Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Today, its Tomorrow


In 1967, Tomorrow shared the spotlight with Pink Floyd's in swinging London, performing at the legendary UFO. Both bands showed great potential, although Tomorrow and the original Pink Floyd line-up didn't last as long as they deserved.

Tomorrow's r&b and psychedelia hybrid sound was a template for many other bands who decided to jump on the psychedelic bandwagon, but many of those bands lacked the musicianship of Tomorrow. Steve Howe, future Yes guitarist, showed his proficiency both in the studio and in the extended jams performed in concert, and John"Twink" Alder, who drummed later with The Pretty Things, The Pink Fairies, and Syd Barrett, provided a strong percussion backbone for the band's sound.

Despite failing to make the pop charts, "My White Bicycle" stands the test of time - easily rated a classic psychedelic track. Lead singer Keith West wrote the song, inspired by community bicycles used in Amsterdam at the time. The song, propelled by Twink's high paced drumming, features some great backwards guitar and strong vocals by West.

In addition to "My White Bicycle," below you fill find a link to their live cover of "Strawberry Fields Forever." The song comes from the December 1967 Christmas On Earth concert , and can be found on 50 Minute Technicolour Dream. 50 Minute Technicolour Dream is a great companion piece to their LP, featuring previously unreleased studio and radio session cuts, as well as 7 other live songs from the Christmas On Earth concert. The cover, which apparently received the seal of approval from John Lennon, is more aggressive than the original, and is an interesting listen, as The Beatles never performed the song live.

For more information about Tomorrow, as well as Twink's involvement in The Pretty Things and The Pink Fairies, check out his website.

Tomorrow
"My White Bicycle"
1967


Tomorrow
"Strawberry Fields Forever" (live)
1967

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