And the sign said long-haired freaky people need not apply. If you were of cognition in 1971 you knew this line pretty damn well. Five Man Electrical Band’s “Signs” propelled the band into the national spotlight and engendered a youth protest against signs. Okay, not really, but it certainly did hold a message of inherent earthy freedoms and a sharp criticism of discrimination. While the hippie culture “died” in 1969, some elements did carry over in the 70s and this Canadian band’s symbolic piece’s success proved that protest against unjustifiable treatment was still ripe.
But let’s back up a little bit. “Signs” is widely viewed as a one hit wonder, and a gigantic one at that (one that reached #3 on Billboard Top 100, #1 in Australia for nearly two months, and went gold). The Five Man Electrical Band had been around for a while though and while they may never escape the one hit wonder crown, their history is still worth delving into.
The band formed in Ottawa in 1964 as the Staccatos and first gained recognition in 1967 when they recorded an album with The Guess Who. In 1968 the band was vocalist/guitarist Les Emmerson, bassist Brian Rading, keyboardist Ted Gerow, and drummers Rick “Bell” Belanger and Mike “Bell” Belanger. They released another album to no fanfare and attempted reviving their career in Los Angeles with a flop, “It Never Rains on Maple Lane.” The band changed their name and style, was dropped, was picked up – credit to the influential Dallas Smith here, and then finally released “Signs,” but originally as an unsuccesful B-Side. It was remarketed and then hit major success.
Let’s listen to the flop prior to the hit.
Okay it is not awful. It is Association-like pop music without a true hook to pull listeners in. That is probably why it didn’t meet success. The keyboard and harmonies are light-hearted and the lead vocal is smooth. It is definitely different from “Signs” which is more upbeat and rock-influenced.
More like this. “Signs” combines the elements of a succesful song. An excellent vocal combined with a catchy chorus. The song moves with an effervescent protest that is rich with strong harmonies and a smart lyric.
In celebration of the Spring equinox, I wanted to do an obscure classic rock post about a band that fit the Spring spirit. This clearly was not too difficult because this was the era of the flower child. After a few seconds of thinking I came up with the perfect melodious blend of music for this absurdly beautiful day in NYC. And, of course, I pick a song about going to San Francisco written by some chaps from Britain. Hey, didn’t you hear, we are going to San Francisco – but in this song you don’t have to wear a flower in your hair.
The Flower Pot Men
The Flower Pot Men may have created one of the most easy-going, light-hearted, songs of 1967, yet, because they were a band constructed of talented session musicians and didn’t stay together long, their name and this song have fallen into obscurity. But not to worry, there is still a strong coterie of individuals who remember and like the song enough to mention it, listen to it, and write about.
“Let’s Go to San Francisco” is the song I am obviously talking about. It was written and recorded by John Carter and Ken Lewis, who previously played in the Ivy League with Perry Ford – remember that song “That’s Why I’m Crying?” They were known as a pop-vocal band and that is what The Flower Pot Men was as well. Carter and Lewis, though, had no interest in promoting the song, so they hired a bunch of session musicians and vocalists to record the song. Tony Burrows led the group. The song kicked butt, as expected. This song was actually made fun of in Spinal Tap where the same-named band in the rockumentary had their first hit with the fictional song “(Listen to the) Flower People”
Harmony pop at its finest here folks. The hybrid call and response is magnificent – if you are into that type of thing of course. The song is upbeat but drawn out enough that you feel the musical saturation. You are doused with this Beach Boys’ like California (almost surf-like) beat that fits the title of the song perfectly. It is a relatively simple song and that is what makes it so excellent. We even get a Beach Boys breakdown (including some late 60′s instrumentation).
The band did not only release this hit. They attempted to strike it big again with “A Walk in the Sky” which for all intents and purposes is the same exact song. At around 54 seconds though something changes and it is remarkable. They actually progress years in their musical styling – from the inherently poppy early 60s pop to a late 60′s Pet Sounds like breakdown which is definitely the best part of the song. Check it out.
The Flower Pot Men would go on to change members (Jon Lord and Nick Simper of Deep Purple was actually in this band for a little while) and actually become the band White Plains that you may not have heard of but if you were around in 1970 probably heard this song.
It’s pretty much the same song as the other two with some strings and horns.
Zager and Evans represent one of the best examples of a 60s one-hit wonder. “In The Year 2525,” the repetitive, crescendoing, folk exploration of a future dystopia where humans are indolent and dependent on machines, was such a gigantic hit in the year 1969 that people still recognize it as one of the better folk compositions of the 60s in the year 2012.
Let’s give the song some credit. It claimed the #1 spot on the U.S. Hot 100 for six weeks. That is a difficult feat. It sold over four million copies in a year. To say things were looking up for the folk duo in 1970 would be an understatement. So what happened? Why did the duo not have another big hit. The answer to this question is simple. How about we take a look at the history of Zager and Evans prior to answering it?
Denny Zager and Rick Evans met at Nebraska Wesleyan University and founded The Eccentrics with drummer Danny Schindler. When Schindler left for Vietnam in 1965, the Eccentrics just became Zager and Evans, and the duo added bassist Mark Dalton and drummer Dave Trupp. The 2525 warning followed soon after. The song was actually written in 1964, but it was first released by Truth Records in 1968. It received a good amount of local radio play and then RCA signed the band and the song blew up.
Now, realistically, the advancements in technology that Zager and Evans talk of in the verses of the song - which gradually rise in close-to 1,000 year segments - could probably come to fruition prior to 2525 (to a point of course). I find it funny that they mention test-tube babies (nice premonition guys) for the year 6565, but a pill that does everything by 3535. Actually, there is a flaw in the lyric, because if there is a pill that controls everything you do in 3535, then why would you need to pick your baby in 6565 – the pill would just do it for you, right? Okay, I’ll stop my over-analysis now.
My favorite lyric from the song is the final verse:
Now it’s been ten thousand years, Man has cried a billion tears For what he never knew. Now man’s reign is through. But through eternal night, The twinkling of starlight, So very far away, Maybe it’s only yesterday
This final lyric suggests the circular nature of human existance. It’s creative and an excellent ending touch to the song.
Many people do not realize that Zager and Evans didn’t just record the apocalyptic classic and then stop making music. After the success of the song, the band released a follow-up single, “Mr. Turnkey,” a song about a rapist who nails his wrist to his prison cell because he is sorry for…wait, back up, what!?!
Yes, Zager and Evans followed up their cautionary tale of the future, with a slowed-down piece about a rapist. I don’t know why either. It also features one of the oddest descriptions of pulchritude in modern rock history, “she was lovelier than oil rights.” Take the melody, and it’s a beautiful song, but add the lyric, and it is disturbing (kind of Pink Floyd-esque with that). I have to think the release was a joke because if not, well, I just don’t know. The scary thing, though, is that the song is actually pretty good. Take a listen.
So why did the band not achieve any more success after “In The Year 2525?” Because of “Mr. Turnkey?” Well, I guess that it may have played a part. I think it is more because of how big of a hit “In The Year 2525″ was. It has difficult to follow up a first release that spends six weeks on the Hot 100 charts. But Zager and Evans should still be heralded for their release of one of the iconic songs of the late 60s, and a blatant song about a rapist.
Three months in 1966 sparked the progressive rock movement that flourished in the early 70s and gradually fizzled away (it has been revitalized recently by bands like Dream Theater). Obviously, this statement is completely subjective, so take my opinion for what it is. I also love how the founding year is 1966, and, as you know if you read the blog last week, I will be bringing back Music Court March Madness and we will all vote on the best album released in 1966 in a few weeks.
In May of 1966, The Beach Boys released Pet Sounds, and while this album is an early favorite (and a top seed) in the March Madness poll, it also was one of the first (if not first) Progressive Rock albums ever released.
Progressive Rock features creative arrangements, unusual blends of genres (like Jazz/Rock), eclectic (almost baroque) instrumentation, and classical constructions. The songs tend to be long, drawn out, and excellent if you have the time to lie on your floor, stare at the ceiling, and allow music to seep through your skin.
After the release of Pet Sounds (which most definitely pushed the Beatles even harder with their 1967 release about a pepper or something), Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention dropped Freak Out in June of 1966. This simply added onto Brian Wilson’s masterpiece. Then, in July, The Left Banke, a French-inspired New York baroque pop band, asked Renee to walk away (and a few months later they had a date with a pretty ballerina). The three months represented the inception of this new genre and it allowed a whole new stock of bands to flourish, including a mid-60s act from The Hague. A group of musicians who, while being one of the first progressive rock acts, is widely forgotten – until now!
Wait. A grand orchestral piece based on “Frere Jacques,” the old French lullaby. Back up.
Groep 1850 was formed in the Netherlands in 1964 as Klits. I think you can add them to the list of most influential Dutch musicians. A few others immediately come to mind. Golden Earring and Shocking Blue – you know, the band with the lead singer who proclaimed that she was your “pen” *cough* I mean “Venus!”
The original incarnation of the band is not important because they released their first single in 1966 with these members: Peter Sjardin (vocals, flute, organ), Ruud van Buuren (bass), Daniel van Bergen (guitar & piano), Beer Klaasse (drums) & Rob de Rijke (bass, flute). Yes, the drummer’s name was Beer. This line-up would change again in 1968, after the band went on hiatus for a year. Sjardin and Bergen remained, but they were now joined by Dave Duba, Dolf Geldof (bass), and Martin van Duynhoven (drums).
Peter Sjardin was of the first line-up and Daniel van Bergen the second. They can be viewed as constants. Let’s get to the music. The band started playing gigs in ’66 and became an underground sensation, even opening for The Mothers of Invention in 1967. In 1968, the band released their first full-length Agemo’s Trip to Mother Earth (picture above). The album cover actually had a 3-D sleeve and it included 3-D glasses (hence why it is today a tough find and BIG LP sell).
“Mother No-Head,” the esoteric piece above, is on that album. It was also released as the A-side of a single in 1967. In every sense of the word, the song is weird. After beginning with a drum beat straight out of Jazzy big band, and a bass/guitar riff from a spaghetti western, a chorus of monks provide background to a deep, unclear incantation. It’s a Dutch Western. Then a flute introduces something straight out of a cheeky British movie soundtrack before more odd vocalization. At around 1:15, I realized that the monks were humming the French lullaby and this made me smile. Then when a twangy guitar plucked the notes of the lullaby I was just flat-out grinning. This is just great! We get some nice keys before we fall back into the beginning (the fleeting flute still there). Why is the progressive? The flute, creative drumming, intricate track layering, and monk chanting.
Here’s another one from the band. “Misty Night” was the B-side of the band’s first single, released in 1966. This certainly feels more psychedelic (even garage) at the start. We get a reverberating (like SERIOUS reverb) guitar at the outset. I kind of like the vocal – despite the fact it is grunt singing at the start. The song then falls into a lull with the relaxed bass and humming.
Here is some more information about them. Click here.
Let’s set the scene. Mid 1960s, London. When you think of music during that time, genres like Merseybeat, Pop/Rock, and Blue-Eyed soul all come to mind. We’re thinking The Beatles, Gerry and The Pacemakers, Freddie and the Dreamers, and The Hollies. Genres quietly fuse, and when Beat music slowly died out, it was replaced quickly with edgier R&B bands like the Animals. It was easy to get lost in this fog of famous musicians. Enter the Quiet Five.
The Quiet Five was not always the Quiet Five. They formed as the Vikings in the early 60s, a group of musicians from Paddington. The original line-up was Kris Ife - Rhythm Guitar, John Howell – Clavioline & Guitar, Ray Hailey – Drums, Roger Mckew - Lead Guitar and Len Hooker – Bass. Len Hooker left soon after the band’s founding and was replaced by Phil Leavesley. The Vikings worked mainly as back-up musicians for various artists, even supporting the Beatles at Romford Odeon in 1963. In 1964, the Vikings were combined with a South London band called the Quiet Five, adopting their name in the process. Leavesley was replaced by Richard Barnes (bass guitar/vocals) and the band added saxophonist John “Satch” Goswell. This line-up of six individuals, despite their name, went on to record the band’s most known hit of their short career.
Ron Richards, the Hollies’ producer and the producer of “Love me Do”, heard Kris Ife’s composition, “When the Morning Sun Dries the Dew,” and thought he could turn it into a hit. The year was 1965, and the song did find its way into the top 50, one of two top 50 hits the band would have. It lacked staying power though and did not reach a larger audience. After a few failures and a record-label switch, the group ended its recording career.
It’s a shame that “When the Morning Sun Dries the Dew” has fallen into obscurity because the song is actually pretty good. It features an opening guitar riff, slow and intimate, almost like a slowed down Peter and Gordon riff (which you can say is a Lennon/McCartney riff). The song is different from a lot of the music being released in 1965. It’s sensitive melodies, airy acoustic riffs, sincere harmonies, and strung-out keys, make it sound a few years before its time. The song could have very well been released in 1968 and hit more popularity. The reason I say this is because it is certainly not R&B or Merseybeat – it simply lacks the speed of the time. It’s a wonderful piece and I hope that more people begin to recognize it as such.
I want to continue this exploration with the man in the photo above, Kris Ife. Ife, who wrote ”When the Morning Sun Dries the Dew,” went on to have solo career that included a recording of a cover of “Hush,” originally by by Joe South. “Hush,” of course, became a big hit for Deep Purple, but, apparently, Deep Purple was inspired to play the song after hearing Ife’s version.
And listen to that. While each preceding version is fast-paced and explosive, Ife adds harmony, which is one of the reasons why Deep Purple’s version is so great. The version is obviously not Hard Rock, but it definitely inspired Deep Purple’s heavy use of bass, tremendous soloing, and gritty performance.
Various members of the Quiet Five do still perform today. You can follow Kris Ife on his website and the band’s great tribute Facebook page
