Psych LP Sale The Mandrake Memorial Medium

$

30

Welcome to my Psych, Prog, Garage, Surf, Folk and Funk, and Oddball LP sale!! See my other ads for more strange and exotic LPs!... This is for The Mandrake Memorial "Medium" on US issue Poppy Records, 1969 stereo....The Gatefold jacket had some storage and minor ring wear, and the inner seam has split completely- but is easily repaired by regluing (NO cover damage- it simply separated!), but overall in very good condition....The Vinyl has some minor storage marks and one or two slight paper scratches- but this played MINT, but I do rate visually, so this rated a very good plus condition... I played it twice! (hey I LIKE this LP)..I use Goldmine Magazine's strict guidelines for grading records...This is part of a collector's hell- he would buy the LPs used, put the jacket in a poly outer sleeve, and place the LP in a poly lined inner sleeve, then store it, NEVER playing it!!!.If it was sealed, he never openned it!!!...Mailed in a special Hard cardboard LP mailer for the safest ride to your house...I will combine auction wins to save you postage, but please let me know, and multiple purchases in the USA will ALL GO INSURED...Overseas buyers have the option for registration.. Also I do want to MOVE these out of here, so please complete all the combined auctions in a 2 week period, if possible...Overseas buyers please note that many countries have a 4 pound MAXIMUM on air mail packages, so there is a 4 to 5 LP limit on each shipment. And luckily NO packages have been lost via airmail overseas. Please check the US Post Office internet for postage costs and policies...The Mandrake Memorial began life with an unknown New York City band called The Novae Police, featuring Kevin Lally and Randy Monaco. They played in the Village for a while, opening for bands like The Flying Machine (featuring James Taylor), whilst Randy was also doing a lot of demo work, singing on the first demo of "Happy Together" which The Turtles later recorded. Meanwhile, guitarist Craig Anderton was playing in a college band from the University of Pennsylvania called The Flowers of Evil, who played shows with Woody's Truck Stop (Todd Rundgren's first band). Keyboardist Michael Kac was also in Philadelphia's Cat's Cradle. The Mandrake's came together through promoter Larry Schriver, who was working in conjunction with club owner Manny Rubin. Manny was looking for a house band for his club, The Trauma in Philadelphia. The band started playing the Philadelphia, New York, Boston and college circuits, even appearing with Pink Floyd on TV and through Manny obtained a deal with MGM subsidiary Poppy (their first two albums were issued by RCA in the UK). Their debut album which was released in the Fall of '68 sold over 100,000 copies and is made up of short commercial rock compositions like Bird Journey, Rainy May and Dark Lady with Randy Monaco's pleasing, laid back vocals and Michael Kac's keyboards usually to the fore. The strongest track on the album is possibly the haunting Strange, but a consistent standard is maintained throughout. The simple pop format is dropped on the Medium album which is the group's first real excursion into the world of psychedelia. By the time of it's release Michael Kac had left the band due to musical differences. Overall, it is more interesting than their earlier effort. Of particular interest is the opening track on Side Two, the haunting After Pascal, which has an unusual psychedelic intro, and the fuzztone guitar work on Smokescreen. Another track Barnaby Plum also has an unusual psychedelic intro and a pleasant autoharp piece in the middle...As a three piece, the band came to England to record an LP with Shel Talmy producing. However the resultant "intimate acoustic guitar" album was deemed too uncommercial and shelved. An acetate of the album still exists, and many of the songs were later re-recorded for Puzzle. Their third and final album, Puzzle, was their most ambitious. It had a most interesting cover. The mysterious opening track Earthfriend Prelude sets the tenor for the remainder of the album, which is their rarest and something of a collectors' item. But other tracks like Just A Blur were more in the style of their first album, while Kyrie finds the group playing material, as does A Children's Prayer on Side Two. Volcano Prelude, the opening track on Side Two commences with a slow orchestrated drum crescendo, while Whisper Play is possibly the strangest track on the album, based around the idea of quasi-religious music, superimposed with whispers. Overall, this amounted to an early concept album and, with a total playing time of almost 49 minutes, was excellent value when first released. After Puzzle the group recorded a cover of Thunderclap Newman's Something In The Air, which was released as a 45 with picture sleeve, but this didn't "happen" and Kevin Lally left afterwards. Randy Monaco later played with The 1910 Fruitgum Co. but sadly died in the late seventies from cirrhosis. Craig Anderton went on to form Anomaly with musicians Charles Cohen and Jeff Kane. They backed Linda Cohen on her Poppy label albums in the early seventies. Anderton became well-known beginning in the seventies as an author, writing the do-it-yourself books "Electronic ...Projects For Musicians" and "Home Recording For Musicians", as well as contributing a regular column to 'Guitar Player' magazine called "Electronic Guitar". He also participated in a newsletter available to musicians by mail-order called "Device" that provided tips on modifying guitars, amps and special effects boxes. In retrospect, while he might be a footnote in rock history for his musical talents, his contribution to rock music in general through his writing is phenomenal, certainly without measure. Thanks to David L. Brown - (Vernon Joynson/Lee Rand/Clark Faville)....Anyone who lived in Philadelphia in the late '60s would remember the Mandrake Memorial well. They opened for many of the star rock bands who passed through the city, and in terms of local popularity, they were probably only second to the Nazz. Outside of Philadelphia, they were scarcely known whatsoever, though they did manage to produce some fine second-division psychedelia. As vocalists they were adequate, but they were accomplished players and interesting writers, dressing their solid melodies with liberal jazz and Middle Eastern influences. Guitarist Craig Anderton became a noted music technology writer, contributing to magazines such as Electronic Musician...songs:::: ...1. Snake Charmer (Mandrake Memorial) - 2:45 2. Witness the End/Celebration (Mandrake Memorial) - 5:42 3. Other Side (Mandrake Memorial) - 3:25 4. Last Number (Mandrake Memorial) - 4:31 5. After Pascal (Mandrake Memorial) - 6:51 6. Smokescreen (Mandrake Memorial) - 5:06 7. Barnaby Plum (Mandrake Memorial) - 6:10 8. Cassandra (Mandrake Memorial) - 5:26