60’s Psychedelic Rock Begins with a Whistle

What do you think of when you hear the words “psychedelic rock?” If you’re a fan of the genre, then you probably think of the great bands of the 1960s who pioneered the sound. But did you know that it all started with a simple whistle?

The Whistle

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as acid rock, is a style of popular music that dominated the airwaves in the late 1960s. The genre is characterized by its use of electric guitars, bass guitars, drums, and keyboards, as well as its use of feedback and distortion. Psychedelic rock is often associated with the counterculture of the 1960s and is sometimes used as a synonym for “acid rock.”

The genre is generally credited to American band The Grateful Dead, who were influenced by blues and folk music. The band’s sound was further developed by British group The Beatles, who incorporated elements of Indian music into their own psychedelic sound. The Beatles’ influential album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is often cited as the watershed moment for psychedelic rock.

Other important bands in the genre include The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, and Santana. Psychedelic rock had a significant impact on subsequent genres such as punk rock and heavy metal.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

In the early 1960s, an emerginggenre of music known as psychedelic rock began to take shape. At the forefront of this movement was a band called the Grateful Dead, whose sound was defined by extended improvisation and mind-expanding drugs. One of the most iconic images from this period is a poster of the band members sitting in a row, each with a flower in their hair.

The band’s sound was influential in shaping the psychedelic rock genre, and their concerts were always wild, unpredictable affairs. One particular concert, which came to be known as “The Acid Test”, saw the band performing while members of the audience took LSD. The concert was captured in a book by journalist Tom Wolfe, and it helped to popularize both the Grateful Dead and psychedelic rock.

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group, whose best known line-up comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are regarded as the most influential band of all time. With a sound rooted in skiffle and 1950s rock and roll, they played covers of songs by Chuck Berry and Little Richard, as well as their own compositions. Their popularity grew with their popularity on the radio, television and the Beatlemania phenomenon.

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962. They have released 30 studio albums, 23 live albums and numerous compilations. The band’s primary lineup consisted of Mick Jagger (lead vocals), Keith Richards (guitar, backing vocals), Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Ian Stewart (piano), Charlie Watts (drums), and Bill Wyman (bass). Jones left the band less than a month prior to his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood took his place and has been on guitar in tandem with Richards ever since.

The Doors

The sixties was a time of great change, and one of the most significant movements to come out of that era was the Psychedelic Rock movement. Psychedelic Rock, or simply “Psychedelia”, sought to break boundaries and expand the mind with its innovative and often mind-bending sounds. One of the most influential bands of this genre was The Doors, who are best known for their 1967 hit “Light My Fire”.

The Doors were formed in Los Angeles in 1965 by singer/songwriter Jim Morrison and keyboardist Ray Manzarek. They were soon joined by guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore, and quickly began making a name for themselves on the local music scene. It wasn’t long before they caught the attention of record labels, and in 1966 they signed with Elektra Records.

Their self-titled debut album was released in January 1967 and instantly became a hit, thanks in part to the success of “Light My Fire”. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helped to establish The Doors as one of the leading bands of the Psychedelic Rock movement. The band would go on to release a string of successful albums throughout the late sixties and early seventies, cementing their place in music history.

Jimi Hendrix

As the 1960s wore on, Psychedelic Rock began to enter the mainstream. Bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Doors all had hits with songs that featured psychedelic elements. As the decade came to a close, Psychedelic Rock reached its peak with the release of The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s 1968 masterpiece Electric Ladyland.

psychedelic \sih-kuh-del-ik\adj : of, relating to, or characterized by hallucinations, distortions of reality, and occasionally extreme weirdness – Merriam Webster Dictionary

Psychedelic Rock is a subgenre of rock that emerged in the late 1960s. Musicians began experimenting with drugs like LSD and marijuana, which led to expanded consciousness and a new appreciation for music. Psychedelic Rock is characterized by extended improvisation, unusual sound effects, and distorted guitars.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience was one of the most influential Psychedelic Rock bands of the 1960s. Jimi Hendrix was a virtuoso guitarist who pioneered the use of feedback and distortion. His 1967 debut album Are You Experienced? Led the way for Psychedelic Rock in the years that followed.

Pink Floyd

After Syd Barrett’s departure from the band in early 1968, Pink Floyd recruited guitarist and singer David Gilmour to fill his place. With Barrett’s songwriting out of the picture, Pink Floyd began to explore different soundscapes and song structures on their albums A Saucerful of Secrets (1968) and More (1969). These albums laid the groundwork for what would become Pink Floyd’s signature sound: an expansive mix of psychedelic rock, experimentalism, and hypnotic melodies.

The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of folk, blues, country, bluegrass, and rock. They are considered one of the main bands of the psychedelic rock and jam band genres.

The Grateful Dead’s lineup included Jerry Garcia on lead guitar and vocals, Bob Weir on rhythm guitar and vocals, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan on keyboards and vocals, Phil Lesh on bass and vocals, Bill Kreutzmann on drums, and Mickey Hart on percussion. Garcia was the band’s primary songwriter and leader; he wrote most of their original material.

The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. They have sold more than 35 million albums worldwide.

The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in 1964 in New York City by Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Moe Tucker. The band was first active between 1965 and 1973 and was officially disbanded in 1973. The Velvets are considered one of the most important and influential bands of their era, leaving a significant mark on the development of punk rock, noise rock, and alternative music.