'ALPHABEAT'
(Pop, Psych and Prog 1967 - 1970)
VINYL cat
no. LP: TSLP 001; CD: TSCD 001
Running Time just over 49 minutes.
LP has 12 page full colour booklet; CD has 24 page full colour
booklet
LPs have laminated 60s style wrapround sleeve and are pressed on
heavy vinyl
The Barrier - Foxy Lady | Graded Grains - On The Dole |
Graded Grains - Gabriel Says Yes | The Pathfinders - To Love Somebody |
The Pathfinders - Pumpkin Lantern | Graded Grains - Harry The Hermit |
Breakthru - Here Comes The End | Black Cat Bones - Warmth Of The Day |
Graded Grains - Animal Magic | Breakthru - Spoonful |
Mississippi - Mr Union Railway Man | The Barrier - Toad |
Unknown group - First Back From Heaven |
'Compiled and realised by
Nigel Lees (author of much of Record Collector magazine's long
running series 'The British Psychedelic Trip'), 'Alphabeat' marks
the debut release on his own label Top Sounds, a collection which
brings together 13 rare slices of pop,psychedelia and progressive
rock recorded during 1967 - 1970. Only 2 have appeared previously
on compilations, the remainder bar the obscure 1970 45 by
Mississippi have never been released and make their vinyl and CD
debut on 'Alphabeat'. All tracks have been professionally
restored and the release includes an informative and profusely
illustrated booklet which features histories of all the artists,
together with many photos which have never been published before.
The release has the blessing of at least one member of each group
and in some cases several, and is presented in authentic 60s
fashion with a laminated sleeve.
Many of the selections on 'Alphabeat' were not even known to
exist before the release of the compilation, and few connoisseurs
of obscure late 60s pop, psych and prog will be disappointed with
it's contents. Dubbed from a master supplied by a Belgian
television company 'Foxy Lady' and 'Toad' were recorded live at a
pop festival in mid 1968 and prove The Barrier to be as exciting
on stage as on their best singles from the same year, whilst
Mississippi impress with their heavy bluesy rock which is lifted
from their lone and very rare 45 from 1970. The pigeonholeing of
Breakthru as a lightweight pop act through their only single 'Ice
Cream Tree' is devastatingly dismissed by the unveiling of 2
incendiary slices of psychedelically inclined rock recorded at a
Birmingham studio in late 1967, and an unknown group who recorded
at R.G Jones' OAK studios sound uncannily like The Game 3 years
on with the slow burning 'First Back From Heaven'. The
Pathfinders' 'Pumpkin Lantern' has appeared before on
compilations on a number of occasions but thanks to the discovery
of another acetate copy, it's presented here in premium quality
together for the first time with it's previously ignored but very
special rendering of the Bee Gees' 'To Love Somebody'. Graded
Grains have presented psych collectors with a mystery and an
enigma since their acetate of 'Animal Magic' and ' Lucifer Sam'
was unearthed for 'Chocolate Soup For Diabetics' Volume 3 way
back in the early 80s, and such was their dogged obscurity that
some came to believe there was no such band called Graded Grains
at all. Top Sounds however are able to present 4 tracks recorded
on the continent in Paris in December 1969 which beautifully
exhibit authentic pop psych with a marked Barrett era Pink Floyd
influence, one of which is a later (and much cleaner!) take of
the famed 'Animal Magic'. And last but by no means least the
legendary blues band Black Cat Bones prove their versatility and
deliver an uptempo psych flavoured rocker called 'The Warmth Of
The Day',which aside from inclusion on a fairly recent bootleg
was only previously been available on the rare 1969 promotional
for the QE2 ocean liner'.
More details contact: Virginsleep@aol.com
29 Evelyn Avenue
Foleshill
Coventry
CV6 6EZ