I Can Take You To The Sun
Encyclopedia
"I Can Take You To The Sun" is a psychedelic rock
song that was composed and recorded by The Misunderstood
at Philips
Studio in London in 1966. The song is considered a psychedelic music classic.
The single was released to critical acclaim but the band was forced to break up shortly thereafter when the singer and song writer was drafted into the Vietnam War
.
The critical response to the single was immediate and long-lasting. In a recent release of early BBC
Top Gear
shows, host John Peel
introduces the song with the comment, "This is to my mind the best popular record that's ever been recorded". Peel would later rank the song as his #3 song for 1966 in his "Peelenium" (Greatest Songs of the 20th Century) list.
Record Collector
Magazine, in a July 1999 article wrote, "The Misunderstood were a band of immense talent (. . .) Without apologies, the Misunderstood single stands (. . . ) as one of the most powerful and best psychedelic singles ever released." "I Can Take You To The Sun" is mentioned in the book "100 Greatest Psychedelic Records", by Record Collector.
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
song that was composed and recorded by The Misunderstood
The Misunderstood
The Misunderstood were a psychedelic rock band originating from Riverside, California in the mid-1960s. The band moved to London early in their career, and although they recorded only a handful of songs before being forced to disband, they are considered highly influential in the then-emerging...
at Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
Studio in London in 1966. The song is considered a psychedelic music classic.
The single was released to critical acclaim but the band was forced to break up shortly thereafter when the singer and song writer was drafted into the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
.
The critical response to the single was immediate and long-lasting. In a recent release of early BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Top Gear
Top Gear (radio show)
Top Gear was originally a short-lived pop music show on the BBC Light Programme in the mid-1960s.- Origin and format :It was one of the Corporation's few attempts to compete with the pirate radio stations and Radio Luxembourg, who had attracted large audiences of young British pop music listeners...
shows, host John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
introduces the song with the comment, "This is to my mind the best popular record that's ever been recorded". Peel would later rank the song as his #3 song for 1966 in his "Peelenium" (Greatest Songs of the 20th Century) list.
Record Collector
Record Collector
Record Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
Magazine, in a July 1999 article wrote, "The Misunderstood were a band of immense talent (. . .) Without apologies, the Misunderstood single stands (. . . ) as one of the most powerful and best psychedelic singles ever released." "I Can Take You To The Sun" is mentioned in the book "100 Greatest Psychedelic Records", by Record Collector.
Musical Recognition
- In his "Peelenium" (Greatest Songs of the 20th Century) John PeelJohn PeelJohn Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
lists Brown's song for 1966, as follows, PEELENIUM 1966: 1. Leonard Cohen - The Sisters of Mercy, 2. The Beatles - And Your Bird Can Sing, 3. The Misunderstood - I Can Take You To The Sun, 4. Jimi Hendrix - Red House, 5. Otis Redding - Try a Little Tenderness. - "I Can Take You To The Sun / Who Do You Love" was 6th in "100 Greatest Psychedelic Records", a 2004 book published by UK's Record CollectorRecord CollectorRecord Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
Magazine. - In September 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine dubbed the Misunderstood, "the American YardbirdsThe Yardbirds- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
". - Hartbeat MagazineHartbeat Magazinehartbeat! is a German music publication which focuses on punk rock, power pop, garage rock, beat music, rock music, and psychedelic music styles. The time period of the music detailed ranges from the 1960s to the present day. The magazine is published in English....
#20: "Top 100 Singles" - lists The Misunderstood. - MojoMojo (magazine)MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
's "100 Greatest Psychedelic Classics" lists The Misunderstood in 1966. - Ptolemaic TerrascopePtolemaic TerrascopePtolemaic Terrascope is a magazine covering old and new music, usually of a psychedelic nature. It has been published irregularly since 1989...
's Top 100 Albums lists The Misunderstood. - Mojo Magazine April 2009 - "I Can See For Miles: A-Z" (Top 26 Psychedelic Rock Music Bands) Lists The Misunderstood for "M".
- June 11, 2010 Classic Rock Magazine named The Misunderstood as #18 in their list of "Cult Heroes".
External links
- themisunderstood.com
- [ AllMusic article] by Richie Unterberger