Some rock tunes were literally born to evoke that special mood of the 1960s when life seemed so mind-blowingly groovy and people were full of enthusiasm and goodwill. Merrell Fankhauser’s Psychedelic Dreams is such a unique song.
Here’s what the artist himself said about the song and its origins:
The song Psychedelic Dreams first appeared on my 1998 album of the same title and was a reflection of the world at the time and my past, losing friends in Vietnam and the incredible rush of the psychedelic 60s! The songs for this album were recorded over a 5-month period in my studio in Arroyo Grande, California. My good friend drummer Ed Cassidy was in the lineup playing on the title track along with my son Tim on guitar and our California central coast band. This was the beginning of another prolific period of writing for me. The song Under A Maui Moon was recorded on Maui in Donny Smith’s recording studio with Donny on sitar. That song would later be included on my Return To MU album. The Psychedelic Dreams album is still available by sending $25 to Ocean Records, PO Box 1504, Arroyo Grande, California. Besides the California coast and Maui, I would say the Sunset Strip in L.A. in the 60s was the most psychedelic place I have ever lived in.
And here’s what’s new in Merrell’s musical universe:
A UK movie company is doing a movie about piano wizard Nicky Hopkins, who played with The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, me and many others. It’s titled The Session Man and it will in theaters late next year. A box set has been released by Cherry Red Records and I have 3 songs on it: Tomorrow’s Girl, The Music Scene and Drivin’ Sideways On A One Way Street. The 3 CD set is titled Heroes And Villains: The Sounds Of Los Angeles, 1965-68. It can be ordered from Cherry Red Records online.
