Finest Sixties Psychedelic Pop: Orange Bicycle - Hyacinth Threads-The Morgan Blue Town Recordings '67 - '71 2CD (Edsel Records EU)

Although never succeeding like their contemporaries, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Wilson Malone's band, the Orange Bicycle, issued late-'60s recordings that occasionally managed to hit the mark with their "U.S. West Coast harmony pop meets U.K. psychedelic pop" style. The early singles released on Columbia during 1967 and 1968 are resplendent with the motif-sweet harmonies, splashes of harpsichord, and fuzz guitar that filled the flower power era. However, their sole album, released in 1970 and produced by John Peel, showed a musical desperation that would never be shaken off. It contained four songs by fledgling writer Elton John, and for the main part was a very pedestrian affair that lacked any of the excitement of their earlier recordings.

In an attempt to reinstate the Orange Bicycle into the echelons of U.K. psychedelia, Edsel has compiled a selection of Malone's finer songs on this double-CD set. Stylistic fragments of the singalong pop of the Bee Gees, the haunting harmonies of the Zombies, and the soulful nature of Traffic converge with the Baroque pop of Simon & Garfunkel and the optimistic sheen of the Association. Consisting of single sides, a few album tracks, and 15 unreleased cuts, these 33 songs track Malone's career from a fuzzy young tyke (Monkees meet the Who popisms) through to his attempt at Anthony Newley-like theatrical numbers. The face of U.K. psychedelia was ever changing, and it seems that Malone's persistence in trying to fit in with the Zeitgeist and get a hit worked against him.(allmusic.com)

Bio:

The British psych-pop outfit known as Orange Bicycle evolved from a Beat group, Robb Storme & the Whispers, also known as the Robb Storme Group. They had recorded a handful of harmony pop singles for Pye, Piccadilly, Decca, and Columbia Records during the early '60s, but with little success. In 1966, the Robb Storme Group covered the Beach Boys' "Here Today." It was arranged by the band's own multi-talented keyboardist/producer Wilson Malone and produced by Morgan Music's co-owner Monty Babson at Morgan Studios in the Willesdon area of London. With psychedelic music at its zenith, the group decided to change its name change and, in 1967, they re-emerged as Orange Bicycle. Over the next few years, they released a half-dozen singles; their -- "Hyacinth Threads" -- remains the band's best-known track, appearing on numerous compilations. In late August/early September 1968, Orange Bicycle -- wearing matching black and orange suits -- performed at the Isle of Wight music festival, reportedly covering songs by Love and the Rolling Stones.

In 1970, already somewhat past their prime, Orange Bicycle recorded their only album, The Orange Bicycle. It was comprised largely of covers, including Elton John's "Take Me to the Pilot," Bob Dylan's "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here with You," and Denny Laine's "Say You Don't Mind." A few tracks were produced by John Peel. Psychedelic pop music, however, was on the wane, or transmogrifying into heavier prog or hard rock, so the group decided to call it a day, breaking up in 1971. Wilson Malone's self-titled solo album (as Wil Malone) for Fontana was released that same year.

Meanwhile, drummer Kevin Currie joined Supertramp, then Burlesque, before becoming a session drummer. Malone went on to form the heavy psych-prog trio Bobak Jons Malone with celebrated engineer/producer Andy Jons and guitarist producer Mike Bobak. They recorded one album, Motherlight. Malone also collaborated with bassist John Bachini on singer/songwriter Robert MacLeod's 1976 solo album Between the Poppy and the Snow. That same year, they covered the Beatles' "You Never Give Me Your Money" for All This and World War II. Malone then went on to become a top producer/arranger on his own, working with many successful groups and solo artists.

His string arrangement for the Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony" (which appropriated the symphonic arrangement from the Rolling Stones' "The Last Time") caused a ruckus that resulted in Andrew Loog Oldham suing the Verve for songwriting royalties. In 1988, the Morgan Bluetown label issued an Orange Bicycle compilation, Let's Take a Trip On..., which contained all of the band's Columbia singles but no Parlophone-era recordings. Edsel later reissued all of Orange Bicycle's recordings -- 33 tracks total -- on a double CD in 2001.(allmusic.com)

Marvelous collection of psychedelic pop songs by a completely underrated band.They had a nice  kind of sound with fine polyphonic vocals. I really like this collection very much. (Frank)

Flac