"Smell of Incense" | ||||
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Single by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band | ||||
from the album Vol. 2 (Breaking Through) | ||||
B-side | "Unfree Child" | |||
Released | 1968 | |||
Recorded | 1967 | |||
Genre | Psychedelic rock | |||
Length | 2:23 (single version) 5:43 (album version) | |||
Label | Reprise | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ron Morgan, Bob Markley | |||
Producer(s) | Bob Markley, Jimmy Bowen | |||
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band singles chronology | ||||
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"Smell of Incense" is a song by the American psychedelic rock band the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, written by Ron Morgan and Bob Markley, and was released as a single on Reprise Records in 1968 (see 1968 in music).
An extended version of the song appeared on the group's third album, Vol. 2 (Breaking Through) , which was distributed prior to the single. [1] It is considered one of the pinnacles of the band's music catalogue, with it marked by Shaun and Danny Harris's breathy vocal harmonies, and the instrumental interplay between Morgan's distorted guitar-playing coinciding with Shaun Harris's heavy bass sound. Despite the heady atmosphere, the group insists the recording, along with their other self-penned material, was not composed under the influence of LSD. "Smell of Incense", like all of the band's releases, was commercially unsuccessful and failed to chart. The song was later reissued on Hallucinations: Psychedelic Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults in 2004. [2]
In 1968, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band was performing at a teen dance club in Dallas called LouAnns with the composition in their set list. A local psychedelic group, Southwest F.O.B. was opening for the band, and was so impressed by the song that they were motivated to record it themselves. [3] Their version was conducted in a similar musical style to its predecessor, but was considerably shorter in comparison to the original album version, with a run-time of two minutes and 40 seconds. Their version peaked at number 56 on the Hot 100. The group's version was also included on Southwest F.O.B.'s only album, Smell of Incense. However, the cover art sparked some controversary for its depiction of four nude women, resulting in many record stores refusing to stock the album. [4] The English band PICTURE CENTER covered the song in 1999 to the album "The Wonders of God's Heaven and Earth".
Chart (1968) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [5] | 56 |
The Music Machine was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1966. Fronted by chief songwriter and lead vocalist Sean Bonniwell, the band cultivated a characteristically dark and rebellious image reflected in an untamed musical approach. Sometimes it made use of distorted guitar lines and hallucinogenic organ parts, punctuated by Bonniwell's distinctively throaty vocals. Although they managed to attain national chart success only briefly with two singles, the Music Machine is today considered by many critics to be one of the groundbreaking acts of the 1960s. Their style is now recognized as a pioneering force in proto-punk; yet within a relatively short period of time, they began to employ more complex lyrical and instrumental arrangements that went beyond the typical garage band format.
Southwest F.O.B. was a 1960s psychedelic rock group from Dallas, Texas, now perhaps best remembered because it featured Dan Seals and John Colley, who later found great success as the duo England Dan and John Ford Coley. The Southwest F.O.B. also included Michael (Doc) Woolbright on the bass.
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (WCPAEB) was an American psychedelic rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. The group created music that possessed an eerie, and at times sinister atmosphere, and contained material that was bluntly political, childlike, and bizarre. Representing different musical backgrounds among band members, the group, at times, resembled a traditional Byrds-esque folk rock ensemble, but the WCPAEB also, within the same body of work, recorded avant-garde music marked by multi-layered vocal harmonies.
Volume 3: A Child's Guide to Good and Evil is the fourth album by the American psychedelic rock band The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (WCPAEB), and was released on Reprise Records in May 1968. By the time the group commenced recording Volume 3, guitarist Danny Harris had excused himself from the WCPAEB, reducing their numbers to a trio. As with the WCPAEB's earlier work, the album saw the band continue to blend psychedelic influences and complex studio techniques, and was marked by a bizarre fusion of innocence and malice in the band's lyrics. Volume 3 featured the WCPAEB's most ambitious music to date, and the striking cover art of John Van Hamersveld, yet it failed to sell in sufficient copies to chart nationally. In more recent times, the album has been considered the band's most accomplished work and a masterpiece of the psychedelic genre.
The Rationals were an American rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Triangle is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Beau Brummels. Produced by Lenny Waronker and released in July 1967, it was the band's first album to include songs that vocalist Sal Valentino and guitarist Ron Elliott composed together. The band incorporated fantasy elements and surreal characters into the album's song titles and lyrics, and worked with a variety of session musicians to create Triangle's psychedelic musical style. The Beau Brummels were reduced to a trio—Valentino, Elliott, and Ron Meagher—at the time Triangle was recorded, as former group members Don Irving (guitars) and John Petersen (drums) left the band following the release of the group's previous album, Beau Brummels '66.
"Good Time Music" is a song originally recorded by American pop rock band the Lovin' Spoonful in 1965. Written by John Sebastian, it appeared on the 1966 Elektra Records compilation What's Shakin'. Author Richie Unterberger characterizes the song as "a sort of manifesto of the group's optimism in its jaunty rhythms and celebration of the return of good time music to the radio."
Volume 2 (Breaking Through) is the third album by the American psychedelic rock group, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and was released in October 1967 on Reprise Records (R 6270 mono, RS 6270 stereo). At the time of recording, Michael Lloyd was not present so the group was reduced to Bob Markley and the Harris brothers, with additional uncredited contributions from Ron Morgan. On the back of original LP release appears 'Breaking Through' and the declaration: "Every song in this album has been written, arranged, sung and played by the group. No one censored us. We got to say everything we wanted to say, in the way we wanted to say it".
Part One is the second album by the American psychedelic rock group The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and was released in February 1967 on Reprise Records. It features compositions by Bob Johnston, Frank Zappa, Baker Knight, P.F. Sloan and Van Dyke Parks with input from studio drummer Hal Blaine. It has a song most well known as "Morning Dew" composed by Bonnie Dobson with arrangement by Danny Harris. This is the first album with input from guitarist Ron Morgan.
Where's My Daddy? is the fifth album by the American psychedelic rock group, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and was released in 1969 on Amos Records, which was owned by Jimmy Bowen. Amos Records signed them after Reprise Records dropped the band from their label following the commercial failure of their first three albums. It features compositions by Danny Harris, Michael Lloyd and Shaun Harris with lyrics by Bob Markley. On the original pressing, Lloyd's contributions were not noted on the back cover as a type of punishment by Markley for recent disagreements with each other. However, promotional copies do show Michael Lloyd's contributions noted on the back cover.
Robert H. Markley was an American singer-songwriter and record producer who co-founded the psychedelic rock band, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, in the late 1960s, and became one of the most controversial figures that emerged from the era.
Michael Jeffrey Lloyd is an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and musician. After working with Mike Curb, Kim Fowley and others in the mid-to-late 1960s on musical projects including the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and Steven Spielberg's first short film, Amblin', he became a producer of such teen idol pop stars as the Osmonds, Shaun Cassidy and Leif Garrett in the 1970s.
"The People in Me" is a song by the American garage rock band the Music Machine, written by Sean Bonniwell, and first released as a track on their debut studio album (Turn On) The Music Machine in December 1966 on Original Sound Records.
The Driving Stupid was an American garage rock band formed in New Jersey in 1966. The group issued one cult favorite single called "Horror Asparagus Stories" that is most known for its absurd lyrics and psychedelic instrumentals. Though short-lived, the band's sole release has been included on numerous compilation albums. Previously unreleased material by the band was also issued in 2002.
Garage Beat '66 Volume 3: Feeling Zero... is a compilation album featuring rare material recorded by American psychedelic and garage rock bands that were active in the 1960s. The album's contents are sourced from the original master tapes. It is the third installment of the Garage Beat '66 series and was released on April 27, 2004, on Sundazed Records.
"It's Cold Outside" is a song by the American garage rock band the Choir, written by member Dann Klawon, and first released on Canadian-American Records in September 1966. It was later re-released in 1967 on Roulette, with Dann's last name incorrectly spelled "Klawson". The song is considered a classic of the musical genre of garage rock, and became the group's only national hit. The song has since been featured on several compilation albums. At the time of the recording, the band consisted of: Wally Bryson - lead guitar, Dave Smalley - guitar/vocals, Dave Burke - bass, Jim Bonfanti - drums, and Dann Klawon - multiple instruments/vocals. The group changed members over the years, but Bryson, Smalley and Bonfanti would team up with songwriter Eric Carmen a few years later, and form the power pop group Raspberries.
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band Companion is a compilation album by the American psychedelic rock band the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (WCPAEB), and was released on Sunbeam Records on June 7, 2011. The album is a collection of demos, tracks that appear on early singles, and rare material that derive mostly from the group members' side-projects before, during, and after the WCPAEB's recording career.
Creation of Sunlight was an American psychedelic rock band formed originally as a cover group in Long Beach, California, in 1968. Though much of the group's history was initially unknown—even their name was obscured—overtime they have come to the attention of psychedelic music enthusiasts for their sole album, which was released in 1969. The Creation of Sunlight's sound incorporated different aspects of their California contemporaries, such as the cheery nuance of sunshine pop and harder-edge acid rock.
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