THE KALEIDOSCOPE LP "Side Trips" LN 24304 EPIC lbl

$

36

We have come across a large (600+ piece) collection of promotional 45's and other rare records from about forty years ago. They are from the estate of a TV/Movie Producer who had connections with MGM Records - a division of Metro Goldwyn Mayer Inc. Most are marked "Not for Sale" or "Promotional" or "Special Disc Jockey Record". They were played and used when new, but have been in climate and humidity controlled storage for 32 years. They were all very well kept and stored. They are in wonderful condition. I will note any defects that I find upon examining them. So unless noted, they are in awesome condition. But feel free to ask for more details. I am not a record guy so this may take time as I bumble through this research/listing process. Over the next several weeks, I will put up more as time allows. I am happy to keep a hold pile for buyers in order to qualify for shipping discounts. And I will certainly answer any questions. I am sure that I have left out information. So help me help you and ask away. This one is THE KALEIDOSCOPE album "Side Trips". It is on the EPIC label and is marked LN 24304. The record, cover and sleeve are in great shape. There is a small split on the botton of the sleeve. The rear of the cover is stamped in red ink Demonstration, Not for Sale.

Kaleidoscope (originally The Kaleidoscope) was an American psychedelic folk and ethnic band who recorded 4 albums and several singles for Epic Records between 1966 and 1970.

Formation

The group was formed in 1966. The original members were:

Lindley was an experienced performer on a variety of stringed instruments, notably the banjo, winning the Topanga Canyon Banjo Contest several years in a row. While studying at La Salle High School in Pasadena, he formed his first group, the Mad Mountain Ramblers, who performed around the Los Angeles folk clubs. There, he met Darrow, who was a member of a rival group, the Re-Organized Dry City Players. Soon afterwards, around 1964, the pair formed a new group, the Dry City Scat Band, which also included fiddle player Richard Greene (later of Seatrain), but Darrow soon left to set up a new rock group, The Floggs. Lindley also began forming his own electric group. In the course of this he met Feldthouse, who had been raised in Turkey and, on returning to the US, had performed flamenco music and as an accompanist to belly dancing groups. Lindley and Feldthouse then began performing as a duo, David and Solomon, when they met Chester Crill. They invited him to join their band, and by the end of 1966 added Darrow and drummer John Vidican, so forming The Kaleidoscope.[1]

 Recording and performance career

The group was founded on democratic principles – there was no "leader". They soon began performing live in clubs, winning a recording contract with Epic Records. The first single, "Please", was released in December 1966. It was produced by Barry Friedman (later known as Frazier Mohawk), as was their first album Side Trips, released in June 1967. The album showcased the group’s musical diversity and studio experimentation. It included Feldthouse's "Egyptian Gardens", Darrow’s "Keep Your Mind Open", and versions of Cab Calloway's "Minnie the Moocher" and Dock Boggs' "Oh Death". For reasons that have never been made clear, Crill was credited as "Fenrus Epp" on the first album and adopted various other pseudonyms on later recordings.[1]

Between them, the group played a huge collection of stringed instruments in such early psychedelic songs as "Egyptian Gardens" and "Pulsating Dream." They played fusions of Middle-Eastern music with rock in longer pieces such as "Taxim," which they performed live at the Berkeley Folk Festival on July 4, 1967. Live, band numbers were sometimes interspersed by solo instrumental turns from Feldthouse or Lindley, and occasionally Feldthouse brought belly dancers or flamenco dancers on stage.They were such adept musicians that they could play in many different styles, including rock, blues, folk, jazz, Middle-Eastern and also were not afraid to feature music by Calloway and Duke Ellington in their repertoire. Kaleidoscope were one of the progenitors of World Music.

Their 1967 piece "Stranger in Your City"/"Beacon from Mars," recorded live in the studio, was also influential, with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page calling them his "favourite band of all time." [2] It featured a solo by Lindley in which, on stage, he used a violin bow on electric guitar, probably inspiring Page to use the same effect later. (It should be noted that another influential guitarist, Eddie Phillips of UK psych group 'Creation', was using a violin bow on guitar as early as 1966.) The album A Beacon from Mars was released in early 1968, to generally good reviews but poor sales. Liner notes to the CD reissue of this album claim the original title was "Bacon From Mars" but it was misprinted.

Darrow left the group after recording the album and was replaced by bassist Stuart Brotman, previously a member of an early version of Canned Heat. However, Darrow returned briefly for studio work when the group backed first Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Larry Williams on their 1967 single "Nobody", and later Leonard Cohen on "So Long Marianne" and "Teachers" on his first album. Vidican was also replaced, by drummer Paul Lagos who had a jazz and R&B background, having played with Little Richard, Johnny Otis, and Ike and Tina Turner.[1] Paul Lagos died on October 19th, 2009.[3]

The band recorded their third album, Incredible! Kaleidoscope, in 1968. It featured "Seven-Ate Sweet", a long progressive instrumental piece in 7/8 time signature which they had been playing live since the early days of the group. The album reached #139 on Billboard in 1969, the only Kaleidoscope album to chart. Around this time they also did soundtrack work on educational and other films, and also made a triumphant appearance at the Newport Folk Festival.[1]

Kaleidoscope’s fourth and final album (as a band), Bernice, featured more electric guitar work than the earlier albums, and more country influence. There were further personnel changes, adding singer-guitarist Jeff Kaplan, and bassist Ron Johnston who replaced Brotman during the making of the album. Feldthouse also left the group.

At the end of 1969, Kaleidoscope contributed two new songs ("Brother Mary" and "Mickey's Tune") to Michelangelo Antonioni's Zabriskie Point, and supported Cream on their American farewell tour. The band split up soon afterwards.

 Later careers

After the end of Kaleidoscope, Lindley became a highly respected session and live musician with Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and others, before forming his own band, El Rayo-X, in the early 1980s. Feldthouse performed at Renaissance Pleasure Faires, and with various flamenco and Middle Eastern groups. Darrow formed the Corvettes with Bernie Leadon before becoming a leading session musician and solo performer. Crill became an underground comic writer for a time, co-writing the Mickey Rat series, and also produced the first 78rpm record by R. Crumb's group, Armstrong's Pasadenans.

 Kaleidoscope reunions

In 1976, ex-members Brotman, Crill, Darrow, Feldthouse and Lagos reconvened for the reunion album, When Scopes Collide, which was released on Michael Nesmith’s Pacific Arts label. Lindley also contributed, but distanced himself from the project by appearing as “De Paris Letante.”

Fourteen years later, Crill and Darrow organized a second reunion session, this time for Gifthorse Records. Greetings from Kartoonistan (We Ain’t Dead Yet) again brought together the same lineup, with Brotman contributing the impressive instrumental, Klezmer Suite. (Though invited, Lindley declined to participate.) While the second reunion album lacked Lindley’s input and, inevitably, the youthful fire of the Epic recordings, it was a mature work, and musically true to the eclectic spirit of the original band.

Insurance available at buyer's cost. Just let me know and I will add it to your invoice. Shipping is only $4 for this item. If you buy multiple items, I offer a 50% discount on S&H on each item purchased after the highest. I will waive all S&H fees for any local buyer who wants to pick up. I only ship once a week. I am opening these records for international bidders. Please note that international bidders will have to pay more in shipping though. Shipping will be USPS International AirMail for $7.  Keep in mind that you are responsible for all taxes and customs handling fees. I would like to hear from you within 3 days of end of auction and must receive payment within 5 days.Thanks and happy bidding.