The first Psychedelic song?

Honza · 01-17-2014, 11:47 PM

Been thinking about the beginnings of psychedelia as well. Interesting thread.

DriveYourCarDownToTheSea · 02-21-2014, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stonerrockfreak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndjiFshyA8Q

That would appear to be a recent song, so somehow I doubt it's the "first" one.

Pet_Sounds · 02-21-2014, 06:11 PM

I don't believe opium is classified as a psychedelic drug, but there is some interesting poetry writen about it from the 1800s. Not psychedelic music, but the poetry bears a resemblance to the lyrics of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, among others.

DriveYourCarDownToTheSea · 02-21-2014, 06:29 PM

^
That reminds me, Berlioz Symphony Fantastique could be considered the first "psychedelic song." After all, a good chunk of it was drug-inspired.

Hector Berlioz

Quote:

French Romantic composer Hector Berlioz was an habitual opium user. He is most famous for his orchestral work Symphonie fantastique. Symphonie fantastique is an "opera without words". It was first performed in 1830. Each movement is designed to evoke the different stages of the opium experience. A sublimation of his own unrequited love for actress Harriet Smithson, Berlioz's masterpiece is about a tormented lovesick artist who takes an overdose of opium. Instead of killing him, the opium induces astonishing dream imagery.

Pet_Sounds · 03-01-2014, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriveYourCarDownToTheSea

That reminds me, Berlioz Symphony Fantastique could be considered the first "psychedelic song." After all, a good chunk of it was drug-inspired.

There we go. 134 years older than I Feel Fine.

Lisnaholic · 03-01-2014, 07:24 PM

The Merry Pranksters and Timothy Leary both made records of recitals put to music. Although they aren`t songs according to the usual definition of the word, and aren`t as early as Berlioz, I think they deserve a mention here as nobody can doubt their psychedelic credentials:-

I wouldn`t like to take a side on any USA vs UK psychedelia debate, but I do remember that Timothy L. had high praise for the Brits. In a long article he wrote about the British tradition of psychedelic experience, he rounded up all the usual suspects like de Quincy, Blake, Coleridge and Lewis Carol. He said that the Beatles were just the latest players in a cultural game that the Brits had been playing since the days of the British Raj - those Victorian guys stationed in India, Bringing It All Back Home. His argument hangs together quite well, because at the same time the psychedelic movement started up there was a new-found tongue-in-cheek fashion for Victoriana; the famous Granny Takes A Trip shop in Carnaby Street, the military clothes, droopy moustaches and of course the circus poster that sparked off For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite. So maybe at one level the Brits did have an edge; lyrically if nothing else, people like Procul Harum and Syd Barrett could just dip into a back catalogue of proto-psychedelic writings that they had probably come across as children.

juan_mccoy · 03-10-2014, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Well Pink Floyd and Soft Machine for starters, but more than likely if you name a British psychedelic band, I probably like them more than Country Joe and the Fish.

Yes, i have found one and only one The Pink Floyd, with great enormous psychedelic stuff, they pass though us so deeply with versatile lyrics as well.

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Xurtio · 04-08-2014, 09:10 PM

I'm not sure there's any one song that started the psychedelic movement. I think it was a trend of song styles emerging from ideology and beat-nick culture of drug-influenced writers. And also, Brits trying to play blues.

Floydy · 05-19-2014, 09:48 PM

Quite possibly The beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" from Revolver (1966), although Eight Miles High was around at the same time.
Dunno who was first.

02-21-2014, 06:11 PM	#33 (permalink)
Pet_Sounds Remember the underscore Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: The other side Posts: 2,489	I don't believe opium is classified as a psychedelic drug, but there is some interesting poetry writen about it from the 1800s. Not psychedelic music, but the poetry bears a resemblance to the lyrics of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, among others. __________________ Everybody's dying just to get the disease

03-01-2014, 07:24 PM	#36 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	The Merry Pranksters and Timothy Leary both made records of recitals put to music. Although they aren`t songs according to the usual definition of the word, and aren`t as early as Berlioz, I think they deserve a mention here as nobody can doubt their psychedelic credentials:- I wouldn`t like to take a side on any USA vs UK psychedelia debate, but I do remember that Timothy L. had high praise for the Brits. In a long article he wrote about the British tradition of psychedelic experience, he rounded up all the usual suspects like de Quincy, Blake, Coleridge and Lewis Carol. He said that the Beatles were just the latest players in a cultural game that the Brits had been playing since the days of the British Raj - those Victorian guys stationed in India, Bringing It All Back Home. His argument hangs together quite well, because at the same time the psychedelic movement started up there was a new-found tongue-in-cheek fashion for Victoriana; the famous Granny Takes A Trip shop in Carnaby Street, the military clothes, droopy moustaches and of course the circus poster that sparked off For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite. So maybe at one level the Brits did have an edge; lyrically if nothing else, people like Procul Harum and Syd Barrett could just dip into a back catalogue of proto-psychedelic writings that they had probably come across as children. __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

04-08-2014, 09:10 PM	#38 (permalink)
Xurtio Brain Licker Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 1,083	I'm not sure there's any one song that started the psychedelic movement. I think it was a trend of song styles emerging from ideology and beat-nick culture of drug-influenced writers. And also, Brits trying to play blues. __________________ H̓̇̅̉yͤ͏mͬ͂ͧn͑̽̽̌ͪ̑͐͟o̴͊̈́͑̇m͛͌̓ͦ̑aͫ̽ͤ̇n̅̎͐̒ͫ͐c̆ͯͫ̋ ̔̃́eͯ͒rͬͬ̄҉

01-17-2014, 11:47 PM	#31 (permalink)
Honza Groupie Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Here & Now Posts: 44	Been thinking about the beginnings of psychedelia as well. Interesting thread.

05-19-2014, 09:48 PM	#39 (permalink)
Floydy Music Addict Join Date: May 2014 Location: Hull, U.K. Posts: 129	Quite possibly The beatles "Tomorrow Never Knows" from Revolver (1966), although Eight Miles High was around at the same time. Dunno who was first.