Tunes For Tuesday – Ultimate Spinach “Mind Flowers”
A sample of some obscure – and some maybe not obscure – tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today’s selection: Ultimate Spinach “Mind Flowers” 1971
Let’s delve deep into hippiedom, circa 1968. (it won’t be the last time …)
A Boston band marketed as an alternative to the “San Francisco Sound“.
“marketed” pretty describes the end of the short-lived hippie era.
“One day, in 1967, I was in my room, tripping on some really pure LSD. I started looking at myself in the mirror and my face was doing funny things. I had a bunch of colored markers I used to draw with. I grabbed a green one and started drawing all these psychedelic designs on my face. When I was done, I looked at myself and said ‘Whoa! I am ultimate spinach. Ultimate spinach is me!’“
The band did tour with bands such as “Big Brother & The Holding Co” (Janis Joplin) and the “Youngbloods” and released three albums, each fading away a bit more – the third did not make the charts; but the first is still listed as a “psychedelic classic”.
“The Spinach’s self-titled debut album is now considered a psychedelic classic, but it’s the group’s second record, Behold and See, that is perhaps their finest achievement.“
This cut is off the second LP, “Behold and See“, which was re-released on a heavily edited CD in 1995 but is now available in the original format on vinyl for $25.
“Obviously the hit from this album is “Mind Flowers” by the wasted Ultimate Spinach, a drug bathed band from Boston who came into being in 1967, at the apex of the psychedelic musical experience.” Dec 2020
Turn on your lava light and drop a hit.
Well now, that was diff. The first 2 seconds sounded like Pinball Wizard, the rest was much like Pink Floyd, especially back in the late 60’s. I liked it, and believe I would have liked it more 50-60 years ago. lol
FWIW, this past Christmas my wife gave me a lava light, clear juice with red globs and it’s running right now.
In honor of my neighbor and friend, here are a couple images and songs from what most will probably find to be an obscure part of musical history.
Three Man Army–Polecat Woman.
Another….
Three Man Army–Butter Queen.
In all honesty, very little of Paul’s music appeals to me, but he’s about the coolest 80 year-old that I’ve ever met.
They need a new sound engineer. A 3 man band has it’s work cut out, as all 3 have to work that much harder to make up for the missing 4th dood. Both songs sound like a lot of stuff going but it’s all mismanaged.