This is the latest re-issue for Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera the self-titled debut album from 1968. Recorded one night in Denmark Street, St Giles, hippy central in 1968. It was where The Five Proud Walkers dropped out and tuned in, to the psychedelic dream that Dave "Elmer Gantry" Terry, Colin Forster, John Ford and Richard "Hud" Hudson concocted. This Complete Psychedelic Kitchen Sink version includes the B-sides to the bands singles and the original single mixes, along with a couple of demos. All of this has been Re-mastered by Prof Stoned.
The album opens with a deeply psychedelic freak out Intro that introduces the band and the first song of the set Mother Writes, one of those rare tunes about getting a letter from your mum, all the small town gossip she writes to him, the odd arrangements and classic 60's use of stereo separation, keeps you wondering what is coming at you next, a trip home to mother is contemplated.
Mary Jane is one of hundreds of other songs of praise to dear old Mary Jane, they have certainly inhaled deeply and are addicted to her charms in charmingly late 60's ways, indebted to medieval folk song structures being electrified.
I Was Cool wants to be Screamin' Jay Hawkins blues wailing protestations, with a Dr John style piano blues through a die tied haze. Walter Sly Meets Bill Bailey is a Fugue for psychotropic scenes from the rookery of St Giles, with the apparition of a meths addled brazier crooner, murdering Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home distorting onto a newer reality.
Air is a sitar raga for sitting in the breeze, getting higher and higher, finding another consciousness, the chapati's and curries must have arrived. Looking For A Happy Life mocks the kitchen sink aspirations of squares, do you want everything mapped out ahead for you, or would you rather be free? Get with the harmonies and figure your way out.
Flames was the bands debut single, later re-worked by Led Zeppelin, heavy rock bass line driving into oblivion, it has so much chug and raw vocals burning with intensity. What's The Point Of Leaving is telling you to join the party full time, don't go home, stay and join in, love will bloom, but you may end up immersed in street life and love may only last an hour or two.
Long Nights Of Summer is pretty, string laden love and lazing around, before the darkness of winter comes. Dream starts with heavily treated vocals, shimmered mellotrons and a Viv Stanshall style Kazoo breakdown, they are freaking out on trumpets brass and piano.
Reactions Of A Young Man are the thoughts of how life might go for them in 1968, why would you not join the counterculture, practise those vocal effects and try to save your brother for being bullied for your freedoms, this has a wistful edge, they want to create the world they want to live in not yours.
The original album closed with Now She's Gone a late 60's song of saying goodbye to another bird who's left, for flight to another nest than yours, perhaps this time he'll find a real dolly bird this summers day, I wonder if they sang this ever time a relationship ended.
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The bonus songs open with Talk Of The Devil the soundtrack theme tune for the film of the same name, you can almost picture the film from the song, a real trip into the Psychedelic netherworld, the song was originally released by the band but calling themselves illusions Of Happiness.
Salisbury Plain is deeply out their, otherworldly Psychedelic folk, Incredible String band but heavier, this was originally the B-side to Flames single. The B-side to Mary Jane is next that was Dreamy a lightly dusted dreamscape of a psychedelic world you slip into, after your entanglement with Mary Jane, it's time to take flight, to a place some might consider hippy nonsense.
A Quick B was of course the B-side they knocked off for the Volcano single, a loose jammed blues. Flames (Single Mix) sounds a little crisper, chug dialled back or lowered in the mix, that just makes it more dancefloor friendly, rather than stand and shake friendly.
The single version of Mary Jane was a touch near to the knuckle for the dear old Beeb, they sing the praises of Mary Jane and all she does for your mind and soul, if you inhale her vapours deeply enough, perfect for the UFO generation.
Volcano was a non-album single and is a rather catchy Psychedelic rock tune that builds into crescendos and explodes your mind, tearing it open to new ideas, with some great blues rock harmonica, like they spent time with Alexis Korner. And I Remember is more bucolic, this was unreleased till it started turning up on rare brit Psychedelia comps, this is a summer trip to the beach for some love and affection.
To Be With You was taken from an obscure acetate, heavy psyche rock work out, where they claim they would never try to bring you down, guitars freak the hell out. Salisbury Plain the original demo version, is stripped back doom rock, with a great Alan Price style organ part that weaves through it. This gets properly freaky in places.
The Album closes with Flames the demo version that has some great surface noses crackling away as the organ rises through the flames, this gets hot and steamy with the flames of his love for you.
Find out more at https://www.thinklikeakey.com/release/489519-elmer-gantrys-velvet-opera-elmer-gantrys-velvet-opera-2025-remaster
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