Psychedelic Pop Music
Here’s a proto-metal-psychedelic rock song from the counterculture days that cautions against using hallucinogens, such as LSD, and what it can do to your mind. The song was written by country singer-songwriter Mickey Newbury. Teddy Hill & The Southern recorded it in 1967 as did Jerry Lee Lewis for his 1967 album Soul My Way. The First Edition, with Kenny Rogers on lead vocals, had the hit with it in 1968, as the single went to #5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was produced by legendary TV music composer Mike Post. There was is some interesting guitar work from Glen Campbell and Mike Deasy on it. The First Edition performed it on The Smother Brothers Comedy Hour, which was their first exposure before a national TV audience. There have been numerous covers of the song, including ones by artists as diverse as Kenny Rogers himself (on his Ten Years of Gold album) Betty LaVette, Tom Jones, Supergrass, Children of Bodom, Mojo Nixon, Willie Nelson, Murder by Death, Reef, The Launderettes, and Sinister Dexter.
The First Edition formed in California in 1967. Besides Kenny Rogers, there were Mickey Jones (drums and percussion), Terry Williams (guitar and vocals), Mike Settle (guitar and backing vocals), and Thelma Camacho. Aside from Mickey Jones, the others had been with the former New Christy Minstrels and wanted to break out into other kinds of music, which they did.
