line up 1 (1968)

- Karl Jarvi (aka Carl) -- bass

- Dave Brown -- vocals, lead guitar

- Rob Thorne -- drums, percussion

- Henry Steele --  keyboards

- The Barons

- David Brown (solo efforts)

- The Caralinas (Rob Thorne)

- The Eighteenth Edition (David Brown and Karl Jarvi)

- Jeremiah (Dave Brown)

- T.C. Atlantic

Gerne: pop

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  The New Mix

Company: United Artists

Catalog: UAS 6678

Country/State:  Statesville, North Carolina

Year: 1968

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: minor ring wear

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 5623

Price: $50.00

Ever buy an LP because the cover caught your attention?  Well here's one that falls under that category ...  As for the music, the isolated reviews covering this late-1960s obscurity seem to be evenly split between critics who love it and those who hate it.  From my perspective it may not be 1968's most original release, but as someone who is a big fan of sunshine pop and light-psych, it was an album I was happy to discover and repeatedly play.  From the opening organ stab to the closing ... it's a collection that I thoroughly enjoy. 

In terms of bibliographical information there isn't a great deal I can tell you about the band.  Bassist Karl Jarvi, singer/lead guitarist Dave Brown, drummer Rob Thorne and keyboardist Henry Steele started their professional careers as the Statesville, North Carolina based The Eighteenth Edition. Like so many of their contemporaries, they were heavily influenced by The Beatles and other mid-'60s British bands.  The quartet managed to release a pair of interesting psych-tinged singles for the small local Panther label:

- 1966's 'Sundown' b/w 'I Can See Sunshine In Her Eyes' (Panther catalog 339)

- 1966's 'When You Love Someone' b/w '143rd Street Please Driver' (Panther catalog number 355)

Complete with paisley and Nehru jackets (and heavy Southern drawls), the second single even got them a shot lip-synching on the Charleston, South Carolina-based Village Square television show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgIMYxGkhAQ

By 1968 they band had morphed into The New Mix, scoring a contract with United Artists.  Produced by Tommy Kaye, "The New Mix" featured a collection of all original material with Brown and Steele sharing the writing credits.  As mentioned above, the overarching influences were English sunshine pop and lite psych.  Imagine a trippier version of The Association and you'd get a pretty good feel for moody tracks such as the lysergic-flavored ballad 'Ursla', 'The Man' and 'Ever Brighter'.   Exemplified by songs like '', Brown and Steele had an undeniable knack for melding strong melodies, hooks and psych touches. Admittedly The Association comparison wasn't 100% accurate.  Unlike The Association, The New Mix weren't afraid to include a tasty guitar solo in their compositions.  Check out the opener 'While We Waited' or 'The New Harpoon Song'.   Geez, there was even a true rocker on the album -  'Get Me Out'.  Admittedly the set wasn't perfect.  Originality was in short supply.  You can play spot-the-influence throughout the album.  Occasionally the band got full of themselves and while Brown was a capable singer, as demonstrated by the ballad 'Doorway To An Open Light', when he tried to get overly sensitive, or started singing in his higher registers, things took a turn for the worse.   Still, it's hard to believe United Artists didn't even float a single.  

"The New Mix" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) While We Waited   (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 3:08   rating: *** stars

Opening the song with Henry Steele's stabbing Farfisa organ gave 'While We Waited' a neat B-flick soundtrack feel and set for a shift that was more garage rocker than pop, or psych.  The song's other standout performance came in the form of Dave Brown's blazing lead guitar solo.

2.) Ursla   (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:59  rating: **** stars

Sporting one of the album's nicest melodies, 'Ursula' was a sweet, organ powered ballad that has always reminded me of The Association.  Well, The Association recording the lysergic song that was always in their collective souls, but Warner Brothers wouldn't let them issue.  It was also one of the few songs sporting a flute solo that I can stomach.

3.) The Man   (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:49  rating: **** stars

While it was dipped in lysergic effects, 'The Man' was of the album's most commercial performances.  To my ears the smooth group vocals and glistening melody sounded like a cross between The Association and The Moody Blues.

4.) Nothing Means More   (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:04

5.) The New Harpoon Song   (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:25

(side 2)

1.) Ever Brighter   (David Brown ) - 2:08   rating: *** stars

In spite of the falsetto lead vocals, 'Ever Brighter' had a glistening melody that put it in the running for standout performance; at least until the MOR horn arrangement tacked on the end of the tune sank it.

2.) Get Me Out   (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 2:39

3.) Sun Down   (David Brown ) - 2:33

4.) Doorway To An Open Light   (David Brown - Henry Steele) - 3:02   rating: ** stars

The album's only outright misstep, 'Doorway To An Open Light' pushed the band over the edge in terms of naval-gazing pretense.  Yeah, it just sounded like they were trying a bit too hard this time out.

5.) Follow Me   (David Brown) - 2:46

One LP's all she wrote ... though 2001 saw the Akarma label reissue the original LP in a 10" format (catalog number AK 2016).  

Brown and Jarvi reappeared in the band Jeremiah, who released an interesting 1970 LP ("Jeremiah" Uni catalog number 73098).

Credited to David Brown & Jermiah, there is also a hard to find follow-on album - 1972's  "I Want To Be with You" (Uni catalog number 73128).

Thorne reappeared as a member of criminally overlooked The Spongetones.