Rocking Horse Rocks

 

I'm on vacation this week touring the thrift and record shops. Tom took me to Protean Books & Records today and I found two great records...

The Magic Rocking Horse compilation of rare psychedelia opens up with the titular track by Pinkerton's Assorted Colours. I recognized many of my favorite bands on this album such as The Syn and Rupert's People (no, not a reference to the customers of Normals Books and Records) who we were just listening to in the car on another comp, Looking at Pictures in the Sky. Score!

The cherry on top was when Tom showed me this Care Bears record at the last minute. Little did he know I've have been searching for this for years, because all the songs were written and produced by two members of The Turtles, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan! They also wrote the theme song to the original Strawberry Shortcake cartoon. 

Collecting vinyl? Been there, done that. Collecting VHS? Now we're talking! I spent last year searching for a VCR and finally found one for free on the streets. I love collecting rare cartoons. I find them for free at The Book Thing, or less than a dollar at the thrift stores. This week we found tons of fun stuff!

Finally, funny album cover art of the comic book style on a compilation that was not so psychedelic.

Let's Go to the Hop Part 2

 

The seasonal sale of records, CDs, tapes, and more that takes place at Peabody Heights Brewery was going on today so I stopped by to search for rare psychedelic... Ran into my coworker and musical mentor Tom Warner and his wife Amy there too where we all had a laugh over these albums...

Always a sucker for a novelty children's record, I nabbed these two albums to add to my collection. The Annie soundtrack and a creepy children's tv show host from the 60's - 70's...

The seller (not to be confused with Peter Sellers) recommended the soundtrack to controversial 60s classic movie The Party. My coworker Tom's favorite movie! He was jealous he didn't buy the record himself. Oh well, he was late to the party...

Adding to my newfound obsession with Sunshine Pop from the 60's and 70's, The Clique featuring old favorites Sugar on Sunday (I had only heard the Tommy James version...) and Holiday which I only knew as a baroque pop staple on Bee Gees First...

And in the dollar bin, a 45 of Clinging Vine by Bobby Vinton that I grabbed because it reminded my of a lyric in Forest Full of Love by Dwayne Hickman "You say that you are true to me and always will be mine. But I just keep remembering that you're no clinging vine..."

More Rare 1960's Sunshine Pop Psychedelic Compilations

Almost half a year has passed since I decided that 2022 would be psychedelic, too! In my never ending quest to mine music of the rare 60's sunshine pop sound, I enjoyed listening to more new compilations this month. Read on for my recommendations...

Treacle Toffee World: Further Pop Psych Sounds from the Apple Era

The sequel to An Apple a Day, which condenses Good as Gold Apple Records eighty-two  track collection of songs from the vaults. This follow up features more songs from Good as Gold such as Listen to the Sky by Sands, Penny for the Wind by Denis Couldry & Smile (which was on Piccadilly Sunshine: Part 17 and played on last week's Psych Out radio show by Charlie Stinchcomb), and How Does it Feel? by The Iveys.

 

Try a Little Sunshine: The British Psychedelic Sounds of 1969

This treasure trove of feel-good psych pop sound takes its name from the song by The Factory, and has mellow music such as What a Groovy Day by Harmony Grass, Just What I Was Looking For Today by The Spectrum, Magic Car by Edwards Hand, and Mindless Child of Motherhood by Ewans Stevens, originally by The Kinks. Obviously, it's on the Cherry Red Records label so you know it's good! No Reason by Shere Khan is on here too, which I had previously discovered on the mod compilation Portobello Explosion.

 Sixties Pop

Another treat from Cherry Red Records. Don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is a mainstream chart toppers collection from the era. With a focus on mod and reggae from the UK, the best bands on the mix are Gnomes of Zurich playing Please Mr. Sun and Publicity Girl following Robb & Dean Douglas' Gentle People and I Can Make It With You.

Looking at the Pictures in the Sky: The British Psychedelic Sounds of 1968

Another fun-filled collection of rare sunny psychedelic with many overlapping song from Good As Gold, this set contains Children of Tomorrow by Mike Stuart Span, Bluebell Wood by Wimple Winch,  She by Tuesday's Children, Sycamore Sid by Focal Point, and Birthday by Peter and the Wolves.

Come Join My Orchestra: The British Baroque Pop Sound 1967-78

This auditory cabinet of curiosities is perfect for exploring the more refined side of British psychedelia. For fans of The Zombies Odessey & Oracle and Bee Gees First Album, this collection of musical masterpieces such as Sticks and Stones by Warm Sounds, Charlotte Rose by Majority One, Strange People by Bachdenkel, and If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind by Edwards Hand conjures up imagery of sunshine and rainbows.

Butterfly Ballads

Walking through the psychedelic colored rowhouses and gardens of Charles Village in the spring and seeing butterflies drift by puts me in the mood for these spring songs...

Beautiful Butterfly - Baldwin

"Let me be your happy butterfly after which the children run..." This wonderful song was discovered on the highly recommend Piccadilly Sunshine compilation.

Butterfly Baby - Bobby Rydell

"Butterfly baby.... don't fly around..." Fun fifties teen pop about a social butterfly girlfriend who gets around!

Butterfly - The Hollies

"We met on the shore of a lemonade lake...Butterfly, flutter by, butterfly by..." A slower paced song by the hitmakers known as the Hollies!

Butterfly of Love - Bob Lind

"I chased the bright elusive butterfly of love..." 60s singer Lind sings of longing for love.

Butterfly - Fox

"Butterfly, yeah....show your glory like a peacock..." Discovered this gem on the Psyched Out radio program by Charlie Stinchcomb.

Let's Go to the Hop...

Oh baby, let's go to the hop...

Went to the record bazaar at Peabody Heights Brewery for my birthday today. The once a month event promised a selection of the finest vinyl, CDs, tapes, 8-tracks and more! 

The first thing I found was the follow-up comp of Frat Rock, a record I discovered through the library featuring all 60s party songs. The second one the series, Son of Frat Rock was the ultimate discovery.."How much?" I asked the vendor. He looked at it quizzically and said "How the hell did I end up with that? One dollar..." Maybe we can use it as a peace offering to the noisy neighbors at Gilman House?

Browsed a few more stalls and nabbed The Turtles, Manfred Mann, The Who, and The Lovin' Spoonful. I wasn't sure if I wanted that one at first, and hemmed and hawed over buying it...did you ever have to make up your mind?

Attempting to look slightly seventies in my new shirt...

  I wasn't totally digging on the selection so I decided to go around the corner to Normal's Books and Records where I ran into the gang- Chris Stadler, a periodicals person who was dropping off magazines and Tom Warner with his wife Amy! Twas there I found two rare comps: Bubblegum Hits Volume 2 and Mod Meeting 4!

Piccadilly Sunshine

 

The quest to source psychedelic pop music from 1960s Britain continues as I exhausted the Good As Gold Artefacts of the Apple Era compilation last month and wondered, what to listen to next? Then I discovered the 20 disc set Piccadilly Sunshine: British Pop Psych and Other Flavors, featuring fun songs with less of a freakbeat/garage sound than similar comps. I spent all day working through the first three discs, I'll be working my way through this most of the month of March! Below is a small sampling of the series...

I Could Make It There With You - March Hare

Ex members of band The Koobas reunite to record this 1969 single!

Two Sugars - Matthew Bones

Another one for the high tea playlist, along with Peter and Gordon's Sunday for Tea and Blossom Toes Late For Tea, this sweet single is where it's at!

Flower Power - Mud

Future glam rockers captured the mood of the flower child scene of the late 60s in this song!

Weedy Wild Weekend

 

Saturday's Child - The Monkees

Last snowy Saturday of the season and the end to the first month of the new year, and so far 2022 is psychedelic too! Getting the wild weekend started on Saturday morning by sleeping in exactly one hour!

Tuned into 90.5 WKHS The Coach while walking to Normals to pick up the latest issue of Ugly Things and saw Chris Stadler sweeping snow outside with James, the employee of the shop. 

Oh this day in rock n roll, Jon Swift of the infamous San Francisco band The Icky Boyfriends was born now, everyone go wish him an icky birthday!