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TheCellarTapes · 04-27-2009, 03:17 PM

The Kaleidoscope - Tangerine Dream
(1967)

Tracks

1 Kaleidoscope
2 Please Excuse My Face
3 Dive into Yesterday
4 Mr. Small, The Watch Repairer Man
5 Flight from Ashiya
6 The Murder of Lewis Tollani
7 (Further Reflections) in the Room of Percussion
8 Dear Nellie Goodrich
9 Holiday Maker
10 A Lesson Perhaps
11 The Sky Children
12 Flight from Ashiya
13 Holiday Maker
14 A Dream for Julie
15 Please Excuse My Face
16 Jenny Artichoke
17 Just How Much You Are

Coming out of Acton in West London, The Kaleidoscope were initially signed to Fontana for 12 months in 1967. The story is that on listening to the band’s first set of sessions, Leslie Gould (MD of Fontana’s parent, Philips) was dismayed by the laxness of the label and demanded that The Kaleidoscope’s contract be extended for a further four years.

The Kaleidoscope on being signed got to work on their debut album, staying long into the night perfecting the sound and at the same time earning the reputation for being the hardest working band at Fontana. Despite the shaky start with the label, it became very apparent that the entire company had become slightly obsessed with The Kaleidoscope, indeed championing them as the sound of tomorrow.

Despite a couple of initial singles doing nothing in the charts, the label pushed ahead and quite rightly released The Kaleidoscope’s debut album in November 1967; Tangerine Dream was and still is nothing short of brilliant. The band was rightfully delighted with the record, the label was smitten with it and disc jockeys couldn’t get enough of it. Yet like so many bands on The Cellar Tapes, the album is now largely forgotten and cast to the crates for the collectors.

So what does the sound of tomorrow sound like in 1967, a year which afterall gave us Piper at The Gates and Sgt Pepper? Well Tangerine Dream is certainly just as special and due to its whimsical and fairytale like nature, it does stand away from these two other seminal releases from that year.

When you listen to the truly beautiful Sky Children and the equally lovely Dear Nellie Goodrich, you cannot help but sit there in a cold sweat mulling over why this band is not held in the same esteem as some of their more illustrious peers.

This album in my eyes is the standard for what people consider to be British Psychedelia, its nonsense that hardly anyone knows this fact. All the songs are lovingly produced with excellent orchestral arrangements, whimsical lyrics, gorgeous harmonies and easily accessible music experimentation. From Dive into Yesterday, Flight from Ashiya and Dream for Julie, the material here really does stand the test of time.

After the release The Kaleidoscope toured and toured and toured, crisscrossing Europe, all the while receiving the staunch backing of the label and critics alike, but still sales were low. It was at this point that the label suggested maybe a single should be written and released quick, and despite the band not necessarily being tuned to that style of writing, a belting single was indeed released Jenny Artichoke. The stations once again lapped it up, but yet again it failed to sell.......WHY???

But thankfully this failure stopped with the public, Fontana sanctioned a second LP, the equally brilliant Faintly Blowing. As I said in the review for that album, as music lovers we do have the power to readdress these crimes of history; it is no exaggeration to say that The Kaleidoscope has proven with this debut and their follow up, that they no doubt deserve your attention at the next possible opportunity, spread the word.

04-27-2009, 03:17 PM	#7 (permalink)
TheCellarTapes Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 490	The Kaleidoscope - Tangerine Dream *(1967)* Tracks 1 Kaleidoscope 2 Please Excuse My Face 3 Dive into Yesterday 4 Mr. Small, The Watch Repairer Man 5 Flight from Ashiya 6 The Murder of Lewis Tollani 7 (Further Reflections) in the Room of Percussion 8 Dear Nellie Goodrich 9 Holiday Maker 10 A Lesson Perhaps 11 The Sky Children 12 Flight from Ashiya 13 Holiday Maker 14 A Dream for Julie 15 Please Excuse My Face 16 Jenny Artichoke 17 Just How Much You Are Coming out of Acton in West London, The Kaleidoscope were initially signed to Fontana for 12 months in 1967. The story is that on listening to the band’s first set of sessions, Leslie Gould (MD of Fontana’s parent, Philips) was dismayed by the laxness of the label and demanded that The Kaleidoscope’s contract be extended for a further four years. The Kaleidoscope on being signed got to work on their debut album, staying long into the night perfecting the sound and at the same time earning the reputation for being the hardest working band at Fontana. Despite the shaky start with the label, it became very apparent that the entire company had become slightly obsessed with The Kaleidoscope, indeed championing them as the sound of tomorrow. Despite a couple of initial singles doing nothing in the charts, the label pushed ahead and quite rightly released The Kaleidoscope’s debut album in November 1967; Tangerine Dream was and still is nothing short of brilliant. The band was rightfully delighted with the record, the label was smitten with it and disc jockeys couldn’t get enough of it. Yet like so many bands on The Cellar Tapes, the album is now largely forgotten and cast to the crates for the collectors. So what does the sound of tomorrow sound like in 1967, a year which afterall gave us Piper at The Gates and Sgt Pepper? Well Tangerine Dream is certainly just as special and due to its whimsical and fairytale like nature, it does stand away from these two other seminal releases from that year. When you listen to the truly beautiful Sky Children and the equally lovely Dear Nellie Goodrich, you cannot help but sit there in a cold sweat mulling over why this band is not held in the same esteem as some of their more illustrious peers. This album in my eyes is the standard for what people consider to be British Psychedelia, its nonsense that hardly anyone knows this fact. All the songs are lovingly produced with excellent orchestral arrangements, whimsical lyrics, gorgeous harmonies and easily accessible music experimentation. From Dive into Yesterday, Flight from Ashiya and Dream for Julie, the material here really does stand the test of time. After the release The Kaleidoscope toured and toured and toured, crisscrossing Europe, all the while receiving the staunch backing of the label and critics alike, but still sales were low. It was at this point that the label suggested maybe a single should be written and released quick, and despite the band not necessarily being tuned to that style of writing, a belting single was indeed released Jenny Artichoke. The stations once again lapped it up, but yet again it failed to sell.......WHY??? But thankfully this failure stopped with the public, Fontana sanctioned a second LP, the equally brilliant Faintly Blowing. As I said in the review for that album, as music lovers we do have the power to readdress these crimes of history; it is no exaggeration to say that The Kaleidoscope has proven with this debut and their follow up, that they no doubt deserve your attention at the next possible opportunity, spread the word.