They started as folk, then a garage style band, did some Buddy Holly rockabilly material and then went on to create some of the finest examples of psychedelic rock ever recorded...
The Blue Things (also known as The Bluethings) were a folk-rock and, later, psychedelic band from Hays, Kansas that existed from 1964 to 1968, recording one LP and several singles for RCA Records in '66 and '67. The RCA recordings remain their best-known material, although they had previously released singles through Ruff Records, a tiny Texas label. Today the Blue Things are remembered as one of the best bands to come out of the Midwest in the 60's, although they were unheard of outside of the Midwest in their brief lifespan, and remain largely unheard to this day....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Things
The following single, while repeating the chart action of the band's previous RCA single, at least gained the band some notoriety. The A-side, "Doll House," sympathetically told the story of a prostitute, and criticized the role of a "Doll House" (read: brothel) in society. Although it was a bold statement at the time, the single stiffed when Time Magazine did a feature on supposedly-obscene lyrics in rock music, citing "Doll House" as an example. The B-side, "Man on the Street," took a similar social-critique theme. It is interesting to note that while the two sides were wholly representative of the Blue Things now fully-formed "folk-rock" sound ("Doll House" remaining one of their signature tunes), both songs were from outside sources: "Doll House" was penned by little-known country songwriter Marge Barton, and "Man on the Street" by equally-obscure rockabilly artist Ronnie Self. The LP "Listen and See" was released shortly after the Doll House single from June 1966. While this album was popular with Blue Things fans, by the time it came out the band had moved past the folk rock/Merseybeat sound, that RCA favored, to a more psychedelic sound. For a group that was always defining the cutting edge for bands on the plains, music didn't stand still for the Blue Things. The Blue Things' January 1967 Nashville session and last with Val Stecklein produced one of the finest examples of psychedelia ever--"Orange Rooftop Of Your Mind" b/w "One Hour Cleaners". Both sides were written by Val & Mike, with Richard helping write "One Hour Cleaners". Bobby Day's backward countdown on "One Hour Cleaners" is his only recorded vocal. In May, 1967 Stecklein left for a solo career, signed with Dot Records and released an album, "Grey Life" in 1968. The remaining members moved to California and continued to perform concerts, also signed with Dot Records and toured for 14 months before disbanding entirely.
YOU CAN'T SAY WE NEVER TRIED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AUnoLYI ... re=related
DOLL"S HOUSE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3DmB4bwBnM
The orange rooftops of your mind....[8D]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiurXNZU ... re=related
YOU CAN LIVE IN OUT TREE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pJkacGH ... re=related
THE CONY ISLAND OF YOUR MIND
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsbLgRgG ... re=related
One Hour Cleaners...nice Beatlesque psych
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxJhce_uTx8
So I have The Blue Things Story CD...pretty good stuff all round!
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