The Electric Banana, are actually the Pretty Things. And the Pretty Things… ah, but you don’t need Spin Cycle to tell you that. The Pretty Things are one of the greatest bands that ever stalked this earth; purveyors of so much great music that it hurts to think of how many people have never actually heard it; and if you want to know why they changed their name for these sessions, that was down to business and contracts. They could never have realized they were also creating a legend.
The Electric Banana were one of the greatest bands that ever stalked this earth, purveyors of… etc
Three discs and a terrific booklet tell the story, how a beat band of somewhat ill repute was invited to record what was known as library music for one of the companies that specialized in such things, DeWolfe Music. Intended for use in film, television and similar enterprises that required some appropriate tunes to play beneath the action, it’s an avenue that a lot of musicians recognize, even if they don’t always admit to it.
The Pretties, however, saw the opportunity as something more than that; a chance to experiment on somebody else’s budget, to lay down ideas and thoughts that may or may not go any place else, and even to demo songs that they might want to use on their own LPs.
Both SF Sorrow and Parachute arguably have their roots in these sessions, and that’s one of the reasons why the original Electric Banana albums (Electric Banana in 1967; More Electric Banana in 1968 and Even More Electric Banana in 1969) have been so highly prized by collectors, since their existence first became well-known.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIbDfw338G0
But wait, there was more – a return to DeWolfe’s fold in 1973 for Hot Licks, and again in 1978 for The Return of the Electric Banana. In truth, this pair are not as exhilarating as the earlier albums; accurate or otherwise, there’s definitely a sense that the band reconvened more for financial than creative reasons. But still there’s much to be enjoyed as the box plays through, from playing “spot the riff” across discs one and two, to just rocking out on disc three.
Plus, it’s the Pretty Things. What more do you need?
The Fat Angel Sings 