Episode 009: Nine Degrees Below

Episode 009: Nine Degrees Below

01 The Tremeloes - Suddenly Winter (UK 1968 - Mono Mix) One of the key groups to break through during the British Invasion, this UK outfit caught the psychedelic bug like so many in 1968 and managed to come up with a few contributions to the era.  This album cut with it's searing backwards guitar work is probably the finest example they ever laid down.

02 The Marmalade - I See the Rain (UK 1967 - Mono 45 Mix) Another UK pop group responsible for many hits during the psychedelic era, this single has the distinction of being Jimi Hendrix's favorite for the year of 1967.  It's a pity he never recorded his own version, as the main riff is one of the  best of the time and most certainly would have proved an interesting launching point for him.  The Marmalade continued to churn out the hits well into the 70's and have a catalog worth digging into.

03 Gloria - The Storm (Netherlands 1969) Dutch group that started in the mid 1960's specializing in a very European brand of epic pop as heard on this thundering - pun intended - B-side that grows more and more dark in imagery and intense in tempo until its final notes.  They recorded three albums and many singles before calling it quits in the mid 70's. 

04 The Troggs - When Will the Rain Come (UK 1967) Another British Invasion staple - infamous for their era defining hit single and garage standard "Wild Thing" - the group would morph with the times and dip their toes into psychedelia with the flower power single "Love is All Around" of which this moody number graces its flip.

05 Mid Day Rain - Welcome to the Rain (US 1970) Mystery US combo that released only one song during their existence.  Quite a pity, as this incredibly smooth stunner makes one only imagine what a whole LP may have sounded like.

06 Toast - Flowers Don't Bend in the Rainfall (UK 1970) Obscure UK outfit that also recorded only one single in their lifetime. The A-Side is this wonderfully produced cover of a Simon & Garfunkel B-side.

07 The Easybeats - Come in You'll Get Pneumonia (Australia 1967) The most famous Aussie export during the 60's beat boom, the Easys went on to record several albums that reflect the changing times and sounds of the era.  This cold-hearted - pun intended - pop-psych classic has all the usual studio tricks of the era but with a soaring chorus sets itself apart as something only they can pull off.

08 Majority One - I Don't Mind the Rain (UK 1971) Also featured on our previous episode, these UK harmony pop freaks found more success on the continent versus their native land.  This pop-psych beauty sounds like it was recorded three years prior and can be found on their stellar debut LP.

09 Strawberry Alarm Clock - Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow (US 1967 - Mono Mix) The most famous group of the exploitation psych era, the Clocks wore their flower power loud and proud by storming onto the charts with the bubblegum classic "Incense and Peppermints".  This album cut from their debut shows that they could write a convincingly lysergic pop song when given the chance.

10 Tommy Roe - It's Now A Winter's Day (US 1967) Mr. Roe hit the charts with a string of bubblegum classics from the early 60's, beginning a career spanning four decades.  In 1966 he teamed up with producer Curt Boettcher who was putting together his harmony pop super group The Millennium and thus used them as background vocalists on Roe's albums.  He also used this an opportunity to cut his teeth on his brave sonic experiments that would come to full fruition on the Millennium's debut.  This delay drenched title track to their second album collaboration of 1967 shows his studio wizardry already in full swing as well as the unmistakable harmonies of the Millennium.