Philamore Lincoln
Listen – Philamore Lincoln – The North Wind Blew South – MP3
Greetings all.
I hope all is well with you as the week draws to a close.
I’d like to start by noting that I’ll be away next week, so I’ll be posting a new mix for your delectation during that period.
The tune I bring you today is a vaguely trippy number by a cat with a the vaguely trippy name of Philamore Lincoln.
I first heard of Lincoln when one of his early 45s was included on one of the Rubble comps back in the 80s. It was around the same time that I was fortunate enough to score a copy of his 1970 album at a record show.
Not much is known about Lincoln, though if you get your Google on you’ll see that the album from which today’s selection comes has long been rumored to have featured the talents of a couple of 1968-era Yardbirds, including a certain Mr. Page on guitar. I don’t believe this rumor has ever been fully substantiated, though Yardbirds rhythm guitarist/bassist (and professional photographer) Chris Dreja took the front and back cover photos for the album.
Today’s selection, the album’s title cut ‘The North Wind Blew South’ is an airy, eerie tune with a baroque underpinning and a vaguely sinister sounding chorus. It’s a great example of where pop-sike was heading at the turn of the decade, right before it fell off the edge of the earth into the prog-volcano. There are touches of the sound there, but the Hobbits and unicorns have yet to arrive (or at least step out into the lyrics). There’s a groovy bagpipe-like sound (which sounds like some kind of woodwind, oboe, cor anglais???), and Lincoln’s breathy vocals remind the listener what a long shadow Donovan cast. One of the other tracks on the album, Lincoln’s ‘Temma Harbour’ was a huge UK hit for Mary Hopkin (apparently before Lincoln’s album was released).
I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll be back (eventually).
Peace
Larry
PS Head over to Funky16Corners for some funky prog.
PSS Check out Paperback Rider, updated 2/18
That was amazing. Thanks!
Excellent LP! Well done as always Larry. The instro on Side Two “Blew Through” is actually the Graham Bond Organization! Pagey had admitted to playing guitar on “You’re The One”, which I once owned on a US 45 white label pressing.
Bill
I’ll have to pull the LP out and re-listen to ‘Blew Through’.
L
Thanks for unearthing this gem! If the rest of the LP is anywhere near as good I’m going to have to track down a copy.
Larry,
Really wonderful song by Philamore Lincoln! Could you post another tune from the LP? You have me literally begging for more!
Really dig the song. Really dig the threads/pose too. ;D Thanks!
That is quite a jacket (looks like he stole the drapes in Buckingham Palace) and the pose reminds me of Mick Jagger in ‘Gimme Shelter’ going “I lost a button on me trousers. You wouldn’t want me trousers to fall down, would you???”
Donovan – yes! Thanks for posting. I went looking for more info after viewing Keith Loutit’s tilt-shift video of Headless Heroes’ new version of this song on Vimeo. Mesmerizing. Where can I buy the Philamore Lincoln song on MP3?