The Head Shop
Encyclopedia
The Head Shop is a psychedelic rock
band from New York
that released one eponymous album on Epic
in 1969. The album cover features a swirling group of multi-colored (and numbered) boxes that surround a black-and-white image of a shrunken head
. The back cover is mostly black with minimal copy but also includes a shot of the band lit from beneath.
release of their album, the Head Shop began as a Brooklyn street-corner band and, as the Household Sponge, released a single in 1967 called "Scars" b/w "Second Best" on Murbo (catalogue #M-1017). "Second Best" was in the Spotlight list of songs that were predicted to reach the Hot 100
by Billboard in August 1967. The band also performed live under the name the Aladdins.
According to the original promotional material for the album, the band performs "9 musical chapters that will lead you into new musical and audiophile
dimensions of psychedelic art of music". A commercial ad in New York's Screw magazine
was blazoned with: "Do You Want Head? Blow Your Mind with the Head Shop Album!"
, a respected jazz guitarist
is a "guest musician" that provides a second guitar solo
on "I Feel Love Comin' On". Coryell's debut album on Vanguard
was also released in 1969.
" – reminiscent of the Deep Purple
cover of "Help!
" – plus a propulsive rendering of "Revolution
". "Yesterday", along with an original song called "Where Have All the People Gone", are combined into "Opera in the Year 4000" that may function as a commentary on the state of the music world at the end of that decade: Even if all the people are gone in two thousand years, the then omnipresent Beatles standard would still survive.
The album also includes a melancholy version of another hit song of the period, "Sunny
" by Bobby Hebb
. Like "Yesterday", hundreds of other cover versions of "Sunny" are extant, but not like this: Eugene Chadbourne
refers to this as the "so-called 'bad acid' version" of this song.
and ’66 era garage
punk
" . A 2006 promotion of the CD reissue on eBay by "Groovers Paradise" describes the album this way: "This underground
New York psychedelic project has a unique sound – soulful vocals, fluid Hammond organ
, fuzzy bass
, distorted lead guitars, lots of weird percussion instruments, augmented by unexpected stereo
effects."
An anonymous Dutch fan calls this "a very special album" and makes a detailed track-by-track analysis of the record, citing influences on the album ranging from Arthur Brown
to James Brown
, and, regarding the "Revolution
" cover: "The original idea was to mix Beatles with contemporary music (Schönberg and Mahler) into a new trip of music, making new music in a true ‘progressive
’ edge." .
The accolades are not unanimous, however. The exhaustive Acid Archives describes the album as "full of sound effect
s, fuzz guitar and creative arrangements, but without the songs to elevate it to keeper status. A couple of Beatles covers are particularly ill-advised. The heavier songs are probably the highlights. Good but not great."
s on the original songs, which include "Listen with a Third Ear", "Heaven Here We Come" and "Prophecy".
in 2004. The WIS reissue includes 7 bonus tracks, along with a copy of both sides of the page in the 1969 Screw Magazine where the ad appeared. The bonus tracks run the gamut from folk
to flower power
to psychedelic pop
and include songs by the Household Sponge (the predecessor band to The Head Shop, which also performed under the name the Aladdins), Licorice Schtik (a band being promoted by Milan in the same time period), and other earlier projects including The Downtown Collection. The artists on the last two bonus tracks are unknown; "Groovy Feelings" was written by Milan, "In Central Park" was written by Max Ellen.
The Synton reissue includes four bonus tracks by Household Sponge and Licorice Schtik, but a full track listing could not be located.
Side 2:
Heaven Here We Come –
Prophecy –
Infinity –
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band from New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that released one eponymous album on Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in 1969. The album cover features a swirling group of multi-colored (and numbered) boxes that surround a black-and-white image of a shrunken head
Shrunken head
A shrunken head is a severed and specially prepared human head that is used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes.Headhunting occurred in many regions of the world. But the practice of headshrinking has only ever been recorded in the northwestern region of the Amazon rain forest...
. The back cover is mostly black with minimal copy but also includes a shot of the band lit from beneath.
Formation of the Band
As related in the liner notes for the World IN SoundWorld IN Sound
World IN Sound is a record label based in Schwetzingen, Germany. The label specializes in psychedelic and experimental music from the late 1960s and early 1970s. They also occasionally release contemporary material in the same genres....
release of their album, the Head Shop began as a Brooklyn street-corner band and, as the Household Sponge, released a single in 1967 called "Scars" b/w "Second Best" on Murbo (catalogue #M-1017). "Second Best" was in the Spotlight list of songs that were predicted to reach the Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
by Billboard in August 1967. The band also performed live under the name the Aladdins.
Original Release
Audiophile
An audiophile is a person who enjoys listening to recorded music, usually in a home. Some audiophiles are more interested in collecting and listening to music, while others are more interested in collecting and listening to audio components, whose "sound quality" they consider as important as the...
dimensions of psychedelic art of music". A commercial ad in New York's Screw magazine
Screw magazine
Screw is a weekly pornographic magazine published in the United States aimed at heterosexual men. It was first published in 1968 by Al Goldstein and was printed weekly in tabloid form...
was blazoned with: "Do You Want Head? Blow Your Mind with the Head Shop Album!"
Guest Musician
Larry CoryellLarry Coryell
Larry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
, a respected jazz guitarist
Jazz guitarist
Jazz guitarists are guitar players who play jazz music on the guitar using an approach to playing chords, melodies, and improvised solo lines which is called jazz guitar playing. The guitar has fulfilled the roles of accompanist and soloist in small and large ensembles and also as an unaccompanied...
is a "guest musician" that provides a second guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
on "I Feel Love Comin' On". Coryell's debut album on Vanguard
Vanguard Records
Vanguard Records is a record label set up in 1950 by brothers Maynard and Seymour Solomon in New York. It started as a classical label, but is perhaps best known for its catalogue of recordings by a number of pivotal folk and blues artists from the 1960s; the Bach Guild was a subsidiary...
was also released in 1969.
Cover Songs
Side 1 ends and Side 2 begins with two extremely familiar Beatles songs, "YesterdayYesterday (song)
"Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded...
" – reminiscent of the Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
cover of "Help!
Help! (song)
"Help!" is a song by The Beatles that served as the title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was also released as a single, and was number one for three weeks in both the United States and the United Kingdom....
" – plus a propulsive rendering of "Revolution
Revolution (song)
"Revolution" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The Beatles released two distinct arrangements of the song in 1968: a hard rock version as the B-side of the single "Hey Jude", and a slower version titled "Revolution 1" on the eponymous album The Beatles...
". "Yesterday", along with an original song called "Where Have All the People Gone", are combined into "Opera in the Year 4000" that may function as a commentary on the state of the music world at the end of that decade: Even if all the people are gone in two thousand years, the then omnipresent Beatles standard would still survive.
The album also includes a melancholy version of another hit song of the period, "Sunny
Sunny (song)
"Sunny" is the name of a song written by Bobby Hebb. It is one of the most covered popular songs, with hundreds of versions released. BMI rates "Sunny" number 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century."...
" by Bobby Hebb
Bobby Hebb
Bobby Hebb was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his writing and recording of "Sunny".-Biography:...
. Like "Yesterday", hundreds of other cover versions of "Sunny" are extant, but not like this: Eugene Chadbourne
Eugene Chadbourne
Eugene Chadbourne is an American improvisor, guitarist and banjoist. Highly eclectic and unconventional, Chadbourne's most formative influence is free jazz. He has also been a reviewer for Allmusic and a contributor to Maximum RocknRoll.Chadbourne started out playing rock and roll guitar, but...
refers to this as the "so-called 'bad acid' version" of this song.
Recent Reviews
One recent reviewer describes the music as "a demented fusion of ’69 era heavy psychPsychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
and ’66 era garage
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
punk
Protopunk
Protopunk is a term used retrospectively to describe a number of musicians who were important precursors of punk rock in the late 1960s to mid-1970s, or who have been cited by early punk musicians as influential...
" . A 2006 promotion of the CD reissue on eBay by "Groovers Paradise" describes the album this way: "This underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
New York psychedelic project has a unique sound – soulful vocals, fluid Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
, fuzzy bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, distorted lead guitars, lots of weird percussion instruments, augmented by unexpected stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
effects."
An anonymous Dutch fan calls this "a very special album" and makes a detailed track-by-track analysis of the record, citing influences on the album ranging from Arthur Brown
Arthur Brown (musician)
Arthur Brown is an English rock and roll musician best known for his flamboyant, theatrical style and significant influence on Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, Marilyn Manson, George Clinton, Kiss, King Diamond, and Bruce Dickinson, among others, and for his number one hit in the UK Singles Chart and...
to James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, and, regarding the "Revolution
Revolution (song)
"Revolution" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The Beatles released two distinct arrangements of the song in 1968: a hard rock version as the B-side of the single "Hey Jude", and a slower version titled "Revolution 1" on the eponymous album The Beatles...
" cover: "The original idea was to mix Beatles with contemporary music (Schönberg and Mahler) into a new trip of music, making new music in a true ‘progressive
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
’ edge." .
The accolades are not unanimous, however. The exhaustive Acid Archives describes the album as "full of sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s, fuzz guitar and creative arrangements, but without the songs to elevate it to keeper status. A couple of Beatles covers are particularly ill-advised. The heavier songs are probably the highlights. Good but not great."
Connection with Milan
Although the band is obscure by any standard, the Head Shop is probably the best known and one of the last of the many projects masterminded by Milan, an enigmatic music industry professional who produced and performed on a variety of recordings released in the 1960s. Virtually all of the Milan projects, including the Head Shop are highly sought collectors' items, and original sealed copies of the Epic album surface occasionally. The album was produced by Milan, and the associate producer is Maxim; they are also listed as the songwriterSongwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s on the original songs, which include "Listen with a Third Ear", "Heaven Here We Come" and "Prophecy".
Reissues
The album has been reissued on two different German labels, Synton in 1998 and World in SoundWorld IN Sound
World IN Sound is a record label based in Schwetzingen, Germany. The label specializes in psychedelic and experimental music from the late 1960s and early 1970s. They also occasionally release contemporary material in the same genres....
in 2004. The WIS reissue includes 7 bonus tracks, along with a copy of both sides of the page in the 1969 Screw Magazine where the ad appeared. The bonus tracks run the gamut from folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
to flower power
Flower power
Flower power is a slogan used by the American counterculture movement during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of passive resistance and non-violence ideology. It is rooted in the opposition movement to the Vietnam War. The expression was coined by the American Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in...
to psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop
Psychedelic pop is a psychedelic musical style inspired by the sounds of psychedelic folk and psychedelic rock, but applied to a pop music setting...
and include songs by the Household Sponge (the predecessor band to The Head Shop, which also performed under the name the Aladdins), Licorice Schtik (a band being promoted by Milan in the same time period), and other earlier projects including The Downtown Collection. The artists on the last two bonus tracks are unknown; "Groovy Feelings" was written by Milan, "In Central Park" was written by Max Ellen.
The Synton reissue includes four bonus tracks by Household Sponge and Licorice Schtik, but a full track listing could not be located.
Personnel
- Danny Prosseda, Guitar
- Drew Sbordone, Bass
- Joe SianoJoe SianoJoe Siano was the vocalist for the psychedelic rock band the Head Shop, which released an album on Epic Records in 1969.In 1972, together with his better-known younger brother – Nicky Siano – they opened The Gallery, a landmark disco in New York during the early 1970s. Nicky Siano was later a...
, Vocals - Jesse Luca, Drums, Percussion
- MilanMilan (aka The Leather Boy)Milan was an enigmatic producer, songwriter and recording artist on numerous songs made throughout the 1960s, mostly though not exclusively in the garage rock genre...
, Rhythm Guitars and Screams - Geoff Wright, Hammond/Farfisa Organ, Fuzz Bass (on "Heaven Here We Come" and "I Feel Love Comin' On")
- Maxim, Violin Solo (on "Prophecy")
- Larry CoryellLarry CoryellLarry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...
, Guest Musician, Guitar Solo (on "I Feel Love Comin' On")
Release History
- Original LP: Epic Records with yellow label (#BN 26476) – rel. 1969
- Bootleg LP: Same but with dark label – rel. 1990's
- Reissued LP (or possible bootleg): Same with yellow label – rel. 2000's
- Reissue CD (with 4 bonus tracks): Synton Records (#DR9856) – rel. 1998
- Reissue CD (with 7 bonus tracks): World In Sound Records (#WIS-1024) – rel. 2004
Original LP
Side 1:- Head Shop (MilanMilan (aka The Leather Boy)Milan was an enigmatic producer, songwriter and recording artist on numerous songs made throughout the 1960s, mostly though not exclusively in the garage rock genre...
/Maxim/R. Craig), 2:56 - Heaven Here We Come (Milan), 2:40
- SunnySunny (song)"Sunny" is the name of a song written by Bobby Hebb. It is one of the most covered popular songs, with hundreds of versions released. BMI rates "Sunny" number 25 in its "Top 100 songs of the century."...
(Bobby HebbBobby HebbBobby Hebb was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his writing and recording of "Sunny".-Biography:...
), 3:11 - Listen with a Third Ear (Milan/Maxim), 2:30
- Opera in the Year 4000 (Milan), 4:25
- Where Have All the People Gone (Milan)
- YesterdayYesterday (song)"Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded...
(John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
/Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
)
Side 2:
- RevolutionRevolution (song)"Revolution" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The Beatles released two distinct arrangements of the song in 1968: a hard rock version as the B-side of the single "Hey Jude", and a slower version titled "Revolution 1" on the eponymous album The Beatles...
(John Lennon/Paul McCartney), 2:28 - I Feel Love Comin' On (Milan), 6:20
- Prophecy (Maxim/Milan), 2:17
- Infinity (Milan), 4:45
Bonus Tracks, 2004 Reissue
- "Scars" (by The Household Sponge), 2:34
- "Second Best" (by The Household Sponge), 2:14
- "Flowers, Flowers" (by Licorice Schtik), 2:00
- "Kissing Game" (by Licorice Schtik), 2:03
- "Sunshine" (Milan) (by The Downtown Collection), 1:12
- "Groovy Feelings" (Milan), 1:50
- "In Central Park" (M. Ellen), 1:53
Compilation Albums
Head Shop –- Sixties Archives, Volume 8 (CD)
- Hell Bent for LeatherHell Bent for Leather (Milan album)Hell Bent for Leather is a vinyl-only compilation album by Milan the Leather Boy that also features a second side of songs that he wrote and/or produced for others throughout the 1960s.-Release data:...
(LP)
Heaven Here We Come –
- Psychedelic Dream (LP)
Prophecy –
- Psychedelic Vision (CD)
Infinity –
- Hell Bent for LeatherHell Bent for Leather (Milan album)Hell Bent for Leather is a vinyl-only compilation album by Milan the Leather Boy that also features a second side of songs that he wrote and/or produced for others throughout the 1960s.-Release data:...
(LP)