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Jelly Bean Bandits - Jelly Bean Bandits (1967)

Track listing:
  1. Country Man 2:32
  2. Generation 2:58
  3. Poor Precious Dreams 2:03
  4. Another August Revisited 2:48
  5. Going Nowhere 2:35
  6. Happiness Girl 2:12
  7. Goodtime Feeling 2:43
  8. September Rain 2:12
  9. Neon River 2:37
  10. Plastic Soldiers 2:57
  11. Say Mann 2:22
  12. Tapestries 2:52

Notes

Hailing from Newburgh in New York State with one of Mainstream's better albums came the Jelly Bean Bandits. More punk than psychedelic it includes some searing guitar and good effects. The album contains the classic Generation, which was arguably their finest moment with a bizarre intro about flying saucers giving way to a driving assault on the senses with searing guitar, powerful vocals and sound effects.

Originaly known as The Mirror, they managed to score a three-album deal with Mainstream on the basis of three demo tracks. Unbeknown to label boss Bob Shad, these were the only songs the band had written and a week-long marathon song-writing session ensued, before they were whisked into the cavernous Columbia Studio "A" to record the album in a generous twelve hours stretch.

Mainstream pulled the plug before the band could start on their second album, although a demo for one track, Salesman was recorded, and the other material written back in '68 may yet see the light... the band are still in touch and have released a second album in the same style & manner as they had intended to do thirty years ago... "look to the skies... the flying saucers will always be there!"

Mike Raab reports: "Initial recording sessions this past February went quite well. Billy Dee, is still lead singer in his band, Big Edsel, and so declined participation in the project. We went with the material we could do justice to. First cut is a power riff-rocker Lover Wrapped In Leather, which was written back in 1968 about the woman we all lusted for, Diana Rigg (Mrs. Peel of The Avengers). Also a bouncy pop number, Happiness Is You. The next leg of the sessions is coming up in October. Scheduled tunes: Superhog (about a daytime computer programmer / nightime biker - from 1968), Salesman (a 1998 re-make of the 1968 original) and a few others, such as a tongue-in-cheek lookback entitled Back in '68."

The new CD, which came out in Spring 2001 has been doing well, prompting the band to do their first gig in 33 years. The Jelly Bean Bandits are doing another reunion gig in 2002 to promote this year's release, Mirror Music, a CD of live music from 1967 featuring the original band doing a few originals but mainly covers.

The 1968 version of Salesman has recently arrived on Psychedelic Crown Jewels Vol.2 (Dble LP & CD) - a mighty slab of ravin' freakbeat. Other compilation coverage has also included: Generation on Mayhem & Psychosis, Vol. 1 (LP), Mayhem & Psychosis, Vol. 1 (CD), The Essential Pebbles Collection, Vol. 2 (Dble CD) and Pebbles, Vol. 2 (ESD) (CD); Superhog on Psychedelic States: New York Vol. 1 (CD); and Poor Precious Dreams on Turds On A Bum Ride Vol. 1 & 2 (Dble CD) and Turds On A Bum Ride, Vol. 1 (Dble LP).