Genre: psych
Rating: 4 stars ****
Title: From Within
Company: Hobbit
Catalog: H.B. 5003
Year: 1969
Country/State: California (?)
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: minor ring and edge wear; small crease along right edge; small punch out hole
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: 5676
Price: $150.00
It doesn't happen very often, but here's an album that I instantly fell in love with ... Unfortunately there's little or nothing to be found about The Sapphire Thinkers in either hardcopy or on-line reference works. So here's what little speculative material I can add to their slim biography. Given their album was mastered at Pasadena's Artisan Sound Recorders and released by the Hobbit label which was a subsidiary of the L.A. based GRT Records, they were probably from California. Judging by the back cover photo and performances credits they were a five piece, with a lineup consisting of bassist Tim Lee, singer/multi-instrumentalist Bill Richmond, vocalist Peggy Richmond, drummer Stephen Richmond and lead guitarist Chuck Spehek. Produced by Richard Kaye, their album was engineered by former Merry Prankster sound man Sandy Lehman-Haupt.
LP back panel photo
Curiously, at least one well known reference work compares the mysterious Sapphire Thinkers to Grace Slick and The Jefferson Airplane. While there's nothing wrong with being compared to such a stellar outfit, it doesn't really do this outfit a favor since it's not a particularly accurate comparison. With Bill Richardson credited with penning eleven of the twelve songs, 1969's "Sapphire Thinkers" reminds me of a heavily drugged out version of The Mamas and the Papas, Spanky and Our Gang, or perhaps a less eccentric, but heavily dosed version of The Free Design. Like those groups, these folks had a penchant and talent for crafting gorgeous, highly commercial sunshine pop - though their version was assisted by the consumption of various illicit substances (yes, I do believe those were mushrooms on the Kevin Leveque cover art). Complete with mesmerizing melodies and hypnotizing harmony vocals (both Bill and Peggy Richardson had great voices), songs such as 'Get Along Boy', 'Let Her Come In' and 'Please Understand' would have sounded great on top-40 radio. Even better was 'There's a Woman'. You just had to scratch your head and wonder how radio missed the song. The main difference with their better known competitors was that while catchy and commercial, tracks like 'I Feel A Bit Strange', 'Feel It From Within' and 'Blind with a Borrowed Light' had a distinctive psych edge. Propelled by some neat studio effects including harpsichord, pulsating organ, Peggy's occasional flute, droning vocals ('Please Understand'), and Spehek's fuzz guitar (check out his work on 'Blind with a Borrowed Light' and, 'Doin’ Alright', or his equally impressive jazzy moves on 'From Within'), the album sported a definite acid fueled aura. Fantastic through and through ...
I've sold five copies of this one over the years and not a single person has been disappointed !!!
"From
Within" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Melancholy Baby (E. Burnett - G.A. Norton) - 2:11
2.) I Feel A Bit Strange (Bill Richmond) - 2:42
3.) Get Along Boy (Bill Richmond) - 1:57
4.) Blues On You (Bill Richmond) - 3:03
5.) From Within (Bill Richmond) - 2:23
6.)
I Got To You
(Bill Richmond) -
2:45
(side
2)
1.) Not Another
Night (Bill Richmond)
- 2:51
2.) Let Her Come In (Bill Richmond) - 2:17
3.) Please Understand (Bill Richmond) - 2:56
4.) Blind With A Borrowed Light (Bill Richmond) - 2:30
5.) There Is A Woman (Bill Richmond) - 2:40
6.) Doin’ Alright (Bill Richmond) - 4:17
I've never owned a copy, but Hobbit also pulled a single from the album: the non-original 'Melancholy Baby' b/w 'Blues On You' (Hobbit catalog number HB-42002)