One — Come 1972 (USA, jam psych rock)

One — Come 1972 (USA, jam psych rock)

The only album by the band from Bolinas (Marin County, California). The band was originally signed to Grunt Records by Paul Kantner, an American rock musician known for his work with Jefferson Airplane and later Jefferson Starship. Engineer Pat Ieraci was assigned by the label to help prepare the album for recording and was suddenly confronted with vocalist Reality D. Blipcrotch demanding things like marijuana during the studio sessions. As a result of all these endless smoking breaks, the recording was destroyed. It had to be restored later, and they even changed the album's title to forget this nightmare. The band's keyboardist, Roger Crissinger, had previously played with Pearls Before Swine. Drummer Mark Baker later worked with Ministry on their album Houses of the Molé.One of the more curious acts in the Bay area group scene was a band (or collective) called One, or, more specifically. 1, acquaintances of Paul Kantner and Grace Slick from Bolinas. A nine-piece ensemble including two female vocalists, they engaged in lengthy, drifting tunes that drew as much from raga as from rock, with touches of jazz and country. One member, Roger Crissinger, the only semi-known quantity, had previously enjoyed notoriety having been a member of the progressive rock group Pearls Before Swine. But the leader of the group was a mysterious man who didn't always sing so much as vocalise in his own unique way, often without words, who needed words?

This character went by the name of Reality D. Blipcrotch. A former Marine and former actor, Blipcrotch was originally from Elgin, Illinois, where he first sang professionally aged just three years old in his father's barbershop quartet. No one knew anything else about him. not even his original name, he'd had it legally changed, swears former Airplane manager, Bill Thompson.

The story behind the making of One's self-titled album for Grunt, which was released in 1972, is one that still rankles producer Pat Leraci (aka Maurice). It's a tale that both defies reality and defines the broad absurdity of the post-Aquarian times with equal measure.

Tracks:

01. One Of A Kind - 0:00

02. Two Car Raga - 4:30

03. Free Rain - 13:09

04. Three Songs - 18:19

05. Old Englishhh - 28:28


Personnel:

Reality D. Blipcrotch – voice, percussion
Roger Crissinger - organ, piano
Frank Trevor Fee - bass
Donald Ensslin - rhythm guitar, banjo
Marc Granat - guitar, sitar, dulcimer
Sarah Oppenheim - voice, autoharp
Laurie Paul - voice, tampura
Theodore Teipel - flute, harmonica, piano
Mark Baker - drums


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