Thursday, February 21, 2013

Tales From the Mystic East (An Occasional Series)

And speaking as we were the other day of perhaps unfairly underrated soft-rockers The Association -- from early 1967, please enjoy the psychedelic from stem to stern mind alteration that is "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies."





I must confess to being having been inordinately fond of this one from the long ago moment I first heard it on my car radio via WMCA-AM, but I gotta say -- the idea that anybody thought this was a smart choice as the follow-up single to the band's huge hit "Cherish" is proof positive that indulgence in certain recreational drugs is not always a good career move.

I should also add that one of my favorite things about this is the use of a Japanese koto -- played by the song's composer, Gary Alexander -- as the record's instrumental hook; I guess they figured if the Beatles could use a sitar, why not a koto? In any case, I believe this is the first (and only) use of said exotic instrument on a pop record until The Wackers covered John Lennon's "Oh My Love" some five years later.

Meanwhile, just because I like you guys, here's a mono version of the song's instrumental track.



And just in case you're as nutty and obsessed with this one as I am, here's a download link to the stereo version of the single.

You're welcome.
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7 comments:

  1. Unknown2/21/2013 9:24 AM

    Neil Young must have heard this..."Like a Hurricane"

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  2. Dave2/21/2013 10:42 AM

    Their greatest song. I wore out my Valiant single.

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  3. Elroy2/21/2013 11:46 AM

    I wonder how many bands of the time said something like,"if the Beatles can do X, why can't we do Y?" with disastrous results...hundreds?

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  4. Jai Guru Dave2/21/2013 1:30 PM

    How about posting that Wackers track with the koto? The harmonies that they added are a thing of wonder. I like it even better than the Lennon version.

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  5. Anonymous2/21/2013 2:01 PM

    God, that's awful. Deservedly obscure.

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  6. buzzbabyjesus2/21/2013 5:59 PM

    What a stinker!

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  7. GLLinMO2/21/2013 9:24 PM

    In general I love instrumentals. More bands should stretch out and do so. That said - this falls into the mellow-boring category that most of the Association's songs fall into.

    On the band - I still recall that some folks in the day griped that "And along comes Mary" was about marijuana. who really cares.

    Avoided the band for the most part whil young. Then -at a gear-head moment, the Association were the "headline" at a 1987 or so car show. Original folk did vocals, with a backing band. actually - were entertaining. But - cemented to me that they offered no musical significance. My thoughts.

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