Genre: psych
Rating: **** (4 stars)
Title: After Tea
Company: Ace of Clubs
Catalog: SCL-R 1251
Year: 1968
Country/State: Holland
Grade (cover/record): VG/VG
Comments: UK pressing
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 4651
Price: $180.00
Cost: $66.00
In mid-1967 a series of festering musical and personal disagreements saw keyboardist Hans van Eijck, bass player Rob “Polle” Eduard and drummer Martin Hage collectively kicked out of The Tee Set. With the addition of UK singer/guitarist Ray Fenwick (who accepted an offer to join the band from van Eijck) the quartet wasted no time getting over their professional setback. Adopting the non-too-subtle name After Tea, within a matter of months they'd been signed to Decca and were enjoying a top-20 Dutch hit with the single 'Not Just a Flower In Your Hair' b/w 'The Time Is Nigh' (Decca catalog number AT 10 288).
Based on the success of their debut 45, Decca management wasted no time rushing the group into the studio to record an album. Produced by Bert Schouten, 1967's "National Disaster" offered up a wonderful blend of mid-1960s freakbeat, pop and psych influences. Largely written by van Eijck and Fenwick the song titles pretty much told you what was going on. Ah if tracks like 'Not Just a Flower In Your Hair', ' In the Land of the Bubble Gum Tree' and 'Lemon Coloured Honey Tree' weren't a reflection of the age of love, peace and lots of illicit substances I don't know what is. Sure it's hopelessly dated, but hearing a lyric like 'throw away your LSD' (off of '') has to make you laugh. Equally good were the band's stabs at blue-eyed soul ('National Disaster'). Elsewhere the band enjoyed a second top 40 Dutch hit with 'We Will Be There After Tea' b/w 'Lemon Coloured Honey Tree' (Decca catalog number AT 10 299). Hard to believe, but in spite of the heavily accented vocals, the combination of trippy studio effects (phasing, offbeat tempos, etc.) and some surprisingly material made for a killer album that's as good as anything released by better know UK competitors. The collection never saw an American release, but In the UK it was leased to the small London-based Ace of Clubs label which inexplicably elected to re-title and repackage the set as "After Tea".)
"After Tea" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) After Tea (Hans van Eijck - Ray Fenwick) -
2.) Gotta Get You In My Garden Girl (Hans van Eijck) -
3.) A Lot To Do ( Hans van Eijck) -
4.) Not Just a Flower In Your Hair ( Hans van Eijck) -
5.) In the Land of the Bubble Gum Tree ( Hans van Eijck - Ray Fenwick) -
6.) I'll Push You for An Answer ( Hans van Eijck) -
7.) Don't Waste Your Love On Me ( Hans van Eijck - Langenbach) -
(side
2)
1.) National Disaster (Ray Fenwick) -
2.) Long Ago ( Hans van Eijck) -
3.) The Time Is Nigh ( Hans van Eijck - Ray Fenwick) -
4.) Play That Record ( Hans van Eijck) -
5.) Been a Sad Day (Ray Fenwick) -
6.) It's Too Late ( Hans van Eijck) -
7.) Lemon Coloured Honey Tree ( Hans van Eijck - Ray Fenwick) -
Unfortunately, during the recording sessions Fenwick's work permit expired, forcing him to return to the UK (where he joined a late-inning version of The Spencer Davis Group). He was quickly replaced by former Baroques and Tee Set alumnus Ferry Lever. Personality clashes with the rest of the band also saw van Eijck bail. He subsequently returned to The Tee Set. Drummer Hage was next to hit the door. He was initially replaced by Pierre van der Linden (of future Focus fame), but van der Linden's stay was equally brief. He was quickly replaced by Ilja Gort.