The Left Banke was an American chamber-pop band from NYC that released the 1967 album Walk Away Renée / Pretty Ballerina on Mercury-subsidiary Smash Records, scoring hits with the two title-tracks. Amid some lineup turmoil, they scored a further hit with “Desiree” and completed the 1968 album The Left Banke Too. Between 1969 and 1976, […]
The Neon Philharmonic was an American pop-psych band from Nashville that released two 1969 albums on Warner Bros.-Seven Arts Records. Their sound fused orchestral textures with chamber-psych arrangements. Members: Don Gant (vocals, 1967-72), Chuck Wyatt, Don Sheffield, Tupper Saussy, Norbert Putnam, Pierre Menard, Rufus Long Background The Neon Philharmonic formed in 1967 in Nashville as […]
Margo Guryan (1937–2021) was an American singer/songwriter who released the 1968 album Take a Picture. Trained in classical composition at Boston University, she transitioned into pop songwriting in the early 1960s, penning material recorded by Chris Connor, Claudine Longet, and Spanky & Our Gang. After withdrawing from the industry, she focused on teaching, composition, and […]
Nancy Priddy is an American singer/songwriter who released the 1968 album You’ve Come This Way Before on Dot Records. Background Nancy Priddy was born January 22, 1941, in South Bend, Indiana. She worked as a radio DJ at age 12 and later studied drama at Oberlin College and Northwestern University. In 1961 and 1962, she […]
October Country was an American chamber-pop/psych band from Los Angeles that released a 1968 album on Epic. Members: Caryle De Franca (vocals), Joe De Franca (vocals), Marty Earle (guitar), Bruce Wayne (bass guitar), Bob Wian (keyboards), Eddie Beram (drums) Background October Country originated as The Rubber Band, formed in Los Angeles in 1967 by siblings […]
Appletree Theatre was the American chamber-pop/psych duo of Buffalo-bred musical brothers John and Terence Boylan, who issued the album Playback on Verve Forecast in 1968. Terence became a solo singer/songwriter while John went into production. Members: John Boylan (vocals), Terence Boylan (vocals) Background Brothers John and Terence “Terry” Boylan were born in Brooklyn, New York, […]
The Smoke was an American pop-psych band from Los Angeles that released a 1968 self-titled album on Sidewalk/Capitol. WCPAEB co-founder Michael Lloyd masterminded the project and also produced October Country. Members: Michael Lloyd (vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, arrangements), Stan Ayeroff (guitar), Steve Baim (drums) For the English mod/freakbeat band, click here. Background New York–born Michael […]
Thomas & Richard Frost was the American chamber-pop/psych duo of Californian brothers Tom and Rich Martin. The pair released three singles on Imperial and a fourth on Liberty in 1969/70, the first two culled from a proposed album, Visualize, that remained vaulted until a 2002 Rev-Ola CD. In 1972, the pair released a self-titled album […]
The Aerovons were an American psychedelic baroque-pop band from St. Louis that recorded two 1969 singles in London at Abbey Road Studios. Their long-vaulted album appeared decades later as Resurrection. Members: Tom Hartman (guitar, piano, vocals), Dave Schirmer (bass, 1966-67), Bob Frank (guitar, 1966-68), Gary (drums, 1966-67), Mike Lombardo (drums, 1967-69), Nolan Mendelhall (bass, 1967-68), […]
The Holy Mackerel was an American studio-assembled psych–pop group formed in 1968 by singer–songwriter Paul Williams as a vehicle for his emerging songwriting career. Their lone album blends sunshine pop, country rock, and light psychedelia with early contributions from several future notables. Members: Paul Williams (vocals), Mentor Williams (guitar, vocals), Bob Harvey (bass), George Hiller (guitar), […]
Montage was an American chamber-pop/psych band from New York that released a self-titled album on Laurie Records in 1969. Keyboardist Michael Brown hailed from The Left Banke and would later surface in Stories and The Beckies. Members: Michael Brown (keyboards), Bob Steurer (vocals), Vance Chapman (vocals, drums), Mike Smyth (guitar, vocals), Lance Cornelius (bass, vocals) […]
Hamilton Streetcar was an American psych-rock band from Los Angeles that released two 1967/68 singles on Lee Hazelwood’s LHI Records label, followed by a 1969 self-titled album on Dot Records. Members: Ralph Plummer (lead vocals), Ian Hamilton [John Burge] (keyboards), Tom Fannon (guitar, vocals), Bart Conway (bass, 1966-67), Jay Alan (bass, 1967-69), Barry McGuire (drums, […]
Chamaeleon Church was an American pop-psych band from Boston that released a self-titled album on MGM in 1968. Drummer Chevy Chase later transferred into comedy, achieving fame as a member of the original cast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live during the 1975–76 television season. He ultimately became a big-screen funnyman in a series of screwball […]
