Battle of the psychedelic twee/fey songs class of '67

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So every band during the psychedelic period had to have their silly, childish, twee song. The Who had Silas Stingy. The Kinks had Phenomenal Cat. Bowie had the Laughing Gnome. Is there any truth to this hypothesis? If so, please list all other songs, circa 66-69, that fit the mold, and finally, what song, of this very date-able genre, best stands the test of time.

My answer, of course, is Pink Floyd's The Gnome.

This question is asked in full awareness of this previous thread:

Taking sides: Pink Floyd's "The Gnome" vs Bowie's "The Laughing Gnome"

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 23 March 2006 21:55 (twenty years ago)

Nirvana - "Rainbow Chaser" seems both rather silly and twee and rather excellent.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 23 March 2006 21:58 (twenty years ago)

this is a good question, dan! people always talk about groups that drastically changed their sound to be more a part of the psych scene, but when it comes time for me to think of some examples, im drawing a blank!

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Thursday, 23 March 2006 22:17 (twenty years ago)

Off the top of my head "Flaming," "With Love from 1 to 5" by the State of Micky and Tommy and "Walking Through My Dreams" by the Pretty Things (if the latter counts).

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 23 March 2006 22:19 (twenty years ago)

"Itchykoo Park" hit the chart in January '68; did it come out before the first of the year?

― xhuxk, Thursday, 23 March 2006 22:23 (twenty years ago)

If we're doing psychedelic & twee songs by bands that were not known to be psychedelic, then I suppose we shouldn't leave out the Rolling Stones "She's a Rainbow" and other songs from Their Satanic Majesties Request.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 23 March 2006 22:26 (twenty years ago)

and fuckin "dandelion" too

― pyjamagrama (teenagequiet), Thursday, 23 March 2006 22:30 (twenty years ago)

I think my favorite twee Incredible String Band song is "The Minotaur's Song," but I guess that was '68.

SRC's first album is the probably the greatest twee U.S. psych record. Hard to pick out particular choices from that one - I'd pick maybe "Marionette" and "Paragon Council."

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 23 March 2006 22:33 (twenty years ago)

Love's "She Come In Colours"

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 23 March 2006 22:49 (twenty years ago)

Kaleidescope "A Dream For Julie" is '67, no?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 23 March 2006 22:52 (twenty years ago)

The Wayback Machine for Borderline Books is not working anymore. :(

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 23 March 2006 22:54 (twenty years ago)

the attack "created by clive"

― electric sound of jim (and why not) (electricsound), Friday, 24 March 2006 00:06 (twenty years ago)

Traffic "Hole in My Shoe"

― cisco heckler, Friday, 24 March 2006 00:15 (twenty years ago)

jefferson airplane "lather"
cream "pressed rat and warthog"

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 24 March 2006 00:17 (twenty years ago)

and of course, the beatles:
yellow submarine
o bla di, o bla da
octupus's garden

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 24 March 2006 00:20 (twenty years ago)

two songs about super-twee shops:

The Hollies "The Olde Toffee Shoppe"
Tomorrow "Auntie Marie's Dress Shop"

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 24 March 2006 00:33 (twenty years ago)

For Love, I'd say "Que Vida!"

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 24 March 2006 00:35 (twenty years ago)

bob dylan, "the mighty quinn"

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 24 March 2006 00:42 (twenty years ago)

I think Love is misplaced here - this was a pretty Brit-centric thing

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 24 March 2006 00:47 (twenty years ago)

Love is pretty twee at times.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 24 March 2006 00:52 (twenty years ago)

SRC (from Detroit ... or Ann Arbor maybe ... ) were total fairy tale rock, though. The Sproton Layer album, btw, is pretty SRC influenced and great! (x-post)

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 24 March 2006 00:54 (twenty years ago)

While they were a bit early, aren't Herman's Hermits sort of twee? "No Milk Today"?

― trees (treesessplode), Friday, 24 March 2006 01:14 (twenty years ago)

a lot of the bay area psych bands had twee-ish moments too. i think it was part of the whole peter pan thing, embracing childhood, refusing to "grow up." ("lather" is kinda interesting in that regard, since it's a twee widdle song about turning 30 and coming to grips with adulthood.)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 24 March 2006 01:29 (twenty years ago)

It's a little later, but Jethro Tull's "Up the 'Pool". Surely anything with a A. A. Milne reference qualifies, short of Brian Jones floating face down in his pool.

Also from the early 70s, Kinks "Have a Cuppa Tea"

― bendy (bendy), Friday, 24 March 2006 04:04 (twenty years ago)

and of course, the beatles:
yellow submarine
o bla di, o bla da
octupus's garden

Those were more music hall than twee-fey, aren't they?

― Mitya (mitya), Friday, 24 March 2006 04:24 (twenty years ago)

music hall and twee are not mutually exclusive. i don't see how you could get much twee-er than octopus's garden.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 24 March 2006 04:31 (twenty years ago)

man, No Milk Today is totally one of my all-time favorite songs.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 24 March 2006 05:42 (twenty years ago)

Pretty much all of the Smiley Smile album by the Beach Boys fits this description.

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 24 March 2006 10:25 (twenty years ago)

the attack "created by clive"

Neville Thumbcatch!

― Dadaismus, the Male Poster (Dada), Friday, 24 March 2006 10:30 (twenty years ago)

I think my favorite twee Incredible String Band song is "The Minotaur's Song," but I guess that was '68.

My least favourite twee Incredible String Band song is "The Hedgehog Song", and that was '67. In fact Mike Heron was terrible at being twee and Robin Williamson was (until Sc13nt0l0gy) great at it - mostly by dint of having that Syd Barrett aura of leaving you wondering whether he was quite all there

― Dadaismus, the Male Poster (Dada), Friday, 24 March 2006 10:56 (twenty years ago)

Timon "The Bitter Thoughts Of Little Jane".

Hollies "Pegasus, The Flying Horse" (but Ye Olde Toffee Shoppe is a good choice too). Actually most of Evolution & Butterfly are good for this thread.

Svensk "Dream Magazine"

Smiley Smile: absolutely not. There's so much dark malevolence in that record. I've not had a decent night's sleep since I first heard "Wind Chimes" oohh...25 years ago...

― harvey.w (harvey.w), Friday, 24 March 2006 11:25 (twenty years ago)

Tyrannosaurus Rex - take your pick

― Dadaismus, the Male Poster (Dada), Friday, 24 March 2006 11:31 (twenty years ago)

strawberry alarm clock, "incense and peppermints"!

― haitch (haitch), Friday, 24 March 2006 14:08 (twenty years ago)

The Turtles, "Sound Asleep"

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 24 March 2006 14:42 (twenty years ago)

I'll second Kaleidoscope, but nominate "Please Excuse My Face".

― brianiast (briania), Friday, 24 March 2006 14:51 (twenty years ago)

I'll third them and nominate that crap fairytale one about the Sky Children or whateva

― Dadaismus, the Male Poster (Dada), Friday, 24 March 2006 14:52 (twenty years ago)

Tomorrow - Three Jolly Little Dwarfs or Auntie Mary's Dress Shop. (The Orange Machine also covered the former, but IIRC it's a bit more rockin')

Fire's wonderful 'Father's Name Was Dad' had a twee-ish b-side 'Treacle Toffee World'.

Almost any Mark Wirtz could qualify really - how about 'He's Our Dear Old Weatherman'.

Penny Peeps - Little Man With A Stick

Sands - Mrs Gillespie's Refrigerator. (b-side 'Listen To The Sky' is better known)

The Status Quo - Auntie Nellie.

The Consortium/West Coast Consortium and The Montanas are good for this sort of thing, I'll think of a track or two later.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 24 March 2006 15:13 (twenty years ago)

Fire's wonderful 'Father's Name Was Dad' had a twee-ish b-side 'Treacle Toffee World'.

Oh I like that track! Basically about a quarter of the Rubble Collection fits the bill!

― Dadaismus, the Male Poster (Dada), Friday, 24 March 2006 15:19 (twenty years ago)

world of oz pwnz:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhQqCZgke7A&search=world%20of%20oz

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 24 March 2006 15:24 (twenty years ago)

Spinal Taps - Cups and Cakes

― xhuxk, Friday, 24 March 2006 15:27 (twenty years ago)

(oops only ONE tap)

― xhuxk, Friday, 24 March 2006 15:27 (twenty years ago)

three jolly little dwarfs heavily seconded...

― bb (bbrz), Friday, 24 March 2006 15:28 (twenty years ago)

hollies - "carrie-anne" (went to #9 in july '67)

― xhuxk, Friday, 24 March 2006 15:40 (twenty years ago)

No no, the Hollies' on must must be "Jennifer Eccles" surely! Oh hod on, that's 1968.

― Dadaismus, the Male Poster (Dada), Friday, 24 March 2006 15:42 (twenty years ago)

i wouldn't worry about dates despite the thread title:

"If so, please list all other songs, circa 66-69"

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 24 March 2006 15:49 (twenty years ago)

Association, "Pandora's Golden Heebeejeebees"

Bee Gees, "Any Christian Lion-Hearted Man Will Show You"

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 24 March 2006 18:52 (twenty years ago)

Rolling Stones - If You Want Me

― def zep (calstars), Friday, 24 March 2006 18:55 (twenty years ago)

Is "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies" twee or fey? It's a spiritualist's death song! Maybe because of Gary Alexander's voice. (He's got some great, nutty songs on the Along Comes the Association album, by the way: "Round Again" and "Changes.")

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 24 March 2006 19:05 (twenty years ago)

Oh there are much more twee Association songs than that! "Happiness Is" and "Rose Petals, Incense and a Kitten" for instance!

― Dadaismus, the Male Poster (Dada), Friday, 24 March 2006 19:11 (twenty years ago)

We've got this far and no mention of Sagittarius?!!? "Song to the Magic Frog", "Musty Dusty", "The Keeper of the Games" etc

― Dadaismus, the Male Poster (Dada), Friday, 24 March 2006 19:13 (twenty years ago)

Kinks - Phenomenal Cat

― Dr. doctor, Friday, 24 March 2006 19:15 (twenty years ago)

how has donovan stayed out of this....

― bb (bbrz), Friday, 24 March 2006 19:27 (twenty years ago)

Monkees - "Daydream Believer"

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 24 March 2006 19:51 (twenty years ago)

That's not twee

― Dadaismus, the Male Poster (Dada), Friday, 24 March 2006 20:01 (twenty years ago)

Surely it's at least as twee as some other songs on this thread?

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 24 March 2006 20:08 (twenty years ago)

"I Can't Let Maggie Go" by the Honeybus is a pretty damned good one and a relatively recent discovery for me.

― Hatch (Hatch), Friday, 24 March 2006 20:14 (twenty years ago)

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