Out-Sider Music Vinyl, CD & Tape 29 Items

With only one 45 released back at the time, Children Of The Mushroom epitomized the psychedelic-garage sound coming out from California in the late 60s. Formed in Thousand Oaks by Jerry McMillen and Dennis Swanson, they evolved from a mid-60s teen-beat band called The Captives. In 1967, they became Children Of The Mushroom, a name which reflected their new psychedelic sound and image. The following year, they caught the attention of a couple of young producers, who signed the band for a 45 release. Recorded in 1968 for Soho Records, "August Mademoiselle" / "You can't erase a Mirror", is one of the masterpieces from the first psychedelic era: feedback, fuzz, organ, mysterious vocals… Soon after, the band incorporated a new guitar player, shortened their name to The Mushroom and started playing in a more heavy-psych vein, in a similar style to Iron Butterfly. This retrospective album includes both tracks from their monster 45 with sound taken from the masters plus previously unreleased tracks by The Mushroom, recorded in 1968. These are raw, lo-fi home recordings (some of the tracks were recorded in a real garage!) with lot of fuzz guitar and organ. It's the sound of a psychedelic band in 1968 playing free and wild, without any producer or record label executive telling them what to do. An incredible document. CD version includes two newly discovered bonus tracks: fantastic live renditions of the two songs from their 45 recorded at a band reunion in 2006.

Originally known as Captain Speed, Turquoise was a psychedelic rock band from Southern California who were managed by pioneering Tri-counties concert promoter Jim Salzer, who also operated the legendary Arcade Record Shop.

Their sound was 100% psychedelic with swirling baroque organ, trippy guitar fills and driving percussion, all topped off by front man and Jim Morrison’s lookalike Tim Pearson's lysergic lyrics.

Turquoise shared stage with big names like Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe & the Fish, The Seeds, The Strawberry Alarm Clock, Jimi Hendrix, and many others.

During 1967-68, they recorded two 45s for Jim Salzer’s Arcade label and they also laid down material for a planned LP that was never released… until now.

Riyl: Doors, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Country JOE & THE Fish, Love, Iron Butterfly…

*Featuring keyboard player Bill Payne, who later went on be a founding member of Little Feat *Remastered from the original master tapes by Alec Palao *Including their two rare 45s plus eight previously unreleased tracks, 1967-68 *Insert with liner notes by Gray Newell (Ugly Things / Shindig!) and rare photos / memorabilia *Download card

Inventive and superbly produced hard-rock with psychedelic, blues and heavy-prog / proto-metal touches by this studio side-project of Mama Lion.

Loud fuzz guitars, heavy keyboards (by James Newton Howard!), screaming vocals…

Featuring the great Neil Merryweather and Lynn Carey & the Mama Lion musicians.

This is their second album, originally released on Artie Ripp’s Family Productions label in 1973.

Psychedelic hard-rock and heavy blues with loud fuzzed-out guitars, keyboards and inventive studio production / effects by this band led by the great Neil Merryweather and featuring the Mama Lion musicians. This is their first album, originally released on Artie Ripp’s Family Productions label in 1972. The Heavy Cruiser project was conceived during the studio sessions for Mama Lion, the band led by Neil Merryweather and Lynn Carey. Artie Ripp always allowed Neil to experiment / jam in the studio and to record any cool ideas and songs he may come up with. Thanks to that creative freedom, Heavy Cruiser was born during Mama Lion jamming sessions. The initial idea was to operate both bands simultaneously with Lynn taking the backseat for Heavy Cruiser but providing vocals and helping with songwriting. Powerful cover versions of rock classics like “C’mon Everybody” or “Louie Louie” show the band having lot of fun in the studio and there was also room for more experimental sounds like “Miracles Of Pure Device”.

Loud and powerful progressive hard-rock / proto metal by this mysterious studio band featuring members of Alive ‘N Kickin’.

Originally released in 1974 on Artie Ripp’s Family Productions label, home also of other hard-rock bands like Heavy Cruiser and Mama Lion.

*First ever official reissue *Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve + OBI *24-bit remaster from the original master tapes *Insert with liner notes by Aaron Milenski (Acid Archives)

Riyl: Deep Purple, Bloodrock, SIR Lord Baltimore, Uriah Heep…

“…weirdly uncommercial hard rock that has stood the test of time better than a lot of the more mainstream acts of the time…” – Aaron Milenski

Heavy blues and psychedelic hard-rock by this US band formed by Lynn Carey (ex-C.K. Strong) and Neil Merryweather.

Powerful cover versions and strong original songs dominated by the powerful vocals of Lynn Carey, explosive guitar riffs by Rick Gaxiola, keyboard wizard James Newton Howard and the funky rhythm section of Neil Merryweather (bass) and Coffi Hall (drums).

This is their debut album, originally released in 1972 on Artie Ripp’s Family Productions label and housed in a striking (and polemic) gatefold die-cut sleeve showing Lynn Carey breastfeeding a lion cub.

*24-bit remaster from the original master tapes *Original artwork in gatefold die-cut sleeve *Insert with rare photos and memorabilia *Download card

“…There were very few hard rock bands with female singers, and the original songs are heavy enough that this really stands out from the pack...” - Aaron Milenski

First official vinyl reissue of this sought-after psychedelic folk-rock / Americana / SSW album from 1976.

Major Arcana was a group led by counter-culture Milwaukee icon JIM Spencer, featuring a revolving cast of musicians / collaborators. The core of the band was Jim Spencer (guitar, vocals); Randall Dubis (electric guitar); Michael Burdecki (bass, slide guitar) and Jim Kitchen (percussion, harmonica). They were helped in the studio by some friends / musicians like Sigmund Snopek III and Barry Patton among many others.

Released on Jim Spencer’s own private label (A Major Label, home also to Anonymous of “Inside The Shadow” fame), the album opens with the terrific psych-folk of “Western Wind” and closes with an acid-folk rendition of “Greensleeves”. In between, you’ll also find some blues rock, SSW ballads, jazzy bits…

File next to groups like Pearls Before Swine or Bermuda Triangle.

With only one 45 released back at the time, Children Of The Mushroom epitomized the psychedelic-garage sound coming out from California in the late 60s. Formed in Thousand Oaks by Jerry McMillen and Dennis Swanson, they evolved from a mid-60s teen-beat band called The Captives. In 1967, they became Children Of The Mushroom, a name which reflected their new psychedelic sound and image. The following year, they caught the attention of a couple of young producers, who signed the band for a 45 release. Recorded in 1968 for Soho Records, "August Mademoiselle" / "You can't erase a Mirror", is one of the masterpieces from the first psychedelic era: feedback, fuzz, organ, mysterious vocals… Soon after, the band incorporated a new guitar player, shortened their name to The Mushroom and started playing in a more heavy-psych vein, in a similar style to Iron Butterfly. This retrospective album includes both tracks from their monster 45 with sound taken from the masters plus previously unreleased tracks by The Mushroom, recorded in 1968. These are raw, lo-fi home recordings (some of the tracks were recorded in a real garage!) with lot of fuzz guitar and organ. It's the sound of a psychedelic band in 1968 playing free and wild, without any producer or record label executive telling them what to do. An incredible document. CD version includes two newly discovered bonus tracks: fantastic live renditions of the two songs from their 45 recorded at a band reunion in 2006.

Born out from the ashes of legendary Florida garage band The Tropics (of “As Time’s Gone” fame), Bacchus was a powerful psychedelic/hard-rock/boogie power trio influenced by Cream, Hendrix, Allman Brothers et al. They only released four rare 45s, collected here for the first time. When Eric Turner (guitarist, vocalist and songwriter), grew into a more progressive form of rock music after a split from The Tropics, he teamed up with fellow Tropics bass player Charlie Souza and drummer Bill Peterson: Bacchus (named after the Roman God of wine) was born. In 1970 they opened for Cactus and Free and after the good response, they recorded their first 45, the fab hard-rock sounding “Carry My Load”. From there they went on tour with Grand Funk Railroad around the state. After more 45 releases, Bacchus was also the opening act for Lynyrd Skynyrd, BB King, The Outlaws, Redbone, Edgar Winter, and Ted Nugent. They also had the privilege to open a Florida concert for Mahavishnu Orchestra and appeared on the free stage at the Atlanta Pop Festival, just before Grand Funk Railroad on the main stage. Famous also in the recent years for appearing on one the famous Brown Acid volumes, a vinyl / digital comp of their complete output was long overdue. Here it is. Play Loud!

Northwest Company were one of the most hard-working bands from the Vancouver scene of the Sixties. Famous for their monster garage-punk double sider from 1967, the reverberating "Hard To Cry"/ "Get Away From It All", the group released seven singles between 1966 and ‘73. Eight Hour Day features a selection of those 45 sides, their cool & raw studio demos from 1966 and their final 7-minute long hard-blues live freakout "Police's Coming". Including all-time garage classics like “Get Away From It All”, “Hard To Cry”, “Each Day”, "Eight Hour Day" and more! Newly remastered sound, insert with detailed liner notes and cool photos / memorabilia.

Hailing from Florida, After All was formed by well-experienced musicians with an R&B, jazz and blues background who hooked up with poetry writer Linda Hargrove to record an ambitious album influenced by acid-rock and psychedelic, early progressive sounds. Originally released in 1969 on the Athena label, the album is now considered an obscure classic. Top level psych/prog dominated by Hammond organ / guitar plus explosive drumming. Here’s a welcome new reissue in original artwork plus remastered sound, insert with liner notes.

Heavy blues and psychedelic hard-rock by this US band formed by Lynn Carey (ex-C.K. Strong) and Neil Merryweather.

Powerful cover versions and strong original songs dominated by the powerful vocals of Lynn Carey, explosive guitar riffs by Rick Gaxiola, keyboard wizard James Newton Howard and the funky rhythm section of Neil Merryweather (bass) and Coffi Hall (drums).

This is their debut album, originally released in 1972 on Artie Ripp’s Family Productions label and housed in a striking (and polemic) gatefold die-cut sleeve showing Lynn Carey breastfeeding a lion cub.

*24-bit remaster from the original master tapes *Original artwork in gatefold die-cut sleeve *Insert with rare photos and memorabilia *Download card

“…There were very few hard rock bands with female singers, and the original songs are heavy enough that this really stands out from the pack...” - Aaron Milenski

Progressive hard-rock album from 1974 by this Michigan band that shared stage with top names like James Gang, Kansas and Foghat.

Expect loud, screaming guitars and heavy Hammond organ!

Rare & sought after psychedelic hard-rock album from 1971 by this power trio from Tampa (Florida) that opened for big names like Iron Butterfly and Mountain and even played at the legendary Goose Lake Music Festival in Michigan. Wizard consisted of Ben Schultz (guitar, vocals), Paul Forney (bass and lead vocals) and Chris Luhn (drums). Together, they conjured a heavy sound full of raw & loud guitars, powerful bass and crashing drums. “The Original Wizard” was their only album, recorded as a “live” in the studio demo after the band caught the attention of Decca Records, finally released on the small Peon Productions label. *Remastered by Tony Reed at HeavyHead Recording Co. *Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve *Insert with liner notes and photos

Led by explosive guitar player Chris (later Christa) Bond, Thunder and Roses was a power-trio from Philly in the best tradition of Cream or the Jimi Hendrix Experience. This is their sole album, originally released in 1969. A cult psychedelic hard-rock classic, including “White Lace and Strange”, famously covered by Nirvana. Thunder and Roses (named after a story from The Astounding Science Fiction Anthology) started to take form when genius 18-years old guitar player Chris Bond and bassist Tom Schaffer met heavy drummer George Emme (previously of The Electric Power House). Rehearsing six days a week the trio gelled quick and soon they were playing memorable shows at venues like Electric Factory and the Trauma. Recorded at Sigma Sound by Joe Tarcia, “King of the Black Sunrise” was released by United Artists in 1969. Dominated by Bond’s outstanding fuzz-wah guitar playing, the album featured seven original songs plus a storming cover of Hendrix’s “Red House”. Sadly, the record label took a wrong decision when refused to release the killer “White Lace and Strange” as a 45 to promote the album, choosing the mockery “Country Life” instead. After Thunder & Roses split, guitar player and main songwriter Chris Bond had a successful career as producer, songwriter, arranger and session musician, working closely with Daryl Hall & John Oates as well as other top artists. Later in his life, Chris eventually transitioned from male to female and changed her name to Christa. She sadly passed away in 2019.

Private hard-rock ultra-rarity from Texas, only 200 copies pressed back in 1975. A mystery for many years (all the band members used pseudonyms on the album credits), many people failed to track the band down…until we solved the mystery in 2015 when we located them and reissued the album. Long out of print we present a new edition. Formed in 1974 in Houston, Stud featured the killer lead guitar of 17-year-old genius Tim Williams, the brutal Rickenbacker bass attacks of Paul Eakin and the solid as a rock drumming of George Lasher. The chemistry was born since they first starting played together and after many rehearsals, they decided they were ready to record their first album. So they entered the Barons Studios in Rosenberg and “Stud” was the result. Powerful hard-rock on songs like “A woman like you” or “Jim/Blues”, killer boogie-rock (“Captain Boogie”), hard-psychedelic jams (the 12+ minutes of “Stud”) and progressive hard-rock on the impressive “The War Aong”. **File next to Morly Grey and Incredible Hog** *Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve + OBI *Remastered sound *Color insert with unseen photos and liner notes by band member Paul Eakin *Download card “A three-piece progressive hardrock band that play so well together that it allow them to maneuver through long passages with fresh imagination and not become a stereotypical mid-seventies trio. Guitar wizard delivers unceasing solos with a rhythm section poised in the background acting as a two-man metronome. Only a few copies of this album are known to exist. – Scott “Loopden” Bubrig (Acid Archives)

Private hard-rock ultra-rarity from Texas, only 200 copies pressed back in 1975. A mystery for many years (all the band members used pseudonyms on the album credits), many people failed to track the band down…until we solved the mystery in 2015 when we located them and reissued the album. Long out of print we present a new edition. Formed in 1974 in Houston, Stud featured the killer lead guitar of 17-year-old genius Tim Williams, the brutal Rickenbacker bass attacks of Paul Eakin and the solid as a rock drumming of George Lasher. The chemistry was born since they first starting played together and after many rehearsals, they decided they were ready to record their first album. So they entered the Barons Studios in Rosenberg and “Stud” was the result. Powerful hard-rock on songs like “A woman like you” or “Jim/Blues”, killer boogie-rock (“Captain Boogie”), hard-psychedelic jams (the 12+ minutes of “Stud”) and progressive hard-rock on the impressive “The War Aong”. **File next to Morly Grey and Incredible Hog** *Original artwork in hard cardboard sleeve + OBI *Remastered sound *Color insert with unseen photos and liner notes by band member Paul Eakin *Download card “A three-piece progressive hardrock band that play so well together that it allow them to maneuver through long passages with fresh imagination and not become a stereotypical mid-seventies trio. Guitar wizard delivers unceasing solos with a rhythm section poised in the background acting as a two-man metronome. Only a few copies of this album are known to exist. – Scott “Loopden” Bubrig (Acid Archives)

70s Chicago-area based band Apocalypse used their double-neck guitars to create chamber prog suites about faraway castles.

Their lost 1976 LP (used as a demo), with male/female harmonies, violin, mellotron and fuzzed-out guitars/keys has been unearthed by Steve "Plastic Crimewave" Krakow. With their lenghty and tuneful musical odysseys, Apocalypse conjures the golden mid-70s progressive period of Renaissance, Soft Machine, ELP, Gentle Giant and Genesis.

Travel back in time with the Salvatori family. Way back to 1976, when he was in high school, Tom Salvatori teamed up with older brother Michael Salvatori, Michael’s wife Gail Salvatori and Tom’s classmate Scott Magnesen.

As Apocalypse they recorded an album of pure progressive rock magic called The Castle. Although the 5-song, 38-minute demo was an amazing showcase for their collective progressive rock leanings, The Castle remained an unreleased artifact until 2021 when the reel-to-reel master tape of the presumably long-lost relic was rediscovered by Michael in a dusty old basement storage bin. Music fans can be thankful that Michael’s rediscovery of the Apocalypse master tape has now led to a vinyl-only reissue of The Castle.

The absolute king of lo-fi basement psychedelia, originally released as a private pressing in 1974 by this duo from Ohio. From dreamy melancholic tracks to insane fuzzed-out heavy psych ones.

“Two multi-instrumentalists creating a melancholic dreamlike state with songs fading in and out of the speakers, cavemen drums, primitive electronics and murky fuzz lurking in the background. The best tracks go into places no other albums reach” Patrick Lundborg (Acid Archives). " ‘Emerges’ as in slowly from the primordial sludge of the universe. 'Emerges' like a slow, slouching spectre hauling itself out of the swamps. But then what's a boy to do?

It's 1974, you're young and have a head full of Hawkwind and Roky and the Elevators, old brutalist blues in the Hound Dog Taylor / Fred McDowell backwoods whisky-fucked mode, freakfolk and LSD; you're stuck in Hicksville, USA - that's Youngstown, Ohio to you lot; the music scene sucks; glam's dead or dying slowly; punk a good year of so from even starting to get itself born. Town's too damn small to even muster up a band in. It's just and your buddy and that's it, man.

So you grows your hair and wear satin, wander wide-eyed and tripping across small town railway tracks and hang loose at the weekend in your basement. You gather a bunch if cheapo instruments on the never-never and you start cutting low-fi bedroom demos. Slowly, slowly Stone Harbour emerge.

Stone Harbour were Ric Ballas - electric, acoustic and slide guitars; organ; piano; synthesizers; bass guitar percussion and voice - and Dave McCarty - lead vocals, drums and percussion... and out of nowhere and nothing, at entirely the wrong time, they cut an LP that will blow your head clean off. This is a trip into the true dark heart of psychedelia.

The music? What can I tell you? ‘You'll be a star’ shimmers and aches in the midnight; cymbals wash over you, Dave McCarty's vocals emerge from some subterranean cave and the keyboards flicker, flicker, flash across the periphery of the song; ‘Rock & Roll Puzzle’ is dark, twisted fried garage punk blues brutality in the same mould as 'White Faces' or 'Cold Night for Alligators', pre-empting The Gories and Pussy Galore by a good ten years!!

"Who invented rock & roll? And who invented soul? Was it you or was it me?" Indeed. Songs fade in and out; finger-picking blurs into screaming squeiching synths; guitars melt in the mid-summer heat. ‘Grains of Sand’ frazzles like The Stooges through a fucked-up amp and filtered through a transistor radio with the valves burning out.

‘Thanitos’ is the freak-out ending of ‘Julia’s Dream’ lost in suburban downtown US of A with the taillights cutting on the freeway... whilst ‘Summer Magic is Gone’ is the most haunted, haunting song I've heard in many a long strange moon. Shimmers like stars in the 2am fug and haze and bleeds lost and lonely and bruised into the heat-warped dawn. You're still awake though the brain don't work like it used to. Blurred and bleary and exhilarated and stoned the very core of the soul. Best record I've heard all year." Hugh Dellar (Shindig!)

Repressed!

Raw, in-your-face hard psychedelia with plenty of Vox and Hammond organ, hard guitar and powerful vocals courtesy of Wildwood.

Formed in the late ‘60s in Stockton, California, this powerful outfit rubbed shoulders with groups like Country Weather, Steve Miller Band or Grateful Dead and played at legendary venues such as the Fillmore and the Matrix.

Featuring tracks from their two rare 45s for the Magnum label (including the punk-a-delic classic “Plastic People”) plus a selection of their fabulous, not released at the time studio cuts from 1968-1970, recorded at Max Weiss’ Fantasy Studios and originally unearthed by Frantic Records in 2012 for their 2CD Wildwood compilation.

Riyl: Public Nuisance, The Doors, Music Machine, Steppenwolf, Hunger, Jungle…

Inventive and superbly produced hard-rock with psychedelic, blues and heavy-prog / proto-metal touches by this studio side-project of Mama Lion.

Loud fuzz guitars, heavy keyboards (by James Newton Howard!), screaming vocals…

Featuring the great Neil Merryweather and Lynn Carey & the Mama Lion musicians.

This is their second album, originally released on Artie Ripp’s Family Productions label in 1973.

Psychedelic hard-rock and heavy blues with loud fuzzed-out guitars, keyboards and inventive studio production / effects by this band led by the great Neil Merryweather and featuring the Mama Lion musicians. This is their first album, originally released on Artie Ripp’s Family Productions label in 1972. The Heavy Cruiser project was conceived during the studio sessions for Mama Lion, the band led by Neil Merryweather and Lynn Carey. Artie Ripp always allowed Neil to experiment / jam in the studio and to record any cool ideas and songs he may come up with. Thanks to that creative freedom, Heavy Cruiser was born during Mama Lion jamming sessions. The initial idea was to operate both bands simultaneously with Lynn taking the backseat for Heavy Cruiser but providing vocals and helping with songwriting. Powerful cover versions of rock classics like “C’mon Everybody” or “Louie Louie” show the band having lot of fun in the studio and there was also room for more experimental sounds like “Miracles Of Pure Device”.

First official vinyl reissue of this sought-after psychedelic folk-rock / Americana / SSW album from 1976.

Major Arcana was a group led by counter-culture Milwaukee icon JIM Spencer, featuring a revolving cast of musicians / collaborators. The core of the band was Jim Spencer (guitar, vocals); Randall Dubis (electric guitar); Michael Burdecki (bass, slide guitar) and Jim Kitchen (percussion, harmonica). They were helped in the studio by some friends / musicians like Sigmund Snopek III and Barry Patton among many others.

Released on Jim Spencer’s own private label (A Major Label, home also to Anonymous of “Inside The Shadow” fame), the album opens with the terrific psych-folk of “Western Wind” and closes with an acid-folk rendition of “Greensleeves”. In between, you’ll also find some blues rock, SSW ballads, jazzy bits…

File next to groups like Pearls Before Swine or Bermuda Triangle.

“Limited Edition” was originally released in 1977 as a private edition of 1000 copies for promo purposes. Here’s the first ever official vinyl reissue with new, improved artwork, newly remastered sound and insert with liner notes.

First ever official vinyl reissue of this bluesy psychedelic hard-rock album from 1969.

Previously unreleased archival studio/live recordings from 1970-71 by this lost Bay Area band. A superb cool blend of acid-rock, psychedelia and brass-rock with some outstanding guitar leads, Hammond organ and a tight rhythm section. Stow Lake was a seven piece group (named after the lake in Golden Gate Park) comprised of well-seasoned musicians from the original San Francisco psychedelic / fusion scene. Among them, we can find ace guitar player Bob Hardy (previously of hard psych group The Osgoode/Asgard); the tandem of Jeff Ervin (sax, flute) and Jean Hintermann (trumpet), both later on Aura, Bill Whiter’s backing band and Hot Cider (with Dennis Geyer of A.B. Skhy); child prodigy Larry Mallarino on trombone and bass player Dave Dunaway (later of jazz fusion band Listen). Not forgetting powerful singer / organist Bob Staley. Unreleased until now, the recordings contained here were registered at top studios like McCune and Golden State Recorders. Also including are a couple of excellent quality live tracks recorded at the legendary Fillmore West in 1971, showing the band at their peak with an impressive jamming / acid-rock sound.

Previously unreleased ‘72/74 recordings by this US hard rock band!

Blind Willie formed in Spokane (Washington) in 1972 and featured terrific guitar player Frank Trowbridge from hard-psych legends Sleepy John.

They carved out a unique niche in the Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington rock scene in the early to mid-’70s, performing original music in a time when doing so wasn’t widespread for regional bands. Within weeks of the group’s formation, they commanded stages with a potent smattering of hard-rock, country-rock and psych.

The band’s history includes a brief courtship with the Doobie Brothers’ Dave Shogren on bass, as well as major label interest from Columbia and Epic Records.

Here’s the first ever release of their amazing studio demos from 1972/74.

Blind Willie’s original lineup of Craig Karp (guitar, vocals), Frank Trowbridge (guitar), Charlie Bieker (bass, guitar, vocals) and Jim Griffith (drums) is represented via slices of incendiary rock ‘n’ roll pomp recorded on a 4-track tape machine in a friend’s apartment in 1972.

Live in the studio tracks from 1974 feature later drummer Mike Garland and bassist Joe Johnson for a fiery radio set at the legendary Kaye-Smith Studios in Seattle.

The album’s selected tracks navigate Blind Willie’s wide-ranging sonic explorations, anchored by formidable guitar-forward rockers that stand the test of time, and hold up to any of the more well-known work of their peers from the ‘70s. Writhing in the rock ‘n’ roll milieu, Blind Willie’s musical tributaries run deep, steeped in a spectrum of styles that range from hard blues-rock scorchers like the incendiary “Georgia,” to heartfelt ballads (“I’m Wondering If”) and into the upper echelons of sci-fi psych (“Zolly”), a comet ride through wah-wah geetar spacedust, replete with Rocky Horror cinematic sheen. It’s also easy to imagine songs like the choogle-heavy “Somebody Help Me” illuminating the vibe of parties, bars and theaters all over North America.

Local Philly legends the American Dream was a late 60s band (featuring musician / actor Nick Jameson, later of Foghat!) who were regulars at clubs like the Electric Circus and offered a cool mix of psych, hard-rock and proto-power pop. They were signed to Ampex / Bearsville Records, releasing their only album in 1970, produced by Todd Rundgren (his first production work). Now, for the first time on vinyl and straight from the original masters, we present their previously unreleased studio demos from 1969 – also produced by Todd Rundgren – that landed the band their deal with Ampex. Music is great psych-rock with superb vocal harmonies and hard guitars. Also included are two rare tracks from their unfinished 1970 second LP plus the killer garage-jangle classic “Big Brother”, originally recorded by pre-American Dream band The Finestuff in 1967, as a bonus.