FICKLE PICKLE Sinful Skinful orig LP RARE Beatles psych

$

214

One of the RAREST of all the big UK psych pop rarities - the Fickle Pickle's "Sinful Skinful" LP, from 1971 on the UK Explosion label.  And what a pedigree this band had!  Fickle Pickle consisted of no less than Cliff Wade of the Smoke, Wil Malone of Orange Bicycle and Bobak, Jons Malone "Motherlight" fame, and Geoff Gill, who also recorded with Wil Malone for many one-off psych singles on the Morgan Blue Town label.  And some guy named Steve Howden, don't ask me where they found him.  At any rate, this album is an absolute KILLER of UK Beatles-inspired pop psych - a bit late in the game in 1971, but still clinging desperately to the spirit of '68 Swinging London, most notably in the song "Down Smokey Lane", which is an absolute dead ringer for the '67-68 Cockney mod psych of the Small Faces "Lazy Sunday" or "Rene", with heavy Cockney vocals, bouncy irresistible pub singalong melody, and the necessary ale-soaked drunken background vocals.  You'd swear this was Steve Marriot and company, or perhaps a long-lost Ray Davies track from the Village Green, that is, until midway through when it breaks into a SUPERB drifty dreamlike acoustic guitar section that sounds like it singlehandedly inspired the Genesis song "Entangled" (one of the few Genesis songs I would consider psychedelic) with lush harmonies and odd sawing sound effects (something the Dukes of Stratosphere might've done much later), and then regroups for a stunning coda.  Folks, this is BRILLIANT UK toytown Carnaby Street popsike of the HIGHEST order, and this album would be worth the big bucks for this song alone.  Ahh, but there's much more here to be discovered...check out the opening "California Calling" - a bouncy little slice of piano pop with handclaps and an irresistible melody that sounds like something Paul McCartney might've pulled out during the Beatles final days.  Some telephone ringing sound effects add to the playfulness, and some old-time trumpet and trombone give it that classic UK music hall pop sound of "Your Mother Should Know" or something by the Idle Race or the Kinks.  The title track is more bouncy McCartney pop, although this time we're avoiding the old-time vaudeville trimmings and going for a more straightforward Beatles feel, with a BIG HUGE grand chorus that's instantly memorable.  A song you'll be singing for years to come.  There's a bit of intricate Pet Sounds era Beach Boys in there too, during the stunning break, which features only a gente acoustic guitar and tons of intricate Brian Wilson style harmonies.  Elsewhere, The Fickle Pickle get all Badfinger on your asz with the brilliant "Let Me Tell You", a rip-roarin' and rockin' power pop classic with killer loud rippin' fuzz guitar and vocals that sound exactly like Pete Ham.  This one coulda been plucked off Magic Christian Music - it's very much in early Badfinger power pop territory.  "Blown Away" is an odd one for sure, but one of my favorites - sounds like a piss-take as they say - over a simple piano melody, they sing in a very bizarre thick lounge singer voice like some deranged Cockney Anthony Newley, while an outer space moog adds some cool swirling touches.  It wouldn't be out of place to hear David Bowie doing something like this back in 1967.  But perhaps the strongest melody of them all here belongs to the AMAZING baroque pop track "Saturday" - one of those 3 minute pop tunes where everything just seems to fall in place perfectly - lush harmonies, sawing baroque cellos, and a melody that is pure unadulterated classic toytown pop!  Quintessential baroque goodness here, quite intricate yet simple, like the Move circa "Shazam", or the Idle Race - in a perfect world, this song would have made Fickle Pickle a household name and put "Saturday" on countless Swingin' Sixties Pop compilations but maybe it would have had a better shot if it were released in 1968 instead of 1971, when the world had already moved on to Deep Purple and Jethro Tull.  As it is, it's one of those rare and glorious treasures that only a handful of lucky people will ever get to hear.  Until someone comes along and (legitimately, Mr. Diamond) reissues this long-lost pop psych masterpiece.   Original 1971 pressing on the UK Explosion label.  Cover in VG++ shape with small clear tape on one corner, some light ringwear on back.  Vinyl plays VG++ to EXCELLENT, very strong!  Winning bidder pays $3 media shipping in the US, $6 to Canada, $11 everywhere else.  Paypal, Bidpay, cash, checks and money orders accepted.