BOOKLET

 

The Human Expression – Love At Psychedelic Velocity (1966 us, raw garage psych, 2010 Cicadelic bonus tracks edition)

In 1966, four high school students from the Los Angeles suburbs formed The Human Expression, and by January 1967, their first single, Love At Psychedelic Velocity b/w Every Night, was released to an unsuspecting public.

It was a dazzling, driving, opus of mind-bending sounds, and a harbinger of things to come.

Their second single, Optical Sound b/w Calm Me Down, released in the Summer Of Love, was a two-sided tour de force, with brooding introspective lyrics by lead singer, Jim Quarles.

The Human Expression’s edgy bad boy image was the antithesis of the flower-children image so prevalent for groups in 1967.

The Human Expression’s third single was Sweet Child Of Nothingness, written by Mars Bonfire, who offered the band another new song, Born To Be Wild.

Quarles thought the lyrics trite, and since he was the lead singer, the band rejected the song, even before Steppenwolf recorded it.

Nevertheless, the three singles The Human Expression released during their short-lived career, would burnish their reputation as one of the finest garage bands to emerge from the mid-60’s Los Angeles music scene.

Compiled on this CD are all the surviving demos and tapes of The Human Expression, along with rare band memorabilia, and demos by Quarles from 1965 (recorded just before The Human Expression).

Tracks

1. Readin’ Your Will (Jim Quarles, Jim Foster) – 2:45

2. Love at Psychedelic Velocity (Human Expression) – 2:37

3. Every Night (Demo Version) (Human Expression) – 2:43

4. Calm Me Down (Single Version) (Jim Quarles, Jim Foster) – 2:28

5. Optical Sound (Single Version) (Jim Quarles, Jim Foster) – 2:37

6. Sweet Child of Nothingness (Mars Bonfire) – 3:08

7. Room of Shadows (Complete Version) (Jim Quarles) – 2:22

8. Calm Me Down (False Start) (Jim Quarles, Jim Foster) – 0:14

9. Calm Me Down (Unreleased Version) (Jim Quarles, Jim Foster) – 2:27

10.Every Night (Single Version) (Human Expression) – 2:36

11.Optical Sound (Promo Version) (Jim Quarles, Jim Foster) – 2:33

12.Calm Me Down (Promo Version) (Jim Quarles, Jim Foster) – 2:25

13.I Don’t Need Nobody (Mike Verlingien) – 2:56

14.I Told Her (Jim Quarles) – 1:57

15.Return Nevermore (Jim Quarles) – 1:58

16.Judgement of Rejection (Jim Quarles) – 2:05

The Human Expression

*Jim Quarles – Lead Vocals

*Jim Foster – Rhythm Guitar

*Martin Eshleman – Lead Guitar

*Tom Hamilton – Bass

*Armand Poulin – Drums