The Syn - Flowerman; Rare Blooms From The Syn 1965-1969 (@320)

 

The Syn - Flowerman; Rare Blooms From The Syn 1965-1969

An anthology of all surviving ‘60s recordings by The Syn, key players on the London summer-of-'67 underground circuit and the starting point for prog legends Yes.

Active from late 1965 as an Action-style mod/Motown band, The Syn embraced psychedelia with some legendary theatrical shows during their Marquee Club residency and a brace of flower-power singles for Deram before slowly evolving into Yes.

Those four Deram sides – 'Created By Clive', 'Grounded', 'Flowerman' and '14 Hour Technicolour Dream' – are joined by a clutch of rare recordings from the period, including a five-minute rehearsal excerpt of stage favourite 'The Gangster Opera', an earlier recording of 'Flowerman', a pre- Deram acetate of the unissued-at-the-time 'Merry-Go-Round' and two tracks by pre-Syn band The Selfs.

The CD also includes some post-Syn recordings, including a brace of songwriting demos by singer Steve Nardelli, keyboardist Andrew Pryce Jackman and bassist Chris Squire as they attempted to set up a production company at the height of Squire's success with Yes.

With a foreword by Phil Collins (a huge fan during their Marquee days), many previously unpublished photos and a new 5000 word essay, ‘Flowerman’ is an essential purchase for admirers of both vintage British psychedelia and the band Yes.

 

Tracklist:

 

1. Merry-Go-Round (3:00)

2. Created By Clive (2:31)

3. Grounded (2:23)

4. Flowerman (2:37)

5. 14 Hour Technicolour Dream (2:56)

6. The Gangster Opera: Chorus / Legs Diamond / Reprise (Excerpts From The Rehearsal Tape) (5:55)

7. Flowerman (Demo Version, Marquee Studios) (2:38)

8. I Can't Explain (2:10)

9. Love You (2:57)

10. The Last Performance Of The Royal Regimental Very Victorious And Valiant Band (3:25)

11. Mister White's White Flying Machine (5:13)

12. Cadillac Dreams (3:22)

13. Sunset Boulevard Lament (2:53)

14. Grounded 2004 (5:06)

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