rainbows in curved air (or curves in rainbowed air)

The Sixties: a Primer

The recent ‘Wire’ Comus article has prompted me to give a very personal guide, to the mostly, forgotten bands of the 60s UK and the record labels that produced quality, timeless music.

John Peel would call these bands ‘progressive’, but they should not be lumped into what we now think of as ‘prog’. They were totally different. Many of them had a fair element of jazz on board and I think this is what made them timeless. See what you think:

· Affinity

· Titus Groan

· Comus

· Pete Brown & Piblokto

· Quintessence

· Soft Machine

· Third Ear Band

· Michael Chapman

· Roy Harper

· Warm Dust

· Traffic

· Delivery

· High Tide

· East of Eden

· Edgar Broughton Band

· Tyrannosaurus Rex (pre-electric)

· Family

· Incredible String Band

· Forest

· Jan Dukes De Grey

· Magna Carta

· Shirley & Dolly Collins

· Principal Edwards Magic Theatre

· Occasional Word

· Liverpool Scene

· Nirvana (UK)

· Clouds

· Blossom Toes

· Bob Downs

· Colosseum

· Cressida

· Gracious

· Dr Strangely Strange

· Juicy Lucy

· May Blitz

· Groundhogs

· Nucleus

· Amazing Blondel

· Dando Shaft

Labels include: Harvest, Island, Dawn (Deram) & Vertigo