THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,492) The Orange Machine — “Dr. Crippen’s Waiting Room”
This ’68 B-side is the Dublin, Ireland band’s (see #1,240) “finest moment, with superb fuzz guitar and vocals” (Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited), “ace”, “[a] sinister psychedelic popbiography of an American physician hanged in . . . 1910 for the murder of his wife and famously captured with the help of that new-fangled wireless telegram system.” (Dr Doom, https://www.45cat.com/record/7n17680)
As to the Orange Machine, Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers tells us:
One of the more regional outposts of psychedelia during the late ’60s was the Irish club scene, which spawned such acts as The Method (subsequently Andwella’s Dream [see #714, 770, 1,037]) and the Orange Machine, who had an Irish Top 20 hit 45 in July 1968 with faithful covers of two Tomorrow [see #72] songs, “Three Jolly Little Dwarfs” and Real Life Permanent Dream” [see #1,240]. Their second and last single coupled a creditable rendition of the Traffic track “You Can Also Join In” with [“Waiting Room”], a bizarre “tribute” to the first murderer to be apprehended by the use of radiotelegraphy. Written by group members Jimmy Greeley (drums) and Robin Crowley (lead guitar), the choppy Eastern-tinged rhythms and prototypical hard rock sound hinted at a strong individual identity, but they failed to record again in their own right.
liner notes to the CD comp Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers: Psychedelic Confectionery from the UK Underground 1965-1969
Irish Showbands adds:
Their single “Three Jolly Little Dwarfs” was one of the best Irish “psychedelic” singles and reached No.14 in the Irish charts. It and its follow-up “You Can All Join In” are keenly sought by collectors worldwide. Ernie Durkin later joined Gentry, Tommy Kinsella joined the Cotton Mill Boys and drummer Jimmy Greally became a successful radio broadcaster. Lead guitarist was Robin Crowley.
[Ernie Durkin]: I think the Orange Machine was a great group. We had some original songs that did not get recorded because of the break-up of the group, we were all very young and did not know what we really had. What we needed was a good manager to keep us on the right track and give us some direction – then maybe the group could have stayed together and made some more recordings. We could have been one of Irelands top original groups. We had a really original sound, and everyone complemented each other.”
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 1,000 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.
Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! / Off the Charts: 60s Rock Revelations😊 