V.A. - Psychamania

Subtitled as "Eccentric Sounds From The British Underground 1970-73" this compilation tends more towards progressive sounds than psychedelic. This CD (Queen Victoria QVR-2006CD / 2003) combines the best songs from the two comps "Here Lies Ebenezer Goode" and "Spacegirl And The Starman", also released on the Queen Victoria Label. Although the timespan of the music is a bit late for my taste there are still some interesting tracks. The "Parson-Smith" version of "The Letter" is a wonderful relaxed number whilst "Deadwood" wilders more in the Freakbeat territory. Winners come also from "Paradise Hammer", "Quartet", "Frog" and "Eastwood". However the most interesting track is to my ears by the "Rainbow Family".

Tracklist:
1. Misty - Hot Cinnamon
taken from the single Hot Cinnamon/Cascades (Parlophone R 5852) 1970
Line-up: unknown. Band origin: UK
2. The Laurels - Underground
taken from the single The Devil's Well/Underground (Pye 7N 45034) 1971
Line-up: Derek "Del" Bingley (vcls), Doug "Kennard" Jeffereys (gtr, vcls), Brian Sugg (bs, vcls), Brian Jones (drms, vcls).
Band origin: Welwyn Garden City (Hertfordshire/UK)
3. Strange Fox - Ask Me All
taken from the single Rock And Roll Band/Ask Me All (BASF 05 1955-3) 1971
Line-up incl.: Des Parton (vcls), Terry Fox, Mike Strange.
Band origin: Stoke-On-Trent (Staffordshire/UK)
4. Freedom - Man Made Laws
taken from the single Frustrated Woman/Man Made Laws (Probe 504) 1970
Line-up: Steve Shirley (bs, lead vcls), Peter Dennis (vcls, bs, keyb’ds), Roger Saunders (vcls, gtr, keyb’ds), Bobby Harrison (vcls, drms).
Band origin: London
5. Deadwood - That Don't Help Me None
taken from the single
The Turning Of Them All/That Don't Help Me None (Decca F 13109) 1971
Line-up: unknown. Band origin: London
6. Eastwood - Gypsy
taken from the single I Am Free/Gypsy (CBS 7076) 1971
Line-up: unknown. Band origin: UK
7. Rare Bird - Hammerhead
taken from the single
What You Want To Know/Hammerhead (Charisma CB 138) 1971
Line-up: Steve Gould (vcls, sax, bs, gtr), Graham Field (organ), Dave Kaffinetti (keyb’ds, synth), Mark Ashton (drms, vcls).
Band origin: London
8. The Peddlers - It's So Easy
taken from the single
Sing Me An Old Song/It's So Easy (Philips 6006283) 1973
Line-up: Roy Phillips (keyb'ds, gtr, vcls), Tab Martin (bs), Trevor Morais (drms). Band origin: Manchester (Greater Manchester/UK)
9. Skin Alley - Tell Me
taken from the album Skin Alley (CBS 63847) 1969
Line-up: Thomas Crimble (keybds, bs, vcls), Bob James (sax, gtr), Krzystztof Henryk Justkiewicz (keyb’ds), Alvin Pope (drms). Band origin: London
10. Chris Hodge - We're On Our Way
taken from the single We're On Our Way/Supersoul (Apple APPLE 43) 1972
Line-up: Chris Hodge (vcls). Origin: London
11. Paradise Hammer - She Is Love
taken from the single You Get Me In/She Is Love (Polydor 2058 048) 1970
Line-up: Tommy Moeller (lead vcls), Mike Leslie (bs), Willy Day (keyb'ds), Chris Hunt (drms). Band origin: Cheshunt (Hertfordshire)
12. Parson-Smith - The Letter
taken from the single The Letter/When It Rains (Polydor 2058229) 1972
Line-up incl.: James Parson-Smith (vcls). Origin: UK
13. Cupid's Inspiration - Different Guy
taken from the single Without Your Love/Different Guy (CBS 4722) 1970
Line-up: Terry Rice-Milton (vcls), Bernie Lee (lead gtr), Gordon Haskell (bs), David Morris (keyb'ds), Roger Gray (drms).
Band origin: Stamford (Lincolnshire/UK)
14. Quartet - Joseph
taken from the single
Joseph/Mama Where Did You Fall (Decca F 13072) 1970
Line-up: Terry Britten (vcls, gtr), Kevin Peak (gtr), Alan Tarney (bs, vcls), David McCrae (keyb'ds), Trevor Spencer (drms).
Band origin: Australia → London
15. Mosaic - Bird Of Time
taken from the single Bluebird/Bird Of Time (Parlophone R 5928) 1971
Line-up: unknown. Band origin: UK
16. Solomon King - Life Child
taken from the single
When You've Gotta Go/Life Child (Polydor 2058258) 1972
Line-up incl.: Solomon King [real name Allen Levy] (vcls).
Origin: Lexington (Kentucky/US) → Bolton (Greater Manchester/UK)
17. Frog - Witch Hunt
taken from the single Witch Hunt/Living Dead (Jam JAM 39) 1973
Line-up: unknown. Band origin: UK
18. Rainbow Family - Travellin' Lady
taken from the single Travellin' Lady/A B-Side (President PT 375) 1972
Line-up: unknown. Band origin: UK
19. Paul St. John - Flying Saucers Have Landed
taken from the single
Flying Saucers Have Landed/Spaceship Lover (Pye 7N 45190) 1972
Line-up incl.: Paul St. John [real name Laurie Marshall] (vcls)
Origin: London
20. Eastwood - Living To Learn
taken from the single Little Miss Lucy/Living To Learn (SRT 73332) 1973
Line-up/Band origin: See Track 6
21. Luv Machine - Everything
taken from the album Luv Machine (Polydor 2460102) 1971
Line-up: Michael Bishop (gtr, vcls), Bob Bowman (gtr, vcls), John Jeavons (bs, vcls), Errol Bradshaw (drms, vcls).
Band origin: Bridgetown (Barbados) → UK

Get it here (Artwork included)

Listen to Deadwood - That Don't Help Me None

Listen to Eastwood - Living To Learn