1966 | The Year That Made Rock Music | Psychedelic Edition
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- Опубліковано 8 лют 2024
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1966 I turned 17. I had a car, and I lived twenty minutes from Hollywood and the Sunset Strip. Sky Saxon and the Seeds, Arthur Lee and Love, the Doors, Buffalo Springfield, Ike and Tina. They all played the clubs in Hollywood. What a fun time!
Radio was SO great back then. You and I couldn't get further apart in this country, yet we knew The Seeds and Love while you folks knew Dylan and the Velvet Underground. Great time to be alive!
@@mjemigh3304 Musically, yes it was absolutely the best time to be around --- so many great artists full of creativity and originality. Not necessarily politically though (if you're an American), considering the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was just heating up as well as all of the generational upheaval taking place in the culture at the time that resulted in various race riots, political assassinations and violent clashes between the counter-culture and the establishment. But even with all of that, having lived through the entire decade myself (though quite young), I would not trade it for the world. It was a special time when the possibilities for change hung right before our eyes and truly seemed there for the taking --- a new and better world was about to be ushered in. It was a nice illusion while it lasted. But the essence and aesthetic of that era remains, caught in music, which is what we are still celebrating here.
i saw Donovan at the Trip do Sunshine Superman live.
Me too!
Do you remember the coffee house on Sunset, South side of the street, to the left past Whiskey and Roxy?
How about a cover of Morning Glory by Tim Buckley? I thought Electric Flag, but maybe it’s Mike Bloomfield or Rascals or something. TIA. Rock On Everyone!!
You are so fortunate to have lived and experienced all that talent(Love,the Door,the Mother's of Invention,the November riots on the Strip,those wonderful radio stations with DJs that understood the youth,and those groovy dance clubs, and I'm sure you also drop acid which went very well with all I just mentioned.
The Doors' debut album was not released on August 5, btw--it was recorded in late August and early September with an initial release date of late November, but was pushed back to January 4 by the record company, who did not want it to compete with the X-Mas rush. It still is very much The Doors' 1966 album, however, having been recorded that year (the same goes for The Velvet Underground's debut, which was originally supposed to be released in July '66 but had to wait until March of '67). It was actually "Revolver" that came out on August 5, not August 24.
The Doors had tried to record with their original guitarist in Aug 1965 (there are videos of the songs on YT), but the recordings have none of the charisma of their debut album. Robby Krieger added the missing ingredient that transformed the band into the juggernaut it became. I saw them at the Whisky, in Dec !966, doing most of the album.
The great thing about 1966 is that it's not just the most celebrated bands/albums from that year that are groundbreaking masterpieces (and BOY, are they masterpieces). If you dive deep, you'll find dozens and dozens of obscure bands--mostly on the garage-rock and garage-psych end, but also from other genres--who released brilliant, exciting music that flew under the radar at the time but was finally discovered decades later. Artists like The Oxford Circle, Pat Kilroy, The Music Machine, The Wolves, The Fleur-De-Lys, The Flies, The Black Diamonds, The Dovers, The Sons Of Adam, The Sparrow, The Boots, The Craig, The Mystic Tide, The Blue Things, The Misunderstood, and on and on and on. 1966 *has* to be the year in which music made the biggest exponential leap in all of history, regardless of genre--I mean to go from the likes of "Help Me Rhonda" and "You're Going To Lose That Girl" just the year before into "Good Vibrations" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" is a leap almost incomprehensible to imagine. It seemed like everybody was trying to break new ground, and amazingly, everyone not only did it but did it quite successfully; the seeds of prog were also absolutely planted in this year. There's a reason my channel name is "Spirit of 66"! We need more of that spirit now.
Definitely!
Amen! I would add The Bees to your "on and on and on" list. We desperately need that spirit to come back to music.
The general spirit would be a sensational turn around to today's toxic ugly sociopolitical environment... we're pretty far away from 'love one another' 'make love not war' unfortunately... no need to tell you about today's "concerts" - basically a can-you-beat-this choreographed, computer abled, dance extravaganza featuring many "edgy" wardrobe changes , and a kewl laser show...only $250-$500 for the nose bleed seats w/obstructed view, for the bargain 'package'...with one or more of your PARENTS for chrissake
thanks for speaking the exact truth!!
I was 11 years old in 1966 and SHAPE OF THINGS by the Yardbirds was an amazing thing to hear coming out of my transistor radio. Definitely opened my head to music that did more than make you want to tap your foot.
I was too and about everything memorable in childhood somehow comes down to 1966.
Yes, way ahead of its time, and yet a minor hit
Another important milestone was In early May of 1966 (roughly 3 months before the release of REVOLVER and a couple of weeks before PET SOUNDS), the Beatles released their first true Psychedelic/Rock tune --- RAIN, which was the "B" side of their Paperback Writer single. Rain was a preview of the harder electric psychedelic / rock sound that would feature more prominently in Revolver (mostly on the Lennon and Harrison tunes).
For me "Rain" was always the A side.
Down here in Australia I don't remember hearing Rain at all and Paperback Writer failed reaching only #13 ! I always wished the Beatles had been bold enough to not only release Tomorrow Never Knows but make it the A side! (A full 8 months before Strawberry Fields Forever) . 🤡
Paperback writer was also a psychedelic song. The echo in the mix etc
The sixties were truly culturally unbelievable. Not only music, but the entire way we lived.
Some of my flashbacks include: The Frisbee. Schwinn Stingray. Icee’s. Ed “Big Daddy” Ross. Great NASCAR races. Bell bottoms. Nehru jackets. NASA. Kreskin. Ed Sullivan. TV wrestling. Roller derby. Dick Clark. Soul Train. Kar Kulture. Woodstock. The Cuban missle crisis. Smoking at school. 16 oz. Pepsi. Dune buggies. Timothy Leary. Hip sitcoms. Pontiac GTO. Ford Mustang. Plymouth road runner. Mini skirts. Scout camp. Hippies. Hare Krishnas. Malls. Corporate fast food. Real hard rock music. Etc.
Yes, it was a great decade….Eight tracks and all….what little of it I remember.
"7&7 Is" my all time favorite ending to a song
Yes 1966....best year ever not only for music, but it was the year I was born!! I always said it was the birth of heavy music(Hendrix , Cream....which turned into Heavy Metal (Sabbath , Priest). Great episode Andy!! As always, keep up the good work!!
Someone on UA-cam described 7 and 7 is as protopunk. So true! I remember as a child riding in the car, willing the song to come on the radio and then cursing the djs who talked over the ending. Thank you for this; 1966 truly was a magical year for music.
Great summary. The only thing missing is Happenings Ten Years Time Ago by The Yardbirds with Beck and Page. That was way ahead of its time inspiring Hendrix, Pink Floyd and any number of prog rock bands of the future.
I would include Good Vibrations in there. It was released a few months after Pet Sounds and is much better than anything on that album. I remember it having a huge effect on me as a kid.
genius song
I just picked up Buffalo Springfield and Revolver from my record store. I love the 60s rock music, and folk rock in general.
Check out Gram Parsons. You won't regret it.
I like almost all of Andy’s posts but every so often he absolutely hits the crushing home run, this is that blast out of the park!
1966 was best year in rock music
pity we didn't hear any of it
. This vid is not exactly for beginners......no offense intended, it just presumes quite a bit of knowledge on the part of the viewer.
1991 is also a contender.
I believe John Paul Jones said "Pet Sounds" was the only rock record he owned before he joined Led Zeppelin. So there's your Beach Boys/Led Zeppelin connection
Similiarly, it was Clapton raving about Pet Sounds and how Cream would listen to the album in it's entirety backstage before playing shows "getting into a frame of mind before going on", was what made me ever look into it. Jack Bruce called Brian Wilson "the New Bach". It took me three listens to "get it", but once I was giving it a go the third time, it was as if the clouds lifted and I was immersed into the arrangements and production that blew me away. I'm still hearing new aspects buyried in the arrangement as recent as 3 months ago. There's a reason Brian Wilson was so revered by everybody who was anybody back in the context of the time. He should have gone solo. It's surely one of the biggest "what if's" in rock history - if Wilson had the support of his family band and continued on with Smile and beyond, what if?
@@ms8596 the Beatles, the Stones, Cream, Pink Floyd all loved Pet Sounds. It was only the Who that questioned it, but that was mostly because they were "old school" Beach Boys fans. They loved all the surf and hot rods songs, especially Keith Moon, who didn't get the new stuff and felt they "sold out"!🤣🤣
Great analysis of a pivotal year in rock. The Doors debut was recorded in Aug 1966 but was not released until Jan.1967. Minor detail but an excellent overview of 1966
1966 was an incredible year for music. In that same year Tom Wilson produced an album which is arguably more important than any of the bands you called out in the video. Velvet Underground and Nico was recorded and produced by Tom in mid '66 and released in March '67!
In 1966 I was a 13 year old kid in the midwest of the US. It was still like the 1950s and we would have stayed there, had it not been for one change the US Government made: In 1965 the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled that broadcasters owning FM as well as AM stations in cities with populations of more than 100,000 could not duplicate their AM programming on FM more than 50 per cent of the time. Suddenly a bunch of new programming opened up. Who would fill the new FM radio time? Who can we get who will program for pennies? By 1966 FM radio was amazingly innovative. Other than going to a record store and spending money we didn't have, a kid like me nad no previous way to hear anything new. But it was easy to spin the FM dial. Suddenly: The Seeds, The Mothers of Invention, Beach Boys Pet Sounds, and my parents said: "That sounds horrible!" I was hooked. In retrospect it is interesting that the FCCs 1965 decision to stop wasting valuable spectrum space was perhaps the main impetus for modern rock music.
The two albums I remember buying that year were Aftermath, The Stones, and still one of their finest, and A Quick One by The Who. Not really psychdelic but The Who were definitely experimenting . I was more blown away by Dylan's Highway 61 Revisted the previous year which for me was something totally different. Borrowed from a school friend and played on my grandad's record player in his front room on a hot summer's day. Just made such an impact.
Woŵ. Excellent analysis. I was born in '62, and musically came of age in the 70's. Lately, I've been exploring the music of my very early childhood (mid-sixties through early 70's), and I'm amazed at how foundational that era still is.
Wilson was just incredible
Thanks Andy, for highlighting Tom Wilson. He clearly deserves a series of videos.
I was 10 in 66.Shapes of things by the Yardbirds captivated my fragile mind.I'd keep my transistor radio on day and night to hear this song that the local AM station played once or twice every 24 hrs. I was the only kid in elementary school listening to this type of music.I remember watching the Yardbird's on the Red Skeleton show.What a time to be alive!
1966 also saw the release of "The Fugs" by The -New York Philharmonic Orchestra- Fugs!
"The Fugs are arguably the first underground rock group of all time" - AllMusic
As a 13 year old in 1966 I was musically enlightened by my older sister who was hanging out with the same crowd that soon formed around the local band MC5. I wasn't much of a music fan until she started playing all the latest rock bands and I never looked back! When she played me Freak Out I Freaked Out permanently. I used to leave my radio on real low at night I remember waking up to Like A Rolling Stone when it was released thinking wow what is this? Sadly I agree the age of rock and roll has passed.
In 1966, I was 10 years old, with no money to buy 45's or albums. I lived in the rural plains of the USA, which was very much rooted in country music. My father had some Hank Williams 45's. Radio was also limited to mostly country music. My introduction to the music discussed here was through my older cousin who got a weekly allowance for working in his father's grocery store. He was able to use that money to accumulate a collection of 45's and he let me borrow. Thank God! This music was so foreign yet attractive and it pulled me in.
Thank you! Thank you! For years I've been telling anyone who would listen that 64-68 was the greatest four years in rock history, with 66 as the High Tide. I was 13. These were the songs of my coming of age. I still count "Paint It Black" and "Light My Fire" as two of the greatest rock songs ever. So many more. Garage Rock rocked. The only other period that comes close is Grunge/Alternative of the early 90s, which unfortunately tolled the beginning of the end of real rock music.
Hate grunge. The only successful band I liked from the 90s was Gin Blossoms.
I'm age as you. It was wonderful to witness the massive change that happened so organically from 64 to 68. It all seemed to line up with my own changes. Somehow you could feel it in your bones. It was like we were waiting for something, and then it came in aces. What a hand we were played by fate, to have been around in those days.
A really great review! Somebody finally got it right. I have had a thousand arguments with people over the last 50 years who seem to believe that The Beatles came up with Sgt, Peppers out of thin air and changed music forever. Sgt, Peppers was in fact the culmination and summation of other artists’ work and innovations over the preceding two years. There was almost as much change and innovation in popular music between 1965-67 as there was in everything that came out between 1970 - 1990.
Absolutely, TRUE... 1966.. I was 13 years old ... Absolutely amazing time for me. Correct: an explosion in society. Fashion, Music, is a fascinating new universe. The beginnings of a new generation. I'm glad I was there. Fantastic and Fascinating. Thanks for your comments. Good time for you. Fabulous
I'm glad you included Love's Da Capo in this. Forever Changes gets all the attention, and it deserves it, but Da Capo has a bunch of really incredible songs, like 7 & 7 Is. I think though you have the Hendrix chronology a bit off: by the end of '66 he was recording Are You Experienced. Electric Ladyland was the Experience's 3rd album in Oct. 1968. Otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable trip through the halcyon days of 1966, really a music-changing year.
I was 16 in 1966 a young mod 66 was musically untouchable but look what was waiting round the corner The summer of love there will never ever be such a rich decade in music again!!!
Absolutely. I was 14 years old and experienced Beatlemania, The Stones, The British Invasion, etc. In 1966 Blonde on Blonde was released and totally impacted my world. I actually was able to buy the double vinyl (or acetate whichever is was). of Blonde on Blonde. I still listen to that amazing album to this day. It totally changed my approach to music.The Beach Boys who I have been listening to since 1963 gave birth to Brian Wilson's genius and he was. Any in depth listening to the music he was behind will uncover some of the best music ever recorded. Most talk of classic rock. My saying is before classic rock there was magic.
Andy Edwards! You might be 8 or 10 years older than me. Your charisma, love and enthusiasm for the music made me stop and listen for a while. As an amateur musician, I realized how many bands I missed when the Internet wasn't around in the 1990s and I was stuck in The Beatles, Doors, Rolling Stones, Byrds and Cream to name my absolute favourite bands. Its very refreshing to listen to you these days when the musicians are almost, like walking dead (Not the band) or dolls in the mainstream?
Congratulations man!
And kudos again for the reference to the great Tom Wilson!
Tom Wilson opened the great roads for rock music to walk and unfortunately he didn't get the recognition he deserved.
Thanks for the great video! You’re talking ‘bout my ggggeneration. I also enjoyed the comments ; so many great memories. I’m surprised no one mentioned the Kinks. They were already killing it in 1964. They were the prototype garage band, and had to have been an influence on the Sex Pistols et al.
I came here to watch one video. And I saw three. They are all brilliant in their own right.
Thanks Andy, highest quality as always. Soul food for thought.
Yes! "Rock" music is different from "Rock-n-Roll" music!!! Thank you for acknowledging that!
I was 11 at the time and remember watching Jimi Hendrix on Top of the Pops. Bizarre and brilliant
I graduated in 66. North of Detroit. Muscle cars. Dance clubs everywhere. Motown. It was a fun time.
This is absolutely spot on Andy, especially the influence of Coltrane on the Byrds. Many years ago I read Crosby's autobiography Long Time Gone. It's a very harrowing book in parts that makes most rock memoirs seem like Enid Blyton in comparison. In their early days before they even had a record deal Crosby talks about travelling in a van through the California hills on the way to early gigs listening to Coltrane and how much an influence he was on Eight Mles High. As far as Revolver is concerned I remember playing it to someone and they asked me if it was a greatest hits, it's that great as a collection of songs. Imagine hearing Tomorrow Never Knows in 66, it must have been like the aliens had landed. Indedd I saw an interview with Phil Lesh who said hearing Tomorrow Never Knows made him realise there was an audience for what the Dead were doing. I always say to younger people who question why they were so influential is that you've got to take what they did over the eight years they were around and put it into the context of the times and how revolutionary it was at the time. I was born in 1961 so when I was 15 in the mid 70's and into rock, soul anything that was good basically I questioned why the Beatles were so popular myself, from a standpoint of what I was listening to at the time, I oreferred the StonesThe only Beatles album my parents owned was Hard Days Night. I realised then when I started listening to it what brilliant songwriters they were even back in 64, and that was a soundtrack album, usually hastily cobbled together especially then. As far as Blonde On Blonde is concerned I love Dylan but I've never really got on with it really, heresy to most Dylan fans I know. I find it a bit dull to be honest, although I appreciate it's influence. The two preceding albums are brilliant and I think the longer songs on Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 work in a way I feel the ones on BOB don't for me. Finally great to hear you mention Love. I was lucky enough to see Arthur Lee backed by a band called Baby Lemonade who were all Love aficionados and knew the stuff backwards. They did all of Forever Changes from start to finish. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.
Eight miles high also gives a nod to the Small Faces in the lyrics who were big in the UK at the time
Agree: I prefer a number of Dylan LPs over Blonde on Blonde.
Not only Tomorrow Never Knows but the other song that floored me off Revolver was I'm only Sleeping. I was 7 inn 66 but I was floored by the Beatles.
I was born in 1966. It was absolutely the birth of "Rock". TV was half black and white and half color. The Velvet Underground were percolating, The Doors LP wasn't released until early '67, but they were recording. Pink Floyd were playing at the UFO and blowing minds... 'Revolver", 'Blond On Blond', The Who, Kinks, Yardbirds, beginnings of Jefferson Airplane, Henrdix was forming the Experience, Byrds etc... Motown, Stax... it was crazy. Rock has been declared dead over and over again. So has punk. So has civility. Some of us are keeping it going. Nothing ever dies. Quantum Physics tells us that there is no such thing as time. It's all happening at once. It's still happening.
1966 : Also the breakthrough of Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66
The Beatles invented folk-rock on their album Beatles for Sale in November 1964. Then came Dylan and The Byrds. The Byrds became very psychedelic soon thereafter. In San Fransisco, a folk guitarist Paul Kantner got himself an electric guitar and called two guys from the U.S. Foreign Ministry for help and immediately became No. 1 in the U.S. charts.
Really enjoyed this. I’ve been interested in this very subject and 1966 for a while now and this really hits the spot.
Glad you enjoyed it!
As you said "back in 1966 they didn't know what was going on!" I was 18, Born January 1948. Mum would be the first up every morning, Turn on the radio and put on the kettle for tea. The radio would play till after the news at 11pm. We lived through it all, just surfing the waves as they came! In hind sight of 1967-69, it was very apparent that 1966 was a water shed year. Excellent v-blog! Peace and Love
The year I was born. Now, fortunate to have been born that year that reaches back and forward. The best music IMHO. I Got a good appreciation for 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and 2000's Let's not forget, American country, and Motown too. Modern Music needs to take a lesson from them all. Great music is timeless. Never gets old Andy!
Iron Butterfly started in 1966 and wrote many of their best experimental "heavy gloom&butterflies" tunes in the beginning and only later came on albums. They were really a live band which is why their impact is hard to estimate other than their late 60's obvious huge impact.
International Artists, the Label who released Thirteen Floor Elevators, was lead and Directed by Lelan Rogers. He also released Red Krayola, had a Label called Silver Fox which released the first Album by Maceo Parker.
He also released Records by African American Country Musicians and was the Brother of….
Kenny Rogers!
The best Psychedelic Record ever was Electric Music for Body and Mind by Country Joe and the Fish.
Lelan Rogers produced Country Records by Little Ester Phillips and Big Al Downing and Soul by Bettye Lavette.
International Artist released 12 Records, amongst them not only the Free Form Freak Out Music by Red Crayola and the Psychedelic Rock of 13 Floor Elevator but also a wonderful Record by Sam Lightnin‘
Hopkins.
As Important as International Artist was for Psychedelia, I stand for it: The best Psychedelic Records I know are Electric Music for Body and Mind by Country Joe and the Fish, East-West by The Butterfield Blues Band, Revolver by the Beatles, Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd and Gris Gris by Dr. John. The Swiss-Belgian Band Brainticket also made a great Psychedelic Record.
But there are many more.
I personally was always more in the „Over-Colored“ Stuff than the repetitive grungy Drone Stuff.
The best Psychedelic Record from after the Time is definitely
„Odysee“ by James Blood Ulmer on CBS from 1983.
As someone who was vaccinated with a phonograph needle I feel for that you that you were born too late. You had to come to music though the influence of mediocre metal and hair bands. I was 13/14 in 1966. The sounds that exploded out of our AM transistor radios sent chills up our spines but we didn't know how good we had it. The Beatles, Sunshine Superman, California Dreamin, I Saw Her Again, Good Vibrations, Wouldn't it Be Nice, Sloop John B, God Only Knows, Caroline,No, Sunny Afternoon, Eight Miles High, Reach Out I'll Be There, Love is Like a Itching in My Heart, I'm a Roadrunner, Good Lovin, Secret Agent Man, I Fought the Law, Lies, Lightning Strikes, Sure Gonna Miss Her, Hanky Panky, Friday on My Mind, When A Man Loves A Woman, Bus Stop, Summer in the City, DayDream, Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind, Younger Girl, Pretty Flamingo, Devil With A Blue Dress, Try a little Tenderness,I'm Your Puppet, Walk Away Renee, Baby Scratch My Back, B-A-B-Y, Working In The Coal Mine, River Deep Mountain High, It's a Man's Man's World, Rainy Day Women, Just Like a Woman and I Want You. Don't forget edgier classics like Kicks, Hungry, 96 Tears, Wild Thing, Don't Bring Me Down, Time Won't Let Me, Gloria, Shapes of Things, Over Under Sideways Down, 7 and 7 is, Talk Talk, Little Girl, Pushing too Hard, We Ain't Got Nothing Yet, Diddy Wah Diddy, Dirty Water, Psychotic Reaction, I Had Too Much to Dream, Paint it Black And 19th Nervous Breakdown. Light My Fire was the song of the summer,1967.
I graduated from high school in 1966. I loved the Yardbirds and Shapes of Things.
Great vid!! .... Sarg Pepper opened the floodgates to Prog Rock... The Moody Blues have described in interviews that the release of SPLHCB essentially GAVE them permission to create their own conceptual album that they had been ITCHING to do, which is "Days of the Future Passed" in '67. How it was produced is another GREAT story.
I always love to hear '60s bands totally CLAIM that psychedelic substances "had NOTHING to do with inspiring (plug-in psychedelic song here).
A shout-out to those who don't deny it. The Moody Blues owned up to their "experimentation".
FRESH CREAM 1966!!!!
I was born in 1961, but 1966 was the first year I was aware of being in, at age 5.
See, I agree with that. No one ever thinks young children listen to the radio, but I did. I came along 10 years later in 1971 and I was already aware of all the music that my parents listened to on the radio in 1976 when I was 5!
I was born in 1962. My Mom always had the radio on in the kitchen. The first song I remember hearing was ‘Turn Turn Turn’. Don’t remember if that was ‘65 or ‘66, but it was the beginning of my life long love of rock music.
@@resistor27 I remember all the hits of 1975-76 when I was only 4 and 5: "Blinded By the Light", "Walk This Way", :Boys Are Back In Town", "Take It to the Limit", "Laughter in the Rain", "Oh What a Night". Now years later, when I was 9 or 10, I was finally able to connect the dots of all those artists to those songs, and I became a fan of all of them, because they helped shape my earliest memories of music
Because he got a bit silly at times, people tend to overlook Donovan but he was totally there at the forefront of the switch from folk rock to psychedelia. Sunny Goodge Street is a drug referencing, jazz influenced song from 1965!
Didn't Vanilla Fudge do a psychedelic version of "Season of the Witch"?
Other artists that were overlooked including
The Mamas & The Papas, The Buffalo Springfield,
and The Jefferson Airplane (with the late Signe Toli Anderson on lead vocal)
Terry Reid did one and Steven Stills and Al Kooper did one. Don't know about the Vanilla Fudge.@@GeraldM_inNC
@@GeraldM_inNC Maybe Al Cooper & Mike Bloomfeld.
The era of late sixties and early seventies was a test. I graduated high school and went to college in 1967. When I got to college, I realized that I could tell which people were in my generation or the previous generation by clothes and music. I was astonished that people my age or a year older could be so different. They believed in living a life like their parents had lived. They didn't like this new music and made fun of appearances that were different. I then realized that I was the one who was out of line. I loved the music of Hendrix, Cream, Donovan, and so many others. Each new album was a test of which side of the divide you belonged to. It wasn't a test in which you decided intellectually which generation you wanted to be a part of. The music that resonated with you informed your choice.
What a great video, Andy. I wasn't even born in 1967 and my parents were only dating...Still.....This is a year that I keep going back to, and I'm so glad you've made that statement that this is the turning point of Rock'n roll to Rock. 1962 is the beginning of this wheel turning. The anti-pregnancy pill just reached the drugstores, and this changed everything. It's amazing what 1964-1965 had to say and then 1966 came along.
I've been studying bands like "The Seeds" for years, and I've been championing them forever. I'm amazed that this band got your attention and RPs. The band under Sky Saxon was a true gem and they were quite different from the hippie SFO counter culture movement. The seeds are so important. Incredible band with a great run of 3.5 albums. I love the idea of the albums coming out week after week and blowing everyone's brains during that 1965-1967 era. Of course, I'm a huge VU fan as well as all things psychedelic in the US and the UK. 1967 was the explosion with everyone coming in, but 1966 is just so interesting.
Remarks:
1. I think Fresh Cream was released in the UK on Dec 9, 1966. They have to be on this list.
2. Syd Barrett's - Vegtable man was released late in 1966. Pink Floyd were already recording material in 1966.
3. Velvet Underground and Nico was already recorded in 1966 but released in March 1967.
4. Just like the 13th floor elevators and The Seeds, 1966 was a huge year for garage rock with albums coming out by Shadows of Knight, The Sonics, The Standells, Majic Ship, Q65, The Charlatans (US), The Misunderstood, The Squires. Really great stuff.
5. In Jamaica - Toots and the Maytalshad their Ska breakthrough.
6. In the UK the Incredible String band released their debut album. Bert Janch released Jack Orion.
7. Folk and Blues were already big in 1965, but in July the Newport Folk Festival introduced Bukka White, Skip James and other resurrecting blues artists along a massive show by Ali Akbar Khan. Imagine Indian, folk and blues on the same stage at the same day.
8. I love the Who, the Kinks and all the UK Mod scene. One must not forget the Animals in 1966. They were even greater then most. In 1964 they were just as influential as The Beatles or The Stones or The Who. In 1966 their Best Of The Animals was released in the US with the full length of 4.5min of the House of the Rising Sun re-arranged after the Dylan version (They recorded this monumental version in 1964!). The full length version was expansive and opened the door to other longer and expanded tracks.
9. Wow....Tom Wilson! What a character. The list of artists he produced is just mind blowing. Thanks for this commentary. If you talk producers, one might also want to explore John Hammond who was instrumental to the revival of Blues music in the 60s as well as a great Jazz producer.
What a year! Thank you! I always love a list. But a chronological list like that is SUPER!
Oh yeah, The Misunderstood! Discovered by John Peel, could have been massive if Uncle Sam hadn't drafted some of their members for Vietnam.
In 1965, Australian proto punk band The Missing Links, released raucous songs, a backwards track, and were wreaking destruction in their stage performances. Of course, at that time, nobody in Europe or North America would have heard of them.
Arthur Lee was an important but underrated genius
You make a goog case indeed for 1966.
Love the video and channel. But the Doors debut was recorded in August of 1966, but it wasn't released until Jan 1967.
Happy Jack was the first single I ever bought. What a song! And yes, Love Seven and Seven Is. Wow. I love what you're doing.
I have an intense interest in the general cultural events and changes - by specific month and year - in the 1960s, and this is far-&-away the best rock history/editorial channel I have found. Thanks.
It's because I have an intense interest too.
This is a brilliant analysis of this musical era. Simply one of the best I've watched. If I may point out though, I think the first Doors album was recorded in August 1966 rather than released then. I distinctly remember how breathtaking that album was spring/summer of 1967. Your point still stands however, something was in the air during the period in question.
This was a superb video essay! It confirmed that 1966 was a turning point year for the entry of Rock as a genre into popular music. That was made definitive by you, Andy Edwards, by progressing chronologically through the date of release of singles and albums in 1965 into 1966 and after. What I did not know, which you cover from 23:00:00 is the role of jazz, folk, rock and urban blues record producer Tom Wilson. I've been listening to some of your videos for the first time this month. This tops for me all of those. Thank you for all your work.
Thanks for the info on Tom Wilson. I'd heard of him but I didn't realise how much he contributed. Excellent overview.
Rock is not over. Still plenty of good new bands.
Mainstream media hasn't liked rock for ages.
Fuck 'em 🤟
I follow a band online called The SoapGirls and they still got the sprit of rock n roll(like so many bands who arent being exposed)
💯🤘🎸
July 1966: Paul Butterfield Blues Band "East-West", that instrumental is cited as heavy influence on so much improvised music to follow, eg. jam bands. Thank you for the primer on Tom Wilson, I was not familiar.
"East West" was the primary, ground-zero influence for all the lengthy exploratory improvising of the Haight bands. It's still an intense listening experience to this day!
In September, Laura Nyro, aged 18, released the 7 inch Wedding Bell Blues/ Stoney End. One side about a girl wishing a guy would pop the question, the other side about suicide ideation. The 5th Dimension had a No.1 with Wedding Bell Blues in 1969, and Barbra Streisand had a No.6 with Stoney End in 1971 which saved her career. From her album Stoney End.
Eli's Coming what an astonishing song that is. The first time I heard it I was blown away. Laura should get far more recognition than she does. I like probably a lot of other people came to her indirectly through the 5th Dimension version of Wedding Bell Blues as you say.
@@FloatingAnarchy61 Yep. Its amazing. One of my absolute favourite songs.
Excellent post! I turned 14 that year and remember the music very well. One correction: the first Doors album was released January 4, 1967. But that's close enough.
What most people don't realise is that all the great art people attribute to 1967---was actually produced the year before. The first Cream album, the first Jimi Hendrix recordings, the first recordings of Sgt. Peppers, even that seminal Doors album---were all recorded in that golden Renaissance year of 1966!
a few things happened in that era... the music started to change from American pop and British invasion, to several distinct types that included a parting from top 40 to distinct darker shades like Moody Blues, Jefferson Airplane, or Rolling stones (Light Years form Home is a good example) and similar. Combine that with the FCC changing the requirements of FM broadcast in the USA and we now have a huge experimental time in history.
The birth of Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators the finest psychedelic band to ever exist. The 1st LP which came out in 1966 and its subsequent follow up 'Easter Everywhere' are mindbending masterpieces of pure lysergic bliss.
true dat
Slip inside this house as you pass by
@@Hartlor_Tayley'Slip Inside This House' is one of best psychedlic numbers of all time...
@@onsenkuma1979 it really is.
Roky Rules.
Plus, I was astounded that he mentioned the great Kenny Dorham and the also great Cecil Taylor.
A very minor point about 1966 that I always found interesting was although 1967 was supposed to be the year of LSD and peace and love etc., there was a lot acid-dropping in 66. The Beatles, as well as others were doing LSD well before the "summer of love"
Favorite rock song from 1966, “Psychotic Reaction” by the Count Five.
We thought of it as a novelty song. It never occurred to us at the time that it foreshadowed where musical style would be going.
Great perspective and commentary, although there is one minor mistake. Electric Ladyland by Hendrix was his band’s third studio album and wasn’t released until 1968, as was Voodoo Child. In 1966 the band started working on Are You Experienced, which was released in 1967.
Rock will never die!
Slight correction: Revolver was released August 5 (UK) and August 8 (US).
To illustrate even further just how fast things moved in the mid-60s. Brian Wilson's response to the Beatles "Rubber Soul" was IMMEDIATE! The Beatles had only finished recording Rubber Soul in November 1965 and in the shops by December 1965 when Brian had already started recording the basic tracks for Pet Sounds in January!
And Brian was "stuck" earlier having to record the Party album to appease Capitol - but he was already moving forward with Today album and The Little Girl I Once Knew single at the end of 65 - Avant-Pop. Sloop John B track had already been recorded (summer 65) which progressed to Pet Sounds.
@@allenf.5907 I think Brian was fighting the Beatles the whole way from the beginning of 1965 to the end of 1966. They had "Beatles for Sale"---he countered with "Today"---they had "Help"---he countered with "Summer Days". They came back with "Rubber Soul" he countered with "Pet Sounds". But that 24-month period from the start of 1965 to the start of 1967 was the most creative energy he ever had (and also the time he started using drugs), Ideas were just flying out of his brain at an extremely rapid pace. But Capitol was the worst possible record label for anyone with an artistic vision to be on. They had no patience for creativity. Brian once said--"you can't force creativity". And they forced him to put out THREE ALBUMS A YEAR! Plus all the gigging they did to support each album! No wonder he gave out! Even his creativity wore out by 1967
@@allenf.5907 It also seemed really odd to me that even though the Beatles and the Beach Boys were both on the same label for most of the 60s (and as Brian once observed "both bands names start with BEA") that Capitol never pressured the Beatles the same way they did the Beach Boys, and I'm not sure most of that had to do with location---as the Capitol tower was just down the street from where Brian lived, and the Beatles were thousands of miles away far from the center of power in another country, and so Capitol didn't have their thumb on them as much as they did Brian
@@impalaman9707 It had more to do with the internal struggles within the band than drugs. (He started using drugs in '64.) There's an element within the band that gave him intense grief and pressure to "don't f*ck with the formula". That individual surely also saw his royalty checks diminish now that he no longer was supplying (mostly lame) lyrics (and receiving song writing credits) for Brian's music (Tony Asher and Van Dyke Parks were). All it takes is listening to the studio sessions from both Pet Sounds and Smile during this period to hear how in command, on top of things, and coherent Wilson was. I always saw the "Brian did too many drugs" excuse for Smile and Brian's withdrawal filtering out of the band within a few years and over the decades as an excuse to hide the internal nastiness that was occurring during that era. In '66, there was so much going on besides Brian Wilson exploring the heights of creativity - suing Capitol for back royalties, setting up their own Brother Records, Carl Wilson's draft dodger/conscientious objector arrest, the internal strife from constant objections, writing the music, writing the charts, arranging, and producing everything, and the pressure from Capitol wanting him to pump out music like a machine in the old genre. The man just withdrew from it all, all that angst and pressure. It was after this period he really dived into heavy drug use and reclusiveness. To me, having the band reach the top of the mountain with Good Vibrations in October 1966 should have been evidence enough to let Brian do his thing. Leave him alone and let him create. He's your benefactor. Kiss his ring and shut up.
Incidentally, just to point out how lame the heretofore unmentioned individual is, Brian was producing Danny Hutton and Redwood, their name before they became Three Dog Night. The unnamed individual said he didn't want to see them signed to Brother Records because he didn't think they could sing. WTF.
Is the unnamed person Mike Love? I saw The Beach Boys in 74 and he was acting like a jerk.
I was 13 that year and heard "The Planets" by Gustav Holst played by the Berlin Symphony in stereo with headphones for the first time in my life. I almost saw stars!
That period was the most exiting time to be a teen and the music altered and accelerated my intellectual development.
Onya Andy. 22 mins of absolute gold content then your passion came through again with the best talk about Tom Wilson- unscripted, but importantly full of passion. You have to get this all out of your head before dementia kicks in! Let’s hope those meds are working well for you😝. Love your work, Dude!
I think that The Yardbirds with Jeff Beck started the Psychedelic music in late 1965 / 1966 with I'm a Man, Shapes of Thing, Happenings Ten Years Time Ago, Psycho-Daisies, and Over-Under-Sideways-Down just to name a few. They were so experimental. Sounds of Silence was recorded a couple of years before it was released. It is a shame what music is now today. I was a teenager in the 60's and most of the music was great. Same goes for the 50's music. The British Invasion was fantastic. I still have all of my albums and 45's along with my original first printing Fillmore West, Winterland, and Avalon Ballroom posters. Thank you for the video.
I remember the Beatles Day Tripper, & RAIN backwards 🖖
Love this video. The enthusiasm made it that much better. You did have one rather glaring omission. Cream, with Fresh Cream. Also, when you say Rock is over, are you just saying that no one is adding anything new to the genre? Because obviously there are still Rock bands making music, and one could argue that there are a few bands left still making fresh new Rock tunes. Bands like Thee Ohsees, King Gizzard and The Wizard Lizard, Ty Segal, even Jack White, are still making Rock that moves the entire genre forward, imo.
I am glad I found this channel..!!!
Great vid! I was 14 going on 15 and was in a pretty serious band and we covered all this stuff it was great music and a challenge to learn as some of it was pretty involved (light my fire)! Great outro as well!
Another monumental event occured in September 66, Hendrix landed at Heathrow London and the rest is history.
Of all the years I've been seriously into music (I'm 53), of all the books and magazines I've read about music, I can't believe I've never really heard of Tom Wilson until this video -- ! I mean, I'd heard the name; vaguely knew he produced Freak Out!, but that's the extent of information I had on him. Imagine; Dylan, Zappa, Simon & Garfunkel, Soft Machine...and Sun Ra?? And to top it off, I had NO IDEA whatsoever he was a Black man! Staggering that I didn't know more about him. Easily as important a producer as Martin, Spector, Wilson, etc., simply for the cultural impact and foresight of his albums...will dig!
When you are as important as the Beatles were, you stop being merely important.
I love it. I love your hypothesis and enthusiastic instruction. I am equally fascinated by this phenomenon. I’ve been on the exact wavelength for years as it pertains to 1966 being the year that birthed “Rock” and murdered the previous generation. Absolutely. And yes! Tom Wilson! Absolutely. Crucial producer and overall figurehead in shaping 1960s culture.
Ian Macdonald who authored the finest overview ( IMHO) of The Beatles and the 1960s. His decade long calendar at the back of the book atomizes almost daily the major events related to all the artistic disciplines, political events- it goes on and on and is positively mesmerizing reading. Andy to my ears you speak as Ian Macdonald wrote. Thank you.
After Hey Joe, Jimi Hendrix did his first debut album, Are You Experienced,1967.
You mentioned I Can See For Miles..I think that song is the pinnacle. Pete could never understand why that song didn't launch them into the stratosphere, and I agree with him. Tommy and Quadrophenia are the gems of the era. And I can't live without Beano and the two Mayall follow up albums with Peter Green and Mick Taylor. Did I mention that I wrote Michael Bloomfield's number one bio in 2000? Super Session is the record that got my attention. Also, my friend David Dann followed up with Guitar King. I helped him by contributing my complete library of interviews and he very generously credited me for doing that. His book was 740 pages..very exhaustive.
It began earlier than that , with the kinks releasing You Really Got Me ...
I got my drivers license in June 1966 and lived in Southern California. That's when we started to cruise the Sunset Strop, Hollywood Blvd. and Laurel Canyon. I remember the riot in November 1966 when they closed Pandora's Box and installed a curfew on 18 and under teens. The LAPD was out in force to enforce the curfew and the kids blocked Sunset Blvd. and wouldn't leave. What a mess! I remember all the clubs back then like The London Fog (where The Doors got their start), The Hullaballoo Club (then became The Kaleidoscope), The Whiskey, etc. and seeing all the great band names on the marquees. After the riot we only cruised and stop walking around. The hippies didn't really start showing up until around 1967. We also got to see where all the rock stars lived up in Laurel Canyon like Frank Zappa, David Crosby, Mama Cass Elliot (her original little corner house), John & Michele Phillips, Roger McGuinn (of the Byrds) and Arthur Lee (of Love). My first rock concert was in June 1968 after I Turned 18. We saw Canned Heat and Vanilla Fudge at The Kaleidoscope. We saw the Doors in concert but not until 1969 and 1970. My favorite songs from 1966 were: (not in any order) were: Black Is Black, Los Bravos; Break On Through, The Doors; California Dreamin', Mamas & Poppas, Can't Seems To Make You Mine, The Seeds; The Cheater, Bob Kuban & His In-Men; Dirty Water, The Standells; For What It's Worth, Buffalo Springfield (in honor of the Sunset Strip Riots); Good Lovin', The Rascals; Good Vibrations, The Beach Boys; Hey Joe, The Leaves; Hungry, Paul Revere & The Raiders; Just Like Me, Paul Revere & The Raiders; My Luttle Red Book & 7 And & Is, Arthur Lee & Love; Paint It Black & Under My Thumb, The Rolling Stones; Sunshine Superman, Donovan and Wild Thing, The Troggs. Great memories!!!
Nice Tom Wilson tribute at the end of the video.
Well said Andy. For more: Tobias Churton - The Spiritual Meaning of the Sixties and Richard Tarnas - Cosmos and Psyche.
I agree.I was 8 and felt something special at the time.But then how wouldn't you when about 8 records that are now regarded as timeless classics filled the top 30 every week.
so trippy I just fell over
It's nice to hear somebody that remembers Love, but you need to go past that Forever Changes was probably one of the best records ever made.
I really liked this and agree with almost all of your choices. I don't know how old you are, but you look much younger than me. I was 11 years old in 1966 so I didn't hear most of these records until later. Of course, I heard the Beatles and sometimes the Byrds. I remember thinking that Jefferson Airplane was a funny name for a band, but it was time when bands tried to come up with absurd names. For me, 1967 was the tipping point. Rock music probably went from 1966-1976; after that it splintered into too many genres. By the way, I love your description of the change in music from when bands dressed up and wore ties to when they became real "hippies." Psychedelic folk rock is my favorite.