High on the Charts (Without the Drugs?)

Forget the drugs, the 1960s had music to take you on a trip! Psychedelic sounds emerged as artists explored mind-altering experiences, particularly inspired by LSD's effects on perception.

Emerging from folk, blues and jazz, and influenced by Indian classical music, this new sound used studio tricks like reversing tapes and distorted guitars to mimic drug experiences. Unpredictable song structures and otherworldly lyrics added to the vibe. Bands like The Beatles, The Byrds, The Yardbirds, and The Kinks were early pioneers, imitating and incorporating sitars and tamburas, and using other novel distorted sounds.

Jefferson Airplane Woodstock 1969

The Yardbirds' "Shapes of Things" and The Byrds' "Eight Miles High" were among the first psychedelic chart hits. Jefferson Airplane's "Surrealistic Pillow" in 1967, featuring iconic tracks like "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love", brought the San Francisco psychedelic scene to the national stage, proving the power of music to transport listeners.

Spoiler alert! There may be a psychedelic thread in our upcoming "The Summer of Love" concert on 18 May 2025...