Kaleidoscope were an English psychedelic rock band from London that originally were active between 1967 and 1970. The band’s songs combined the elements of psychedelia. The band were also known at various times as The Sidekicks, The Key, I Luv Wight and Fairfield Parlour. Their debut album by Kaleidoscope. The British Kaleidoscope released titled ‘Tangerine Dream’ in 1967, at the height of flower power and psychedelia.
Both this album and their second and final album ‘Faintly Blowing’ in 1969 are, in my opinion, the absolute pinnacle of British psychedelia, popsike, anything you wanna call it. Immaculate song writing and harmonies but somehow, unbelievably, the public just didn’t get it. One of my favourite bands of all time. Obviously these days this album is a top collectable and there just ain’t enough to go round! To own a top condition original on Fontana is gonna set you back over a grand.. Ebay has a few on offer but at very high prices.
Having performed since 1963 under the name The Sidekicks, they became The Key in November 1965, before settling upon the name Kaleidoscope when they signed a deal with Fontana Records in January 1967 with the help of the music publisher Dick Leahy.The group consisted of Eddy Pumer on guitar, Steve Clark on bass and flute, and Danny Bridgman on drums and the vocalist Peter Daltrey, who also played various keyboard instruments. Most of the band’s songs were compositions of Pumer’s music and Daltrey’s lyrics. While the group did not achieve major commercial success in its time, it retains a loyal fan-base and its recordings are remembered in high regard. The band’s first single “Flight from Ashiya” (b/w “Holidaymaker”) was released on 15th September 1967 by Fontana Records, a little earlier than the band’s first album Tangerine Dream. The song was telling about an impending plane crash. The single got critical acclaim and quite an amount of radio airplay but failed to reach the charts. Years later, the song has appeared on many compilation albums, including Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond, 1964–1969, the second box set of the Nuggets series and Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers: Psychedelic Confectionery.
“Tangerine Dream” probably has the edge as the best of this British psychedelic group’s two albums, but not by much. A long sought-after psychedelic rarity, it includes several of Kaleidoscope’s best songs: “Flight from Ashiya,” “Dive into Yesterday,” “The Murder of Lewis Tollani,” and especially the fragile ballad “Please Excuse My Face.”
Two months later, Tangerine Dream also produced by Dick Leahy was released. The album included “Flight From Ashiya”, “Please Excuse My Face” and “Dive into Yesterday” which are now considered some of the band’s best songs Meanwhile the band were aired performing live on several BBC radio shows. A new single was released in 1968 called “Jenny Artichoke” (b/w “Just How Much You Are”) that was inspired by Donovan’s, “Jennifer Juniper”. After the release the band traveled around Europe, and when in Netherlands supported Country Joe and the Fish at the Amsterdam Concert Hall.
“Faintly Blowing”, again produced by Leahy, was released later, in 1969 by Fontana Records. This time the band’s sound was heavier but the tracks still included psychedelic elements with notable lyrics but it failed to reach the charts. After the failure of “Faintly Blowing”, they released two more singles.
NME 2-12-67 A letter from John Abbey: Kaleidoscope are sweeter than Pink Floyd, not so bitter as the Beatles and have more talent. Please FONTANA re Issue these albums.
Kaleidoscope:
- Tangerine Dream (Fontana (S)TL 5448, 24 November 1967)
- Faintly Blowing (Fontana STL5491, 11 April 1969)
- White Faced Lady (The Kaleidoscope Record Company KRC 001 CD, 14 February 1991)
- Please Listen to the Pictures (Circle Records CPWL/CPWC 104, 1 September 2003)
The Fat Angel Sings 