today i dug out a CD compilation of the Blues Magoos, who i've heard billed as the "first psychedelic band in the USA", from some old magazine that i think that was from late 1964. it was around that time when things really started to happen musically... i don't know, i wasn't even around back then. so i'm just throwing this out there to you all... who were the founding fathers and mothers of psychedelia?? i mean: bands/individuals/"sounds"/etc.
The question of who was the first psychedelic band is a bit difficult to answer. The roots would have to be The Beatles, because some stuff on Rubber Soul was certainly proto-psychedelia (Nowhere Man, Norwegian Wood among others) for example, as early as 1965. In 66 you had such important albums as Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators, by the 13th Floor Elevators (of course), Revolver by The Beatles, Fifth Dimension by The Byrds, and Freakout by Frank Zappa And The Mothers. The first band to bill themselves as psychedelic were The 13th Floor Elevators, though it could also be said that the first true psychedelic band was The Grateful Dead. Despite the fact that they didn´t release an album until 1967, and didn´t release a truly psychedelic album until 1968, their early live stuff was certainly very psychedelic in the long, improvisational jazzy type of psychedelic rock.
this site has all the information you need: http://www.lysergia.com/LamaWorkshop/lamaEarlyPsychedelia.htm
Dont foget about the Charlatans. I assume you are talking about psych rock bands. Lots of other music could be considered psychedelic of course. Predating rock by thousands of years even! lol
In my area we had the Electric Prunes, The Seeds and although they were a bit harder Blue Cheer. Peace In Music..
If you are interested in other psychedelic bands, here's a good list to look for: (besides the elevators and the seeds as mentioned above) The moving sidewalks (billy gibbons from zz top) Vanilla Fudge Iron Butterfly Capt. Beefheart Quicksilver Messanger Service Bubble Puppy Shiva's head band (there is a link on my psych board to free downloads of thier stuff) The Golden Dawn Red Krayola Yellow Payges Peacepipe Outhouse Moan just to name a few. check out my board and you can read more. Sign up there an begin talking! http://p201.ezboard.com/btexaspsychedelicmusic
If you like garage / psychedelic music, pick up the Nuggets collection,original artyfacts from the first psychedelic era 1965-1968. it's loaded with all the before mentioned bands and more.It's from Rhino. The remasering is so good. What a great collection of songs.
Also check out The Deep's - Psychedelic Moods that came out around the same time as Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators.
