Kaleidoscope (US-Band)
Kaleidoscope was an American psychedelic rock band of the '60s. The group led by guitarist David Lindley mixed in their songs elements of acid rock with Cajun music and blues, but also Arab- Asian elements. For the musicians used in addition to the typical rock instruments, inter alia, violins, banjos and mandolins. However, only their LP Incredible Kaleidoscope 1969 was granted a small commercial success.
Band History
Kaleidoscope originated in California from David Lindley's band The Rodents. He called the new formation initially The Baghdad Blues Band. Thanks to the renamed Kaleidoscope and an enterprising producers got the band in 1966 a recording contract with Epic Records. It consisted at the time of Lindley ( banjo, guitar, violin), Solomon Feldt House (vocals, guitar, kazoo ), Chris Darrow (mandolin, bass), Charles Chester Crill ( harmonica, keyboards, violin ) and John Vidican (drums). With this lineup, the band recorded three singles and two LPs. She was also the backing band on Leonard Cohen's debut album Songs of Leonard Cohen (first published in December 1967, with the song Suzanne "').
In 1967 she played at the Berkeley Folk Festival. The band was a rock band also unusual in because she could play music from jazz musicians such as Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington and einbaute in their repertoire.
Your piece Stranger in Your City / Beacon from Mars (1967 ), which was recorded live in the studio, had an influence on other rock musicians. So admired Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin Lindley controlled feedback solo.
Darrow joined 1968, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and was replaced by Stuart Brotman. On drums Paul Lagos came for Vidican. This rhythm section played on Incredible Kaleidoscope. With this line heard the band at the Newport Folk Festival in 1969, and on the original soundtrack of the film Zabriskie Point, for they recorded two songs.
In March 1970 was followed by another album for which the band was renamed in the UK in American Kaleidoscope, to prevent any confusion with the UK band of the same name, and on the Jeff Kaplan was responsible as another band member for guitar and vocals.
The same British band Kaleidoscope was about the same time (1964-1970) active and also played psychedelic rock.
The band split at the end 1970. Lindley then worked with Terry Reid and as a session musician for Warren Zevon, Maria Muldaur, America, Linda Ronstadt and many others. 1976, there was a brief reunion of Kaleidoscope; Brotman, Buda, Darrow, Feldt House, Lagos, Templeton Parceley recorded the album "When Scopes Collide". After re- separation is David Lindley has also made a name as a solo artist. Especially his collaboration with Ry Cooder (Paris, Texas) is known.
Crill and Darrow organized fourteen years later a second reunion. The album Greetings from Kartoonistan ( We Is not Dead Yet ) ( and on bread Mans impressive instrumental Klezmer Suite) was recorded with the same occupation; Lindley was indeed invited but did not participate.