lördag 30 juli 2011

Dreammakers: Les Baroques

Les Baroques "Working On A Tsjing-Tsjang / Dreammaker" Whamm 1967
Some people say that Holland band Les Baroques stopped making good records when original lead singer Gary O'Shannon (real name Gerard Shoenaker) left the group for military service in September 1966 and replacement vocalist Michel van Dijk joined instead. And true, the group never was the same without O'Shannon (even if i think van Dijk was a pretty good singer, actually), except for on this single.
'Working On A Tsjing Tsjang' features some nice acid rock guitar and savage, tortured vocals from van Dijk. Just one thing, isn't it meant to be "Chain gang"? Anyhow, the flip, Dreammaker, sounds like a somewhat blues-influenced pop song with some nice, slow keyboards that reminds me of The Pink Floyd's 'See Emily Play'. Now, my question is, is it about drugs? Listening to the spoken lyrics in the end, it sounds very much like van Dijk describes an LSD trip.

And i would also like to share some nice pictures of the group i found while just floating around on the internet some weeks ago.

Very early Baroques pic, probably late '64-early '65.
Promo shot, 1965.

Promo card for the "Such A Cad / Summerbeach" 45, 1965

Les Baroques rocking in 1965

Les Baroques rocking in 1965/66

Ad for the "I Know / She's Mine" 45, 1966

In the park with new vocalist Michel van Dijk, 1966

Backstage in late '66/early '67

Photo session, 1967

Without guitarists Hans van Emden and Frank Muyser; with new guitarist
Ferdy Karmelk, 1968. Around this time Les Baroques began falling apart.
Working On A Tsjing-Tsjang

Dreammaker

(ignore the weird promo clips)

Inga kommentarer:

Skicka en kommentar