THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
2,092) The Holy Mackerel — “Scorpio Red”
Yesterday I featured Roger Nichols and his friends (see #631, 828, 1,054, 1,332, 2,091). Today it’s Nichols’ writing partner Paul Willliams (see #1,300), who said of Nichols that “In a lot of ways, I’m being led by the music I’m choosing to write lyrics for. Roger Nichols became my music school.” (Bill Kopp, https://blog.musoscribe.com/index.php/2017/06/08/hed-only-just-begun-paul-williams-and-the-holy-mackerel-part-2/)
When Paul Williams was only just beginning, he and the Holy Mackerel (see #24) gave us “Scorpio Red”, which is “[s]uperior pop-sike” (liner notes to the CD comp Fading Yellow, Vol. 2: 21 Course Smorgasbord of US Pop-Sike & Other Delights 1965-69) that “epitomises everything that’s good about psychedelic sunshine pop”. (Derek Anderson, https://dereksmusicblog.com/2017/05/02/come-to-the-sunshine-soft-pop-nuggets-from-the-wea-vaults/) It is “an astrology themed, cautionary tale about a ‘red headed lady’ that ‘will not be tamed.’ It contains all of the trappings of late 60s psych/pop rock – Eastern influenced chords, ringing guitars, reverb and group harmony.” (Tom Muscarella, https://rockremnants.com/2014/02/01/song-of-the-week-scorpio-red-wildflowers-the-holy-mackerel/)
Andrew Sandoval and Paul Williams explain:
[“Scorpio Red”] was written during the ‘goodbye’ phase of a short-lived love affair with a redheaded heart-stopper from Montana, recalls Paul Williams. “When Richard Perry suggested I record an album for Reprise, it was one of the first songs chosen. Sadly, The Holy Mackerel was gone almost as quickly as the redhead, but it was a labor of love and full of first-time passion.”
liner notes to the CD comp A Whole Lot of Rainbows: Soft Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults
As to the Holy Mackerel’s sole album, Richie Unterberger writes:
The Holy Mackerel’s sole album garnered little notice upon its initial release in 1968, and is mostly known today for including Paul Williams, who wrote most of the material (sometimes with Roger Nichols), taking the majority of the lead vocals. . . . [B]oth the material and production are more influenced by folk-rock and mild psychedelia than the ’70s singer/songwriter fare for which [Williams is] most famous for. It’s a largely likable album, if mild-mannered, erratic, and lacking the heavyweight hooks of Williams’ hits. The best tunes are those that play up the most haunting melodies and the Mamas and the Papas [see #1,734]-ish folk-rock harmonies, such as . . . “Scorpio Red[]” . . . .The most psychedelic song, “Wildflowers” [see #24]– complete with raga-rock riffs, spaced-out lyrics, and distorted fishbowl vocals — is an unequivocal highlight, though somewhat atypical . . . .
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-holy-mackerel-mw0000381914
David Jeffries tells us of the Mackerel:
After singer/songwriter Paul Williams landed one of his songs on the flip side of Tiny Tim’s hit single “Tip-Toe Through the Tulips,” he was approached by record producer Richard Perry with an offer to cut his own album. It was a giant leap for Williams, who had just lost his job at the White Whale label a year earlier, an event that had left him distraught and sour on the music industry. Apprehensive about going it alone, he formed a band with ex-Jefferson Airplane bassist Bob Harvey, guitarist George Hiller, flutist Cynthia Fitzpatrick, ex-Turtle drummer Don Murray, and Williams’ brother Ralph on guitar. Dubbed the Holy Mackerel, the band recorded its psychedelic pop debut throughout the spring of 1968. Before the record’s completion, Harvey left and was replaced by future Elvis Presley [see #80, 879] bassist Jerry Scheff, and then drummer Don Murray was replaced by Michael Cannon. The record appeared in November of 1968 and despite being a Billboard magazine “Special Merit Pick,” it went nowhere and the Holy Mackerel called it quits soon after. Williams began his successful solo career a year later.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-holy-mackerel-mn0000868879
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