First Psychedelic Song

Have to remember wrt to mind expansion, a litany of famous jazz musicians took H and coke, becoming junkies in the 50's and 60's because they believed these drugs released their inhibitions to move to a higher level of composition and playing. Because many of well known jazz players took such drugs, it encouraged lesser known jazz artists to use these drugs, hoping to acheive the heights that Davis, Coltrane, Bird, etc. reached. Indeed, even earlier jazz musicians were indulging - Mez Mezzrow's autobiography 'Really The Blues', predominantly deals with his life as a pot smoking junkie in the late 30's and 40's . So you might say some be bop and cool jazz  was psychedelised.

Edited by Dick Heath - October 17 2007 at 10:05

Limit this topic to psychedelic rock. Not Lounge music or jazz.

Revolver wrote: Limit this topic to psychedelic rock. Not Lounge music or jazz.

Sounds like you just want us all too agree that The Beatles were the first (which they weren't), than actually find out anything. Listen to Psyche Rock or See my Friends from the links. They both rock in a psychedelic way, and came out before your The Beatles suggestions. Even Joe Meek kind of rocks. Its certainly not lounge or jazz.

(The Pierre Henry album seems to have been recorded in '64 and released in both '65 and '67)



Pierre Henri (les Yper sounds)

title : this LP contains psyche Rock- jericho jerk - teen tonic -too fortiche

label: Philips

année: 1965

 ^ I'm not stupid. The track is called Psyche Rock! Make sure you read my posts thoroughly , so you know what you are referring to.

Atavachron wrote: that's my point, if the track is called 'Psyche Rock', how do you know it refers to Psych rock.. just curious, not trying to offend

I never wrote that the title referred to Psych rock, did I? Its just the title of the track, and the track is early psychedelia. Listen to it! I've linked it to youtube twice.


Edited by Rocktopus - October 17 2007 at 22:23

Dick Heath wrote: Revolver wrote: Mr Heath this list is mostly garage songs. The psychedelic songs are mostly after Revolver example the Electric Prunes. I would could  consider Tomorrow Never Knows much more psychedelic than any of the songs on this list, before the subgenre was even popular. The list of songs that were released before Tomorrow Never Knows are less Psychedelic than songs that are on Rubber Soul like Nowhere Man and even Norwegian Wood and that is late 1965. The Beatles popularized psychedelic music they were not late in the scene. Late in the scene is not 1966 or late 1965. Your statement is not factual.   It is not my list, it is that of the collective pundits of Rhino Records, for that Nuggets box set.  The first edition of Mojo magazine over a decade ago, gave away a booklet compiled and written by Jon Savage, listing 100 psychedelic tracks - which was more meaningful and less "constrained" (as it goes) than any record company's compilation CD.   And you are probably right wrt the garage aspect - however, American 60's garage influenced by the British beat invasion, infected by the hallucinogen culture, and an opening to many world musics, that came together. The vagueness of boundaries, and who was doing what where, make it impossible to pin-point a single tune or group - but no form of music ever spontaneously appeared on the scene: what's the expression, "standing on the shoulders of giants"?   Personally I would like to know if there is a track, a psychedelic missing link involving Don Galucci, between the Kingsmen's Louis Louis and the seminal Touch album (and indeed between Touch and Galucci producing the Stooges' second album....). (One part answer, but not involving Galucci,  might be Vanilla Fudge's cover of You Keep Me Hanging On....)

"The Warlocks" (pre Grateful dead) started musical LSD-fuelled experiments since Summer 1965 and were precursors.

I should have understood that you wanted the first true Beatles-sounding psychedelic track. Here's some guy from Luxembourg's attempt on making a timeline.

EARLY PSYCHEDELIA - A CHRONOLOGY

	EDEN AHBEZ releases "Eden's Island" on the Del-Fi label, an album of dreamy songs that anticipates many themes and moods that were to become popular during the psychedelic era. The front cover looks much like a hippie-era artefact.
1961	Philosopher and LSD advocate GERALD HEARD releases the spoken word "Rebirth" LP which deals with psychedelic concepts.
1961	World-famous author and LSD spokesman ALDOUS HUXLEY records a lecture in Los Alamos that deals partly with psychedelic drugs. The lecture is released posthumously as "Visionary Experience" (Gifford Associates, c1969). An interview with a British reporter the same year is released on LP in the 1970s ("Speaking Personally"), and again contains some hallucinogen-related talk.
1961	Early surf band the GAMBLERS from Los Angeles release the "Moon dawg" 45 which contains an instrumental titled "LSD-25" on the flipside. The song is not psychedelic by any means and the title was chosen by a DJ from a newspaper article, or such.
1962	Author/philosopher ALAN WATTS releases the "This is it" LP, regarded by many as the first genuinely psychedelic album. The LP consists mainly of improvised music and chanting. An indepth presentation of the LP can be found here.
1963	While no recordings have been found that bear witness of it, members of the Boston folk boom scene around Club 47 came into contact with psychedelic drugs at an early stage, mainly via the neighboring Harvard research projects of Leary-Alpert. MEL LYMAN, then member of Jim Kweskin Jug Band, was instrumental in spreading the use of LSD and Morning Glory seeds among local folkies.
1964	New York group the HOLY MODAL ROUNDERS release their debut LP on the Prestige label. Among the tracks are a rewrite of "Hesitation Blues" which contains the first known use of the word "psychedelic" on a pop/folk/rock record: "...I got my psychedelic feet/In my psychedelic shoes/Oh lordy momma/I got the psychedelic blues...". Thanks to Stan Denski for this one!
	1965
Spring, 1965	A band called the Psychedelic Rangers including future DOORS drummer John Densmore is formed in Los Angeles. This is the first known instance of a rock'n'roll band referring to themselves as "psychedelic".
June 29, 1965	The CHARLATANS make their debut performance at the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada. This is the first known instance of a band playing rock music under the influence of LSD (many in the audience were tripping too). This event is also commonly seen as the birth of the psychedelic concert poster.
July, 1965	From various clues it seems that KIM FOWLEY released his "The Trip" 45 as early as the Summer '65. There was a cover version of it a few months later (see below), and Kim was selling remaining copies via an L A Free Press ad in November '65. This would make it the very first obviously LSD-inspired record. The UK release happened in June-1966.
July 27, 1965	First recording day for the YARDBIRDS' "Still I'm Sad". Second day of recording is August 26. The song has many elements similar to what later would be called psychedelia. The band had not yet tried psychedelic drugs at this point.
July 30, 1965	The KINKS' "See My Friend" is released. The song, recorded in April, has a sound similar to what later would be called psychedelia. The band had not yet tried psychedelic drugs at this point.
August, 1965	The FUGS record their debut album where the song "I couldn't get high" explicitly mentions LSD. This is the first known instance of the drug appearing in a rock lyric.
September 2, 1965	The newly-formed DOORS record an acetate in Los Angeles that contains songs such as "Moonlight Drive", "End Of The Night" and "Go Insane". Three of the band members had taken LSD at this point.
September, 1965	L A disc jockey GODFREY releases his cover version of Kim Fowley's "The trip".
October, 1965	The BEATLES record "Norwegian Wood", which contains elements close to psychedelia. At least two of the band members had taken LSD at this point. The track appears on "Rubber Soul", released in December.

November, 1965	The first ACID TEST is arranged in La Honda by KEN KESEY & THE MERRY PRANKSTERS. Local band the Warlocks, soon to be renamed the GRATEFUL DEAD perform at the event.
November 5, 1965	KIM FOWLEY places an ad in the LA Free Press, offering remaining copies of his "The Trip" 45. The 45 is referred to as having a "psychedelic sound", one of the earliest instances of connecting rock music with the term. Thanks to Jon Pennington for this entry and the one below!
November, 1965	HUGH ROMNEY (a k a Wavy Gravy) and Del Close put on a "Lysergic A-Go-Go" show in Los Angeles, as reported in the L A Free Press. A rock band called Summer's Children appeared at the event.
November (late), 1965	13th FLOOR ELEVATORS members drop LSD & form the band with the explicit intent of making LSD-inspired music.
December, 1965	Psychedelic tunes "Roller coaster", "Fire engine" written by the 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS.
December 4, 1965	"Free advice" and "Someone to love" recorded by Great Society. The 45 is released in early 1966.
December 22, 1965	The BYRDS record "Eight miles high", first version.
December 19, 1965	DONOVAN records "Sunshine Superman", which is not released until much later.
	1966
January, 1966	The words "Psychedelic rock" appears on the 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS' business card. This is the first known use of the term.
January 21, 1966	The 3-day TRIPS FESTIVAL is held in San Francisco. Use of psychedelic drugs at the event is widespread. The multimedia festival marks the birth of a coherent S F psychedelic "movement".
February 10, 1966	A review of a 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS' live gig in a local newspaper bears heading "Unique Elevators shine with 'psychedelic rock'". This is the first ever documented media reference to psychedelic rock music.
February, 1966	The YARDBIRDS release the "Shapes Of Things" 45.
February 23, 1966	The BYRDS record "Eight miles high", second (and official) version.
March, 1966	LOVE release their self-titled debut LP, a few songs of which have psychedelic elements.
March 11, 1966	PINK FLOYD introduce a psychedelic light show at a gig at Essex University.
March 14, 1966	The BYRDS release the "Eight miles high" 45.
March 16, 1966	Live recording exists of 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS performing psychedelic material like "Roller coaster" on this date (the live KAZZ-FM tape)
March, 1966	The "Acid Test" LP featuring KEN KESEY & THE MERRY PRANKSTERS is released in San Francisco. The contents and packaging are 100% lysergic.
March, 1966	John Lennon records demos for what was to become "She said, She said", a clearly LSD-influenced song.
April 6, 1966	The BEATLES begin recording of 'Mark 1', this song was to become "Tomorrow Never Knows".
April, 1966	The DOVERS from California release "The Third Eye", a 45 that is clearly psychedelic.
April, 1966	The VEJTABLES from California release the "Feel The Music"/"Shadows" 45, both sides being clearly psychedelic. The release date has also been listed as January 1967 -- anyone know for sure?
May 4, 1966	Brian Wilson of the BEACH BOYS begins work on "Good Vibrations".
May 13, 1966	The ROLLING STONES release "Paint It Black", which contains elements that could be considered psychedelic.
May, 1966	BOB DYLAN releases the "Blonde on blonde" double LP.
May 30, 1966	The BEATLES release "Rain" on the flipside of their "Paperback Writer" 45.
June 6, 1966	COUNTRY JOE & THE FISH record tracks for their upcoming "Bass Strings" EP.
July 18, 1966	The BYRDS release the "Fifth Dimension" LP, which contains a number of psychedelic tracks.
July/August, 1966	The Los Angeles-based studio project ID record the "Inner Sounds" LP, which isn't released until January 1967.
August, 1966	TIMOTHY LEARY releases his first LP on the Broadside label, a reading from "The Psychedelic Experience" together with Ralph Metzner. Leary would release several LPs in 1966-67, for which the exact release dates are unknown.
August 5, 1966	The "Revolver" album by the BEATLES released in the UK. The US release is 3 days later.

August, 1966	SPIKEDRIVERS 45 with psychedelic B-side "Often I wonder" released on OM 1000 in Michigan.
August, 1966	Pre-Steppenwolf band the SPARROW release psychedelic 45 "Tomorrow's Ship" b/w "Isn't It Strange". The tracks were recorded in June and July, respectively.
August 17, 1966	The "Holy Music" LP by MALACHI is recorded.
August, 1966	Rusty Evans & the DEEP record the "Psychedelic Moods" LP in Philadelphia. This is the first ever LP with a consistent psychedelic theme throughout.
August (late), 1966	"Bass Strings" EP by COUNTRY JOE & THE FISH released and reviewed in the "Mojo Navigator" fanzine.
September, 1966	The CHARLATANS' version of "Codeine" is released on 45, then withdrawn due to an ad campaign that calls it a "remedy for a drugged market".
September, 1966	The 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS record "Kingdom Of Heaven" and "Reverberation" in a studio in Houston.
September, 1966	The "East-West" LP by PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES BAND is released. The release date is unclear but the album peaks on the charts in October.
October, 1966	The MONOCLES from Colorado release the great "Psychedelic (Where it's at)" 45 on the local Denco label. This may be the first 45 to use the term.
October, 1966	The "Psychedelic Moods" LP by the DEEP released. The release date is uncertain, and it may have been later despite the recordings being completed in late August. Depending on the date, this may be the first LP with the word "psychedelic" in the title.
October 10, 1966	The BEACH BOYS release the "Good vibrations" 45.
October, 1966	PAT KILROY releases the "Light of day" album on the Elektra label.
October, 1966	"It's A Happening" by Philadelphia band the MAGIC MUSHROOMS released. It reaches the Billboard charts in November.
October (late), 1966	The BLUES MAGOOS release the "Psychedelic Lollipop" LP.
October 31, 1966	"Reverberation"/"Fire engine" 45 by the 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS released.
November, 1966	New York band the MYSTIC TIDE record a number of psychedelic tracks.
November, 1966	The JEFFERSON AIRPLANE begin recording their 2nd LP, which contains plenty of psychedelic material. Their first LP, which could be considered conventional folk-rock, had been released in August 1966.
November, 1966	The ELECTRIC PRUNES release the "I Had Too Much To Dream" 45.
November 28, 1966	PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS release the "Spirit of '67" LP, which contains several tracks with a psychedelic influence.
November 30, 1966	"Psychedelic Sounds" LP by the 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS released
December, 1966	"I Can Take You To The Sun" 45 by the MISUNDERSTOOD released. This could be considered the first psychedelic underground 45 from Britain.

^Very interesting timeline.

Edited by Certif1ed - October 18 2007 at 03:25

Paint it Black was influenced by Norwegian Wood with the use of sitar. If you are talking about recorded music that is psychedelic rock.  Having heard hundreds of records myself in the 60's I would say this.

Edited by Sydwaters - October 18 2007 at 20:23

The Grateful Dead - s/t, 1967

Edited by zicIy - October 21 2007 at 12:59