Richard Keelan and Cedric Smith put together this trio in Stratford, Ontario, in 1969. After recording two albums on the independent Rumour label they were signed to Columbia. Their first of two hits was with an edited version of You've Got To Know, a cut from their first Columbia album. Their Does Not Exist album (Columbia ELS-375) came in a beautiful gatefold sleeve and is full of hippie folk/psych with appealing melodies and harmonies, which reach their zenith on the exquisite final cut, Crucifixation Cartoon. There's not a bad track on this album and lots of other pretty good ones (Midnight Hour, Easy Rider (a song about the film), You Have The Power and the gentle Lady Of The County). All are originals and some are preceded by narratives. The opening cut features an extract from one of Dylan Thomas' poems, Truth And Fantasy begins with a narration and later on side two an excerpt from William Shakespeare's As You Like It is put to music. There are similarities to the Incredible String Band and Everyone Involved here. Recommended if you enjoy stoned hippie folk/psych.(taken from "Dreams, Fantasies & Nightmares")
Terrific progressive folkpsych LP with a lot of brains and $$$ put into it, still underrated but really one of the best of its kind. Pretentious and theatrical but successful simply on strength of the talent and production value that went into it. A personal fave with several strong tracks and a peak in the deep acid introspection of "Crucifixation Cartoon". Richard Keelan had previously been in US 1960s folkrock band the Spikedrivers.
(Patrick the Lama in "The Acid Archives")
Tracklist:
- Midnight Hour
- Epistle To The Borderliner
- Easy Rider
- Truth And Fantasy
- Don't You Feel Fine
- You Have The Power
- Keeper Of The Key
- Lady Of The County
- Listen To The Kids
- Trouble On The Farm
- Excerpt From "As You Like It"
- The Dancer
- Crucification Cartoon
Personnel:
Richard Keelan (gtr, mandolin, vcls) [ABC]
Cedric Smith (gtr, vcls) [ABC]
Michael J. Butler (bs) [ABC]
Terry Jones (gtr, vcls) [B]
George Taros (piano, vcls) [B]
Bob Burchill (gtr, vcls) [C]
Judy Crocker (piano, flute) [C]
David Jeremy Balser (perc) [C]
Band origin:
Stratford (Ontario/Canada)
Discographie:
Albums:
1. (A) Perth County Conspiracy (CBC LM 85) 1970
2. (B) Perth County Conspiracy Does Not Exist
(Columbia ELS-375) 1970
3. (B) Alive (Columbia GES 90037) 1971
4. (C) Rumour II [aka What School Bus Tour]
(Rumour/Mushroomusic no#) 1973
5. ( ) Kanada (Amiga 855424) 1975
6. ( ) Break Out To Berlin (Rumour V) 1976
[5. GDR release]
45's:
1. Fantasia/Listen To The Kids (Columbia C4-2962) 1970
2. You've Got To Know/Keeper Of The Keys
(Columbia C4-2963) 1970
3. Uncle Jed/You Ain't Going Nowhere
(Columbia C4-3010) 1971
4. Black Creek/At One (Rumour S-1) 1974
Get it here (Artwork included / vinyl rip)
Listen to Keeper Of The Key
16 comments:
happy to see you back!!superb blog,thanks for all great music!
pat
NICE HAVING YOU BACK IN THE FAB BLOG HOPE ALL'S WELL.
JOE
Hello Buffalo.
Great post for your comeback and great comments from Patrick the Lama.A new edition of "dreams fantasies & Nightmare" is announce for September(the last edition is now 9 years old);many thanks to Mister Vernon Joynson for the beautiful books he produce.
Thanks and a big BIG extra thanks for sticking to your policy to post albums WITH artwork! Mitch
just hope
nice for you
don't care for rest
life's hard
RV
Been looking for a good copy of "Does Not Exist" for many years, I got two vinyl copy in poor shape with some skips. Thanks for the Link to the "rar" album. This album is one my whole family know word for word and now my children (all old now)also know word for word. I can hardly wait to make them all a copy :)
Again tyvm
Rockey - in Alberta
Hey, fingers crossed, Does anyone got the chords for ANY of Does Not Exist?
This is one album they should put out a chord book for.
Anyone? who would like to figure it out for me?
rockey_2@hotmail.com
Thanks for posting this great Canadian treasure and others such as Mother Tucker's. I haven't heard these records since the early 70s. Great blog, much appreciated by this canuck.
Thanks for the post - read about this album, but it's proved pretty elusive to get hold of. Thanks!
Thanks for posting this. I recall a sunny afternoon in Edinburgh listening to this and seeing the castle through a lacy curtain. Thanks for all the trouble you take in making music that's gone but not forgotten available for the likes of poor souls like me.
Cy
Someone told me to look out for this as Im a fan of the incredible string band.....so Im hoping for some of the same....but if not...thank you for your share....much appreciated
Thanks for the great albums.
Been looking for this one for years.
You're the best.
This is an awesome disk and one of the first I ever listened too. Been hunting for this forever.
Thanks so much for this, BBC...Man, what an amazing thing to here the Conspiracy again! I opened for them and the venerable Sam Chatman when they appeared at University of Manitoba gig in late winter of 1974. They were great people and occupied the backstage with babies and food and good vibes like some fantastical tribe that had magically materialized from somewhere to bring us something very special indeed.. I was all of 19 at the time, so it is a very moving thing for to hear these beautiful tunes and see these images. Thank you again for your beau geste, B.
Walk in balance,
John in Winnipeg
Thanks so much!!!
Great stuff. Thanks!
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