11 Underground Psychedelic Bands That Never Made It Big

[@thegreatrecaps]

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[@ThePaleGuy01]

Ever heard of Quicksilver Messenger Service? Are you kiddin'? One of the greatest bands in history!

[@lilajagears8317]

@@ThePaleGuy01 Cippolina should be remembered for his great guitar playing as well.

[@dalegriffin6768]

Fairport Convention and Nazz are my 2 favorite pop psychedelic bands. I have listened to Quicksilver messenger service and they are really good, and I will go deeper into their analog.

[@karlstuber6399]

This video is geared for those who don’t know Quicksilver messenger service.

[@screamingjimmy]

have another hit.. of fresh air

[@ExplodingPsyche]

Happy Trails is one of the greatest albums of that era, in my opinion.

[@alfonsomontuori9797]

Another woefully under-appreciated band is Spirit--their first 4 albums, Spirit of 76 and then the masterpiece Future Games are amazing and deeply psychedelic... and not really commercial in a way that would get them to break through to the big time. Sadly few people know them beyond two "hits," I got a line on you and Nature's way and have no idea of how brilliant their eclectic albums were... if you don't know them, check out 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus, Spirit of 76 and Future Games...psychedelic masterpieces.

[@dougmphilly]

i have every album but future games.

[@robomaster4882]

Certainly good enough for Zeppelin to rip off. Little Feat copped a riff too. Maybe others. They were too advanced for the average listener who was still listening to AM bubble gum music

[@billmagowan1492]

12dods is amongst my top 20 all time favourites, every song a phenomenal masterpiece

[@LawrenceCarroll1234]

@@robomaster4882, what's funny -- literally funny to me anyway (though obviously definitely NOT funny to those whose work Zeppelin co-opted) -- is how often Zepplin "got caught stealin'" and were sued, usually successfully. No one doubts Zep's incredible musical talents and prodigious output -- especially me. But -- they were definitely "looking out for #1" a bit too much. Spirit was an excellent band indeed though! I personally love "Too Much Business" and "Darkness" especially. But there are many I still haven't heard . . . 🙏🏻

[@chmood]

Future Games was Fleetwood Mac; in ‘76, Spirit wasn’t the same band at all - reformed for a tour w/ just Cassidy & California from the original

[@filiphenry1]

How about It's a Beautiful Day, a San Francisco band with David LaFlamme on electric violin, and their song "White Bird"? They almost made it to Woodstock, but quite literally lost their chance by a coin flip. Their self-titled initial album was a classic in my opinion.

[@sylviap7144]

White Bird is an awesome song....so unique.

[@crysstoll1191]

Wasted Union Blues! They played (almost all new members) until about 10 yrs ago. Fantastic music.

[@karlstuber6399]

They had a Song On A K-tel record. Few of these did.

[@marvinchase4899]

I saw It's a Beautiful Day with Jethro Tull and the Main act was The Who, performing Tommy in the 70's (@Tanglewood, I think)

[@sharonrichards1627]

I got to see It's a Beautiful Day in concert in the 70's. Poco opened for them. It was awesome.

[@eugenelayton5231]

Don't forget The Bubble Puppy playing Hot Smoke And Sassafrass. Hard driving acid rock!

[@volusiabuddhistfellowship]

Texas fellows. I saw them in Lubbock, opening for Iron Butterfly!

[@RickMason-yj7pv]

And the smoke shall rise again.

[@RayTuttle-of5qd]

Strawberry alarm clock gave us Ed King who went on to play guitar for Lynerd Skynard and helped write sweet home Alabama

[@tonyhonour665]

Incense and Peppermint is a brilliant album.

[@chriscook5613]

He was playing bass then

[@aquatarkus2022]

Red Krayola and 13th Floor Elevators from Texas.

[@TEXAS.N8V]

Texas🔥🔥❤❤

[@franksiegle7823]

@@TEXAS.N8V Great. Until Tommy Hall left the Elevators.

[@Lahay-pf5ch]

Fever Tree was another good band. Glad you included West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band.

[@SpongeLab]

I think Bob Markley may have been the main reason WCPAEB didn't get big, He was the guy with the cash and gets writing credits on most of their song even tho he did not write any of them,he was loads older than every on else and had this thing for young girls...all a bit horrible, pity as the rest of the group were again quite good!

[@chmood]

A photo of them appears under #9 Ultimate Spinach

[@davidschecter5247]

Fever Tree were amazing. That first album is one of the best albums of the 1960s. I used to know their pianist.

[@jimfritz2087]

We saw them open for the Jeff Beck Group in the fall of 1968. They played the whole 1st album. " San Francisco Girls" is a masterpiece . I M H O

[@ClearLight1967]

@@SpongeLab Actually, Bob did write a lot of the lyrics for WCPAEB, hence all the references to young girls. Bob had all the connections too, which is why they got signed to Reprise. There was a lot of talent in the group in the shapes of Michael Lloyd and the Harris brothers, but Bob pulled all the strings.

[@anttenna2009]

How about Vanilla Fudge?

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

George Harrison reportedly played their first album repeatedly when he got it. At least they played the Ed Sullivan Show.

[@markthomas9703]

I saw them accidentally when I was 11 while riding my bike at night I rode down the long driveway to the parking lot of the library and the were playing at a teen center in Hyde Park in Cincinnati. I heard them playing and I have a look to see and there they were a real rock band playing some velvet morning such good psychedelic music made me trip without drugs😊

[@patricklemmon8260]

I remember liking their first album, but when I saw them live at the Fillmore they stunk.

[@mc2mc277]

Great band of musicians. IMO, the biggest mistake was, their “originals” were not good. They wrote BRILLIANT arrangements for the cover songs they did but then their originals fell flat. They would have been better off putting new lyrics to the cover songs and claiming they were originals, since they were complete re-writes for the most part. GREAT offshoot bands, especially using the bass/drums rhythm section.

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

​​​@@mc2mc277I think their issue was timing. A lot of cover bands made it big. The Fudge were typed as psychedelic but I tend to view them as THE transitional band between psychedelic, jam and progressive. Their albums were templates for the Nice, Yes and even Led Zeppelin. They did manage to issue four albums, their last, Near the Beginning, was stunning and virtuosic but released when roots rock was hitting it big. About 80 percent of the first Led Zeppelin band were covers, but they were almost all credited to the band. And Vinny Martel was a good guitarist, but was not the focal point of the group. That was important as well. Bogert and Appice were stunning, Stein was undervalued as he was a great organist. The second album was definitely a prog album. Very underrated band. Song writing was pretty secondary until 1969, when jamming started to die out and people started wanting familiar forms. They also made a massive impact out of the gate...that momentum didn't work until 1969 or so, when LZ hit. VF hit just a bit too early.

[@jimwalshonline9346]

Thirteenth Floor Elevators with the inimitable Roky Erikson!

[@noname-ll2vk]

Everyone who knows knows that the Elevators top any list of top psychedelic bands. The proof is in the pudding, as generation after generation of musicians who hear Roky.'s siren call discover.

[@jwoodrff]

Their records, with every song, hold up to this day. They were the innovators.

[@michaelpeck8312]

Easter Everywhere is my favorite album of all time.

[@noname-ll2vk]

@@michaelpeck8312 slip inside this house might be the best song ever recorded. Certainly one of the most effective and powerful. But as an overall album I lean towards The Psychedelic Sounds of because it really doesn't have any weak songs at all. And it has Fire Engine lol. But both are great, and certainly showed they were both completely serious and completely committed as well as being fully capable of catching that vision and getting it on vinyl or 8 track. It's a tragedy basically no real live shows of theirs survived, there's one that's allegedly live but I don't believe it is. Plus the official fake live one their label released.

[@purplestuff]

Moby Grape was used as a punchline on Beavis and Butthead so I assumed they sucked. I finally decided to check them out and was blown away! They had some really great heavy blues rock.

[@robomaster4882]

The first album was great. Second was mostly ok but downhill as drugs and insanity set in with some members. They could have been big like the Eagles or CSN&Y. The sixties got the drug thing all wrong, unfortunately.

[@jwoodrff]

I had one of the thri albums. great band

[@jpurs]

Loretta Young, the actress from the 30s and 40s and TV star’s son was a founding member of Moby Grape. Peter Lewis

[@jhgf-du8ub]

The Main Leader Got smme Bad Dope (acid) and rode a Mororcucle after leaviny Hospital in his Hospital Open Ass Back Clother from New Lork City to Florida where the Police (Florida Cops always Beat Hippys) they Florida Pigs almost Kill Him I mean Who want to live in Florida? The Governor is a War CRiminal and Donoldal Trump has Raced 35 Womens Trump is Raterm Max Catz Rapes Teen Age Children when Gatez was School Teacher. That is What Hatppen to Bodel Grape. Moby Greap I Mean.

[@michaeldeliyanis3716]

I bought their album after seeing them on TV

[@cheechwizard60]

Forever Changes has been my favorite album since it's release in 1967. Love never got it's due, even the prior two albums were great. Arthur Lee was a great frontman, Johnny Echols was a very underrated guitar player, Ken Forssi was an excellent bassist.

[@robomaster4882]

Voted #1 album of all time by the British Parliament a few years back. Our Congress has never heard of them. Go figure. My #1 as well.

[@josephesposito3499]

I saw love in 2009 also the genius who wrote the best song on forever changes was the blonde guy Brian Maclean he wrote that beauty 'alone again'

[@robomaster4882]

@@josephesposito3499Arthur died in 2006. Bryan in 1998. I think you saw "Baby Lemonade" billing themselves as Love. They were Arthur's backing band for the "Forever Changes" tours. Maybe with John Echols from Love. Bryan had a few good tunes but Arthur was the main writer. My pick on "Forever Changes" is the closing track, "You Set the Scene".

[@cheechwizard60]

@@josephesposito3499 That song was one of the staples of my show. (When I used to do shows) When I was on facebook, I was friends with Johnny Echols.

[@josephesposito3499]

@@cheechwizard60 Yes I saw Johnny Echols with Baby lemonade in 2009 in Fairfield CT. along with the electric prunes and the Blues Magoo's

[@edljnehan2811]

I had Happy Trails by Quicksilver Messenger Service and thought it was really groundbreaking for the time😊

[@Caligari...]

They recorded the Happy Trails album on you guessed it LSD baby

[@edljnehan2811]

@Caligari... been there done that several times baby

[@dave0267]

Amazon Album, my brother lived in Rochdale in Toronto when I first heard it, he also introduced me to Spirit

[@donbodadonbo]

I like this video collection, but why do you have a clip (at about 11:42) of The Music Machine (doing "Talk Talk") in the middle of your Electric Prunes section?

[@johnmoreno96]

Right, Why?

[@SSGLew]

Exactly.

[@superman9772]

yep... and joe bird was famous for his "joe bird and the field hippies" and not so much for the "united states of america" along with him recording/producing nick drake's albums

[@Musichead1968]

@@superman9772You mean Joe Boyd?

[@superman9772]

@@Musichead1968 joe byrd actually... he's still alive (pretty sure)...

[@alexale6-qh2co]

Amon Duul II---Arzachel---Blues Magoos---Bloodrock---Butterfingers---Captain Beyond---Churchill's---Circus Maximus---Day Blindness---Dry Ice---Eden's Children---Fat Mattress---Fat Water---Five Day Week Straw People---Freedom---Friar Tuck & His Psychedelic Guitar---Freshwater---Ginhouse---Gomorrha--Heavy Balloon---Hamilton Streetcar---Green---Hurdy Gurdy---Jackal----Jericho---John Bassman Group---Jolliver Arkansaw---Kangaroo---Julius Victor---Killing Floor---Ladies W. C.---Laghonia---Leaf Hound---Les Goths---Les Rotomagus---Leviathan---Locomotive U.K.---Mad River---Marble Phrogg---Mary Butterworth---May Blitz---McCully Workshop Inc.---Mijal & White---Merriday Park---Mint Tattoo---Mike Curb & Larry Brown---Mountain---Mountain Bus---Orang-Utan---One Way Ticket (Time is Right)---Paper Garden---Peacepipe---Pendragon---Phluph---Positively Thirteen O'Clock---Probe---Pussy---Q65---Quatermass---Quo Vadis---i quit

[@franksiegle7823]

Wow! Some I have, but most of these are ones I've never heard of.

[@TEXAS.N8V]

Post Moby Grape member Alexander Skip Spence released one of the most underground, mind blowing albums ever - Oar.

[@Surreal_Wizard]

"SF Sorrow" was at the top of my personal playlist for a while- when I heard it playing in the background at a record store in the mid/late 1990s it was one of those "Gotta run over and buy it on the spot" type things. Outstanding album start to finish.

[@andrewt4042]

Blues Magoos actually had an album titled Psychedelic Lollipop.

[@XOXOX007]

How can anyone discuss this without crediting LSD...

[@karlstuber6399]

This is mainstream’s take .

[@franksiegle7823]

No Psychedelic without Psychedelics.

[@Titus9508]

Nice thing about the Psychedelic movement was that German musicians took it more seriously and ran with it up until the mid 70's, Amon Duul, Amon Duul II, Ahra Temple, Guru Guru...

[@Niels133]

Tanz der Lemmingen....

[@ggrape0]

@@Niels133love all those, thanks for mentioning archangels thunderbird from lemming mania sounds like a really advanced jefferson airplane experience.

[@bakeone4406]

For sure! several great German bands advanced and solidified what was largely only hinted at on most of the earlier psychedelic recordings. The Guru Guru/Kanguru album makes a good exhibit A.

[@l.salisbury1253]

The MC5 belong on this list...

[@ragingchimera8021]

No, they don't.

[@jwoodrff]

Pretty good band, there, with some great moments. They were more mainstream, in my estimation.

[@lightsone2159]

The main reason these bands didn't "make it big" when they came out is because of Top 40 AM radio. The stations wanted pap that was easy to listen to and dance to and only lasted a couple of minutes. If FM radio had been available and widespread back then, many of these bands would've had, probably, some bit of fame and record sales. It's hard to be popular when you haven't got a label that will give you money to record and tour. The bands that made it back then lived on the road for years. And some faded into the road, never to be heard from again.

[@cjmacq-vg8um]

yes, fm radio did a lot to promote more sophisticated, mature rock music. they played album tracks and longer songs perfect for the budding progressive rock scene. then idiot howard stern came along and turned fm radio into am crap. in the mid-80s the chocolate watch band's original 3 albums became sought after collectors items rivaling original elvis and beatle albums in value. they had the distinction of appearing in the 1967 cult film "riot on sunset strip." (he showed a clip of that film.) similarly strawberry alarm clock appeared in russ meyer's cult classic 1970 film "beyond the valley of the dolls." they also appeared on hugh hefner's "playboy after dark" tv show. the band "united states of america" is connected to the band "joe byrd and the field hippies." byrd left the former and formed the latter releasing the exquisitly psychedelic "american metaphysical circus" album in 1969. like the yardbirds the pretty things were a british blues band formed by rolling stone co-founder dick taylor. both bands (also like the chocolate watch band) eventually mixed american r&b with psychedelia. and speaking of the yardbirds we have to mention their 1966 classic psychedelic album "roger the engineer."

[@lightsone2159]

@@cjmacq-vg8um I love(d) the Yardbirds. But I was young and didn't have a job or sympathetic parents, so anything like these bands mentioned in this video were out of my reach.

[@wyliesmith4244]

'67 marked the transition of 'serious' rock releases from singles (mono and less than 3 minutes) to albums (FM free form radio started with no self-described hipster djs nor program directors to limit song selection to a small number of songs, and longer tunes received airplay). Singles were often targeted for young teens (bubblegum, etc), but albums were for a slightly (?) older audience that had followed the Beatles since their US debut in '64. Bands like SAC got caught in between when a hit single made them unhip in the eyes of Rolling Stone and other judgmental magazines/critics. Same for the Prunes. And sales figures were still low as few had stereo systems yet while FM radio was still a niche market with college stations (10 watts maybe) still being the only FM stations outside of the BIG cities. In other words, great comment - and the best, almost only, way to see mid-level bands was at a college then.

[@082207]

Pop

[@brutallyremastered4255]

I don't understand the relevance of the difference between AM & FM radio...

[@drbluzer]

EKSEPTION was a Dutch group that never made it big in America but were a hit over in Europe ! Their first five albums went gold !

[@cliffordhodge1449]

I agree Love and S.F. Sorrow deserved much more acclaim.

Don't forget Clear Light.

[@robomaster4882]

True. But one album and no hit singles doesn't help them get remembered.

[@jameshafner1442]

​@@robomaster4882Elektra was blessed with Love, the Doors, and Clear Light. Too small to promote it all. And the Stooges, plus the MC5.

[@robomaster4882]

@@jameshafner1442 Cutting edge label. They broke many new bands.

[@Richard-ic3ix]

@@robomaster4882 2nd album was called Changing Hearts.

[@robomaster4882]

@@Richard-ic3ix A second album? No record of it anywhere. Not Wikipedia, Discogs, or anywhere else. They may have been working on one but it was never released. But if you have a link to it I would love to hear it.

[@MyUltimateStuff]

Yall could do an entire hour on just the awesome psychedelic bands from TEXAS - including the ones that CREATED the word 'Pyschedelic' - the Thirteenth Floor Elevators. Others who should've been nationally famous: *Shiva's Head Band *Bubble Puppy *Red Krayola *Count Down 5 *FEVER TREE *Neal Ford & the Fanatics *Moving Sidewalks - ohvyeah, they became ZZ Top! ❤❤❤ - damnnit, there's others... All such great musicians, lyrics, songs of my life

[@michaelallred3083]

Add in Fever Tree, Electric Flag and Peanut Butter Conspiracy.

[@marstondavis]

Electric Flag is just flat out badass! Bloomfield just tares it up. Such sweet blues on his guitar intro on 'Another Country'.

[@LarryMcNeely-me4px]

Peanut Butter Conspiracy played at my junior high dance. not exactly a band on their way up.

[@cliffordhodge1449]

I would include Silver Apples and Morgen.

[@franksiegle7823]

Silver Apples, I have. Not Morgen, unfortunately, I guess.

[@DexFlett]

SF Sorrow is one of the greatest albums ever. I still listen to it today. Pretty Things were awesome. My niece had a poster of the band in the late 60s, and I'd not heard of them, then she played me SF and I was hooked.

[@jonncockrell3606]

These groups were pretty well known if you were around back then.

[@franksiegle7823]

Yep.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

I'm not sure the Alarm Clock belongs on here. They WERE at least a "one hit wonder" with "Incense and Peppermints".

[@insectsandanimals5535]

Great list ! Funny thing is, these are all common bands among psych collectors. BTW, that Music Machine clip was a screwup (not the Prunes)

[@Robert-n3t3p]

Great you highlight The Pretty Things at the end. They made such gemstones between 1967 and 1970, like the singles Defecting Grey and Talking about the Goodtimes and their 2 album masterpieces S.F. Sorrow and Parachute!

[@Spock105]

@@Robert-n3t3p Yes...have parachute and SF on vinyl

[@SpongeLab]

They also did Soundtrack work as The Electric Banana, the second LP with songs from the movie "Whats Good For The Goose" is rather good, they even do a cameo in the film, I am sure it's here on youtube!

[@frankcallo6630]

Quicksilver got a ton of airplay in Philadelphia ( well, at least Sweet Air) in WMMR until the late 7Os. Ultimate spinach was a band my folks turned me on to. USA I didn't really discover until about 5 years ago. Here is a band that wasn't on the list but was really wonderful, The Mandrake Memorial. Phila band, beautiful baroque rock from 68. Hard to find but really worth the search. Of course "It's A Beautiful Day" from San Francisco was wonderful with their hit "White Bird". Great bands, thanks for sharing.😊

[@gajesh1087]

@frankcallo6630: Your comment gave me a flood of memories of being a 16 year old under the blankets late at night with a transistor radio pressed to my ear listening to DJ Herman's The Marconi Experiment program on WMMR Phila Pa. That radio program turned me on to all the music featured in this video. I saw The Mandrake Memorial and bands such as Woody's Truck Stop and Sweet Stavin Chain ,The Nazz all were Philly hometown heros at the original Electric Factory. Your comment brought a smile to my now 71 years old face...thanks for the memories...Peace and Love all around!

[@frankcallo6630]

@gajesh1087 71 huh, I'll be 60 next may. This was my parents' music really BUT, it really set the bar for what I needed and wanted from music.. It makes me sm8le to know it made you smile. Funny thinking that you are only 11 years older than m. but lived it what feels like a different time. Rock on friend.

[@lilajagears8317]

@@frankcallo6630 95.5 KLOS here in L.A. played a lot of Quicksilver as well. Like WMMR KLOS is still going strong with the same album rock format since 1969.

[@TEXAS.N8V]

I noticed there’s footage of The Music Machine (black gloves) mixed with the electric prunes. The music machine was another one of those underground killers!! Great video thank you!!

[@robertrobertsakarogerslemer]

Ultimate Spinach, Fever Tree, Love, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, Help Yourself, Kaleidoscope, they were ambitious, innovative, intricate arrangements, excellent vocal arrangements. For me it's almost a mystery that these bands didn't achieve a better fate. The main reason these bands didn't "make it" when they first came out is because of Top 40 AM radio. Broadcasters wanted pop that was easy to listen to and dance to and only lasted a few minutes. And people like to sing songs that are easy to memorize. At that time, no one had a form of popularization except FM radio and specialized newspapers and magazines. If FM radio had been available and widespread at that time, many of these bands would probably have had a bit of fame and record sales.

[@franksiegle7823]

I''m glad you mention Kalidescope, (U.S. I presume.). First albums were fantastic.

[@Mopar46]

Thought you might have mentioned "Pearls before Swine".

[@franksiegle7823]

Wonderful band. I have several albums, including one just by Rapp.

[@lancewalker1999]

Add Lothar & The Hand People

[@mocom70]

YES! ..."Space Hymn"! It's dreamy!

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

Indeed.

[@franksiegle7823]

They were good. Especially, Space Hymn.

[@erict9020]

i would add Beacon Street Union, also part of the Boss Town sound along w/ Earth Opera. & then there's Country Joe & the Fish whose debut album Electric Music for the Mind & Body is still one on my favorite recordings ever. also, i might mention Celestial Voluptuous Banana from here in Ga.

[@franksiegle7823]

Yeah. I have those, too. Good groups. That CJ&TF album is one of my all time favorites.

[@dorariparia9262]

love all the bands in this video. They all left a precious legacy in their music.

[@cjmacq-vg8um]

nice list. a lot to comment on. in the mid-80s the chocolate watch band's original 3 albums became sought after collectors items rivaling original elvis and beatle albums in value. they had the distinction of appearing in the 1967 cult film "riot on sunset strip." (you showed a clip of that film.) similarly strawberry alarm clock appeared in russ meyer's cult classic 1970 film "beyond the valley of the dolls." they also appeared on hugh hefner's "playboy after dark" tv show. the band "united states of america" is connected to the band "joe byrd and the field hippies." byrd left the former and formed the latter releasing the exquisitly psychedelic "american metaphysical circus" album in 1969. like the yardbirds the pretty things were a british blues band formed by rolling stone co-founder dick taylor. both bands (also like the chocolate watch band) eventually mixed american r&b with psychedelia. and speaking of the yardbirds we have to mention their 1966 classic psychedelic album "roger the engineer." thanks for the video.

[@deweygill1973]

Why is there a Music Machine clip introducing the Prunes?

[@SmittySmith-lu9bh]

What is the "Music Machine" doing mixed in with the "Electric Prunes"? They were two totally different bands.

[@noname-ll2vk]

To not put the 13th Floor Elevators at number one by a mile shows this guy has no idea what real psychedelic music is. But musicians ever since have known this, which is why they're so heavily influential decade after decade. Which is all that matters. The other bands are interesting although some really were simply one hit wonders where the hit was by far the best song on the album. Which is why they didn't go anywhere. Quicksilver was a fantastic live band but when they added Dino on vocals it didn't work. Happy Trails remains one of the best documents of live 60s San Fransisco underground psychedelia ever released. It was taken from a series of live shows. You can get all the live shows if you look and reassemble that multinight run of shows. Quicksilver got the exact right amount of respect they earned and so really don't belong on this list.

[@jwoodrff]

This is correct. I am very familiar with most of these bands. I had their albums and listened to them for hours.

[@TZ61]

Great list here. I only just caught up with The United States of America and Kaleidoscope in the last year or two and have to check out West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Great upload.

[@franksiegle7823]

You're in for a treat!

[@johnmitchelljr]

Great video. Moby grape was too much of a good thing. Great video, thanks.

[@gregholmes1289]

Six singles on the charts at one time!

[@kensolar69]

Quicksilver ? They had 4 singles and 6 albums that charted top 100. 4 albums hit the mid 20's. They headlined stadiums and arenas for years. Years of solid radio play. .. What do you consider 'BIG' ?

[@lancelot6011]

I wouldn’t say the Grateful Dead “soared to mainstream success”

[@vir2ul1]

Right. It goes to show that this video wasn’t made by anyone who actually understands the topic.

[@JerryCarr909]

Where is HP Lovecraft . Bay Area band

[@CherrySlush1]

Actually a Chicago band though they did move to the Bay area.

[@JerryCarr909]

@@CherrySlush1 thanks. I loved the 2 albums that i had back in the early 70's

[@wyliesmith4244]

@@CherrySlush1 Sundazed put out a CD, "Live - May 11, 1968," that was recorded in the Bay Area, but the band was originally from Chicago. And when drummer Michael Tegza formed a splinter group, Lovecraft - not HP Lovecraft, , he had members of Chicago bands Aorta and the Buckinghams as the other musicians.

[@derfzus1040]

I searched far and wide back in the late 80's for HP Lovecraft II, which a record archives store in Pittsburgh was able to find for me and I still have it. With Mobius Trip, Spin Spin Spin, Nothings Boy, Keeper of the Keys, and Mountains of Madness, it's my most treasured album of all time!!

[@JerryCarr909]

@@derfzus1040 I have the first 2 LPs. H P Lovecraft 1968 and aslo H P 2 1968. Both are great.

[@stevevaughn2040]

I was thrown, specifically Quick Silver Messenger, Moby Grape, and Love. Love was likely the best LA band, I was in San Francisco area. Their first album came out at the same time as The Doors album and all promo went to the Doors.

Also the American band Kaleidoscope.

[@wyliesmith4244]

Who are pictured a couple of times ?!?

[@GeorgeBecos]

Dam right man!!!

[@ggrape0]

Great, I love the album with the song please

[@RATCLIFFE-LISTENS]

Moby Grape Three Lead Guitarists 5 part harmonies All great Writers , Did 5?Columbia Lps 1 Warner Lp 20 Granite Creek Produced by David Robinson. GuitarPlayer Jerry Miller one of Rolling Stones Top All Tome Guitarists. Skip Spence played Drums with the Airplane and left to join the Grape on Guitar. Major Hit Omaha written by Spence. Beautiful Deep Baritone Voice was Peter Lewis who was Movie Star Loretta Young’s Son. THE GROUP WERE HUGE INFLUENCES OF LED ZEPPLIN PAGE&PLANTS FAVORITE. THEY OPENED THE MOVIE MONTEREY POP! THE FIRST LP IS 100% FLAWLESS.

[@lilajagears8317]

What about the Youngbloods?

[@jwoodrff]

Beautiful band, not psychedelic. their big hit could stand some airtime today.

[@ROGER2095]

@@jwoodrff Darkness, Darkness would fit in well with other pyschedelic records.

[@vir2ul1]

I don’t think one can say they never made it big. “Get Together” charted #5 in the U.S. and was an anthem for my generation in the late 60s.

[@paulwhiston1836]

No 13th Floor Elevators

[@jwoodrff]

That is exactly my critique. Can't talk Psychedelic without talking Elevators. Also, the first time I ever saw the term "Heavy Metal" in Priont was,I think, Chet Helm in Rolling Stone talking about the Elevators.

[@HeavyTripHaze]

Some of these bands are better then what was mainstream in the 60s

[@rolandomartinez9076]

Maybe u never heard of them but real fans really appreciated these under rated bands. Bands came and went. Changed members. Lots of factors.

[@SpongeLab]

The Electric Prunes are only on their first two LPs, the Canadian group Collectors replaced them after that, it wasn't their choice, but that of their management and compser David Axelrod, It was pretty much the same storey for the Chocolate Watch Band except they had management using tunes by session guys on their first LP and half their second LP was by a group of session guys too. Very sad as both groups were very good

[@wyliesmith4244]

The Prunes also have a live in Stockholm album ("Stockholm 1967") that shows that they could recreate their sound live. The band did not want it released at the time, but it is a strong record with better song selection than the first album. Their fifth album, "Just Good Old & Roll," is generic, mediocre r & r. The band member on the left in the cover shot is Scott Morgan who joined the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band after WCPAEB's first Reprise album. (and why is there a picture of Scott with two other members of the WCPAEB in the middle of the Ultimate Spinach segment? And a different shot later? And two clips of the Music machine. Some poor editing here. And then there is the cover of the Left Banke's first album short, but superb, a classic of 'baroque pop.' Bad management seems to be a theme here. Matthew Katz owned the name 'Moby Grape' - and 'It's a Beautiful Day' as well - which prevented their albums being reissued. Moby Grape finally got their name back circa 2000 and Sundazed issued excellent CDs of the Columbia albums, only to have them pulled from the market because Katz 'owned' the cover rights. Alan Lorber ran the Bosstown Sound and drove leader Ian Bruce-Douglas, and all but one of the other members, out of the group. Stay away from Spinach #3, though it was my introduction to Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter. The WCPAEB was bankrolled by Bob Markley who took over the group, and he caused most of the creative members to quit. "WCPAEB" Part One" is their best work in the minds/reviews of most. But in the end it allom all comes down to personal taste, and you reminded me to break out some great stuff. Thanks!

[@charleschauffe5884]

'Underground' album by the Prunes one of my all time favorites👍

[@wyliesmith4244]

@@charleschauffe5884 I surely cannot disagree with that statement. 'The Great Banana Hoax' was great (in late '66 - '67 folks were smoking banana peels to get high, but Donovan said he wrote the song about a yellow vibrator), but 'I' stands out to me as quiet, moody - and well-played like all prunes material. may I say great personal taste?

[@franksiegle7823]

I have all of 'em. Great groups! Thanks.

[@Spock105]

Kaleidoscope US is also a contender , as there is Earth & Fire from Holland or PMF from Italy.

[@Niels133]

Earth and Fire's Song of the marchin' children❤ Lots and lots of mellotron.

[@Spock105]

@Niels133 Yep...have the album on vinyl

[@scottjohnson9159]

Aphrodities Child deserves mention

[@michaelpeck8312]

I had at least 7 of these bands on vinyl in the 60s. I saw a few of them too. Quicksilver and Moby Grape were the best IMO.

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

Music Machine definitely belongs on this list; so does Family from the UK. Family's stage show was so extraordinary that Hendrix didn't want to follow them on stage.

[@jeffthevideoguy23]

So Freak Out and Sgt Pepper weren't concept albums until SF Sorrow was released after them? Ok.

[@vir2ul1]

You’re right and it’s one of many idiotic statements made in this video.

[@franksiegle7823]

Yes to both, but were they genuinely Psychedelic? But, yeah, they were first.

[@zeljkofatzek3670]

You can make a beautiful alternate history of rock music just by "underground" artists (or one hit wonders).

[@marvinchase4899]

Quicksilver Messenger Service: I bought their Shady Grove Lp and I rem seeing them in "Last Days of the Fillmore" video

[@Wiencourager]

Another band missed on this video is The Misunderstood, songs like Children of the sun and I can take you to the sun are amazing and way ahead of thier time

[@franksiegle7823]

Yes,

[@holgerjagd-s1j]

I used to listen a lot to The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band and Electric Prunes in the sixties. And Love of course were fantastic.

[@harvey3rdman464]

Captain Beyond.

[@wyliesmith4244]

While I can't listen to their album too much, it did come out in 1972, years after the bands listed. But DEFINITELY worth a listen.

[@jimfritz2087]

A 1000 days of yesterday ......

[@Larkinchance]

I left LA in 1969, AM radio had just died and was replaced with FM that played the long version of "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Light My Fire"... When I got to the East Coast, they were still listening to "The Archies" on AM I always liked the "Incredible String Band" yes no no yes no yes yes yes no no no

[@martinsplichal1581]

Good list. I own many of these albums. You showed the unmentioned Music Machine in the Electric Prunes segment doing the song Talk Talk. Both are are great.

[@taylorkingston1408]

Some of the footage purporting to be of the Electric Prunes is actually the Music Machine performing their hit "Talk Talk" (1966).

[@sslaytor]

Excellent though they may be - neither S. F. Sorrow nor Tommy are rock operas. An opera is a story told through music and performed like play with multiple performers. S. F. Sorrow and Tommy are oratorios, a story told via songs but with a static group of performers belting out the tunes! Hallelujah! The movie of Tommy might qualify as it features different singers for each role, but as originally written it did not.

[@franksiegle7823]

Of course you are right. Probably the first true Rock opera is "Jesus Christ, Superstar. Didn't like the movie really, but a touring company my wife and i saw last January did a very credible job with it.

[@gowensbach2998]

Well, I did hear some new bands, so thank you. I love that old psychedelic stuff.

[@lamontprospect9974]

Very interesting documentary. 🕊️❤️🙏

[@Ted_James]

Good list. Tangerine Dream? (8:20). The Music Machine clip was out of place. They should be included in this list.

[@wyliesmith4244]

In case it is not clear, "Tangerine Dream" was an album title, not the German synth group.

[@GraceletswithBillFaris-ng9cy]

John Cipollina remains my favorite guitarist ever. Quicksilver forever!

[@geraldzuckier]

When you see him play, his fretting fingers never stop moving, constant tremolo

[@rondesantis8618]

Most of these groups are on my play list! 😂

[@ggrape0]

Mine too! Know many details about almost all of them

[@gregorygermann5975]

Bubble puppy- hot smoke and sassafras.

[@gregholmes1289]

In the S.F. Bay Area there was also Mad River and the Loading Zone, both of whose albums I have. Then there was the New Breed from Sacramento, who did "Green Eyed Woman", which got local airplay. One of their members, George the drummer, was in my Economics class at American River College. Another of their members, Timothy B. Schmidt, went on to become the Eagles' bassist.

[@franksiegle7823]

The first two bands I have in my collection. I might have a New Breed tune in a compilation. I'd have to check.

[@BCSJRR]

Where is The Clear Light with their very '60s Mr. Blue (we've got our eyes on you...)

[@henkhor-pi5bm]

Ik vind het een zeer goede opsomming van psychedelische groepen . Ik ken ze allemaal en sommige zijn echt fantastisch. Love had bij leven al wereld beroemd moeten zijn . Een paar mensen zoals ik kende die groep al vanaf de eerste LP . Ik zag die LP vanwege die hoes foto en begon het te beluisteren . Pretty things zijn altijd wel goed geweest maar het lukte ze gewoon niet om bij de tijd te blijven . Of ze waren te vroeg of weer te laat met iets om een goede concurrent te zijn .

[@JohnMcCleary-tg5qi]

Another one that didn't get any love was Minnesota's The Litter!

[@franksiegle7823]

They were good. There's another MN band I have, but I 'd have to check.

[@mc2mc277]

Decent List…I usually thing most “lists” SUCK. Nice job, especially #1 and the bonus.I spent over a decade as a top FM radio DJ and decades in music.

[@davida2111]

What about Hawkwind and The Pink Fairies ?

[@MrPjalex]

Space rock bigger in the 70s

[@vectionnoitcev2836]

Hawkwind released quite a few albums of which I bought at least 4 or 5 of them. The first one I considered to be their best, the follow up albums were too derivative to be considered evolutionary. Because of that I eventually lost interest in them. While I agree with you, they had too many albums in circulation at the time to be considered unknown.

[@g.garcia7151]

For me, the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band awkwardly paired sublime, almost Byrds-ish pop songs (like “Here’s Where You Belong”) with knuckle-headed, cloyingly eccentric songs. Other bands, like Silver Apples and 13th Floor Elevators, are more deserving of inclusion on this list.

[@olddoggeleventy2718]

I had an Ultimate Spinach album. When you opened it, there was a huge spinach plant on the inside and outside of the jacket. It was quite trippy and fun. My friends didn't like it very much, and I didn't care much for their Hot Tuna album.

[@stevedoggart2805]

Tangerine Dream are big in Europe. Where was ""THE RUTTLES" ? ," the Khaki Starfish" or even "Rusty Sherriff's Badge" ?

[@Titus9508]

Different Tangerine Dream.

[@PeterDaltrey]

Kaleidoscope UK first album was titled, `Tangerine Dream`.

[@howardquinn5911]

Curved Air?

[@steventodd3467]

Judging from the pictures, there seems to be some confusion between the US band Kalaidoscope and the British one. 🤔

[@skoob-kq7ms]

No mention of The 13th Floor Elevators ? The Elevators were the first band to refer to their music as psychedelic rock, with the first-known use of the term appearing on their business card in January 1966.

[@gregholmes1289]

See above.

[@karpabla]

Now imagine the underground weirdness that some "bands" or acts" were doing in Europe. Removed from real rock and roll roots, removed from the cocoon of main pop-rock interbreeding zones, some of them were sheer weirdness.

[@franksiegle7823]

I have to mention three bands from my home state of Kansas: The Blue Things, The Wizards, and The Morning Dew. Unfortunately I only have "The Wizards from Kansas." The Morning Dew is too expensive for me now, but I have the Wizards album, and if you find it, I recommend it.

[@davidkean1487]

How about Take me to the river, by The Damnation of Adam Blessing!

[@RickMason-yj7pv]

Fresh Air, with Nicky Hopkins on keys.

[@geraldzuckier]

If you're Canadian and you lived through that era, you remember "Chilliwack."

[@travismiles5885]

There was a classic rock station that went on the air when I was a kid in the late 8Os in Detroit that would play a lot of obscure classic bands like Quicksilver Messenger Service. That's where I first heard them. The station eventually phased that stuff out and played the more popular classic rock stuff. Then that fateful day came when I was home on leave and they were still a classic rock station but playing GnR and other bands that from my youth. That's when I realized I was old. 😂

[@Glenrsi]

Five bands mentioned are worth their salt. As for the others, they are best forgotten.

[@markfreeman1679]

Which 5 for you?

[@tinusvandermerwe6433]

The Pretty Things album Parachute was rated as the top album in 1972. They aslo released Silk Torpedoes, Rage before Beauty, and many others. In my opinion a great band.

[@markrobinson8254]

JERRY MILLER Moby Grape

[@CheapSquierBassPlayer]

Misspelling things in your thumbnail is a great way to warn people to avoid your video.

[@casedismissed8581]

how bout "the bonzo dog band" ?

[@franksiegle7823]

That was more a satirical jazzy band, Wonderful, but not really in th Psych genre. They were terrific, though.

[@casedismissed8581]

@@franksiegle7823 yeah, that's about right ! how bout the blues project ?

[@neilturner6865]

Great magic bands 🍄🍄