SUNDAE TIMES Us Coloured Kids '69 UK freakbeat psych LP

$

66

Original rare 1969 album by the Sundae Times, “Us Coloured Kids” on the UK Joy label. Real obscure and VERY RARE album that answers the question “What would Jimi Hendrix have sounded like if he were British?” Not just living in Britain, which Jimi did, but actually living and breathing the culture, the Swinging London scene, and performing in that twisted Carnaby Street Syd Barrett meets the psychedelic Who freakbeat style – UFO Club, Oz Magazine and Granny Takes a Trip, all that stuff. Of course, even back in 1969, I don’t think it was politically correct to call yourselves “us coloured kids”, especially when you’ve got a photo of a black baby on the cover, but I guess they could get away with it because, after all, this WAS a black group. And who’s that front and center – could it be, none other than EDDY “Electric Avenue” GRANT? Sure enough, it is – you might not know it, though, aside from the “E. Grant” writing credits…that, and the fact that Eddy’s Equals classic “Baby Don’t Cry” is reworked here by the Sundae Times, though not psychedelicized, as the Chambers Brothers might say. Much better is the Creation/Smoke styled staccato freakbeat funk of “Jack Boy”, whose stammering refrain of “J-J-J-Jack Jack” sounds like Roger Daltrey with some soul. “Do You Know What Love Is” is more tremendous fast-paced freakbeat soul tat would pack ‘em in on a dancefloor, with a killer hook and a sound that could be best described as “Motown on acid.” Or at least Motown on really GOOD acid. And speaking of acid, the late Syd Barrett was clearly an influence on the Floyd-like freakout “Adam and Eve” – with its sinister “Lucifer Sam” spy guitar riff and trippy inhaling/exhaling vocal FX, very Piper at the Gates of Dawn. “Angels in the Sky” is a moodier trip, riding a real Hendrix vibe on this one, with fluid liquid guitar leads and soaring electric solos – think of Jimi’s more low-key, looser moments like “Angel” and “Little Wing”. One guy I knew who was very heavily into obscure 60’s sounds said this was his favorite track on the whole album. Me, I’ve always been partial to the other side of the mushroom, so when the boys work up a healthy full-bodied head of paisley steam on the appropriately-titled “Psychedelic Dream”, I’m grinning like the Cheshire Cat after a dirty joke. The Sundae Times go fully psychedelic on this one, rolling through the purple haze on a slow, mystical and totally stoned vibe. Guitars are double-tracked, delayed and echoed, so a single strum sounds like the tolling of spectral church bells, slowly piling up on each other to create a spiraling chaos of electric noise. The vocals too are double-tracked and delayed, so everything seems a bit out of phase, echoed back on itself to infinity. The Sundae Times have created something of a mini-masterpiece here, fusing funk, freakbeat and Jimi Hendrix guitars – made all the more astounding because Eddy Grant was involved! From Electric Kool Aid to Electric Avenue…Romancing the Stone to Romancing While Stoned. Kinda makes me wonder if there are any mind-blowing early albums in Rockwell’s career… Original 1969 pressing on the UK Joy label. Cover's in VG++ shape, with some slight edge wear, small pen scribbling on front (see pic). Vinyl plays VG++, but tracks 2 and 3 on Side B have some pops and 1 skip. (Tracks are Take Me Back Again and Electric Tree, both minor tracks) Winning bidder pays $4.50 for media mail shipping with tracking in the US, $8 air mail to Canada, $14 air mail everywhere else. Paypal, Bidpay, cash, checks and money orders accepted. Feel free to check out my other auctions for more vinyl obscurities, and I will combine shipping costs on mutliple wins.