Nov 28, 2008

JAN & LORRAINE - GYPSY PEOPLE (ABC 1969) Limited reissue



This is British duo Jan Hendin and Lorraine Lefevre, and their superb collection of acid-tinged folk and pop has been acclaimed as one of the best female psychedelic albums of the late 1960s, with contents varying from fragile ballads to rousing rock and roll, set to complex arr/ments and gorgeous vocal harmonies. Recorded in London but only released in the US and Canada, it features support from musicians including Terry Cox (Pentangle), Brian Odgers (Al Stewart, Van Morrison, Elton John), Keshav Sathe (Magic Carpet) and legendary session drummer, Clem Cattini. Amongst the most enigmatic recordings of its time and full of mostly original songs (and one song co-written by Davy Graham...
There are so many influences here and each track has a deep singularity and strength of its own. Just look at the image of the girls on the cover; it's clearly a psych record but the picture hints that they have something more up their sleeves. You know how on a lot of these albums the songs are so gentle and lulling that they can blur into one another? Well, these gals were taking risks. Groovy anthems, mystical chantings, psychedelic funk rhythms carrying hippie sentiments via truly angelic voices, this stuff is gold.
Here

2 comments:

psychedeligoat said...

These girls played in Detroit Michigan and their roots are not the UK. A few songs were written by Perth County Conspiracy member Richard Keelan. Not A British Duo at all. ONly Connection is it was truly recorded in the UK with British session guys.

psychedeligoat said...

These girls played in Detroit Michigan and their roots are not the UK. A few songs were written by Perth County Conspiracy member Richard Keelan. Not A British Duo at all. ONly Connection is it was truly recorded in the UK with British session guys.