The Murmaids, "Paper Sun" c/w "Song Through Perception," Liberty 56078 (rel. 11/1968; only issued as a DJ promo)
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The old-school behavior of Fowley, who berated the girls during the sessions for that hit, was one of many ugly incidents in a controversial life. None of that is evident in the ethereal charm of "Popsicles..." which, like its follow-up "Blue Dress," exudes an innocence now almost painful to encounter.
The femme trio were destined to be one-hit wonders; none of their other singles for Chattahoochee Records had an iota of success. In 1966, the three members called it a day; they headed to college and worked towards another career. Fowley went through phase after phase and, by 1968, was a lecherous, debauched agent of free love and social abandon.
That year, one Murmaid, Sally Gordon, still thought the pop charts were worth another try. Her fellow Murmaids, Carol and Terry Fischer, had moved on. She sought out the now perpetually-stoned Fowley, recruited two female singers, and attempted up-to-date material. The resultant single is marvelous in its oddness. "Paper Sun," the debut single by UK band Traffic. It charted Top 5 in the UK when issued in 1967 but didn't register with American audiences. The melodic, trippy song is perfect for the wholesome harmonies of this mock-Murmaids.
Lysergic-lite guitar and a driving rhythm section provide a tasteful setting for this musical spectacle. For all his personality flaws, Fowley had a golden ear, and this innocence-meets-stupefaction performance had a chance at the charts--if just as a novelty hit. Troubled America of late 1968 (in a situation that compares to our current miasma) didn't notice its existence. The single became a sought-after item for connoseiurs of unusual pop music.
Sally Gordon hoped the single might succeed and reintroduce the group to the pop scene. Didn't happen; the single wasn't put on sale after the radio-station promos failed to catch DJ interest. There aren't many copies of this exotic flop kicking around.
"Song Through Perception," written by Michael Lloyd, a friend of Fowley's, made its sole appearance on the brief B-side. A melodic, stately pop waltz, it's an elegant song that seems ideal for the women's voice. This side proves that the group might have had a chance in the heavier world of 1969 pop. Alas, this wistful fragment, gone in under two minutes, is the haunting artifact of a failed, brief experiment.
Sally Gordon continued the group without chart success, which included a comeback album from 1980 (a compilation of sides from their early days) and 2002's Splash Back!, a set of favorite oldies. Ace Records UK issued a definitive collection of their 1960s material, A Few of The Things We Love, in 2015. It includes both sides of today's single.
Tomorrow: future Blacksploitation icon Rudy Ray Moore delivers intense r&b on a rare 1956 single for Federal Records. Two powerful, eccentric sides well worth your ear!
Whacko Fowley and the Murmaids' "Popsicles and Icicles"...what a strange combination. Fun to hear these two 1968 tracks...that weird stretch when Motown stalwarts were awkwardly trying to add psychedelic sound elements to their releases and other formerly successful American bands and solo artists were trying desperately to keep up with the new heavier guitar solo-based stuff happening on the charts. Hard to believe disco was to be just a few years away at that point.
ReplyDeleteTwo trippy songs! Both this version and Traffic version (More sitars man!) sound a bit to me like the Turtles 1967 hit "Guide To The Married Man." "Song Through Perception" (far-out, man title) is pleasant and could have rode the coat tails of the Mamas and Papas if it had been released.
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