Tales of Justine - Petals From A Sunflower (1997, recorded 1967-68)

Τμήμα της Βρετανικής ψυχεδέλιας αποτελούν οι Tales of Justine οι οποίοι κατάφεραν εκείνα τα χρόνια να βγάλουν μόνο ένα σινγκλάκι. Η Tenth Planet (TP 034) αποφάσισε και καλά έκανε, να εκδώσει τις ανέκδοτες δουλειές του γκρουπ σε ένα Lp που βγήκε το 1997. Στο Αγγλικό κείμενο υπάρχου αρκετές πληροφορίες που δικαιολογούν το ύφος των κομματιών τους. Ο δίσκος έχει διπλό εξώφυλλο και περιέχει αναρίθμητες πληροφορίες για την μπάντα που προέρχονται από τον David Daltrey. Το να κυκλοφορείς και να ηχογραφείς στους χώρους όπου υπήρχαν τα μεγαθήρια που αναφέρονται παρακάτω κάτι σημαίνει.

Personnel:
DAVID DALTREY vcls, gtrs, bs, piano, mellotron, sitar, celeste A B
BRUCE HURFORD drms A
PAUL MYERSON organs, bs, celeste A B
PAUL LOCKE drms B

ALBUM:
1(A) PETALS FROM A SUNFLOWER (Tenth Planet TP 034) 1997
NB: (1) documents the band's story and comes with label owner David Wells' usual extensive liner notes.

45:
1 Albert/Monday Morning (some PS) (HMV POP 1614) 1967

The roots of this band lay in an outfit called The Court Jesters, who were formed in the wake of the British beat boom by a group of friends at Mount Grace School in Potter's Bar, Hertfordshire. By the end of 1966, they were galvanised by the new drug inspired sounds from the States and, after various personnel changes, changed their name to Tales Of Justine. Now one of the first wave of authentic English psychedelic groups they became a regular attraction at Happening 44 and The Electric Garden, which later became The Middle Earth Club. One of their managers, Martin Wilcox drew them to EMI employee Tim Rice's attention (at that point he was an A&R man, trainee record producer and Norrie Paramor's assistant) and he arranged for them to record at EMI's Abbey Road studios. Prior to this, they made an impromptu appearance on stage at the International Love-in at Alexandria Palace (which was pretty much a repeat of the Fourteen Hour Technicolour Dream, which had taken place at the same venue three months earlier), when Pink Floyd's set ended prematurely as Syd Barrett was barely functioning. Three days later they entered EMI's studios for a recording test. They put down five cuts: the inconsequential lightweight pop Albert (A Pet Sunflower), three more idiosyncratic numbers Sunday School, Music To Watch Us By and Obselete Incident with suitably surreal lyrical observations, but it's the organ-driven Evil Woman which really catches the ears. They returned again, about a fortnight after the original session to re-record a faster, slightly less languid version of Albert backed by the far superior Monday Morning, which came with a David Daltrey sitar solo and a superb arrangement. Bizarrely, it became the penultimate pop release on EMI's decidedly unhip HMV label.

In the weeks following the recording Bruce Hurford had to leave the band and was later tragically killed in a road accident. He was replaced by Paul Locke. They recorded an acetate of Sitting On A Blunstone, a delightful slice of psychedelic pop with a guitar solo from David Daltrey as a publishing demo at the offices of Southern Music. John Peel played it on his Top Gear show but incredibly EMI refused to give what was the band's magnum opus an official release. By now, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber were hard at work on "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" and persuaded David Daltrey to take lead part on the disc and show. This increasing attention on Daltrey distanced him from the rest of the group, although they returned to Abbey Road on 12th December 1968 to record four more appealing flower-pop songs - Aurora, Morpheus, Pathway and Something Special - which EMI unfortunately decided were too idiosyncratic for mass public consumption, the omens were not good. Further sessions were held, but EMI's unwillingness to release any further material eventually led to the group's demise.
Daltrey went on to record some singer-songwriter demos and later formed a band called Carillion, who played a Byrds-influenced brand of rock and supported David Bowie on his Ziggy Stardust tour. Daltrey departed when no record contract was forthcoming and Carillion later evolved into Starry Eyed and Laughing.
All of Tales Of Justine's studio recordings can now be heard on Petals From A Sunflower which is recommended listening if you like flower-pop.
Compilation appearances have included: Sitting On A Bluestone on Psychedelia, Vol. 4 (LP) and Hen's Teeth, Vol. 3 (CD); Monday Morning on Psychedelia At Abbey Road (CD).
(Vernon Joynson/David Wells/Hazel Latif)


Tracks:

1. Albert (A pet sunflower) (1967)

2. Monday morning (1967)

3. Sunday school (1967)

4. Evil woman (1967)

5. Obsolete incident (1967)

6. Music to watch us by (1967)

7. Sitting on a blunestone (1968)

8. So happy (1968)

9. Morpheus (1968)

10. Aurora (1968)

11. Something special (1968)

12. Pathway (1968)

13. Saturn (1969)

14. Jupiter (1968)

15. So much love to give you (1968)

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