THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,646) Mighty Baby — “Egyptian Tomb”
Here is an “immortal” (Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) “great piece of [UK] psych with early prog leanings”. (ProgFan97402, https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=5961) Psychedelic Paul muses:
We’re in Raiders of the Lost Ark territory for the glorious opening number, “Egyptian Tomb”. It’s a trippy acid-drenched song that perfectly captures the American West Coast sound of the late 1960’s, emulating such bands of the time as Quicksilver Messenger Service and Jefferson Airplane, only with a saxophone providing some additional flawless flourishes. The music brings to mind exotic images of pharaohs, sphinxes and pyramids, and camel rides across the desert beneath a burning red sun.
“This superb underground act emerged from the ashes of mod heroes The Action [see #393, 429, 966], who had been joined late in 1967 by ex-Savoy Brown guitar ace Martin Stone. . . . Much of their unusual sound derived from the sophisticated interplay between the twin guitars of [Alan] King and Stone, as well as [Ian] Whiteman’s woodwind accompaniment.” (Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited)
As to Mighty Baby’s first LP, Mighty Baby, Bruce Eder writes:
[I]t sounds like the early Allman Brothers; or maybe the Grateful Dead in one of their harder-rocking moments, jamming with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on an impromptu version of CSN’s “Pre-Road Downs.” The beauty of the original Mighty Baby album tracks is that they’re psychedelia with a solid beat, none of that noodle-rock that drugged-up Brits usually engaged in. . . . some of the most energetic psychedelia to come out of England, and anyone who enjoys psychedelic guitar will love Martin Stone’s and Alan King’s work on this album.
Vernon Joynson adds that:
Sadly, Head went bust shortly after the album’s release, when its owner, John Curd, was jailed for drug offences, and it failed to sell in any significant numbers. He did, however, manage to secure the album a US release through Chess records . . . . The album appeared too late to capitalise on the psychedelic boom, and the group sound shed its acid-rock leanings.
The Tapestry of Delights Revisited
Bruce Eder gives us some Mighty history:
British psychedelic band Mighty Baby grew out of the Action . . . . Reggie King was gone by early 1968 to record a solo album, and the remaining members went through a number of name changes, at one point calling themselves Azoth. In 1968, they hooked up with the managers who represented Pink Floyd and T. Rex and cut a new series of demo recordings featuring Whiteman (who wrote most of the songs) and Alan King on lead vocals. These demos were even more ambitious than the 1967 sides, extending the structure of the group’s songs with long, beautiful guitar progressions and soaring choruses. Unlike a lot of R&B outfits that tried the psychedelic route and failed, they were suited to the new music by inclination and temperament. The president of the band’s new record label, Head Records, for reasons best known to himself, chose “Mighty Baby” as the group’s new name. The self-titled album that followed was a masterpiece of late psychedelic rock, with long, fluid guitar lines and radiant harmonies; still [it] didn’t sell very well, although the group continued to play live shows to enthusiastic audiences. Their record label folded in 1970, and the group eventually signed to the Blue Horizon label, where they released a respectable if not wholly successful second album, A Jug of Love. It was clear by then, however, that their moment had passed, both personally and professionally. Mighty Baby broke up in 1971 . . . .
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mighty-baby-mn0000482312#biography
Vernon Joynson adds:
[Following Mighty Baby, o]ver the next two years they played innumerable sessions as well as becomeing staples of the festival and club circuits . . . They also developed a strong commitment to Islam, which was reflected in the more contemplative music they were starting to produce. When they finally returned to thte studio in the summer of 1971 . . . they’d replaced the blazing guitar leads and driving rhythms of their debut with an aura of calm and reflection.
The Tapestry of Delights Revisited
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