The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band Companion | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | June 7, 2011 | |||
Recorded | 1960 - 1971 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 1:13:56 | |||
Label | Sunbeam | |||
Producer | Steven Carr | |||
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band chronology | ||||
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The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band Companion (sometimes known simply as 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.
A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work, but may be collected together as a greatest hits album or box set. If from several performers, there may be a theme, topic, time period, or genre which links the tracks, or they may have been intended for release as a single work—such as a tribute album. When the tracks are by the same recording artist, the album may be referred to as a retrospective album or an anthology.
Psychedelic rock is a diverse style of rock music inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, which is centred around perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, most notably LSD. Many psychedelic groups differ in style, and the label is often applied spuriously.
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.
All of the tracks featured on Companion were previously released, although a number of them had never appeared on a commercially accessible album. The first nine tracks, devoted to early projects instigated by Bob Markley as the lead vocalist and record producer, hold insight into the unusual self-appointed frontman's musical style. [1] Perhaps more intriguing are the bands formed by Michael Lloyd and Shaun and Danny Harris—the young masterminds behind the group's enigmatic leader—whose recordings would sometimes manifest themselves on WCPAEB albums and later solo careers. The Laughing Wind, the folk rock predecessor "discovered" by Markley prior to the band's formation, reveals a more embryonic version of what the group would develop into. [2] [3]
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.
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer either leads the vocal ensemble, or sets against the ensemble as the dominant sound. In vocal group performances, notably in soul and gospel music, and early rock and roll, the lead singer takes the main vocal part, with a chorus provided by other band members as backing vocalists.
A record producer or music producer oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performer's music, which may range from recording one song to recording a lengthy concept album. A producer has many, varying roles during the recording process. They may gather musical ideas for the project, collaborate with the artists to select cover tunes or original songs by the artist/group, work with artists and help them to improve their songs, lyrics or arrangements.
The tracks "Sassafras" and "I Won't Hurt You", both from the band's first album Volume One ("Sassafras" only appears as a bonus track on the 1997 reissue of the album), are credited to the WCPAEB. [4] Companion unexpectedly concludes with the avant-garde electronic tune "Leiyla and the Poet" by experimental composer Halim El-Dabh. The album also features an informative booklet with rare photographs of the band members. [5]
Volume One is the first album recorded by the psychedelic rock band the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. It was first released in 1966 on the small FiFo Records label. It was reissued in both compact disc and vinyl in 1997 by Sundazed. The album features covers of pop classics such as Richard Berry's "Louie, Louie" and the Kinks' "You Really Got Me". The songs mellow out into a blues/folk style with covers of Bob Dylan songs.
Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of experimentation or innovation in its field, with the term "avant-garde" implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original elements, and the idea of deliberately challenging or alienating audiences.
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments and circuitry-based music technology. In general, a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means, and that produced using electronics only. Electromechanical instruments include mechanical elements, such as strings, hammers, and so on, and electric elements, such as magnetic pickups, power amplifiers and loudspeakers. Examples of electromechanical sound producing devices include the telharmonium, Hammond organ, and the electric guitar, which are typically made loud enough for performers and audiences to hear with an instrument amplifier and speaker cabinet. Pure electronic instruments do not have vibrating strings, hammers, or other sound-producing mechanisms. Devices such as the theremin, synthesizer, and computer can produce electronic sounds.
Electroacoustic music is a style of Western art music which originated around the middle of the 20th century, following the incorporation of electric sound production into compositional practice. The initial developments in electroacoustic music composition to fixed media during the 20th century are associated with the activities of the Groupe de Recherches Musicales at the ORTF in Paris, the home of musique concrète, the Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR) studio in Cologne, where the focus was on the composition of elektronische Musik, and the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center in New York City, where tape music, electronic music, and computer music were all explored. Practical electronic music instruments began to appear in the early 1900s.
Halim Abdul Messieh El-Dabh was an Egyptian American composer, musician, ethnomusicologist, and educator, who has had a career spanning six decades. He is particularly known as an early pioneer of electronic music. In 1944 he composed one of the earliest known works of tape music, or musique concrète. From the late 1950s to early 1960s he produced influential work at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center.
Flow Motion is the eighth Can studio album, and features the UK hit single "I Want More".
"Lucifer" is a song written by Bob Seger featured on the album Mongrel. It reached #84 on the Pop Singles chart in 1970. Many Seger fans consider this to be one of Seger's best. Ben Edmonds, in his review of Mongrel, called "Lucifer" "easily the strongest cut on the record, and a great song in its own right. It's simple, straightforward rock: the band shows a clear comprehension of the song's rhythmical movement." The Bob Seger System performed this song on the TV show Upbeat, which was a syndication of musical performances taped at the WEWS studios in Cleveland, Ohio, with host Don Webster. A clip of the song was used in the sixth season finale of Entourage, episode "Give a Little Bit."
Nuggets, Vol. 9: Acid Rock is a compilation album released by Rhino Records. It's the ninth in its series of twelve albums highlighting various music genres.
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.
Volume 2 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. 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".
"Heya" was a 1969 international hit song by J.J. Light, stage name for Navajo singer Jim Stallings, who played bass on several Sir Douglas Quintet albums. "Heya", with B-side "On the Road Now", was released in Germany as Liberty catalog number 56111. Stallings studio band included Larry Knechtel on keyboards, guitarists Gary Rowles and Ron Morgan, and drummers Earl Palmer and Jim Gordon. The song begins with a Native American-like chant and reflects Stallings' ancestry.
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.
Markley, A Group is the sixth and final album by the American psychedelic rock group, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, and was released in 1970 on Forward Records, owned by Mike Curb. In this case, the album was released under another group name, Markley A Group, as decided by the group owner, Bob Markley. It features compositions by Danny Harris, Michael Lloyd and Shaun Harris with lyrics by Bob Markley. The content is simple and soft, reminiscent of the band's earlier work. Lyrically, however, the band was continuing the trend set by Where's My Daddy?, in which they describe class resentment, paranoid psychedelia, and an unsettling interest in young girls. Although Shaun Harris creates compositions for the album, he only appears on "Outside/Inside". After this album, like those before it, failed to achieve success, the band ceased to exist.
Michael Jeffrey Lloyd is an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and musician. After working with Mike Curb, Kim Fowley and others in the mid and 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.
"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. An extended version of the song appeared on the group's third album, Vol. 2 , which was distributed prior to the single. 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.
The Fire Escape was an American psychedelic rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1967. Existing mainly as a studio group composed of unknown session musicians, the band was masterminded by record producer Kim Fowley and Michael Lloyd. The project produced one album called Psychotic Reaction, which contained mainly cover versions of popular songs from the era. It is reported that Sky Saxon of the garage rock band, the Seeds and Mars Bonfire of Steppenwolf, played on some of the tracks.
Shaun Harris is an American musician best-remembered as the bassist of the psychedelic rock band the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band (WCPAEB). Throughout his music career, Harris worked closely with Michael Lloyd on projects outside the WCPAEB including the Rogues, California Spectrum, and Brigadune. In 1973, he recorded a self-titled solo album on Capitol Records.
FiFo Records was an American record label established by singer-songwriters Bob Markley and Baker Knight in Los Angeles, California, in 1961. Following Markley's unsuccessful stint with Warner Bros. Records as a solo artist, he teamed up with Knight, a co-writer on both of Markley's two singles, to found the label, which recorded a variety of pop, R&B, and folk musical acts. FiFo is best-known, however, as the label that released the debut album by the psychedelic rock group the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band in 1966.
John A. Ware is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session and live performance work.
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