I don’t believe I’d ever heard this song by Aphrodite’s Child until it was on Radio 2’s Sounds Of The Sixties recently. It’s clearly influenced by the mid 1960s British group Nirvana whom I featured some time ago – see my category. (Or perhaps it’s a Greek thing. Nirvana’s composer was Greek as were at least two members of Aphrodite’s Child.) There’s also a touch of Procol Harum’s A Whiter Shade Of Pale in the bass line and the organ.

It’s Five O’Clock:

The Aphrodite’s Child song I most remember, though, is Rain And Tears. There’s a murky sound quality film/video of them playing it on You Tube but I also came across this crisper version. A touch of Pachelbel’s Canon in the intro methinks. It gets everywhere.

As I recall (and Wikipedia confirms) Aphrodite’s Child spawned Demis Roussos and Vangelis but I’ll not hold that against them.

On second thought…..

This is the real Nirvana’s track, Rainbow Chaser, their third single, which is said to be the first to utilise throughout what became almost a trademark of musical psychedelia, phasing.

I must confess that, to me, the verses seem to be without phasing.

This alternative version (not the one I remember) does seem more phased but otherwise its arrangement is more conventional.

Apart from calling his band Nirvana I once thought that Cobain’s use of the song title Smells Like Teen Spirit was pretty cool, a nice metaphorical touch. Then I found out Teen Spirit is actually some sort of American deodorant.

Not so cool at all, then. (Except under the arms of course.)

Here is the real Nirvana’s track, Pentecost Hotel, their second single.

The trouble with Kurt Cobain was that he named his band Nirvana.

This means that whenever I mention the original Nirvana, the true Nirvana, I have to explain I don’t mean a grungy bunch from Seattle.

The earlier (1960s) Nirvana’s mainstays were Patrick Campbell-Lyons and Alex Spyropoulos. Together with producer Chris Blackwell they produced a series of idiosyncratic singles with classical/orchestral influences and also released what was probably the first concept album, The Story Of Simon Simopath, which had a quintessentially 60s psychedelic cover – complete with blocky unequal sized lettering.

This is their first single, Tiny Goddess, which has more than a hint of Pachelbel.