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Clear Light

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File:Clearlightalbum.jpg
Clear Light Album cover

Clear Light was a psychedelic rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1966. They were very much in the mold of fellow Elektra artists Love, Tim Buckley, and especially the Doors.

History

Formed in 1966, Clear Light was discovered by Doors producer Paul A. Rothchild, who signed them to Elektra Records and gave the band its name.[1]

The group included future actor Cliff De Young on vocals and John Sebastian drummer Dallas Taylor. Rounding out the lineup were Robbie Robison, guitar (later replaced by Ralph Schuckett, organ); Bob Seal, guitar and vocals; occasional Doors sideman Doug Lubahn, bass; and Michael Ney, on, most unusually, another set of drums.[2]

What has been considered the band's finest hour came when drunken customers in a Park Avenue club where they were playing heckled them so brutally that Ralph Schuckett, the usually gentle organist, hurled a few choice words back at them. They then walked off the stage, retired to the Albert Hotel, and woke up in the morning to find that they were underground heroes.[3]

The big hit off their only album, the eponymous Clear Light, was "Mr. Blue," a psychedelic folk song written by Tom Paxton. Lasting over six minutes, the song is rather sinister and psychedelic and is considered a classic of the genre.[4] Its lyrics, which alternated between spoken word and song, include verses opening with such lines as, "Good morning, Mister Blue, we've got our eye on you," "Step softly, Mister Blue, we know what's best for you," and "Be careful, Mister Blue, this phase you're going through ...."[5]

The album also included some of guitarist Bob Seal's best psychedelic folk-rock songs, namely "With All in Mind" and "They Who Have Nothing."[6] It was a big hit in England but less successful in the U.S. The group disbanded in 1968.[7]

Clear Light was featured in the 1967 movie The President's Analyst.

Album

Untitled

Released in September 1967, Clear Light was a big hit in England but a relatively minor hit in the U.S. Nevertheless, it is considered one of the important psychedelic albums to own and is an AMG music pick, and combined folk, rock, psychedelia, and classical music.

Track Listing:

  1. Black Roses (Clear Light, Dios) - 2:09
  2. Sand (Lubahn) - 2:38
  3. A Child's Smile (Clear Light, Ney) - 1:37
  4. Street Singer (Copeland, Noonan) - 3:17
  5. The Ballad of Freddie & Larry (DeYoung, Schuckett) - 1:56
  6. With All in Mind (Seal) - 2:58
  7. She's Ready To Be Free - 2:26
  8. Mr. Blue (Paxton) - 6:25
  9. Think Again (Clear Light, Lubahn) - 1:58
  10. They Who Have Nothing (Seal) - 1:37
  11. How Many Days Have Passed - 2:34
  12. Night Sounds Loud (Lubahn) - 2:24

Single

She's Ready To Be Free/Black Roses

Notes

  1. ^ Rock Encyclopedia, Lillian Roxon, 1969, Grosset & Dunlap, p. 112
  2. ^ Clear Light
  3. ^ Rock Encyclopedia, Lillian Roxon, 1969, Grosset & Dunlap, p. 112
  4. ^ Lyrics
  5. ^ Clear Light
  6. ^ Clear Light
  7. ^ Rock Encyclopedia, Lillian Roxon, 1969, Grosset & Dunlap, p. 112
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