Οι Βρετανοί (καμία σχέση με τους Αμερικανούς) Kaleidoscope έχτισαν τα ψυχεδελικά “παλάτια τους στην άμμο” δίπλα σε εκείνα των Beatles και των Floyd – την ίδια περίοδο, αλλά με πολύ μικρότερη επιτυχία από εκείνους. Θα διαλύονταν το 1969 μετά την κυκλοφορία δυο άλμπουμ, για να επανέλθουν για μια τρίτη προσπάθεια το 1971 με το όνομα Fairfield Parlour – άκαρπη επίσης από εμπορική άποψη. Το συγκρότημα (δημιουργικός πυρήνας του ο τραγουδιστής – κιμπορντίστας Peter Daltrey και ο κιθαρίστας – κιμπορντίστας Eddy Pummer) διατήρησε αν μη τι άλλο ένα ένα ισχυρό cult status. Ακούμε δυο υπέροχα τραγούδια από το πρώτο τους άλμπουμ με τίτλο (…ακόμα μια συνωνυμία) Tangerine Dream, του ’67 : Dear Nelly Goodrich & The Sky Children. 🟡 🟡 The British (no relation to the American) Kaleidoscope built their psychedelic “castles in the sand” next to those of the Beatles and the Floyd – in the same period, but with much less success than them. They would disband in 1969 after the release of two albums, only to return for a third attempt in 1971 under the name Fairfield Parlour – also fruitless from a commercial point of view. The band (whose creative core was the singer-keyboardist Peter Daltrey and the guitarist-keyboardist Eddy Pumer) at least retained a strong cult status. We listen to two very beautiful songs from their first album titled (…yet another coincidence) Tangerine Dream from ’67. Dear Nelly Goodrich & The Sky Children.

DEAR NELLY GOODRICH
Dear Nellie Goodrich
I am writing to you
To tell you of my love
Please don’t be offended
I mean you no harm
Sure as the sun shines above
Dear Nellie Goodrich
I have watched from afar
You pass my house each day
The dreams that I dream
Are always about you
But, oh dear, what can I say?
In these few words that I’m writing
Is my life open for you to see
And one wish that I wish constantly
I wish that you could see me
In these few words that I’m writing
Is my life open for you to see
And one wish that I wish constantly
I wish that you could see me
Dear Nellie Goodrich
I am ending this letter
I will wait patiently
I will be thinking and dreaming about you
Dear Nellie, please think of me

THE SKY CHILDREN
A million white flowers in a field in the sky
Seemed to spell out a greeting as the children flew by
A guard in a chariot of silver and gold
Gave the children all tickets and a story he told
Of a time in the future that was sunshine and flowers
And the children grew sleepy in the sky’s white towers
They dreamed of the story that the guard had displayed
They saw all the wonders, tiny minds were amazed
They saw candy forests and dragons that breathed fire
But all that was evil in the misty mire
They came to the village where the turtles in caves
Made pies for the people and the lemonade
The people lived down by the sea and each day
The seagulls would wake them as they passed on their way
The people were kindly, they would sing to the sky
And each bright new morning the sun shone from their eyes
The children passed over and all the people could see
As they dived from the sky to the treacle sea
They bathed on the white sand, minutes turned into hours
And the children all giggled and gave each other flowers
The king from his castle came down to the sea
And he spoke to the children so patiently
He gave them small presents and bid them farewell
And the children unwrapped them, tiny silver bells
Their tinkling floated ‘cross the island with ease
And it came back toward them on the perfumed breeze
They smiled at the tinkling, they gazed at the sun
And they smiled at each other, pretty little ones
A beautiful white horse came down to the sea
And the children all climbed up as he knelt on one knee
They rode through the valleys and high over hills
And they laughed, oh, so loudly, their fear to kill
They came to a lakeside of deep velvet and green
And they all stared in wonder at its beauty serene
They climbed from the white horse, they watched as it goes
As they stood by the green lake, water kissed their toes
A boat in the distance was suddenly there
Waiting to take the children to anywhere
The porcupine captain said that he didn’t mind
In his coat of blunt needles he looked very kind
His crew were six rabbits with fluffy white ears
And the children all stroked them and lost all their fears
They sailed through all the sunshine across the green lake
And they drank lemonade and they ate ice cream cake
They landed in a dark cave as the boat disappeared
And they all stood in darkness, through the shadows they peered
But out of the blackness shone diamonds so bright
Many tiny white hands shielded eyes from the light
In a pool of quicksilver stood Neptune so wise
New pearls were his white teeth, bright diamonds his eyes
He spoke to the children in a voice of velvet
And he beckoned them to him, in a circle they sat
He told of sky islands and of his magic cape
And how he was the captain of the sea
They listened to the story and they were all amazed
But they were afraid to go away, they were too young to play
The king smiled and said, “Oh, come on, my children
I will take you to the sky islands, you will never be afraid again”
They all sat in a circle and they listened to the king
And they listened to the stories he told
And they listened to the stories he told
And they listened to the stories he told
He told of the magic cape and the silver bells
And how they all swam through the treacle sea
And they listened to the stories he told
And they listened to the stories he told
The sea shells to the children he gave
They listened intently
As the music came forth
From the magic pink sea shells
And nobody talked
But Neptune had vanished
When they lifted their eyes
So they walked from the cave
As two kingfishers cried
In the bright shiny sunlight
They got down on one knee
They listened to the sea shells
Of the musical sea
But the day grew much darker
So they climbed on the breeze
And they floated to the village
And the people were pleased
To see them so happy
With their tinkling bells
And the people all listened
To the musical shells
But the children were so sad
For the time had come to leave
So the people waved goodbye
And begged them to believe
Of the wonders they had seen
In the island of the sky
And the children said they would
And away they did fly
Through the white clouds of no time
Till forever it seems
And the children stayed children
And they lived in their dreams