The first Psychedelic song?

Unknown Soldier · 03-17-2012, 06:18 PM

I think on deciding which was superior in the 1960s British or American psychedelia its really case of apples or oranges, or tea or coffee. Personally I feel the American bands that did psychedelia Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and the Fish and Moby Grape etc really embraced that 1960s west coast hippy culture that went hand in hand with psychedelia and the Byrds Fifth Dimension probably kicked off the whole psychedelic genre anyway. I think Byrd's David Crosby summed it up nicely and said it was music for "cool cats"

Now whilst the British bands matched the American ones in terms of quality, they really jumped onto a music fad in psychedelia and I think they saw it as an exciting genre to explore.

**Janszoon** · 03-17-2012, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

I think on deciding which was superior in the 1960s British or American psychedelia its really case of apples or oranges, or tea or coffee. Personally I feel the American bands that did psychedelia Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and the Fish and Moby Grape etc really embraced that 1960s west coast hippy culture that went hand in hand with psychedelia and the Byrds Fifth Dimension probably kicked off the whole psychedelic genre anyway. I think Byrd's David Crosby summed it up nicely and said it was music for "cool cats"

Now whilst the British bands matched the American ones in terms of quality, they really jumped onto a music fad in psychedelia and I think they saw it as an exciting genre to explore.

Personally, I think the British bands, in general, did more with the genre. They made music that actually sounds psychedelic to me, unlike so many American bands which just sound like they're playing long, meandering folk music. The funny thing is that there was great trippy American music coming out at the time, it's just that it was jazz and as such wasn't really part of the psychedelic scene.

Unknown Soldier · 03-17-2012, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

unlike so many American bands which just sound like they're playing long, meandering folk music.

Its sounds like you've been listening to the Grateful Dead.

**Janszoon** · 03-17-2012, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

Its sounds like you've been listening to the Grateful Dead.

**Goofle** · 03-17-2012, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

Its sounds like you've been listening to the Grateful Dead.

Was about to post this

Electrophonic Tonic · 03-19-2012, 07:41 PM

The two I probably think of would be 'You're Gonna Miss Me' and 'I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night'. There were songs before them with psychedelic elements, but those two are the first ones that are unquestionably psychedelic for me.

Metanoia · 03-21-2012, 02:10 PM

Maybe it's impossible to find out what the first "real" psychedelic song was because there were so many different bands all making trippy stuff all around the same time.

I'm just trying to figure out whether or not psychedelic music was around before the 1960s.

And as for British psychedelic vs. American psychedelic, i've never really thought about it before but I guess there are some differences between the two. Not sure if I can say I prefer one over the other, although my favorite psychedelic band would have to be The Jimi Hendrix Experience, which is interesting since Jimi was American but the other band members were British I do believe.

bazooka · 03-27-2012, 07:03 PM

I'm A Man - The Yardbirds (1964)

Big Ears · 05-04-2012, 03:45 PM

Here is Syncopation by Tom Dissevelt:
Psychedelic ?

Hesitation Blues by Holy Modal Rounders (1964)
Psychedelic Folk

Still I'm Sad by The Yardbirds (1965)
Psychedelic Rock

NYSPORTSFAN · 09-16-2012, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metanoia

I have searched all over the internet trying to find out what the first "real" psychedelic song ever recorded was. I have also been trying to discover what the roots of psychedelic music are and as to whether psychedelic music as we know it today existed sometime before the 1960's.

The earliest song I have come across that sounds psychedelic-ish is Syncopation by Tom Dissevelt which apparently was recorded sometime between 1957-1959. I don't know much about this song other than it sounds way ahead of its time, it has a very progressive/electronic feel to it which I did not know existed during the 1950's.

If anyone out there could give me more information about this subject then it would really make me happy! I am new to this forum and I look forward to seeing all of your answers.

-Metanoia

Syncopation by Tom Dissevelt sounds ahead of it's time and never heard it before but it's not psychedelic music.

As for psychedelic rock the early ones like "Eight Miles High" and "Shapes of Things" had strong raga influences but they weren't trying to put into record what the the psychedelic experience was. The first song I know of intentionally that does it is the Beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" based on Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. They basically put on record musically what the psychedelic experience was. If "Tomorrow Never Knows" isn't the first intentional psychedelic rock song it certainly put that kind of music in the publie eye.

03-21-2012, 02:10 PM	#17 (permalink)
Metanoia Groupie Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 4	Maybe it's impossible to find out what the first "real" psychedelic song was because there were so many different bands all making trippy stuff all around the same time. I'm just trying to figure out whether or not psychedelic music was around before the 1960s. And as for British psychedelic vs. American psychedelic, i've never really thought about it before but I guess there are some differences between the two. Not sure if I can say I prefer one over the other, although my favorite psychedelic band would have to be The Jimi Hendrix Experience, which is interesting since Jimi was American but the other band members were British I do believe. Last edited by Metanoia; 03-22-2012 at 02:44 PM.

05-04-2012, 03:45 PM	#19 (permalink)
Big Ears Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Hampshire, England Posts: 434	Here is Syncopation by Tom Dissevelt: Psychedelic ? Hesitation Blues by Holy Modal Rounders (1964) Psychedelic Folk Still I'm Sad by The Yardbirds (1965) Psychedelic Rock Last edited by Big Ears; 05-04-2012 at 04:01 PM.

03-19-2012, 07:41 PM	#16 (permalink)
Electrophonic Tonic Your Ad Here Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: The Twilight Zone Posts: 876	The two I probably think of would be 'You're Gonna Miss Me' and 'I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night'. There were songs before them with psychedelic elements, but those two are the first ones that are unquestionably psychedelic for me.

03-27-2012, 07:03 PM	#18 (permalink)
bazooka Groupie Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 8	I'm A Man - The Yardbirds (1964)