This page is dedicated to the selection of bands whose only release was just the one single, in some cases information is scarce but we're always looking to updating this page so if you was in any of these groups please get in touch, without your help we're none the wiser. Please contact us with groups we've not included! |
The Accent - Red Sky At Night / Wind of Change (Decca F 12679) 1967
Classic psychedelia, great guitar work with a nice eerie sound. Found on Rubble Six : The Clouds Have Groovy Faces
The Actress - It's What You Give / Good Job With Prospects (CBS 4016) 1969
Both sides have been compiled, the top side appeared on the Perfumed Garden Three CD whilst the back side was given an airing on the third Circus Days compilation
Aquarian Age - 10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box / Good Wizard Meets Naughty Wizard (Parlphone R 5700) 1968
This was Twink and Junior from Tomorrow. Twink would later re-record this song for his Think Twink album in 1970. Can be found on Rubble Three : Nightmares In Wonderland and Psychedelia At Abbey Road. More recently the top side can be found on the self-titled Tomorrow re-issue
Alan Avon & The Toyshop - These Are The Reasons / A Night To Remember (Concord CON 005) 1970
Obscure 45 from 1970, has recently been compiled on Hens Teeth volume one. Don't get confused with the act, The Toyshop as there is no connections. Alan Avon still records to this day
Bamboo Shoot - The Fox Has Gone To Ground / There and Back Again (Columbia DB8370) (See Memory Box below)
Far too complex for the buying public even in 1968, can be found on Rubble Three : Nightmares In Wonderland
MEMORY BOX
Hi. I
was drummer and writer of the lyrics of the Bristol-based band, Bamboo
Shoot. Your review comments are spot on....."The Fox Has Gone to
Ground" was not only "...way too complex" for the
buying public in 1968, but in fact the lyrics got the BBC so worried
about what they thought was the drug/psychedelic content of the song
that they finally banned it. This nearly caused a riot in Bristol because
it was originally released as part of the University "Rag
Week" and all sale proceeds were being given to
charity. I can see why the BBC thought it was about drugs, but
the truth is I was reading Chinese poems from the Tang Dynasty of China
in translation at the time, so for the lyrics I tried to alternate
lines like "...The evening crows are in flight, the messengers
forlorn..." from that era with lines that had a more
contemporary urban feel. In the "Gregorian" chant, I was
having a go at the High Church, mixing it up with a bit of T.S.Eliot's
"The Waste Land". I think your description "way too
complex" is pretty polite under the circumstances!
John
Peel played "The Fox Has Gone To Ground" on his
weekly show for, I think, eight weeks running before it was banned,
which I was told then was his longest ever run. Recording it
was fun because we were given the vast no. 1 studio in Abbey Road
where the Beatles did their recording. George Harrison strolled in to
watch us and he spent some time chatting with us between takes. He was
rehearsing another band in a small studio and invited us in to watch
later. I was amazed to see him simulating the sound of complex foot
patterns on bass drums by beating with sticks onto orchestral kettle
drums (timpani?) which were covered with carpets to muffle the
sound. The tricks of the trade! If our B-side sounds a little
rushed, it was. We actually wrote it ["There and Back
Again Lane"] in our hotel bedroom that night and recorded it next
day.
Cheers, I appreciate your enthusiasm. John Bott |
Boeing Duveen & The Beautiful Soup - Jabberwock / Which Dreamed It (Parlophone R 5696) 1968
Probably the only doctor to make a record, step forward, Dr. Sam Hutt who was descibed as a "house physician in a hospital on the south coast". Recorded for the Parlophone label. Compiled on Rubble Fourteen : The Magic Rocking Horse whilst the flip can be found on The Perfumed Garden Three
The Brain - Nightmare In Red / Kick The Donkey (Parlophone R 5595) 1967
This was actually Giles, Giles and Fripp recording more madness and mayhem and again can be found on Rubble Three : Nightmares In Wonderland
Caleb - Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad / A Woman of Distiction (Phillips BF 1588) 1967
Great vocal effects from Caleb Quaye who later worked with Elton John. The top side appears on Rubble Four : The 49 Minute Techincolour Dream whilst the back side appears on Rubble One : The Psychedelic Snarl
The Chances Are - Fragile Child / What Went Wrong? (Columbia DB 8144) 1967
The top side was featured on Rubble Three : Nightmares In Wonderland
Curiosity Shoppe - Baby I Need / So Sad (Deram DM 220) 1968
Not much to go on here except these were from Liverpool. Compiled on Rubble Fourteen : The Magic Rocking Horse & The Psychedelic Scene
Dantalion's Chariot - The Mad Man Running Through The Fields / The Sun Came Bursting Through My Clouds (Columbia DB 8260) 1967
Even Zoot Money got caught up with the times, together with future Police man Andy Summers they mastered up one of the classic psych singles from the late sixties. Suggestions were that their live light shows were to better Pink Floyd. Compiled many times on Chocolate Soup and Rubble Eight : All The Colours of Darkness. Tenth Planet later issued the compilation Chariot Rising, later to be re-issued on sister label Wooden Hill
Dry Ice - Running To The Convent / Nowhere To Go (B&C CB115)
This single caused a bit
of a stir in the 'industry' at the time because it was released
on Island`s B&C label which was a ska & bluebeat label.
The album was never released but had Ian McDonald (King Crimson)
on flute guesting & Jimmy Page offered his services for free
after a chance meeting at a Lyceum all nighter. In an earlier
incarnation Dry Ice played above the bill to both Bowie &
Bolan at Middle Earth In 1970 Paul Gardner formed Pluto with Alan
Warner from The Foundations & that album plus 2 singles were
re-released in 1989 on See for Miles. The picture is from Beat
Instrumental, October '69.
Clockwise from top left, John Gibson..bass, Terry Sullivan..drums, Jeff
Novak..vocals, Paul Gardner..guitar, Chris
Hyrenwicz..guitar
Felius Andromeda - Meditations / Cheadle Heath's Delusions (Decca F 12694) 1967
'With the death of my comprehension, my heart is lost in my mind's redemption' boasts the lyrics, Inspiration came in a church!! This total freak-out can be found on Rubble Eleven : Adventures In the Mist and more recently on The Psychedelic Scene
Focal Point - Love You Forever /Sycamore Sid (Deram DM 186) 1968
Liverpool band of which Brian Epstein chose their name, the B-side is worth checking out and can be found on Deram Dayze, more info HERE
Focus Three - 10,000 Years Behind My Back / The Sunkeeper (Columbia DB 8279) 1967
Nothing really strange here, you'll find it on Rubble Three : Nightmares In Wonderland
Fox - Hey! Mr. Carpenter / Seek and You Find (CBS 3381) 1968
This lot have nothing to do with the group who recorded the excellent album For Fox Sake for Fontana in 1970, check out both sides on Rubble Seventeen : A Trip In A Painted World. Apparantly, their stage act caused some raised eyebrows up and down the country, number written by Nicky James with ex-Traffic man, Dave Mason guest-starring on sitar, released on the CBS label
Fresh Windows - Summer Sun Shines / Fashion Conscious (Fontana TF 839) 1967
The flip side was originally found on the first volume of Chocolate Soup but strangely omitted from the CD release and hasn't been compiled any where else
Friends - Piccolo Man / Mythological Sunday (Deram DM 198) 1968
A one off project from The Ivy League. Can be found on Deram Dayze
The Fut - Have You Heard The Word / Futting (Beacon BEA 160) 1971
The Fut's line-up included Steve Kipner, Steve Groves, Maurice Gibb & Billy Laurie (Lulu's Brother). The story is that Maurice had signed Groves & Kipner to a production deal and was producing them under the name of "Tin Tin" (they had a 1973 hit in the States with "Toast and Marmalade for Tea'). At this session Maurice brought along a bottle of whiskey, they got a bit drunk and all four stood around a mike and did a beatles p*ss-take, it was never meant to be released but it was
Hush - Elephant Rider / Grey (Fontana TF 944) 1968
You'll be looking for the B-side on this single, blisting guitar work. To quote Rubble One : The Psychedelic Snarl (of which this track can be found) : ....But since, to quote the Rubble sleeve-notes, this is another "Crack out a B side in the next 10 minutes whilst I have a fag in the corridor" effort the effect is still shattering. Only known line-up details are Peter, Geoff, Chris, John and Mac. Also found on the Chocolate Soup CD. The A-side is also worth checking out, sounds like the second line-up of Manfred Mann. There must be someone out there with more detail, step forward members of the Hush!
Ipsissmus - Hold On / Lazy Woman (Parlophone R 5774) 1969
The A-side is the song that both Sharon Tandy & Fleur de Lys and Ruperts People covered. Can be found on Rubble Eleven : Adventures In The Mist
Medium - Edward Never Lies / Colors of The Rainbow (CBS 3404) 1968
Four piece group, line-up: Mick Gower, Alan Williams, John Richardson and Ian Leighton. Called themselves the Medium because of their keen interests in spiritualism! During the photo session, the group took an unrehearsed dive into the river Thames and apparantly had to be rushed to hospital! Recorded for CBS. Check out Circus Days Vol.3
Mirror - Gingerbread Man / Faster Than Light (Phillips BF 1666) 1968
The B-side, again to be found on Rubble One : The Psychedelic Snarl can be correctly termed as freakbeat. In 1986 Bam Caruso issued a 4 track 12" entitled Reflected Glory which was unreleased actetates. More info: HERE
Moles - We Are The Moles / We Are The Moles (diff. version) (Parlophone R 5743) 1968
Simon Dupree & The Big Sound are responsible for this one. This was quite a novelty disc and has it's psychy moments. Produced by George Martin. Can be found on The British Psychedelic Trip Vol.2
Norman Conquest - Two People / Upside Down (MGM MGM 1376) 1967
Not a group, this is a solo artiste by the name of Paul Puig (see picture). Both sides of the record were written by John Pantry, and his band recorded the backing. Paul was under the same management as Pantry, namely Eddie Tre-Vett who in the late sixties took on several artistes, check this on Rubble Eight : All The Colours of Darkness
Orange Seaweed - Stay Awhile / Pictures In The Sky (Reflection RS 5) 1970
Both songs have been compiled on the Rubble series, The top side appears on vol.10 Professor Jordan's Magic Sound Show whilst the B-side appears on vol.7, also the same name of the album
Oscar Bicycle - On A Quite Night / The Room Revolves Around Me (CBS 3237) 1968
Worth checking out is the B-side which has it's freakier moments, this can be found on Rubble Seventeen : A Trip In A Painted World
Our Plastic Dream - A Little Bit of Shangrila / Encapsulated Marigold (Go AJ 11411) 1967
Two psychedelic gems on offer here with the B-side slightly the winner, worth obtaining and both can be found on Rubble Fourteen : The Magic Rocking Horse
Paper Blitz Tissue - Boy Meets Girl / Grey Man (RCA RCA 1652) 1967
Adapted from the TV show of the same name and written by Ron Grainer (of whom also wrote the theme tune to The Prisoner), nice period slice of late sixties psych and featured on the Chocolate Soup CD
The Parking Lot - World Spinning Sadly / Carpet Man (Parlophone R 5779) 1969
Ballad that can be found on Rubble Two : Pop Sike Pipe Dreams
The Plague - Looking For The Sun / Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (Decca F 12730) 1968
Line-up: Ken Ali, Russ Harness, Will Dale and John Truelove. A press statement mentioned the group were all keen dog lovers and they took their pets all over the country to gigs! Can be found on Rubble Eleven : Adventures In The Mist and The Psychedelic Scene, the flip can be found on Voyage Through The Sugarcube
Portobello Explosion - We Can Fly / Hot Smoke and Sasafras (Carnaby CNS 4001) 1969
This was a later incarnation of The Mirage. The recent Mirage compilation of the band features both sides of this single
Pregnant Insomnia - Wallpaper / You Intrigue Me (Direction 58-3132) 1967
Not much to go on here except they were from Dublin
Pudding - Magic Bus / It's Too Late (Decca F 12603) 1968
Cover of The Who's classic single, released before Townshend & company went into the charts with a slightly different version a year later. Can be found on Rubble Six : The Clouds Have Groovy Faces
Rifkin - We're Not Those People Any More / Continental Hesitation (Page One POF 071) 1968
Worth obtaining if only for the B-side which is a great slice of pop / psychedelia, not compiled as yet which is very surprising
Rings and Things - Strange Things Are Happening / To Me To Me To Me (Fontana TF 987) 1968
The A-side was the obvious inspiration for the title of the short lived magazine from Bam-Caruso Records. Can be found on Rubble Four: The 49 Minute Techincolour Dream
The Score - Please Please Me / Beg Me (Decca F 12527) 1966
This lot were responsible for a very strange cover of The Beatles second single. It also throws in Shapes of Things and Satisfaction rifts along the way. Compiled on Rubble Five : The Elecric Crayon Set and Chocolate Soup vol.2
The Sea-ders - Thanks A Lot / Undecidedly (Decca F 22576) 1967
Originally from Lebanon, worth checking out on Rubble Sixteen : Glass Orchid Aftermath
Societie - Bird Has Flown / Breaking Down (Deram DM 162) 1967
Often mistaken as a Hollies single, the only connection being that it was produced by Allan Clarke and has Hollies style harmonies. Can be found on Deram Dayze and The Psychedelic Scene
Strawberry Children - Ma-Mari-Huana / Off 1967
Five piece group of German origin. Compiled on Rubble Fourteen : The Magic Rocking Horse
The Sub - Love Years Coming / One Stands Here (Liberty LBF 15012) 1967
To quote Rubble Fourteen : The Magic Rocking Horse (where this can be found) : 'Probably not a group at all - but a frigment of Jim Webb's imagination with a suitably cobbled together session group'
Tickle - Subway (Smokey Pokey World) / Good Evening (Regal Zonophone RZ 3004) 1967
Rare single by the band who would eventually become Juniors Eyes and record the excellent Battersea Power Station LP for Regal Zonophone. Rumours have it that the band recorded five tracks and let their fans choose the best two for a single. Great guitar work and distorted vocals, one of the best psychedelic singles from 1967. Both sides have been compiled and can also be obtained as bonus cuts on Battersea Power Station
Tintern Abbey - Beeside / Vacuum Cleaner (Deram DM 164) 1967
One of the best examples of Uk Psychedelia with memorable lyrics such as 'Fix me up with your sweet dose, I'm feeling like a ghost'. Gets an good airing on Chocolate Soup vol.1; The British Psychedelic Trip vol.1; The Psychedelic Scene and Rubble Twelve : Staircase To Nowhere, more info: HERE
Tempus Figit - Come Alive / Emphasis On Love (Phillips BF 1802) 1969
Lengthy single that came to light on Rubble Four : The 49 Minute Technicolour Dream. Produced by Jason Crest & Open Mind producer Fitz Fryer.
Turnstyle - Riding A Wave / Trot (Pye 7N 17653) 1968
Great pop sounding with this extremely rare single. Can be found on Rubble Ten : Professor Jordan's Magic Sound Show
23rd Turnoff - Michael Angelo / Leave Me Here (Deram DM 150) 1967
Liverpool band named after the 23rd turnoff the M6 which leads you to Liverpool. The top side featured in Mojo magazine's top 100 psych sounds and can be found on Rubble Twelve : Staircase To Nowhere; The Psychedelic Scene and Deram Dayze. The B-side can be found on The British Psychedelic Trip Vol.1. Check out "The Dream of Michaelangelo" (the legendary '66/'67 recordings on RPM)
Velvet Hush - Broken Heat / Lover Please (Oak RGJ 648) 1968
Rare single released on the Oak label, the flip gets an airing on Tenth Planet's 'The Story of Oak Records'
Village - Man In The Moon / Long Time Coming (Head HDS 4002) 1969
Featuring Peter Bardens, veteran of Them and Shotgun Express. Full of wah-wah guitar work, the group split shortly after this release
The Voice - The Train To Disaster / I'm In A Fix (Mercury MF 905) 1967
When compiled for the first time on the Chocolate Soup For Diabetics, the introduction is that of the same as the Crazy World of Arthur Brown's 'Fire' but seeing as this single came out a year previous you won't find this on the single if you are fortunate to find it. Great top side however which opens the Choc Soup CD version
Thanks to Paul Gardner (Dry Ice) and Paul Puig (Norman Conquest) for info and pictures