Search - Blossom Toes :: What on Earth: Demos & Outtakes 1967-69

The evolution of a great British band

Kevin D. Rathert | Carbondale, IL | 10/25/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In the time between their debut pop psych lp "We Are Ever So Clean" and their heavy psych swan song "If Only For A Moment" the Blossom Toes spent much time in the studio developing their sound. Sunbeam records documents the 18 month span with the release of "What On Earth." The twin guitars of Brian Godding and Jim Cregan shine as always here, and the listener is treated to two early versions of the classic "Peace Loving Man" which would appear on "If Only" a bit later. Also, early versions of the BT's unreleased singles "New Day" and "Postcard" are here in all their glory. One wonders why the singles never got formal release. In the case of "New Day" the tune at least saw light of day on the BB Blunder lp "Worker's Playtime." BB Blunder was the band that the Blossom Toes morphed into following a tragic auto accident and the departure of guitarist Jim Cregan. The BB Blunder lp showed that guitarist Godding, and bassist Brian Belshaw along with sometime BT drummer Kevin Westlake were quite capable of carrying on as a trio. Look for my review of the BB Blunder Sunbeam release on the Amazon site for a thorough review of this clsssic but horribly overlooked lp. The highlights on this cd are too many to list, but the demo of "First Love Song" which would never find studio release but rather be a steady part of the band's live repertoire and included on the double cd live set "Love Bomb: Live 1967-1969." Yet another highlight is an early demo version of "Nobody But" which would appear in later demo version on Sunbeam's release of "If Only" as a bonus track. The trippy song title "Looking Up I'm Looking Back" falls straight in line with the "We Are Ever So Clean" track "Look At Me I'm You" in reference to the band's pop psych mentality of the early years. Also to be found here is an extended jam titled "Poli's Folly" in reference to drummer Poli Palmer who shows his versatility on vibes on the jazzy 10 minute number. The tracks on this cd serve as proof positive that were it not for the tragic auto accident in 1969, the Blossom Toes were much more than a pop psych cum heavy psych band. What On Earth: Demos & Outtakes 1967-1969" is filled with many other fine tracks that never made it past the demo stage but were certainly strong enough to have produced a third Blossom Toes lp. For any fan of British psych, "What On Earth" is an essential addition to your collection. No, make that for any fan of psychedelic rock period. Thank you Sunbeam Records for releasing this gem. The 77 minute cd will make you wonder what the Blossom Toes were capable of as a four piece, with the twin guitars of Brian Godding and Jim Cregan. Regardless, pick this cd up and give it a good listen. You will be quite happy that you did."