hill did brief stints in Fairport and (with Move/Wizzard players) the ’73 one-off Mongrel.>
The Executives: Blackpool beatsters, issued nine singles between 1964 and 1969 on Columbia/CBS. Psyched up for the ’67 sitar/flute bouncer “The Ginza Strip” and (title-wise, anyway) the ’68 Motown-influenced single “Tracy Takes a Trip” (b/w “Gardena Dreamer”). Bassist Glenn Cornick did a 1968–70 stint in Jethro Tull and cut two albums apiece in Wild Turkey and the stateside power-trio Paris with (ex-Fleetwood Mac) guitarist/singer Bob Welch. Guitarist Tony Williams (not to be confused with the American drummer) played bass on the first Stealers Wheel album. Singer Roy Carr became a music writer for Jazz News, Melody Maker, and NME.>
The Factory: Surrey Freakbeat trio, issued a fuzz-tinged single apiece on MGM and CBS in 1968/69: “Path Through the Forest” (b/w “Gone”) and “Try a Little Sunshine” (b/w “Red Chalk Hill”). Both sides collected with two additional songs (“Mr. Lacey” and a live cover of Family‘s “Second Generation Woman”) on the Bri-Tone EP Path Through The Forest (aka The Complete Recordings). (Not to be confused with the namesake American garage band headed by later-Little Feat frontman Lowell George.) Bassist Jack Brand resurfaced in late-’70s rustic-rockers Meal Ticket.>
The Factotums: Mancunian beatsters, issued a single apiece on Immediate and Piccadilly in 1965/66, sporting title-psych prescience on the piano/castanet instrumental “Run in the Green and Tangerine Flaked Forest.” Went sunshine-psych for the 1967 Pye single “Cloudy.” Also cut a single under the alias Barley-Bree.>
The Fairytale: Lancashire combo, issued two 1967 Decca singles of light harmony-psych: “Guess I Was Dreaming” (b/w “Run and Hide”) and “Lovely People” (b/w “Listen to Mary Cry”). All four sides are Bam-Caruso comped (Adventures In the Mist, Electric Crayon Set, Rubble 3/4/6). Organist/songwriter Malcolm Rabbitt also wrote for Curiosity Shoppe (see above) and Black Widow prototype Pesky Gee. Drummer Billy Fogg and singer John Ryan cut a pair of 1972/73 pop singles as Smiley with ex-Creation bassist Bob Garner.>
Family:
Felius Andromeda: One much-comped 1968 Decca single: “Meditations” (b/w “Cheadle Heath’s Delusions”). Originally known as The Unidentified Flower Objects, which backed actor Harry H. Corbett on the 1967 psych novelty “Flower Power Fred.” Keyboardist Denis Couldry cut two 1968 Decca singles: “Penny for the Wind” (b/w “Tea and Toast, Mr. Watson?”) and “James In the Basement” (b/w “I Am Nearly There”); the latter features backing by Second Hand and appears as a bonus on reissues of their 1968 album Reality. (Denis possibly inspired their Denis James The Clown character on said album.) Bassist Alan James co-wrote the later Second Hand track “Funeral.” He resurrected Andromeda (minus “Felius”) for a 1972 symph-pop single. Guitarist Peter Parks resurfaced in hard-rockers Warhorse and their much-later followup, Nick Simper’s Fandango.>
Finders Keepers: Wolverhampton beat combo, cut three 1966–68 singles on CBS/Fontana, including the much-comped ’67 violin/harpsichord sweep “Friday Kind of Monday” (b/w “On the Beach”). Earlier know as The Strangers (1964) and The Martells (1965). Bassist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Mel Galley, and drummer Dave Holland formed hard-rockers Trapeze. Hughes later joined Deep Purple and recorded solo. Galley surfaced in Whitesnake and reunited with Hughes in Phenomena. Holland spent the 1980s in Judas Priest.>
Fire:
Fleur de Lys: .>
The Flies: Acme comp Complete Collection 1965-1968.>
Floribunda Rose: One 1967 Piccadilly single: “Linda Loves Linda” (b/w “One Way Street”). Morphed into Scrugg (see below) for a trio of 1968/69 Pye singles, all collected on the Castle Music comp Lavender Popcorn. Frontman John Kongos hailed from South African beatsters Johnny & the G-Men.>
The Flower Pot Men: .>
Focal Point: Liverpool five-piece, issued one 1968 Deram single: “Love You Forever” (b/w the crunchy/echoey “Sycamore Sid”). Signed to Apple Publishing, but no further records materialized. Their complete recordings, including the band faves “Never Never” and the Zombies-like “Far Away from Forever,” are collected on the Kissing Spell CD First Bite of the Apple.> >
Focus Three: One 1967 Columbia single: the much-comped “10,000 Years Behind My Mind” (b/w “The Sunkeeper”). Singer Liza Strike did backing vocals for numerous ’70s acts (Mick Softley, Elton John, Carly Simon, Atomic Rooster, Pink Floyd, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Edgar Broughton Band, Kevin Ayers, Kiki Dee, Leo Sayer). Multi-instrumentalist Larry Steele worked with Cat Stevens, Steve Harley, Gonzalez, and Howard Werth. Bassist/singer Tony Wilson co-founded Hot Chocolate and had a solo career. All three appeared on Stephen Still’s 1970 s/t album.>
Fortes Mentum: .>
The Fox: One 1968 CBS single: the sitar-ensarled “Mr. Carpenter” (b/w the echo-distortion-drenched “Seek and You Find”). Guitarist Top Topham was the first in a string of Yardbirds guitarists. He also played in the Christine Perfect band with a post-Chicken Shack/pre-Fleetwood Mac Christine McVie. Singer Winston G. cut three Decca singles in 1966/67, including the soul-psych nuggets “Mother Ferguson’s Love Dust” and “Judge and Jury.” He later cut four 1971/72 singles with Dutch blues-rockers Cobra. No relation to The Fox.>
The Frame: .>
Frazer Hines: .>
Fresh Air: .>
Friends: .>
The Fruit Machine: Three 1968/69 singles on AMM and Spark: the phased/overdubbed “The Wall” (b/w the folksy, guitar-wailing “Willow Tree”), the jaunty singalong “Cuddly Toy” (b/w “Follow Me”), and the pile-driven harmony/fuzz-rocker “I’m Alone Today” (b/w “Sunshine of Your Love”). All produced by Barry Kingston (Elmer Gantry, Herbie’s People). Deep-voiced vocalist/bassist Steve Gould subsequently formed Rare Bird, where he was later joined by guitarist Andy “Ced” Curtis. Gould and Curtis cut a ’68 single as Walham Green East Wapping, Carpet Cleaning Rodent and Boggit Exterminating Association↓.>
Gary Walker & The Rain: .>
Gentle Influence: .>
Geranium Pond: .>
Giles Giles and Fripp:
The Glass Menagerie: Mancunian freakbeat combo, cut three 1968 Pye singles produced by John Schroeder (Sounds Orchestra, Bystanders, Spectres/Status Quo) and two 1969 Polydor singles produced by Chas Chandler. Two much-comped sides: the organ piledriver “Fredrick Jordan” and the Stones cover “She’s a Rainbow.” Complete recordings collected on the Time Box comp Have You Forgotten Who We Are? Drummer Bill Atkinson (using the surname Harrison) played in Mogul Thrash and Gordon Haskell‘s backing band. Keyboardist/singer Lou Stonebridge cut two albums apiece with Paladin and McGuinness Flint. Guitarist Alan Kendall played on the second Toe Fat album and joined the 1971–79 Bee Gees backing band.>
The Glass Opening: .>
Gospel Garden: .>
Granny’s Intentions: .>
Grapefruit: Eight 1968–70 singles on RCA Victor: five collected on the beat-psych Grapefruit (1968), three on the rootsier Deep Water (1969). Bassist/singer Alexander Young was part of the Scot/Oz kin of George/Angus/Malcolm Young (Easybeats, AC/DC, Flash & the Pan). Guitarist/singer John Perry — not bassist John G. Perry (Gringo, Quantum Jump) — later surfaced in Tranquility and Cliff Richard‘s backing band.>
Griffin: One 1969 Bell single: the organ-drenched “I Am the Noise in Your Head” (b/w “Don’t You Know”), produced by Alan Price. Evolved from soul-beat combo The Happy Magazine. Featured two members of Skip Bifferty, singer Graham Bell (pre-Every Which Way) and bassist Colin Gibson. Drummer Alan White followed Bell into Bell + Arc, then joined Gary Wright‘s Wonderwheel and Yes. Gibson surfaced in Mark-Almond with guitarist Peter Kirtley and keyboardist Kenny Craddock. Kirtley did stints in Pentangle, Riff Raff, and (with Craddock) Radiator. Craddock joined the 1973–75 lineup of Lindisfarne. As a group, Griffin remained on standby (as Simpson’s Pure Oxygen) and “backed” White on his 1976 “solo” album Ramshackled, essentially a Griffin album written by Gibson, Craddock, and Kirtley with vocals by Happy Magazine frontman Alan Marshall.>
Grisby Dyke: .>
Gullivers People: .>
Gun:
Hamlet: One 1967 Decca single: orchestral ballad “She Won’t See the Light” (b/w “Go Play In Your Own Yard”). A-side covered by Timothy Blue↓.>
Hat and Tie: .>
Herbie’s People: Evolved from Bilston beatsters Danny & the Ramrods. Three 1966/67 CBS singles, incl. “Humming Bird” (b/w “Residential Area”). US Okeh label issued cancelled a-side “Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. Jones,” a #1 hit for Manfred Mann as “Mr. James.” Became Just William for ’68 Spark single “I Don’t Care” (b/w “Cherrywood Green”), then The Bullring for ’70 Jamie single “Birmingham Brass Band” (b/w “Lady of the Morning Sun”) .>
The Hobby Shop: >
The Hollies: .>
Honeybus: .>
The Hush: Brummie freakbeat quintet, issued one 1968 Fontana single: the tik-tok toy tune “Elephant Rider” (b/w the pile-driving “Grey”), produced by Hammond-Hazlewood. Drummer Mac Poole traded places with Cozy Powell in Young Blood and Big Bertha, followed by a sequence of stints (Warhorse, Broken Glass, Nic Simper’s Fandango). Keyboardist Peter Wood joined The Spectrum (see below) and became a prominent sessionist (Jonathan Kelly, Sutherland Brothers, Al Stewart, Carly Simon, David Essex, Starry Eyed & Laughing, Cyndi Lauper, Martin Briley, Julian Lennon, Al Corley).>
Ice: Two Zombies-esque singles on Decca in 1967/68: the melancholic harmony pop of “Anniversary (of Love)” (b/w “So Many Times”) and the eerie/shimmery organ-psych of “Ice Man” (b/w “Whisper Her Name (Maria Laine)“). Emerged from beatsters The Baskervilles and subsequently merged with jazz-rockers Affinity. Recorded an album’s worth of live tracks/demos and masqueraded as Russell’s Clump. Complete recordings compiled on the Angel Air disc Ice Man. Drummer Grant Serpell resurfaced in Sailor.>
Infinity: .>
Jardine: .>
Jason James: .D
John’s Children: .>
The Joint: London acid rockers, stemmed from beatsters John Andrews and The Lonely Ones. Recorded an album’s worth of material circa 1968/69, collected on the Cyclone archival comp Freak Street. Guitarist Tony Catchpole also played with The Alan Bown Set. Singer/guitarist Trevor Williams surfaced in Judas Jump. Drummer Keith Bailey joined reed-rockers Warm Dust. Keyboardist Rick Davies formed Supertramp. Briefly included on-off Tangerine Dream/Steamhammer player (and later solo artist) Steve Jolliffe.>
Jon: .>
Jon Plum: .>
Joyce’s Angels: .>
July: .>
Junior’s Eyes: .>
Just Plain Smith: .>
Justin’s Timepiece: One 1968 single on small-press Reverberation (Reverb Records): “Lonely Man” (b/w “Bull Durham Workout”). Bassist Richard Lathan Hicks and drummer Mike Fouracre surfaced in Marsupilami.>
Katch 22: .>
Kate: .>
Kippington Lodge: .>
The Klubs: .>
The Kytes: .>
Lace: .>
Lace: .>
The Late: .>
Lavender Grove: evolved from mod-rockers The Game: .>
Legay: .>
Lemon Tree: .>
Living Daylights: Two singles of freakbeat-psych on Philips: “Let’s Live for Today” / (b/w “I’m Real”) and “Always With Him” (b/w “Baila Maria”), the first paired on a maxi-single with two further songs, “Jane” and “‘Cos I’m Lonely.” “Let’s Live for Today” — soon made famous by American act The Grass Roots — was the first-recorded English translation of The Rokes’ 1966 Italian hit “Piangi Con Me.” Guitarist Garth Watt-Roy and bassist Norman Watt-Roy joined brass-rockers The Greatest Show On Earth.>
The Loot: .>
Louise: Psych-rock combo headed by guitarist/singer Tony Durant. One 1967 acetate, “Look at the Sun” (b/w “Toymaker Shop”), on EMI’s French press Emidisc. An undated maxi-single, “Fragment” / “Lament” (b/w “The Bay”), appeared on small-press Saturn. Durant later headed the 1971 symphonic-folk one-off Fuchsia. Bassist/singer Nigel Smith cut three albums with Irish pyschsters Andwella’s Dream (later Andwella). Drummer Chris Cutler surfaced in Henry Cow and its numerous offshoots (Art Bears, Cassiber, News from Babel).>
Made in Sheffield: .>
Magic Mixture: .>
The March Hare: .>
Marmalade: .>
Marquis of Kensington: .>
The Maze: Mod-soul beatsters, issued 1966 orchestral-pop cover of the Barbara Lewis hit “Hello Stranger” (b/w “Telephone”) on Robert Stigwood’s Reaction label. Adopted mod-psych look for the 1967 French four-song EP “In” Special Danse Discotheque on Disques Vogue. A pair of Italian-language singles followed on MGM and Polydor. Vocalist Rod Evans and drummer Ian Paice joined Deep Purple.>
The Medium: .>
The Merseys: .>
The Mickey Finn: .>
Mike Stuart Span: .>
The Mirage: .>
The Mixed Bag: Two 1969 Decca singles: “Round and Round” (b/w “Have You Ever Been In Love”) and “Potiphar” (b/w “Million Dollar Bash”), both arranged by Andrew Lloyd Webber and produced by Tim Rice. “Potiphar,” recorded with the Ramases III Orchestra, is part of Webber’s 1968 musical comedy Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Keyboardist John Cook surfaced in Slack Alice, Kestrel, and Midnight Flyer.>
The Moles: .>
The Monopoly: .>
The Mooche: One 1969 Pye single: Bubble Puppy cover “Hot Smoke and Sasafrass” (b/w the Brian Tatum original “Seen Through a Light”), produced by John Schroeder. Organist Tatum surfaced in Mud. US-born reedist Dave Winthrop joined Supertramp (1971 lineup), Chicken Shack (1978), and mod-revicalists Secret Affair.D
Moon’s Train: Keyboardist Peter Gosling surfaced in Choral and the Renaissance-spinoff Nevada, then augmented the trio’s 1981–83 albums Camera Camera and Time-Line.>
The Move:
The Moving Finger: Norwich soul-psych combo. Two 1968/69 Mercury singles: the urgent, melodramatic, string-laden “Jeremy the Lamp” (b/w the organ/Mellotron soul-beat ballad “Pain of My Misfortune”) and a cover of Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher” (b/w the pounding Hammond belter “Shake and Finger Pop”). Previously known as The Anglians, which cut the ’67 soul-rock single “A Friend of Mine,” an Ashford & Simpson cover (b/w “Daytime Lover”).>
The Neat Change: .>
The Nerve: .>
The New Formula: .>
One in a Million: .>
Onyx: .>
Opal Butterfly: .>
Orange Bicycle:
The Orange Machine: .>
The Orange Seaweed: .>
Our Plastic Dream: Alter ego of beatsters The Jeeps, issued one 1967 Go single: the tremolo-drenched “A Little Bit of Shangrila” (b/w “Encapsulated Marigold”). One of several psych-era projects of guitarist/songwriter Pierre Tubbs (The Owl, see below).>
The Outer Limits: .>
The Owl: .>
The Pandamonium: .>
Paper Blitz Tissue: .>
The Penny Peeps: Two 1968 Liberty singles: “Little Man With a Stick” (b/w “Model Village”) and “I See the Morning” (b/w “Curly, the Knight of the Road”), all multi-comped. Evolved from R&B sextet The Motivation. Guitarist Martin Barre joined Jethro Tull (Stand Up onward). Singer Denny Alexander hailed from beatsters Clayton Squares and The Thoughts. Drummer Malcolm Tomlinson played in US psychsters Rhinoceros and Canadian country rockers Bearfoot.>
Picadilly Line: .>
Piccadilly Circus: .>
Pinkerton’s Assorted Colours: .>
The Plague: .>
Plastic Penny: .>
Please: Emerged from UK/German act Neon Pearl. No recordings from original 1967–68 formation with (later Gun) guitarist Adrian Gurvitz. Drummer Peter Dunton briefly joined The Flies (mid-’68) then reformed Please with bassist Bernie Jinks This incarnation recorded two album’s worth of organ-dominated pop-psych, unreleased at the time but later compiled on the Acme discs 1968/69 and Seeing Stars. Changed names to Bulldog Breed (see above) after Dunton joined Gun. Jinks and Dunton later re-teamed in T2.>
The Poets: .>
The Pop Workshop: .>
Portebello Explosion: .>
Pregnant Insomnia: .>
The Pretty Things: Central figures in London’s R&B/beat boom of 1963/64. Experimented with orchestral pop on 1967’s Emotions, then went phaser-psych on the single “Defecting Grey” (b/w “Mr. Evasion”). Recorded one of rock’s first operas, S.F. Sorrow (1968), followed by another classic psych single, “Talkin’ About the Good Times” (b/w “Walking Through My Dreams”). Turned hard-rock in the ’70s.>
The Pyramid: >
The Quik: .>
Revolver: One 1969 pop-psych covers single on Young Blood: “Frisco Annie” (b/w “Imaginations”). Guitarist David Titley and keyboardist Alister Benson formed Salamander. Singer Peter Mackie surfaced in folksters Fable.>
Rhubarb Rhubarb: .>
Rifkin: .>
Robbi Curtice: .>
The Rolling Stones: Turned experimental in 1966 with the “dive-bomb” bass on “19th Nervous Breakdown” and the sitar-guitar on “Mother’s Little Helper,” followed by forays into baroque-pop (“Lady Jane”) and rock melodrama (“Paint It Black”) on Aftermath. Further baroque-psych experiments (“Yesterday’s Papers,” “Cool, Calm & Collected”) on 1967’s Between the Buttons, followed by the tripped-out Pepper-isms of Their Satanic Majesties Request.>
Rupert’s People: .>
Sands: .>
Scaffold: .>
Schadel: .>
The Scots of St. James: .>
Scrugg: Three 1968/69 Pye singles: “Lavender Popcorn” (b/w “Sandwichboard Man”), “Everyone Can See” (b/w “I Wish I Was Five”), and “Will the Real Geraldine Please Stand Up and Be Counted” (b/w “Only George”). Followup to the 1967 Piccadilly one-off Floribunda Rose (see above). All comped on the Castle Music CD Lavender Popcorn. Frontman John Kongos released two 1969–71 solo albums. Drummer Henry Spinetti joined Storyteller and became a prolific sessioneer (Gerry Rafferty, Roger Daltery, Pilot, Joan Armatrading). Keyboardist Christos Demetriou played with Strange Days precurssor Travis.>
Serendipity: .>
The Shame: Earliest recorded band of Greg Lake. Cut 1967 Emidisc acetate (unreleased) and one single: the sitar-guitar freakbeater “Don’t Go ‘Way Little Girl,” a Janis Ian cover (b/w the organ-driven “Dreams Don’t Bother Me”). Guitarist/singer Lake cut two 1969 singles with the Shy Limbs (with keyboardist John Dickenson, below) and became the bassist/singer on In the Court of the Crimson King, followed by a long run as the L in ELP.>
Shy Limbs: Two 1969 CBS singles of thick organ-psych: “Reputation” (b/w “Love”) and “Lady In Black” (b/w “Trick or Two”). Evolved from beatsters The Shame. Robert Fripp plays on “Love.” Bassist Greg Lake joined him in King Crimson, which drummer Andy McCulloch joined in 1970 after Lake departed for ELP. McCulloch subsequently played in Fields (1971) and Greenslade (1973–75). Keyboardist/songwriter John Dickenson later re-teamed with late-period Shy Limbs bassist Alan Barry (who also played in Fields) for the ’77 one-off King Harry.>
Sight and Sound: .>
Sleepy: .>
The Slender Plenty: One 1967 Polydor single: the David Bowie composition “Silver Tree Top School for Boys” (b/w “I’ve Lost a Friend and Found a Lover”). Guitarist Colin Charles was in beatsters The 4 and the West Five.>
Small Faces:
Smile: London trio, issued one 1969 Mercury single: the organ/harmony ballad “Earth” (b/w the jaunty “Step On Me”). The b-side features the Red Special guitar of Brian May and the piledriving drums of Roger Taylor, traits they would advance in their next band, Queen. Bassist/singer Tim Staffell surfaced in Morgan. Smile’s complete recorded legacy (six songs) exists on the Pseudonym Records comp Ghost of a Smile.>
Smokey and His Sister: .>
The Societie: .>
Sons and Lovers: .>
The Sorrows: .>
The Spectrum: .>
Spice: One 1968 United Artists single: “What About the Music” (b/w “In Love”). Three-fifths of the band — singer David Garrick (aka David Byron), guitarist Mick Box, and bassist Paul Newton — went on to form Uriah Heep. Drummer Alex Napier and keyboardist Colin Wood guested on Heep’s first album …Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble…. Original drummer Nigel Pegrum joined Gnidrolog, then Steeleye Span. Additional Spice recordings (“Born In a Trunk,” “Magic Lantern,” “Astranaza,” etc.) were released on the 1993 Heep compilation The Lansdowne Tapes.>
The Squires: Tom Jones’ former backing band. One 1969 MCA single: “Games People Play” (b/w “Funky Bayswater”). B-side co-written by drummer Chris Slade, who joined Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Guitarist Bill Parkinson was also in beatsters The Circle.D
Still Life: .>
The Stoics: .>
Strawberry Children: .>
Studio Six: .>
The Summer Set: .>
Sun Dragon: .>
Sweet Marriage: .>
The Syn: .>
Tales of Justine: .>
Tapestry: .>
The Tickle: One 1967 single on Regal Zonophone: “Subway (Smokey Pokey World)” (b/w “Good Evening”). Both sides were produced by Tony Visconti and co-written by keyboardist David Stuart Williams and guitarist Mick Wayne. Both sides are paired with two additional songs (“Rose Coloured Glasses,” “Something Out of Place (aka Eltiton)”) on the 2019 Fly Records release Rare and Unreleased: 1967 EP. The band spun-off from R&B/beatsters The Bunch of Fives. Wayne played with the Pink Fairies and appeared on Bowie‘s Man of Words, Man of Music.>
Timon: .>
Timothy Blue: Aka Glaswegian singer Ton Briggs. One 1968 baroque-pop Spark single: “Room at the Top of the Stairs” (b/w “She Won’t See the Light”), written/produced by Eric Woolfson (Alan Parsons Project). B-side recorded earlier by Hamlet↑.>
Tinkerbells Fairydust: .>
Tintern Abbey: One 1967 Deram single: “Beeside” (b/w “Vacuum Cleaner”), both sides heavily comped. Four additional songs (from 1968) issued on the 2006 archival EP Do What You Must. Singer Dave MacTavish and late-arriving guitarist Paul Brett stepped in for Elmer Gantry in Velvet Opera. MacTavish cut 1970/71 singles in the hard-rock one-offs Big Bertha (with Cozy Powell and ex-Move bassist Ace Kefford) and Smoke Stack Crumble. Brett joined Fire for their 1970 release The Magic Shoemaker then fronted folk-rockers Sage before launching a solo career. Late-lineup Tintern drummer John ‘Willie’ Wilson subsequently drummed for Cochise, Quiver, and Al Stewart.>
Toby Twirl: Newcastle pop-psychsters, issued three 1968/69 Decca singles: “(The World of) Harry Faversham” (b/w “Back in Time”), “Toffee Apple Sunday” (b/w “Romeo and Juliet”), and “Movin’ In” (b/w “Utopia Daydream”). Both sides of “Toffee” are comped in the British Psychedelic Trip series on See For Miles. Other recordings are gathered on the 2017 Mega Dodo CD Toby Twirl. Drummer John Graham Reed produced assorted ’70s pop and disco acts (Fogg, Dead End Kids, Nightfall). Singer Steve Pickering cut a 1981 solo single as Dudley Doolittle.>
Together: Folk-psych duo of ex-Yardbirds Keith Relf and Jim McCarty. Issued one 1968 Columbia single: “Henry’s Coming Home” (b/w “Love Mum and Dad”). The pair assembled the original Renaissance for a 1969 self-titled album, then handed that nameplate to other musicians. Relf cut an album with hard-rockers Armageddon and died of electrocution in 1976 (age 33). McCarty headed one-off Shoot and rejoined the original Renaissance members in Illusion.>
Tomorrow: Two 1967 Parlophone singles — “My White Bicycle” (b/w “Claramount Lake”) and “Revolution” (b/w “Three Jolly Little Dwarfs”) — and a 1968 self-titled album. Mutated from mod-soulsters The In Crowd, featuring ex-Four + One singer Keith West, ex-Syndicats guitarist Steve Howe, and ex-Fairies drummer John “Twink” Alder. Involved in the Mark Wirtz super-project A Teenage Opera, which spawned two ’68 West solo singles. Twink and bassist John “Junior” Wood cut a single under Wirtz as The Aquarian Age (see above). West cut a 1974 solo album and a 1975 one-off in rustic-rockers Moonrider. Howe scored big in Yes and later Asia. Twink briefly joined The Pretty Things and formed proto-punks the Pink Fairies.>
Traffic:
Tuesday’s Children: Six singles (Columbia, Pye, King, Mercury) of light harmony pop-psych between 1966 and 1968, including the brassy “She,” the cello/harpsichord-laden “High On a Hill,” and the exotic-flavored “A Strange Light From The East.” Complete recordings collected on the Rev-Ola comp Strange Light From the East. Morphed into symphonic-rockers Czar after the departure of singer Phil Cordell.>
Turnstyle: One 1968 Pye single: “Riding a Wave” (b/w “Trot”). Drummer Mark Ashton played on the first two albums by Rare Bird. He later cut two albums with hard-rockers Headstone and two more as a solo artist.>
Turquoise: Two 1968 Decca singles: “53 Summer Street” (b/w “Tales of Flossie Fillett”) and “Woodstock” (b/w “Saynia”). Complete 1966–69 recordings collected on the Rev-Ola comp The Further Adventures of Flossie Fillett. Evolved from Muswell Hill beatsters The Brood, proteges of The Kinks. Drummer Ewan Stephans cut a pair of 1971/72 Decca solo singles. Guitarist Gus Peters surfaced in mid-’70s hard-rockers Slowbone.>
The Ugly’s: Brummie beatsters led by Steve Gibbons, issued four 1965/66 Pye singles. Turned psych with (future ELO) keyboardist Richard Tandy and (later Wizzard) drummer Keith Smart. Issued a single apeice on CBS (1967) and MGM (1969): “And the Squire Blew His Horn” (b/w “Real Good Girl”) and “I See the Light” (b/w “Mary Cilento”). Evolved into Balls with (ex-Move) Trevor Burton for a 1971 single.>
The Virgin Sleep: .>
Walham Green East Wapping, Carpet Cleaning Rodent and Boggit Exterminating Association: .>
Warm Sounds: .>
The Washington D.C.’s: .>
West Coast Consortium: .>
Wimple Winch: .>
Winston’s Fumbs: .>
Woolly Fish: Avant-psych combo, formed circa 1967 by Preston art student Dennis Leigh. Issued the electro-psych instrumental single “The Way You Like It” (b/w “The Sound of Thick”) on Plexium in 1970. Both sides are credited to one “Hodge.” The b-side is a reinterpreted Ideal Milk jingle. Leigh later became John Foxx and fronted Ultravox for three 1977/78 albums before launching a solo career.>
World of Oz: .>
The Yellow Bellow Room Boom: .>
Yellow Pages: .>
The Young Idea. .D
Zion De Gallier: .>
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