SST — “Soft Soul Transition”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 23, 2024

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

1,376) SST — “Soft Soul Transition”

Bossa nova meets laid-back California pop and leaves a smile on your face as wide as San Francisco Bay. From a privately pressed LP of “[b]reezy sunshine-pop, soft-rock, psych-pop from California . . . . [with] awesome vocal harmonies, superb musicianship, bossa and blue-eyed-soul-jazz touches with folk-rock moves” (Forced Exposure Records, https://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/soft-soul-transition-sst-lp/OSR.059LP.html), “a masterpiece and is in no way inferior to classics like Roger Nichols & The Small Circle Of Friends [see #631, 828, 1,054, 1,332], The Free Designs “Kites are Fun” or The Millenium’s Begin [see #397, 506, 586, 662, 810, 1,002]” (Tapete Records, https://shop.tapeterecords.com/soft-soul-transition-sst-lp-out-sider-1776), “a wonderful pop album. Period. If you like awesome melodies, great vocal harmonies and rhythms that go straight to the hip this is your album. Enjoy.” (Frank, https://poprunners.blogspot.com/2018/10/sunshinepsychedelic-popbossa-blue-eyed.html)

Here’s the history:

In 1969, Chet Demilo was appearing in Donkin’s Inn, Marina Del Rey, where he met Arnie Marcus and Ray Hames, who together were to become part of an incredible slice of history. Donkin’s became the hottest and most famous destination in Southern California for the next seven years, and Chet was the magnet that started the new singles scene in Los Angeles with Marina Del Rey as ground zero. Arnie sat in on bongos with Chet from time-to-time, and Ray, who was managing an apartment complex that housed 200 flight attendants, just happened to have a unit available!! Chet moved in, and he and Ray started working on songs together. Chet suggested forming a vocal group with Arnie and SST was born. For three months they practiced the intricate vocal harmonies and in early 1970 cut the album, Soft Soul Transition. A thousand records were pressed and an album release party was held at Donkin’s where SST gave their one and only performance that night. There was interest in the project at Burt Bacharach’s Blue Seas Music, but it was not to be and SST faded away. 

liner notes to the CD reissue of Soft Soul Transition

I have added a Facebook page for Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock! If you like what you read and hear and feel so inclined, please visit and “like” my Facebook page by clicking here.

Pay to Play! The Off the Charts Spotify Playlist! + Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock Merchandise

Please consider helping to support my website/blog by contributing $6 a month for access to the Off the Charts Spotify Playlist. Using a term familiar to denizens of Capitol Hill, you pay to play! (“relating to or denoting an unethical or illicit arrangement in which payment is made by those who want certain privileges or advantages in such arenas as business, politics, sports, and entertainment” — dictionary.com).

The playlist includes all the “greatest songs of the 1960’s that no one has ever heard” that are available on Spotify — now over 900 songs. The playlist will expand each time I feature an available song.

All new subscribers will receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock magnet. New subscribers who sign up for a year will also receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock t-shirt or baseball cap. See pictures on the Pay to Play page.

When subscribing, please send me an e-mail (GMFtma1@gmail.com) or a comment on this site letting me know an e-mail address/phone number/Facebook address, etc. to which I can send instructions on accessing the playlist and a physical address to which I can sent a magnet/t-shirt/baseball cap. If choosing a t-shirt, please let me know the gender and size you prefer.

Just click on the first blue block for a month to month subscription or the second blue block for a yearly subscription.