Tintern Abbey: Vacuum Cleaner (1967)

 |   |  <1 min read

Tintern Abbey: Vacuum Cleaner (1967)

Without a doubt one of the least promising song titles ever (were they announcing this sucked?) and the band's name similarly tapped into the obvious Anglo-fashionability of the period when the Beatles' Sgt Peppers album and shops like Granny Takes a Trip were London's cultural reference points.

But, with lines like "fix me up with your sweet dose", the bent and careering guitar-feedback solo by Dan Smith, terrific drumming from John Dalton (like Ringo on a serious trip) and plummeting McCartney-like bass from Stuart McKay, this slim slice of British psychedelica from the summer of love is pretty cool in its own pop-economy way.

And as with so many bands of the era, Tintern Abbey were a one-single group -- and oddly enough this wasn't even the a-side (which was wittily punned Beeside to no avail -- other than maybe inviting you to flip it over to discover . . .)

No matter, it's one of those very British dreamy psych-pop pieces (written by singer/guitarist David McTavish) which deserves to be hauled from the vaults.

Oh, and they were never heard of again.

Got sucked into the cosmos.

For more oddities, one-offs or songs with an interesting backstory use the RSS feed for daily updates, and check the massive back-catalogue at From the Vaults.

Share It

Your Comments

The Riverboat Captain - Apr 3, 2012

Excellent. Worth tracking down if you like this sort of stuff is the CD of Decca Originals called The Psychedelic Scene. Timebox, Small Faces, Moody Blues and a whole host of lesser known names like The Curiosity Shoppe and Felius Andromeda. Crazy, man.

post a comment

More from this section   From the Vaults articles index

Neil Young and the Bluenotes: This Note's For You (1988)

Neil Young and the Bluenotes: This Note's For You (1988)

An artist, sportsperson or public figure who doesn't accept, let alone solicit, corporate money these days is a rarity, possibly even considered somewhat odd -- and maybe even suspect. But back... > Read more

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Something in the Air (1993)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Something in the Air (1993)

The late Tom Petty knew a lot of rock history, having been inspired by the blues and the British Invasion in addition to Southern rock. Which is why on the four CD Live Anthology released in 2009... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Tony's, endangered

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME: Tony's, endangered

There’s a scene that has played out hundreds of times at Tony’s restaurant on Wellesley Street in central Auckland. I witnessed it frequently. A young person, possibly a student,... > Read more

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT . . . MAL EVANS: In the court of the kings

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT . . . MAL EVANS: In the court of the kings

In January 1976 when the four LA police were called to a disturbance in a motel they were confronted by a huge, semi-naked man who was angry, seemingly high and out of control . . . and carrying... > Read more