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An anthology of all surviving ‘60s recordings by The Syn, key players on the London summer-of-’67 underground circuit and the starting point for prog legends Yes.
Active from late 1965 as an Action-style mod/Motown band, The Syn embraced psychedelia with some legendary theatrical shows during their Marquee Club residency and a brace of flower-power singles for Deram before slowly evolving into Yes.
Those four Deram sides – ‘Created By Clive’, ‘Grounded’, ‘Flowerman’ and ’14 Hour Technicolour Dream’ – are joined by a clutch of rare recordings from the period, including a five-minute rehearsal excerpt of stage favourite ‘The Gangster Opera’, an earlier recording of ‘Flowerman’, a pre- Deram acetate of the unissued-at-the-time ‘Merry-Go-Round’ and two tracks by pre-Syn band The Selfs.
The CD also includes some post-Syn recordings, including a brace of songwriting demos by singer Steve Nardelli, keyboardist Andrew Pryce Jackman and bassist Chris Squire as they attempted to set up a production company at the height of Squire’s success with Yes.
With a foreword by Phil Collins (a huge fan during their Marquee days), many previously unpublished photos and a new 5000 word essay, ‘Flowerman’ is an essential purchase for admirers of both vintage British psychedelia and the band Yes.
Tracklist
1 MERRY-GO-ROUND
2 CREATED BY CLIVE
3 GROUNDED
4 FLOWERMAN
5 14 HOUR TECHNICOLOUR DREAM
6 THE GANGSTER OPERA (Chorus/Legs Diamond/Reprise)
7 FLOWERMAN (demo version)
8 I CAN’T EXPLAIN (The Selfs)
9 LOVE YOU (The Selfs)
10 THE LAST PERFORMANCE OF THE ROYAL REGIMENTAL VERY VICTORIOUS AND VALIANT BAND
11 MISTER WHITE’S WHITE FLYING MACHINE Bonus tracks
12 CADILLAC DREAMS (Narsquijack)
13 SUNSET BOULEVARD LAMENT (Narsquijack)
14 GROUNDED 2004
1 Not originally released, recorded 1966
2-3 Single, Deram DM 130, released June 1967 4-5 Single, Deram DM 145, released September 1967
6-7 Not originally released, recorded mid-1967 8-9 Not originally released, recorded mid-1965 by The Selfs
10 Not originally released, recorded 1969
11 Recorded 1969, included on the Ayshea album ‘Ayshea’, Polydor 2384 026, released December 1970)
12-13 Not originally released, recorded 1974 by Narsquijack
14 Recorded 2004, included on the album ‘Original Syn 1965-2004’ (Umbrello UMBRCD001, 2005)