Spontaneous Generation - Purple, Purple / I'll Hold Out My Hand. 1971 USA-North Carolina

The A) side is somewhat famous for being seriously expensive as well as a killer cut. Spontaneous Generation's sound is from a couple of years earlier with fuzz guitar, organ, and punky Van Morrison styled vocals. I thought I had this track on one of the compilations I own, but nope it really hasn't been as anthologized as much as you might think.

The B) side is the hedge. There's a reason why no one has taken the time to record this for all to hear. Essentially a folk rock tune with trumpet (lol, anathema to underground psych collectors) and harmony pop vocals. If you want more than one side, it ain't here.

I do really enjoy 'Purple, Purple', but it's not a 5 star monster in my book. 4 stars on the nose. The other is 2 at best.

11/12/20 (first listen); 1/2/25 (review / new entry)

The Changing Image – Awakening Dream / The Happy Girl. 1969 USA-Miami

There's a bit of budget behind this title, as there's some orchestra backing the sunshine happy vocals. If you're a fan of The Association's style of pop psych, then these titles are worth seeking out. Pleasant but unnecessary in my world.

3 / 3

1/2/25

Black Ice - Gotta Get You Out Of My Mind / Come on Home. 1970 South Africa

Yet another South African obscurity from 1970. The a) side is pop psych with horns, whereas the b) side features more organ and is the better of the two tracks. Good melodies and very much of the era. Apparently Black Ice had at least one major hit back home ('Susannah'), but this debut recording remains unknown.

Own. Found at a local estate sale (2024). The Discogs image is my copy.

8/4/24

Larry John Page & The Vision - Shadow of Love / You Baby You. 1971 South Africa

Almost identical to the The Gentle People 45, wherein the A side is fairly commercial harmony pop and the B side has psychedelic characteristics including fuzz. I preferred this one just a bit more.

Own. Found at a local estate sale (2024). The Discogs image is our copy.

8/4/24

3.5

The Gentle People - Nothing's Impossible / Merlie. 1970 Zambia

The Gentle People were formed in Zambia and have at least one LP and five singles. This one doesn't seem to be too well known. The A side is mostly just pop fluff, not bad though. It's the B side that is intriguing. Has a nice chorus, fuzz, and some off-kilter keyboards.

Own. Found at a local estate sale (2024)

8/4/24

Shelton Kilby and Counterpoint - Fire and Rain / Colour of a Man. 197? USA

Early 70s styled hippy harmony kind of pop. Think the classic Coca Cola ad. Everything else Kilby has released goes for coin, but this one stays stubbornly cheap. Haven't heard the others, maybe they're way better musically. I doubt it, this one just got lost in the shuffle. Besides it's a nice piece of music even if it isn't really in vogue.

Own. Found at a local antique mall

7/13/24

3.5

Estelle Levitt – All I Dream / I Like the Way it Feels. 1968 USA

One of those accidental singles that catches the ear of the psych funk crowd. There's a mild groove to this, but the strings and pop crooning give it away that Levitt is seeking fame and fortune. I like her voice, airy and sweet. RYM has it as psychedelic folk, sure I'll bite. But it's not any of the above really. The way the compositions develop, I'd bet they came from the Brill Building factory.

4/3/24

The Cardboard Box - Come on Baby / Carol. 1969 USA-Pennsylvania

From Pottstown. A side starts off with a bit of distortion and moves into uptempo garage territory, with an almost funky beat. Good fuzz solo near the two minute mark. 'Carol' is a sleepy ballad. A side has been comped, so it's become sought after. 

1/23/24

August - All the Time in the World / Old Lady. USA-Boston

Pop / Bubblegum psych with light hard rock touches. Has some decent distorted soloing. Mostly unknown. Label is from Boston, so likely a New England based group. 

1/23/24

Grupo Miel - Get Down Tonight / Sombras de Colores. 1976 Chile

The first track is a cover of KC & The Sunshine Band. That's... interesting. Some cool Moog work though. The B side is intriguing. Starts off as a ballad and then goes into a prog direction with some fine guitar. Then back to more poppy material. Amazing a band like this could exist in Chile during Pinochet's reign. They don't appear to be political, so that probably helped. They were post Sacros.

3.0 / 3.5

12/30/23

The Free - Decision For Lost Soul Blue / What Makes You. 1968 USA-Detroit

Detroit based group, many consider the A side one of the high water marks of psychedelic, given its massive fuzz break about half way through. As a tune, it's pretty good, with a consistent tribal top beat. The other side is more friendly, with a hippie singalong style and some finger pickin' guitar. Given the major label exposure (was later issued on ATCO), this is one of those 45s you actually have a chance of finding in the wilds.

5/6/20 (first listen); 12/17/23 (review / new entry)

The Wanderers - On the Road / Sleepin' in the Sun. 1968 USA-Michigan

Garage band from Michigan, near Grand Rapids. Pretty typical garage sounds, not very adventurous for the psych era, though there are remnants of that on the a) side. B) is fairly poppy but pleasant. Decent period piece. There's a lot of info about the band here.

7/22/22

Bluewater - Dial "O" For Love / Wounded Knee. USA-Georgia

An interesting 45, Bluewater taps into that unique American pop sound of the late 60s and early 70s. If pressed, I'd say 1969 or 1970. The a) side has a cool funky rhythm, but is clearly slanted towards AM radio, borderline bubblegum. 'Wounded Knee' features a tribal funky wah wah backdrop, a somewhat exploitive sound of perceived Native American music. One pictures a bunch of white teenagers with headbands and war paint singing around the campfire. And drinking Coca-Cola. Which might not be far from the truth. There's no marking on this 45 anywhere, except for a one Harley Hatcher. Hatcher was a mover and shaker in the music industry, having run a couple of labels (i.e. Curb Records), and also being the primary composer for some screenplays and soundtracks. Most famously for The Wild Sounds Of Satan's Sadists, lionized later by Quentin Tarantino. This is where the Georgia reference comes from, though it's likely he was entrenched in Los Angeles by this point. Who Bluewater was is anyone's guess though. A true unknown.

Just noticed that there is a Bluewater band who performs on his 1971 soundtrack The Hard Ride. Discogs links it back to a band from 1977, but I think it's a different group. So my time frame looks pretty good here.

Ownership: SP: 19?? Double H (Harley Hatcher). Online acquisition (2020).

The labels shown here (from Discogs) look to be white, though mine is an light olive brown. Could just be the lighting, which is why I didn't add a separate entry. 

7/4/20 (first listen); 5/16/21 (review / new entry)

Keystones - I See the Face of a Lady / Here's My Heart. 1972 USA-Chicago

This obscure 45 from the Chicago area is mostly spacey pop psych with dreamy vocals. The a) side features harpsichord and organ over a drifty love song. The b) side opens with a fuzz chord that is repeated elsewhere, and has more of an organ presence. Similar song styles on each. Pity the guitarist never ripped off a solo, as the sound is delicious. Overall it sounds more like something from 1968 than '72, which might explain its total disappearance from the landscape.

Ownership: SP: 1972 Herbie. Online acquisition (2020).

5/18/20 (first listen); 3/7/21 (review / new entry)

Jr. & Punky Lee - Slippin' And Slidin' / How Does That Taste In Your Mind. 1971 USA-Los Angeles

How is this not more well known? The A side is bubblegum. It's decent, but not going to move the needle. It's the B side that you're going for here. It's every bit as good as the title suggests. Great 60s organ sound, with driving bass, and fuzz guitars. It's an instrumental track that moves in different directions and could be considered early progressive rock. The sound is late 60s, but the music is more forward thinking. A lot gets done in its allocated 2 and a half minutes. No idea where these guys are from. Never been comp'd either. Last of the great sub $10 finds...

Ownership: SP: 1971 Lionel. Recent acquisition in a bulk buy.

---

We have some more info from the producer: I produced and arranged How Does That Taste In Your Mind B side of Jr & Punky Lee. Thanks for the great review!!!

I was working with the band Storybook in the mid late 60's when they were approached by Dick Clark Productions to record a track for Psych Out Movie track. Nothing happened with their recording and were not picked up by DCP.

I went into the studio and recorded 5 tracks with them intending to put vocals on all the tracks. Most of the songs recorded I had written with Jeff Wayne, before he moved to UK and did Rock On with David Essex and War Of The Worlds which sold 3 million copies world wide. How Does That Taste was written with Dick Monda (aka Daddy Dewdrop and Jr.) & Punky Lee (who was his wife), whom I was writing with since Jeff Wayne was busy in UK.

Dick needed a b side for Slippin & Sliding . I had the track and the track with a scratch vocal of Dick doing the song which needed to be re done. Instead, I gave him the track for the production credit and half the publishing on the track.

Paul Robin

Here is some other stuff I wrote with Dick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCkcIw43dOA Collection Of Hearts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCgQdKpwioQ Spats - The Upsetter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9iMyIIOTcM The Novells 1968] Age Of Innocence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOGfGZp7BY0

More band information from Paul:

They were from San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles). The group included:

Dennis's Myers - Bass
George Cox- lead vocals
Jay Tressler- other guitar and vocals
Steve Bacon- keyboard and vocals
Ben Barrigan - Drums
Ron Brunswick - Guitar

5/9/20 (first listen); 9/20/20 (review / new entry); 12/24/21 (update)

The Essentials - Sunshine Baby / Freedom. 1970 USA-New York

The Essentials were from the Albany, New York area. The A side is pure sunshine popsike, and is lovely, if not way out of date for 1970. The flip is the complete opposite, and starts off with a wicked wah wah rhythm with more effects applied after. The vocals have turned bitter. Looks like the girlfriend didn't work out, and he's free! And then went on to take his anger out on the guitar. Timeless tactic. I would like to say this two sider is essential...

5/11/20

Virus - Le Temps de Vivre / Mary-Jeanne. 1973 France

'Le temps de vivre' is a silly French pop song (like really silly). 'Mary-Jeanne' is completely different, and shows that Virus were an atmospheric prog band at heart, calling on early Pink Floyd and the neighboring Krautrock scene. Hard to imagine it's the same band. It's like those crazy American 45's that have a fuzz blaster on one side, and then some hillbilly song or something nutty like that on the other. Would be most interesting if Virus recorded more that has yet to surface.

2/4/20