We Are Ever So Clean by Blossom Toes.

My new CD arrived in the post. It is called We Are Ever So Clean by Blossom Toes. That cheered me up because I had been looking forward to hearing this. I had ordered it because I had read that it is a lost classic of British psychedelia. It was released originally in 1967 at the height of flower power and wasn’t popular with the music press or the public and was quickly forgotten. As the decades went by however it began to acquire a cult following among music fans. Copies of the original vinyl album became worth £700. It was re-released on Sunbeam Records in 2007 to celebrate its 40^th anniversary. The CD has ten bonus tracks and a very informative booklet to go with it. I had heard of one band member previously called Jim Cregan because he later joined Family & Cockney Rebel and worked and wrote with Rod Stewart for many years.

As soon as I heard the first track Look At Me I’m You it immediately reminded me of The Beatles Sgt Pepper album. Apparently though, according to the notes all the music here was written before Sgt Pepper was released. I’ll Be Late For Tea recalled to me such songs as Hole In My Shoe by Traffic. Other times I thought of Smiley Smile by The Beach Boys or Satanic Majesties by The Stones. 1967 was a very strange year. Remarkable Saga Of The Frozen Dog is a very funny song complete with a dog barking in the background. There is a lot of humour on this album which is very refreshing compared to the dour stuff that is served up as music these days. Another band that springs to mind from that era is The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Love Is  is a very nice love song  with cello and almost an orchestra in the studio. I think it was all recorded live in the studio with no over dubs. What’s It For has some great drumming and strange lyrics such as, ‘The mere existence of a door is something to be grateful for’.

People Of The Royal Parks conjures up the era of swinging London and has some crazy stoned laughter at the end of it. What On Earth is another cleverly produced song. It was Georgio Gomelsky who produced the album. He also worked closely with The Stones and The Yardbirds in the 60’s. He was Blossom Toes Svengali. Mrs Murphy’s Budgerigar  is all about a budgie flying off and it wasn’t as if Mrs Murphy didn’t feed it. I Will Bring You This And That and Mister Watchmaker are both good songs but I really like the next track When The Alarm Clock Rings. It has a nice jangly guitar intro which reminds me a bit of The Byrds from that era and the message of the song is reminiscent to me of The Monkees Pleasant Valley Sunday. The Intrepid Balloonists Handbook Volume 1 reminds me of fairground steam organs and Edwardian music halls. You has more bizarre vocals and is addressed to someone called Felicity. Track For Speedy Freaks is just that, with the singer complaining that nobody talks to him. There is a lot of chattering going on till someone finally shouts STOP !. That is the end of the original album but then there are ten bonus tracks of live versions, outtakes & demos, their version of Dylan’s I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight  & also a radio interview with Jim Cregan by what sounds like a very bemused Brian Matthew. 

I have really enjoyed listening to this historic album and I'm pleased it is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Tomorrow night I am going to see one of the most influential bands in British music history. I’ll tell you all about that on Saturday.