The Caretakers of Deception

Last updated
The Caretakers of Deception
Origin Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres
Years active1966 - 1967
LabelsSanctus

The Caretakers of Deception were an American garage rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1966. Very little is known about the group itself, but their lone single "Cuttin' Grass" which was first noticed on the Psychedelic Disaster Whirl compilation album, is heralded as a classic of the 1960s garage rock era.

The Caretakers of Deception were formed by Thomas Charles Jones, a Los Angeles songwriter, when he was 17 years old. Nothing is known regarding the identities of the group's members themselves but Jones was the band's leader and primary songwriter. [1] [2] On his behalf, the band performed at local clubs that were a part of the city's psychedelic music scene such as the Seawitch and Brave New World. In 1967, Jones was approached by talent agent Larry Miller to record the Caretakers of Deception at a home studio in Topanga Hills. The group completed and released two Jones originals (who is credited as T. Jones on the single) "Cuttin' Grass" and "X + Y = 13" on Sanctus Records; the Caretakers of Deception disbanded soon after. [1] [2]

Although the "Cuttin' Grass" single did not create much interest outside Los Angeles, it received more attention when it was reissued on the Psychedelic Disaster Whirl compilation album in 1986. As "Cuttin' Grass" experienced a revival of interest, it has been acknowledged as a classic. [3] [4] In the UK, critic Dave Furgess, writing for the Head Heritage website, described the record as "one of the top 10 greatest USA 60's garage records of all time, right up there with classics by The Dovers, The Squires, Third Bardo, Human Expression and Calico Wall". [5]

Related Research Articles

Love (band) American rock group

Love is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965. Led by Arthur Lee, Love was one of the first racially diverse American rock bands. Their style, sometimes characterized as garage rock, folk rock, and psychedelic, drew from an eclectic range of sources including, blues, jazz, flamenco, and orchestral pop. In recent years, they have toured under the title of The Love Band or Love Revisited, with guitarist Johnny Echols as the only original member.

Garage rock is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is characterized by basic chord structures played on electric guitars and other instruments, sometimes distorted through a fuzzbox, as well as often unsophisticated and occasionally aggressive lyrics and delivery. Its name derives from the perception that groups were often made up of young amateurs who rehearsed in the family garage, although many were professional.

The Electric Prunes American psychedelic rock band

The Electric Prunes are an American psychedelic rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1965. Much of the band's music was, as music historian Richie Unterberger described it, possessed of "an eerie and sometimes anguished ambiance." It mainly consisted of material by songwriters Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz, though the group also penned their own songs. Incorporating psychedelia and elements of embryonic electronic rock, the band's sound was marked by innovative recording techniques with fuzz-toned guitars and oscillating sound effects. In addition, guitarist Ken Williams' and singer James Lowe's concept of "free-form garage music" provided the band with a richer sonic palette and exploratory lyrical structure than many of their contemporaries.

The Seeds American rock band

The Seeds were an American psychedelic garage rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The band's classic line-up featured frontman Sky Saxon, guitarist Jan Savage, keyboardist Daryl Hooper and drummer Rick Andridge. In 1968, the band changed their name to Sky Saxon and the Seeds, with Savage and Andridge departing the band. They went on to release a handful of additional singles, with Hooper also departing at some point before splitting up in circa 1972.

The Music Machine American rock band formed in 1966

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.

The Buckinghams American sunshine pop band formed in 1966

The Buckinghams are an American sunshine pop band from Chicago. They formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top-selling acts of 1967, charting their only five top 40 hits in the U.S. that year. The band dissolved in 1970, but re-formed in 1980 and as of 2019 they continue to tour throughout the United States.

<i>Love</i> (Love album) 1966 studio album by Love

Love is the debut album by the Los Angeles-based rock band Love; released in March 1966 by Elektra Records.

The Litter was an American psychedelic and garage rock band, formed in 1966 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. They are best remembered for their 1967 debut single, "Action Woman". The group recorded three albums in the late 1960s before disbanding, but they re-united in 1990, 1992, and again in 1998, when they recorded a new studio album consisting of both old and new material. All of their Minneapolis recorded material was produced by Warren Kendrick, who owned the Scotty and Warick and Hexagon labels.

The Three O'Clock is an American alternative rock group associated with the Los Angeles 1980s Paisley Underground scene. Lead singer and bassist Michael Quercio is credited with coining the term "Paisley Underground" to describe a subset of the 1980s L.A. music scene which included bands such as Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, Green on Red, the Long Ryders and the Bangles.

Nuggets is a series of compilation albums by Elektra Records, continued by Rhino Records.

<i>Pebbles, Volume 8</i> (1996 album) 1996 compilation album

Pebbles, Volume 8 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series; it is subtitled Southern California 1. The next CD in the series, Pebbles, Volume 9 also feature bands from Southern California; while Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 1, Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2, and Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 3 showcase music from Los Angeles specifically.

The Human Expression American garage/psychedelic rock band

The Human Expression was an American garage and psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles that released three well-regarded singles, and made additional demo recordings between 1966 and 1967.

<i>Acid Dreams</i> 1979 compilation album by Various Artists

Acid Dreams is an unofficial compilation album of American acid rock, garage rock and psychedelic rock songs recorded in the 1960s. It was originally produced in 1979 by a German record shop owner, inspired by Elektra Records' Nuggets series

We the People was an American garage rock band from Orlando, Florida, that was formed in late 1965 and professionally active between 1966 and 1970. Although none of their singles charted nationally in the U.S., a number of them did reach the Top 10 of the local Orlando charts. The band are perhaps best remembered for their song "Mirror of Your Mind", which reached the Top 10 in a number of regional singles charts across the U.S. during 1966. The song has subsequently been included on several compilation albums over the years.

Kevin Daniel Kelley was an American drummer, best known for his work with the rock bands the Byrds and the Rising Sons. Kelley also played drums for Fever Tree, although it is unknown whether he was an official member of the group or not. Kelley is the cousin of country rock pioneer and ex-member of the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Chris Hillman.

Pushin Too Hard 1965 single by The Seeds

"Pushin' Too Hard", originally titled "You're Pushing Too Hard", is a song by American rock group The Seeds, written by vocalist Sky Saxon and produced by Saxon with Marcus Tybalt. It was released as a single in 1965, re-issued the following year, and peaked at number 36 on the Hot 100 in February 1967 and number 44 in Canada in March.

The Mojo Men American rock band

The Mojo Men was an American rock band based in San Francisco. Formed in 1965, the group underwent several name and personnel changes until their 1969 breakup. Their highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 single was a cover of Buffalo Springfield's "Sit Down, I Think I Love You", which peaked at number 36 in 1967.

"Sit Down, I Think I Love You" is a 1966 song composed by American singer-songwriter Stephen Stills and originally recorded by American-Canadian rock band Buffalo Springfield. A cover version by The Mojo Men was released as a single in 1967 and reached the U.S. Top 40. Also that year, Australian band The Executives charted in their home country with their version of the song.

The Quiet Jungle

The Quiet Jungle was a Canadian garage rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1965. At the beginning of the group's recording career, they achieved success with pop and novelty songs. In addition, the band recorded cover albums for Arc Records before venturing into early elements of psychedelic rock with their best-known single "Ship of Dreams" in 1967. The Quiet Jungle released one more single later in the year before disbanding; however, more recordings are rumored to exist.

Leo and the Prophets American garage rock band

Leo and the Prophets were an American garage rock band formed in Austin, Texas, in 1966. Like their contemporary the 13th Floor Elevators, Leo and the Prophets experimented with psychedelic music and generated some controversary with their on-stage actions and attire. The band is best-remembered for their lone single "Tilt-a-Whirl", which also was subjected to scrutiny at the time of its original release on Totem Records in 1967. In more recent times, the song has been considered a classic of Texas garage music.

References

  1. 1 2 Bishop, Chris. "The Caretakers of Deception". Garage Hangover. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Thomas Jones". Scribd.com. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  3. Campbell, Brian. "Clinic: A Top 10 of Deranged Psychedelic Classics". Pitchfork . Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  4. "Classic Singles #14: Caretakers of Deception – Cuttin' Grass / X+Y=13 (1967)". Cosmic Mind at Play. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
  5. Furgess, David. "The Caretakers of Deception Cuttin' Grass/X + Y = 13" . Retrieved June 27, 2017.