THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,975) The Syn — “Grounded”
The Syn’s (see #303) “powerful self-penned slice of psychedelic R&B” (Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) “featur[es] some of the finest songwriting of the freakbeat era” (https://dereksdaily45.blogspot.com/2010/08/syn-grounded.html) and is “among the finest obscure ’60s British psychedelic and mod singles” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/original-syn-mw0000530185), a “classic”, “R&B-based rock with clanging guitars, tough vocals, and enough punch to knock out anyone foolish enough to take it on in a street fight”. (Tim Sendra, https://www.allmusic.com/album/flowerman-rare-blooms-from-the-syn-1965-1969-mw0003576345) “Few British records captured the majestic R&B swagger of U.S. garage punk as well . . . a sure-fire classic to match The Chocolate Watch Band [see #160] or The Standells [see #162, 1,401] at their arrogant best.” (John Reed, liner notes to the CD comp Decca Originals: The Freakbeat Scene) It is “a chunky piece of Tamla-inspired pop that found the group shamelessly filching the harmony backing vocals from The Four Tops’ [see #1,148, 1,429, 1,836] “Baby I Need Your Loving”. (David Wells, Record Collector 100 Greatest Psychedelic Records: High Times and Strange Tales from Rock’s Most Min-Blowing Era)
Here is Richie Unterberger on the Syn:
[The Syn was] a band that seemed to have great potential, but only came close to fulfilling it on . . . “14 Hour Technicolor Dream” [see #303] and “Grounded” . . . .
For a band that only made two singles, the Syn are quite well remembered by British rock collectors, principally because two of their members — guitarist Peter Banks and bassist Chris Squire — eventually surfaced in the first lineup of Yes in 1968. Their two singles, both issued in 1967 in the U.K. on Deram, were pretty solid efforts in their own right. These charted their transition from mod to psychedelic guitar rock . . . . Their first single, “Created by Clive,” was a foppish Carnaby Street takeoff that the band disliked; the fine B-side . . . “Grounded[]” . . . was much more indicative of the band’s sensibilities. Their promise really bloomed on their next and last 45, “14 Hour Technicolour Dream,” one of the best obscure British psychedelic singles (indeed one of the best British psychedelic singles by any band). . . . [T]he band broke up in early 1968. Banks and Squire played in another psychedelic band, Mabel Greer’s Toyshop, for a few months before becoming founding members of Yes.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/original-syn-mw0000530185, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-syn-mn0000000311#biography
Vernon Joynson adds that “they set out as a Motown and white soul band, but soon became wrapped in the trappings of flower-power . . . . The group had a Saturday night residency at The Marquee in London and performed their own own pop operas.” (The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) And Derek See writes that “[i]t . . . blows my mind that two members of this band . . . formed progressive rock band Yes only one year after this record was cut; a massive indication of changing tastes in music”. (https://dereksdaily45.blogspot.com/2010/08/syn-grounded.html)
Vintage Vinyl Via Valves offers up a sonically-improved version: “UK 45 mastered with a dodgy cutter stylus so needs a Custom Size stylus to not sound a squishy blurry mess. Grungy Psych Blues belter that doesn’t leave you Seasick now”:
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