Mutual Understanding is a musical unit from Toronto, Canada. They weren't actual a band but rather a musical collaboration involving local Toronto session musicians, arrangers & producers. They recorded one standard soft sunshine pop album in 1968, "In Wonderland," as well as a Christmas album in 1970. They also released 3 singles.
Second Hand, originally called The Next Collection in the mid-1960's, then Moving Finger, was an obscure British progressive psychedelic band active from the late 60's to early 70's. They eventually changed to their final name of Second Hand as their Moving Finger name conflicted with another more popular UK band, The Moving Finger. The name change to Second Hand was in reference to the fact that all their gear & instruments had been purchased used. The band released one obscure, considered by many a psych masterpiece, album "Reality" on Polydor in 1968 (early copies were credited as Moving Finger) & another in 1971 before calling it quits.
RECOMMENDED SONG: The World Will End Yesterday (play song below)
The Muffets, a garage band with psychedelic leanings, began in 1966 calling themselves the MoJo's based out of St. Albans & Hurricane West Virginia (USA). As the Mojo's they released one uninspired single. In 1967 they relocated to Columbus, Ohio & changed their name to The Muffets. As The Muffets, their musical output was limited to just two singles in 1968 & 1969 which went largely unnoticed. They eventually changed their name to A.G. Pyme Muffet Company. From there they recorded nearly an album's worth of material, most of which was never released (except for one more single). They finally renamed themselves Stone Jaw before disbanding in 1970.
The KFRC Fantasy Fair & Magic Mountain Music Festival was held June 11 & 12, 1967. It was originally schedule to begin 8 days earlier but was delayed due to poor weather.
610 Top-40 AM radio station KFRC in San Francisco organized the event including the lineup of musicians (total of 34 solo & group acts) to perform, both locally grown & from outside the region.
The event was held at the Sidney B. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre on the face of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California. Though the venue only seated 4,000 people, upwards of 40,000 people actually attended the two-day concert. Tickets were $2 with all proceeds donated to the nearby Hunters Point Child Care Center in San Francisco.
Jefferson Airplane
There was no parking at the event as the Panoramic Highway (leading up to the venue) had been closed to traffic. Instead all musicians & attendees had to be shuttled up the mountain from nearby Mill Valley on what was called "Trans-Love Bus Lines." It's said that those who missed the buses could catch a ride on the back of one of the Hells Angels Harley motorcycles. NOTE: Though the Hells Angels were not officially hired by the organizers, they were asked to help with security as they saw fit.
The event is believed to be the first large-scale multi-act outdoor rock music event (in the USA & the World). Nowadays they are better referred to as "rock festivals." It was also the first in a series of 1967 San Francisco area "Summer of Love" cultural events. NOTE: The better known (and larger) Monterey International Pop Festival occurred one week after this event.
The Byrds
As with most early festivals during the "hippie" era between 1967 & 1970, safety and crowd behavior was favorably reviewed by the press (some later festivals, such as Altamont, had crowds considered more unruly and rowdy). For the most part attendees at this festival are said to have left the event fairly free of garbage, much like they had found it.
There were two stages for the performers, the main stage for top acts & a smaller stage for lesser known musicians.
The Doors
The list of performers were as follows:
Saturday, June 10:
The Charlatans
Mount Rushmore
Rodger Collins
Dionne Warwick
*The Doors
The Lamp of Childhood
Canned Heat
Jim Kweskin Jug Band
Spanky and Our Gang
Blackburn & Snow
The Sparrows
Every Mother's Son
Kaleidoscope (US, not the UK band)
The Chocolate Watchband
The Mojo Men
The Merry-Go-Round
* NOTE: This was The Doors first large show, occurring as their first hit single, "Light My Fire," was rising to the top of the charts.
Sunday, June 11:
Jefferson Airplane
The Byrds w/ Hugh Masekela
P. F. Sloan
Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band
The Seeds
The Grass Roots
The Loading Zone
Tim Buckley
Every Mother's Son
Steve Miller Blues Band
Country Joe and the Fish
Sons of Champlin
The 5th Dimension
The Lamp of Childhood
The Mystery Trend
Penny Nichols
The Merry-Go-Round
New Salvation Army Band
NOTE: The Sidney B. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre is still active today. It's unique because the seats are actually rocks - therefore standing the test of time.
Montage was formed in 1967 by The Left Bankes' singer/songwriter Michael Brown, who hired four relatively unknown New Jersey musicians to fill out the band. Though Brown wasn't technically a member of Montage, he did contribute piano and organ as well produce & write most of the music to their one & only 1969 self-titled album. Many say that if The Left Banke had made a second album, it would have sounded like this. Montage can best be described as a baroque pop vocal group with impressive harmonies & lush orchestrations.
RECOMMENDED SONG: I Shall Call Her Mary (play song below + lyrics)
Mid Day Rain, appropriately hailing from notoriously rainy Portland, Oregon (USA), released just one single in 1970, "Welcome to the Rain" b/w "Friday Mourning." Both songs, though technically categorized as "Sunshine Pop," can best be described as lyrically gloomy, yet musically lush & dreamy with true summer vibes.
RECOMMENDED SONG: Welcome to the Rain (play song below)
Michele (full name Michele O'Malley) was a originally a member of Ballroom/Millennium & a session vocalist for Curt Boettcher's Sagittarius project. Curt, known as a quintessential sunshine pop producer & arranger for many well known summer-of-love era artists, was heavily involved in Michele's lone late 60's solo album "Saturn Rings." The album, shunned at the time of its release, was an unfairly ignored psychedelic, folk masterpiece & is today regarding as a hard-to-find collectible.
RECOMMENDED SONG: Lament of the Astro Cowboy (click below to hear song)
The MC Squared (also sometimes spelled The M.C.²) was a pleasant sounding west coast Los Angeles, USA sunshine pop band. Sounding a bit like a mix between Mamas & Papas & Jefferson Airplane, MC Squared released four singles (and one unreleased album) from 1967 to 1968 to little notoriety. Finally, in 2012, a proper album release, "Tantalizing Colors: The Reprise Recordings," would finally compile all of the bands' singles, their unreleased album + 8 bonus tracks, finally giving them the recognition they never achieved in the late 1960's.
Mandrake Paddle Steamer was an obscure, mysterious, London (UK), progressive, psychedelic-rock group mostly active from 1967 to 1970 (though various versions of the band existed until 1972). Their music can best be described as heavy on Hammond & fuzzed out guitar with powerful vocals. Though primarily a European & UK touring band, they did release one single during their tenure. It wouldn't be until well into the new century until a worthy compilation album of rarities, outtakes, demos & remixes would surface, finally revealing "what could have been."
RECOMMENDED SONG: Stella Mermaid (song video below)
Love Sculpture were a rock & blues (with a hint of psychedelia) band from Cardiff, Wales, formed in 1966. Led by future famous musician Dave Edmunds, the band was known for their revved-up cover versions of other artists' songs. After their first album, they would released the sped-up single "Sabre Dance," which reached #5 in the UK, thanks to promotion from popular British DJ John Peel. In all they recorded 3 peel sessions in 1968 & 1969. What followed was a US recording contract with London Records & the release of their 2nd and final album, which failed to produce a follow-up hit. The band split up in 1970 after a US tour. Leader Dave Edmonds went on to have a lengthy successful solo career as well as being the leader of the band Rockpile.
RECOMMENDED SONG: In the Land of the Few (song video + lyrics below)
The Love Generation was a quintessential southern California vocal sunshine pop band. They could be described as a "poor man's Mamas and Papas," which isn't necessarily a bad thing. During their time together from 1967 to 1969 they released 3 wispy, but delightful sounding albums and numerous singles. Commercial success was limited, partially due to the fact that they did not like to tour.
RECOMMENDED SONG: Groovy Summertime (song video + lyrics below)
The Love Children were an obscure, cheerful, singles-only UK harmony pop band from the late 60's to early 70's. They released three 45's, all failing to chart.
Louise, from Surrey, England, was a very short-live eccentric psychedelic band. They formed in 1966 & broke up the year after. They only recorded two songs which were released on a 45 single, both (especially Toymaker Shop) arguably being some of the most psychedelic music ever created. The songs were recorded on a Revox half-track reel to reel tape machine in early 1967. Their music, deemed "a bit too crazy" from one A&R executive, most likely prevented the band from getting a permanent recording contract.
RECOMMENDED SONG: Toymaker Shop (song video below)
Lexington Avenue (originally known as The Plague) was a short-lived Thunder Bay, Canada band formed in 1967 & disbanded in 1968. During this time they released 3 pleasant 'Sunshine Pop' sounding singles.
The Lemon Fog were one of the first American garage rock/psychedelic rock bands from Houston, Texas. They began in 1963 as a surf rock/soul pop band called the Bar Eights. By 1965 they changed their name to Lemon Fog and eventually went on to release 2 singles in 1967 and 1968. They broke up in 1970. As with many singles-only bands of the era, it would be several decades later (2011) that we would finally see the release of "The Psychedelic Sound Of Summer With The Lemon Fog," a compilation of singles, outtakes and demos, which aroused interest in the band.
RECOMMENDED SONG: Echoes of Time (song video below)
The Lemon Drops, from Illinois, USA, were established by seven High School students in 1966. While active they released three singles in 1967, garnering regional success & airplay around Chicago. By 1968, record companies were expressing an interest in the band. The first offer by Uni records was refused by the band. The second deal couldn't be completed because the label Buena Vista went bankrupt before signing. Finally a third attempt went awry when the band would partake in an acid party the night before contract signing. However it would take nearly two decades before a compilation album of singles, rarities, outtakes and demos would re-invigorate interest in the band. Today the Lemon Drops are highly praised by record collectors.
Lazy Smoke was a psychedelic rock band from Haverhill, Massachusetts, formed in 1967. The band garnered some attention due to lead vocalist John Pollano sounding eerily similar to John Lennon. Their one-and-only album, 'Corridor of Faces,' was released before their breakup in 1969. The album, who's songs seemlessly weave into one another, is considered by many to be a psych masterpiece. With only 500 copies pressed, the record has become a prized possession amongst collectors.
Kaleidoscope (US band, not to be confused by the UK band of the same name), was a psychedelic folk & ethnic (middle eastern influenced) band based in Los Angeles, California. They self-proclaimed themselves as a democratic band, one without a "leader." From 1966 to 1969, they released four albums (one reaching #139 on the billboard charts) and 5 singles. It's said that Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page once referred to Kaleidoscope as his favorite band of all time. Members of the band reunited and recorded albums twice, in 1976 & 1990.
RECOMMENDED SONG: Keep Your Mind Open (song video below + lyrics)
Kaleidoscope (UK band, not to be confused by the US band of the same name) was an English psychedelic rock & pop band from London. Having released several melodic singles & two albums from 1967 to 1969, they received critical acclaim but overall poor sales. In 1970 they changed their name to Fairfield Parlour with similar praise & further lack of results. A third previously unreleased F.P. album was finally issued in 1990. They disbanded in 1972.
RECOMMENDED SONG: Kaleidoscope (song video below + lyrics)
Heavy on flange & quite trippy at times, July was a very British sounding psychedelic rock & pop band from London, active between 1968 & 1969. They began in the early 1960's as The Dreamers (soon thereafter renamed The Tomcats), influenced by the Everly Brothers & The Shadows. As July, they had virtually shed 100% of their roots and gone completely psychedelic! Their 1 album & 3 singles (all released in 1968) failed to chart & the band broke up in 1969. They briefly re-formed in 2009. In recent years, their records have become increasingly sought after by record enthusiasts.
Recommended Song: I See (song video below + lyrics)
.jpeg)
