Dantalian’s Chariot

Alan Dearling suggests that it was a weird synchronicity that took his hand, grabbed hold of his mind and guided it back into the hippy-trippy-dippy world of Dantalian’s Chariot circa 1967!

I had read the recent review in ‘Mojo’ magazine of a new compilation album, ‘Middle Earth: The Soundtrack of London’s Legendary Psychedelic Club 1967-1969’. A particular passage caught my eye suggesting that the new album collection included: “Dantalian Chariot’s trippy workout for sitar and flute, Soma (Parts 1 & 2).”  My friends play in a World Music band called Soma! And maybe, I thought, this might be something for them to consider including in their set list? I was intrigued.

Having grabbed a copy of the only album ever released by Dantalian’s Chariot, I realised that I did remember the opening track, ‘Madman running through the fields’. It is psychedelia at its weirdest, rampant and accessible best. Two melodies, backward loops, Eastern mysticism. Just a great pop record, and still sounding like the archetypal, fantastic, fun hippy music that it is.  “Madman, wonder how he feels?” I suspect many of my friends understand only too well!

‘The madman running through the fields’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P9gqKAIsaU

The clear vocals and folksy sounds are, at best, reminiscent of Dr Strangely Strange and the Incredible String Band. ‘Sun came bursting through my cloud’ – immediately hummable, a drifting hippy idyll: “doo-de-doo-dee”. Then, the next track, oh dear. It’s time for the heavy, messy, ‘World War III’. It’s a bit third division Move territory and a poor man’s, ‘Here we go round the Mulberry Bush’. ‘The Island’ perks things up with some nice Eastern sounds and celestial voices, and sadly, we return to the really rather poor, ‘Fourpenny bus ride’, which is a B-side, a forgettable ditty far too in thrall to Syd Barrett, but without the wit and irony. ‘Four Fireman’ is also hippy-drippy and tries far too hard to be a sub-Beatles’ tribute to the Scaffold and other 1960s pop outfits. ‘Recapture the thrill’ is somewhat better, with a bit of irony, ‘Never try to…’ recapture the thrill, for ‘tis long gone!

And, it’s time for ‘Soma, parts 1 & 2’. A really rather gorgeous segued-instrumental featuring the aforementioned sitar and flute. Reminding me of a somewhat more percussive Third Ear Band, perhaps mixed up with Quintessence fronted by flute-playing Raja Ram! It all ends with ‘High-flying bird’, with some nice moments, but infinitely stuck in the time warp of the late ‘60s hippy period.

So, who were Dantalian’s Chariot? In fact they were a group of well-known musos, changing musical gear and style. They often dressed in white clothing, usually kaftans, had their music equipment painted white, and organised their light show to be projected across the band. They featured at some of London’s first ‘happenings’, including the first Windsor festival. Here’s what it says in the promo for Cherry Red Records reissue:

“Keyboard player and vocalist Zoot Money disbanded his band to form Dantalian’s Chariot with fellow band members Andy Somers (guitar, sitar – later known as Andy Summers in The Police), Pat Donaldson (bass) and Colin Allen (drums). The band were soon established as one of the finest psychedelic groups, thanks to their innovative music and light show brought from San Francisco. The single ‘Madman Running Through the Fields’ was released in September 1967 and is now highly regarded and hailed by Record Collector magazine as one of the finest of the era. Although the band were in demand as a live attraction, they disbanded in April 1968, (with Money & Somers soon joining Eric Burdon & the Animals), leaving a series of recordings for a prospective album in the vaults.”

The ‘Middle Earth’ album is well worth checking out too!