THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,935) The Human Instinct — “Renaissance Fair”
New Zealand’s Human Instinct (see #271) recorded a “brilliant” (happening45, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww31Q3NO_AY) and “spectacular”(thomassmith8721, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4eaTvYUrds) cover of the Byrds’ [see #1,430, 1,605] “Renaissance Fair” that “actually eclipses the original, the strings being an amazing addition”, “[s]imply stunning.” (LaughingStock, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOQ2cti4zG0) “Never bothered with The Byrds when the cover is so good”! (Vintage Vinyl Via Valves, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miqGA5cuPOU) Andrew Schmidt writes that:
The Human Instinct made [it] their own. Mike Hurst got the London Symphony Orchestra in to embellish the mystical, beautifully sung, upbeat psych-pop chugger. . . . [T]here were good reviews, but the single stiffed in February 1968.
https://www.audioculture.co.nz/articles/the-human-instinct-part-1-the-rock-and-roll-and-pop-years
As to the Byrd’s original, Bruce Eder tells us that:
“Renaissance Fair” is one of the[ Bryds’] under-regarded classics . . . . Considered a pleasant enough song today, it was actually a topical song . . . and . . . regarded as important enough to be included in the band’s set at the Monterey Pop Festival during the summer of 1967. David Crosby had attended the real Renaissance Fair, which was the first “Be In” in San Francisco, a peaceful event that gathered together hippies, freaks, flower children, and musicians, among many others, and immortalized it in this song, which is variously credited solely to Crosby and as a joint Crosby-Roger McGuinn composition. What makes it special, apart from the notably peaceful and joyous vibes behind the song, is the manner in which it incorporates musical elements that were already a part of the Byrds’ repertory — the banjo-style opening, the ethereal high harmonies, the use of amplified instruments turned down so that they have almost acoustic timbres. All of that, coupled with a great Chris Hillman bass part, helped make [it] a perfect synthesis of the group’s original electric-folk sound evolved into a new, more contemporary form of music and songwriting, almost hippie-folk music.
Mark Deming tells of the Human Instinct:
[The Human Instinct was a] celebrated New Zealand rock band whose music grew from psychedelia into hard rock during their lifetime . . . . Evolving from a Kiwi beat group called The Four Fours, the Human Instinct cut a handful of tough R&B- and freakbeat-leaning singles for Mercury in 1966 and 1967, and a pair of more adventurous psychedelic 45s for Deram in 1967 and 1968 during a sojourn in London. After returning to Auckland, they steered into hard rock with plentiful guitar heroics . . . . Their star began to fade in the mid-’70s, but despite plentiful lineup changes, the Human Instinct lived on as a live act . . . [I]n 1957 . . . a dance band [formed] to play a steady flow of gigs in Tauranga, a popular vacation destination in New Zealand. . . . They adopted the name the Four Fours . . . and recruited Bill Ward to play lead guitar and sing. Before long, [they] were performing regularly in Tauranga . . . . In 1960 . . . David Hartstone came on board, playing rhythm guitar and singing backups. . . . [T]he group decided to relocate to Auckland . . . . It didn’t take long for the Four Fours to become one of the busiest bands in Auckland, and 1965’s “Time Slips Away” b/w “Theme from an Empty Coffee Lounge” became a hit when the B-side unexpectedly won the favor of audiences. In late 1965, [they] began mapping out plans to move to England in hopes of winning a larger audience. . . . Maurice Greer . . . . join[ed] the band [as drummer]. . . . [T]heir first single for [Zodiac Records], “This Time Tomorrow” . . . was released in time for them to hit the road as the opening act for the Rolling Stones on their 1966 tour of New Zealand. After the release of “Go Go” . . . which became another NZ hit, [they sailed] . . . to London in September 1966. . . . When they arrived in England, they were billing themselves as the Human Instinct. . . . [They] quickly landed a recording contract with Mercury Records . . . . Their Mercury debut, “Can’t Stop Around” . . . was issued in November 1966 and found the band moving in a leaner and more R&B-influenced direction. After an initial period of struggle, the Human Instinct made an impact on the British club scene and were gigging regularly, headlining clubs . . . . While the group cut two more singles for Mercury . . . none made the charts, and after their deal was up, they signed with Deram Records, where producer Mike Hurst helped them put their growing psychedelic leanings up front on 1967’s “A Day in My Mind’s Mind” [see #271]. . . . [T]heir second Deram release, early 1968’s “Renaissance Fair” b/w “Pink Dawn,” was their most sophisticated to date . . . . [But,] . . . the Human Instinct were still without a hit record, and several members held work visas that were soon to expire. David Hartstone, who held a British passport, opted to stay behind, and the remaining members of the band chose to return to New Zealand and regroup. While Hartstone had agreed to take over payments on the group’s van, his bandmates were upset when he declined to ship their amps back home . . . . After the loss of their gear, Bill Ward became disillusioned and dropped out of performing for many years . . . . But Maurice Greer was determined to keep the Human Instinct alive, and he launched a new edition of the band with guitarist Billy Te Kahika (aka Billy TK) and bassist Peter Barton, which followed trends of the day into a sound informed by hard rock . . . .
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-human-instinct-mn0000804134#biography
Here are the Byrds:
Here are the Byrds at Monterey:
Here is the Orange Bicycle:
Here is In Wyrd:
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