1967: Psychedelic Boom II

Contractual Obligations

Robert Wyatt performing with Soft Machine, 1967.

"So, Peter came to us and basically he wanted a record to be released until the end of the year. As I said once, we didn't like to have any obligations, and record anything under pressure was horrible. Then I came to Hugh to see if he could help us to record our extended play, since we didn't want to make an album already."

-Robert Wyatt, 1995 

Soft Machine already had released their debut single, Love Makes Sweet Music, showing that a potential band was emerging. The contract signed with EMI required that the group needed to release a record that year. Forcibly agreeing with the label, Soft Machine reunited with close friends, Hugh Hopper and his brother, Brian Hopper and hired Kim Fowley (who produced the B-side Feelin' Reelin' Squeelin') to produce their EP.

The group spent a week to record a set of five songs, which were included in an extended play along with Love Makes Sweet Music and Feelin' Reelin' Squeelin', except for Clarence in Wonderland, which the master tape was initially presumed lost, but it was found in 1981 by an EMI employee. The early version of Clarence in Wonderland appeared as a bonus track on the re-release of Shooting at the Moon and Hope for Happiness.

Soft Machine – Shooting at the Moon EP

Soft Machine - Shooting at the Moon EP (1967)

Genre: Psychedelic rock, Canterbury scene, beat

Total: 23:29

Side A - 12:44

1. "I Should've Known" (Kevin Ayers, Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen, Hugh Hopper) - 7:27

2. "Love Makes Sweet Music" (Ayers) - 2:27

3. "Feelin' Reelin' Squeelin' (Ayers) - 2:50

Side B - 10:45

4. "That's How Much I Need You Now" (Wyatt) - 2:25

5. "Memories" (Hopper) - 2:56

6. "Jet-Propelled Photograph" (Ayers) - 2:30

7. "Fred the Fish" (Allen) - 2:55

One of the first and essential records to understand the initial development of the Canterbury scene, the Soft Machine released Shooting at the Moon on 21 August 1967 by EMI, produced by Kim Fowley. Including singles, Love Makes Sweet Music and Feelin' Reelin' Squeelin', the album mixed Jazz music, psychedelic rock and beat influences. Songs were mostly written by member Kevin Ayers, one song credited to Robert Wyatt, and two songs credited by close friend Hugh Hopper. The lyrical themes reflect, mostly, unrequited love.

The band is integrated by Kevin Ayers on bass guitar, Robert Wyatt on drums and percussion, Daevid Allen on the lead guitar, and Mike Ratledge on keyboards, and featured the participation of Brian and Hugh Hopper, friends since the Wilde Flowers times, in some tracks. Memories was released as the lead single of the extended play, making it a strong success in the United Kingdom by peaking in number 3. In Billboard Hot 100, the song reached number 99.

Although the album was received with reasonably good reviews by the critics of the time, in later years the members of Soft Machine avoided to talk about the album, except for Daevid Allen. The record peaked in number 20 in UK Album Charts and failed to chart in Billboard 200.

Heroes and Villains

Promotional photo for Beach Boys' SMiLE, 1967.

Still recording SMiLE, Beach Boys were being pressured by Capitol to finish the album quickly. Brian Wilson and the band themselves were becoming stressed out with the label. At the same time, Carl Wilson and Mike Love were searching a way to establish Beach Boys' own label, called Brother Records. In March 1967, the band went to the United Kingdom and performed a set of songs including the then-unreleased Heroes and Villains and Surf's Up with Brian Wilson in BBC.

"Well, the band was going... really bad. Brian was becoming stressed, using an aggressive amount of drugs, and that almost fucked up the album. And Capitol was really wanting to release something new. Brian and them wanted Heroes and Villains, Mike wanted Wind Chimes, while the rest of us insisted on Cabin Essence, and we succeeded to release Cabin as single."

-Carl Wilson, 1988 

The release of Cabin Essence, backed by Heroes and Villains was warmly received to the public and with mixed-to-positive reviews. Some reviewers liked the concept linked between the single and the previous, Good Vibrations, and linked the band to an approach in-between baroque pop and avant-garde music. It was less successful than the previous single. Pleasured with the warm success of the single, Capitol eased and postponed the release, expected between June and September. But still, The Beach Boys weren't confident with the company's behavior. The song reached number 9 in Billboard Hot 100.

"Last month of recordings I talked to Brian to appease his work with drugs. Carl and I warned the rest of the members to stop using so we could complete it without any side-effects. I mean, during the sessions of The Elements, he was saying that the studios were on fire and somehow it was his fault because of Fire, the song, y'know."

-Mike Love, 2000

Amidst the problems, Paul McCartney resolved to visit Los Angeles, and subsequently the band, during the sessions of both Smile and Sgt. Pepper's. He eventually was invited to chew a celery for the track Vegetables. Impressed with the different-but-similar work between both bands, Paul praised for Wind Chimes. 

By March, the production of the album entered into a hiatus. Caused by Brian's erratic behavior, corporate pressures, internal power struggle, and Van Dyke Parks' departure, the album was almost ditched by Brian and the band themselves. Specially after the departure of Parks, which affected on Brian's view on the album's assemble.

In a day in early May of 1967, Carl Wilson and Mike Love, considered two of the most powerful members of The Beach Boys along and after Brian at the time gathered and talked about the future of the project. Both didn't want to ditch the record, but they needed to put Brian down for a time. With the idea in mind, the band hired The Mamas & The Papas producer Lou Adler.

"So there was Carl and me at my house, talking about Smile. He asked me if I wanted to drop the work and I said 'Hell, no!', and the entire band was in the same point. I wanted to take the most cohesive stuff there to make the album, maybe hire someone to help us, and repel Brian for some time. I thought most of the stuff there was nonsensical, but Carl insisted on keep most of that in the album."

-Mike Love, 2006

"Lou [Adler] was quite known in the region, and as he contributed to the California sound we wanted a help to finish that stuff and move on as quick as possible. When Brian heard the news that Lou was doing the rest of the album he was quite bugged about that, as well as dad, a few days later. It was his masterpiece, and ditch him like that was not a good thing."

 -Carl Wilson, 1988

"It was quite an insane project, no doubts that it was one of the hardest things to produce, even when I got the hang of it. The amounts of tapes that Brian and the band did was something that I could not stand alone if not with the help and guidance of the rest of the band that helped me."

-Lou Adler, 1994

In a band's reunion, the band decided to move Brian away from production, focusing on composing more... down-to-earth stuff, as Mike wanted. On May 14, the band conducted a press conference with the Dutch music press, claiming that the Smile project was changed to Smiley Smile, and it was expected to be released by two months. With Lou Adler, the band recorded three more new tracks: Whistle In, Little Pad, and the rerecorded Can't Wait Too Long.

With over 50 hours of tape, the band and managed to finish recording Smile in late May. The last record being released by Capitol, Smile's release date was finally announced to June 30th, 1967. Produced by Brian Wilson and Lou Adler, the band started to tour again, while Brian Wilson was left to psychiatric treatment and compose new songs in his new acquired Bel-Air mansion. After the release, the band reached an agreement with Capitol Records and was finally free to establish their new record label, Brother Records.

The Beach Boys – Smiley Smile

The Beach Boys - Smiley Smile (1967)¹

Genre: Art rock, progressive pop, avant-pop

Total: 40:58

Side A - 20:13

1. "Whistle In" - 1:04

2. "Heroes and Villains" (Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks) - 3:41

3. "Vegetables" (B. Wilson, Parks) - 3:49

4. "Roll Plymouth Rock" (B. Wilson, Parks) - 4:00

5. "Can't Wait Too Long" (B. Wilson) - 3:25

6. "In Blue Hawaii" (B. Wilson) - 1:34

7. "Little Pad" (B. Wilson) - 2:30

Side B - 20:45

8. "Wonderful" (B. Wilson, Parks) - 2:02

9. "Child is the Father of the Man" (B. Wilson, Parks) - 3:02

10. "Good Vibrations" (B. Wilson, Mike Love) - 4:15

11. "Cabin Essence" (B. Wilson, Parks) - 3:34

12. "Wind Chimes" (B. Wilson) - 2:33

13. "Surf's Up" (B. Wilson, Parks) - 4:11

14. "You're Welcome" (B. Wilson) - 1:08

Smiley Smile was released on 15 July 1967 by Capitol Records with production credited to Lou Adler and the Beach Boys. Following a controversial recording session period with the presence of poet and songwriter Van Dyke Parks, the drug abuse by the band members during the recording of Smiley Smile was very active. Most of the songs were credited to the partnership between Parks and Brian Wilson, with themes ranging between Western satires, physical fitness, philosophy and etc.

The album has been met with wide appraise to mixed reviews by music critics at the time, and with universal acclaim among the people. In the same week, Surf's Up was released as the lead and last single of the album, making into a hit in the US, peaking in number 7 in Billboard Hot 100, and number 6 in UK Single Charts. The album performed better than Pet Sounds, reaching number 8, and it topped in the United Kingdom as well. It remains as a cult favorite by fans, along with Landlocked., Holland and Pet Sounds.

The band, particularly Brian Wilson dubbed it as a belated answer to The Beatles' Revolver, and now to Sgt. Peppers, reaching number 3 in Billboard, and number 2 in Britain, both losing to The Beatles' Sgt. Peppers. The acclaim from the album came from several factors: the emergence of the Flower Power movement, the beginning of the Summer of Love, and Sgt. Peppers. Smiley Smile is considered the album that established The Beach Boys as a rising force, engaging in a 'friendly feud' with The Beatles.

The record was regarded as highly influential in later scenes like Shoegaze, Avant-rock and noise music scenes, and some people consider the record as the beginning of Beach Boys' golden age (although most consider Pet Sounds or The Beach Boys Today), and often considered one of the leading albums of the Summer of Love. Two months later, Beach Boys would release Lei'd in Hawaii, the first record released under their label, Brother Records. Differences aside, Bruce Johnston considered Smile a turning point for the band.

Something... Big was Coming

Beatles during the photo sessions for the cover of Sgt. Peppers.

Thanks to the promotional single Cabin Essence and the eventual release of Smile, the Beach Boys' new hit ended up confining The Beatles at the studios to focusing in next album, as EMI did pressure to the band and their producer George Martin now for something near for what Beach Boys did with Smile, and a quick release. Brian Epstein was trying to negotiate a half term with the label to help the band in it.

"Yeah, we were almost in the end of Sgt. Pepper's, but ended up that Beach Boys did some really good stuff and the executives came to us and listened to our project and wanted to do even more songs like 'oooh, it's good but it can be better'. So we can consider that they wanted something big to take Beach Boys off the spot."

-Paul McCartney, 2014

"I remember that one day George and I were talking about how EMI pressured us for Sgt. Peppers and how we were so fucking pissed about that. And basically that was how the idea of Apple Records was born. Paul told us about the Beach Boys' idea, and George and so did want to establish a new label as they were almost doing."

-John Lennon, 1987

According to engineer Geoff Emerick, present in the sessions of the album, the band spent 700 hours to record Sgt. Peppers. After the sessions, The Beatles attended a meeting of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who would lead them into traveling to Rishikesh to take part in a Transcendental Meditation. Although unsure about it, manager Brian Epstein allowed the band to take the course. They were accompanied by singer-songwriter Donovan.

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)²

Genre: Psychedelic rock, art rock

Total: 41:39

All songs written by John Lennon & Paul McCartney, except when noted.

Side A - 20:39

1. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - 2:00

2. "With a Little Help from My Friends" - 2:42

3. "Strawberry Fields Forever" - 4:05

4. "Getting Better" - 2:48

5. "Penny Lane" - 3:00

6. "Fixing a Hole" - 2:36

7. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" - 3:28

Side B - 21:00

8. "Within You Without You" (George Harrison) - 5:05

9. "Good Morning Good Morning" - 2:42

10. "Lovely Rita" - 2:42

11. "She's Leaving Home" - 3:35

12. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" - 1:18

13. "A Day in the Life" - 5:38

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, produced by George Martin, and the eighth studio album by The Beatles, was considered a revolution in music at the time. Reviews varied to the harshed 'pretentious music' to predominantly favorable views as being The Beatles' magnum opus. Initially, with an ease time in the recording sessions, and following the release of Beach Boys' Cabin Essence, EMI Records started to push the band for new material.

In July, the band released another single, All You Need is Love, topping the UK Singles Chart for three weeks, and Billboard Hot 100 for a week only. A ground-breaking hit, Sgt. Pepper's was played in various American radio stations in a non-stop cycle, and topped Billboard Top LPs for fifteen weeks and UK Album Charts for 23 weeks. As soon as possible, the album exceeded Smile's sales. Although rumors, The Beatles' declined the invitation of the Monterey International Pop Festival, while the Beach Boys headlined.

Musicologists regard Sgt. Pepper's as an early example of conceptual album by The Beatles playing the role of their alter egos in the title band. Ranging in various genres, such as Baroque pop, Circus music, Indian classical music, and many others, the album was influential in musical scenes around the world, such as in Art rock, progressive rock, and psychedelic scene cycles. The album is ranked as number one in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

With the release of Sgt. Peppers and Smiley Smile, two of the numerous records to headline the emergence of the Summer of Love, people started to embrace the flower power movement. Sgt. Peppers would be followed by Magical Mystery Tour, a film soundtrack for the film of the same name done by The Beatles. After both albums, Brian Epstein and The Beatles would seek to establish Apple Records in association with EMI.

The Establishment of a Brand New Label

The first and only one logo of Blackhill Records.

But changes were about to come. In a reunion with the EMI's board, Peter Jenner and Andrew King could establish a subsidiary company named Blackhill Records. The sudden establishment of the label remained controversial due to problems with other labels which had contract with other bands inside the Blackhill Enterprises. Reaching an agreement, the artists that were in process of recording their albums would release under the current label, then move to Blackhill, while the bands that hadn't recorded anything would already move to the new label.

The first album released under Blackhill's label was Rubber Band's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, with catalog number of BLHILL1, while the first single was Pink Floyd Sound's Paintbox/A Spanish Piece. Following Rubber Band's second album, there was Pink Floyd Sound's Keep Smiling People and Tomorrow's eponymous debut album.

Author's addendum:
Here they are, the two pieces which are often considered as a fight for the soundtrack of Summer of Love. The Beach Boys insist on finishing Smile, one way or another, and the Beatles release a... quite different version for Sgt. Pepper. On the other hand, it turns out that the Blackhill Records will have a similar role to Harvest Records (though Harvest would still exist in promoting a new line of bands turned into Hard rock and heavy metal music).

Notes:
[1] Most of the tracks are sourced from The Smile Sessions. Whistle In, Heroes and Villains, and Little Pad were sourced from Smiley Smile. In Blue Hawaii is actually Love to Say Da Da (sourced from Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys), don't confuse with the BWPS version. Can't Wait Too Long is the Alternative Mix - Tag from 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow.

[2] The tracks are sourced from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour.