David — “Light of Your Mind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — March 4, 2024

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

1,134) David — “Light of Your Mind”

One of the Brit psych’s crowning glories, a “beautifully measured piece of very British harmonies, rippling organ, hypnotic guitar and drums” (liner notes to the CD comp Mojo Presents: Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers: Psychedelic Confectionery from the UK Underground 1965-1969), was actually a cover version by a mysterious Welsh band of a song written by two future members of the American soft rock band Bread. WTF? Anthony Brockway explains:

There’s a certain amount of internet speculation about a little-known band called David who released an outstanding single in 1969 on the Philips label called Light of Your Mind. The A-side was written by James Griffin and Rob Royer who would go on to form rock group Bread. Some people have assumed therefore that they were involved in David. They weren’t. David was actually a four-piece from south Wales consisting of: Ian England (organ/vocals) of Cardiff; Phil Edwards (drums) from Newport; Sid Petherick (lead guitar) from Penarth; and Dave Martin (bass/vocals) from Cardiff. In 1969 they were offered a publishing deal with Chappell and soon recorded [the single]. . . . Their only other single (as far as I’m aware) came out in 1970 on the Fontana record label. The A-side I’m Going Back was co-written by Dave Dee who also produced the recording. For a while David were his backing band after he’d parted company with Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. The B-side, Selppin, is ‘nipples’ backwards.

https://babylonwales.blogspot.com/2012/10/david.html

Jimmy Griffin’s version starts out as if it’s a classical violin/piano sonata. WTF? Talk about freaky! But that’s actually the most endearing thing about his version. Griffin’s voice sort of grates. A Youtube exchange sort of sums up my feelings. “Jimmy Griffin . . . blows this version out of the water. . . .” (annguest1603, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qupIpdrwdw8). Eight years later: “Um . . . no.” (warwickwas, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qupIpdrwdw8) Exactly. My explanation for all this is that Jimmy’s bread must have been dosed with some natural LSD from the ergot fungus! (https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/ergot.shtml)

Here is Jimmy Griffin’s version:

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