The Avant-Garde - Yellow Beads (1967)

The Avant-Garde was an American psychedelic pop group formed by Chuck Woolery and Elkin "Bubba" Fowler in 1967. They released three singles on Columbia Records in 1967 and 1968, backed by different session musicians on each release: "Yellow Beads", "Naturally Stoned" (which hit #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in mid 1968)[1], and "Fly With Me". Despite the success of "Naturally Stoned", the group disbanded after "Fly With Me" and never released a full album.

After The Avant-Garde, Fowler went on to a career as a folk singer. Columbia released his LP And Then Came Bubba in 1970, and he played guitar on albums by Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Woolery became a country music artist on Warner Bros. Records and later Epic Records, charting twice but never releasing an album.[2] He has since become a game show host, appearing on Wheel of Fortune, Scrabble, Love Connection, Greed, and Lingo. "Naturally Stoned" was also used as the theme to a short-lived reality television series on GSN that starred Woolery, entitled Chuck Woolery: Naturally Stoned.[1]

2. This band is best known for Naturally Stoned which hit the Billboard chart at No. 40. and is best described as orchestrated 'psychedelic pop' (the lyrics may be psychedelic but the music is pop) with the backing sounding like a James Bond-type movie theme. It is the flip side which has been compiled however: Honey and Gall resurfacing on Psychedelic Unknowns Vol. 8 (LP & CD) and being an unusual and captivating hippie-psychedelic effort.

Yellow Beads is also dreamy acoustic hippie-pop in their unique style. The final 45 reverts to more standard orchestrated pop format effort on Fly With Me but is rescued by the electrified folk-pop flip.

All their material was composed by B. Fowler or C. Woolery, who it turns out is none other than Chuck Woolery, who would later become one of America's top game show hosts-- he was the original emcee of "Wheel of Fortune" before adding his brand of smarminess to the matchmaking "Love Connection".

Category:

Music

Tags:

• psychedelic
• pop
• hippie
• 60s
• sunshine
• 1967
• haight
• ashbury
• song

[1968davidcassin]

the more i listen to this song i think its so brilliant

[AldousLeary]

@1968davidcassin Yeah I can understand your impression! I was even making a video for it, listening to the tune over and over and digging the peacful and mystic vibe it not only lyrically describes but also radiates from head to toe...

[MrNIO888]

natturally stoned allright!

[karlmahlmann]

I always find it fascinating to listen to "almost-hits" from the past. All the trappings are there, They've got the right sound and words. Hippie-ism just happened back then and everyone from the Temptations to Kenny Rogers was going psychedelic. This is a beautiful piece of history; I enjoyed.

[thatpageguy1]

I found this because I'm a fan of their song Naturally Stoned. These guys were really pretty good, it's a shame they didn't make it and produce more music. Sometimes it's as much luck as talent.

[1968davidcassin]

what a cool song 

[djdavemick]

I knew the later 2 singles, but never this one till now.

What to say, but GROOOOOOOVY.

[bluegin24]

I really like this. Thank you for posting it.

[beatlespaz]

We'll be back in 2 and 2.

[vangelisideras]

fabulosa sicodelia, excelente material, lástima que no hicieron álbum; gran post gracias !!