TheCellarTapes

The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Part One
(1967)



Tracks


Frank Sinatra has a lot to answer for from his long and illustrious career. A little appreciated fact about Frank Sinatra was that in the sixties he founded his own label under the umbrella of Warner. Called Reprise; it became the home of such 1960’s marvels as The Kinks, The Electric Prunes and The Fugs. Now don’t get me wrong, I doubt very much that old blue eyes was a fan of any of these bands, hell the man didn’t even like The Beatles, so how on earth would he like The Prunes for example? However, I do believe that there may have been a band signed to his label, that Frank was even less likely to have appreciated.

The history of The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band is unclear to say the least. This is due mostly to the fact the band has had a shroud of mystery hanging over them since their inception. What is clear is that they were signed to Reprise, in part due to their fantastic light and music shows, delighting audiences throughout Los Angeles. The formation and roots of this band rest with three individuals in particular, two talented brothers, Shaun and Danny Harris, and the son of a wealthy oil baron by the name of Bob Markley. On the back of witnessing The Yardbirds at his mansion, Markley developed aspirations to be in a band of his own, enter the Harris brothers and the rest, as they say, is as clear as mud!

To further confuse you; in 66 the band recorded their first album entitled Volume One, however this wasn’t released to a wide audience until the 90’s. It was in 1967 however, that the band properly released a debut, called Part One. To some this 67 “debut” has become the ultimate cult album to own, particularly as now The Velvet Underground are probably just a few days off being handed out for free in a Sunday newspaper. Located within are some of the finest, most under appreciated and strangely varied pieces of Psychedelia ever to have been recorded.



At times on this album The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, sound like The Byrds, with harmonies equal to anything produced by their Californian counterparts. Songs like Transparent Day and Here’s Where You Belong just soar musically, reaching heights, which are totally unexpected for an album that you’ve never heard of before. Whilst at other times, they well and truly jump into the avant-garde deep end. Covering brilliantly the Zappa song Help, I’m A Rock and then combining all of the above for the exceptional track, Leiyla. The best song on the album though is reserved for the beauty and eeriness of I Wont Hurt You, a song which combined with the crackle of a vinyl, is just splendid.

Now reissued on Sundazed, this album is truly marvellous. It is after all very trippy, very compelling, very eerie, very California and very 1967. So in closing, Frank Sinatra, even if you did have no idea that they even existed, I salute you for The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band and their album, Part One, superb!