The Factory - Path Through The Forest/Gone

The Factory - "Path Through The Forest/Gone" (UK 1968)

I guess anyone who shares my love of British psych have heard of this 45. The group started out as The Souvenir Badge Factory, but shortened their name to The Factory and signed to MGM and then CBS. The group's members were Ian Oates (guitar and song), Jack Brand (bass and song) and Bill MacLeod (drums). 

"Path Through The Forest" is one of the greatest British psych/freakbeat songs ever, even if the extended version is way better in my opinion. (MGM didn't wanted to release that version, they thought it was too spaced out. You can still find it on Youtube - search for 'factory path through the forest extended'.) The song appears on complications like 'Chocolate Soup For Diabetics Volume 3' and 'Nuggets 2 (Disc 3)'.

The B-side, "Gone", is a cover of a Paul Revere & The Raiders-song (Originally 'Gone - Movin' On' from their LP 'Revolution!' from '67), and they completely freaked it out! Love it!

However, The Factory never got the big break, and probably because they were too late. Their both 45s should have been released in '67 instead of '68-'69.

Hear 'Path Through The Forest': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xMGH1Ue8UA

Hear 'Gone': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYAPDPr23Rg

Cool 60's promotional posters for British Invasion 45 RPM's

Kinks - A Well Respected Man

-----

Small Faces - My Mind's Eye

-----

Rolling Stones - Get Off of My Cloud

-----

Yardbirds - I Wish You Would

-----

The Who - I Can't Explain

-----

Animals - Baby Let Me Take You Home

-----

Spencer Davis Group - Somebody Help Me

-----

Moody Blues - Go Now

Things to Come - Sweetgina/Speak Of The Devil

Things to Come - Sweetgina/Speak of The Devil (US 1966)

Things to Come hailed from Long Beach, California. Their original lineup was Steve Runolfsson (vocals), Lynn Rominger (lead guitar), Larry Robinson (rhythm guitar), Russ Ward (drums) and Bryan Garofalo (bass), and they released three singles.

However, Runolfsson was fired after their first and best single, 'Sweetgina/Speak of The Devil'. With it's Farfisa organ, wheezing harmonica, fuzz guitar and Steve Runolfssons snotty, Van Morrison-esque vocals, 'Sweetgina' would probably be the result if you put 'Gloria' and 'Green Onions' in a blender. You can find it on 'Garage Beat '66 Vol. 2: Chicks Are For Kids'.

The B-side, Speak of The Devil, is also an masterful acid punk tune, that sounds like a meeting between Them and Iron Butterfly, and you can find it on complications like 'The Chosen Few Vol. 1' and 'Garage Beat '66 Vol. 6: Speak Of The Devil...' (Yes, they even named the complication after the song!).

Russ Ward would go on to a highly successful career as a session drummer under his real name, Russ Kunkel.

Things to Come at The Marina Palace, Seal Beach, where they were the house band.

Hear 'Sweetgina': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfgJU-CxaUw

Hear 'Speak Of The Devil': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jO0rN0GJmEY

Pandamonium - No Presents For Me/The Sun Shines From His Eyes

Pandamonium - No Presents For Me/The Sun Shines From His Eyes (UK 1967)

Pandamonium started out around 1963 as The Pandas, and after signing to CBS in 1966, they changed their name to Pandamonium and recorded a cover of Donovan's 'Season Of The Witch'. This single was followed up by what often is called the group's best record, 'No Presents For Me'.

'No Presents For Me' is, with it's backwards fuzz guitar and distortion, a pure psychedelic masterpiece. Recorded at Pye Studios, the single was released in 1967, and has, just like 'Baby Your Phasing Is Bad', been included on numerous 60s psych complications, such as 'Nuggets II' (Disc 4), 'Psychedelic Archives: UK Psychedelia Vol. 1' and  'Electric Sugarcube Flashbacks 1'.

The B-side, 'The Sun Shines From His Eyes', is as good as 'No Presents For Me', and has been included on 'Rubble 20: Thrice Upon A Time (Nothing Is Real)'. 

However, a disagreement with CBS led to that the group faded out in obscurity, and all their three singles are today very rare and sought-after.

Hear 'No Presents For Me': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF4sMWP45qo

Hear: 'The Sun Shines From His Eyes': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RFGVMOiQaw

Caleb - Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad/A Woman Of Distinction

Caleb - Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad/A Woman Of Distinction (UK 1967)

Okay, so this is some mega rare stuff we got here. It's also one of the greatest pieces of British psych ever. I bought a reissue of this 45 today, in a record store called Got To Hurry in Old Town in Sweden, which i can recommend if you happen to visit Stockholm. It's a great record store if you want to buy some 60s grooves.

As you can tell from the name, Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad has got that insanely psychedelic phasing effect that you can find on many other british late 60's psych records, such as 'Itchycoo Park' by The Small Faces and 'Pictures of Matchstick Men' by Status Quo. The song has been featured on many 60s psych complications such as 'Rubble Vol. 1 - The Psychedelic Snarl',  'Nuggets II' (Disc 2) and 'Chocolate Soup for Diabetics' (Disc 5).

The B-side, 'A Woman of Distinction', is also a great song, even if it might not is as good as 'Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad'. It is also avaliable on 'Rubble Vol. 1 - The Psychedelic Snarl'.


That the single hasn't gained more fame through the years is a mystery to me, since Caleb became a session musician later and worked with Elton John, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend etc. under his full name, Caleb Quaye.

Hear 'Baby Your Phrasing Is Bad': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGVOhGnut-4

Hear 'A Woman Of Distinction': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri1b9VvSoBM

The Beathovens - Summer Sun/Tramps

The Beathovens - Summer Sun/Tramps (Sweden 1966)

Swedish 60s pop was largely a sad mixture of embarrassing amateurism, lack of supporting ideas and mediocre knowledge of the English language. However, there were some great bands like Tages, The Namelosers, Ola & The Janglers, The Steampacket (introduced as Steampacket II in Britain to avoid confusion with the R&B group featuring Rod Stewart, Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll etc.), The Merrymen (No, not the calypso group) and The Beathovens.


This single of theirs, Summer Sun is simply pop perfection. With it's beautiful harmonies and chords, it's a perfect soundalike to The Kinks around Face to Face. This little group came from the small town Motala, on the eastern shore of the lake Vättern.  When they entered a contest in which Sweden's Beatles would be appointed, Tages won on the west coast and The Beathovens on the east coast. However, The Beathovens, mysteriously, never got the big break, and the highlights in their career was an appearance on the Swedish TV show Drop In and as an opening act for The Who in Örebro.

Hear 'Summer Sun': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-zpnvmOUsQ