Chemistry Set
Paint Me A Dream/the Witch
Pioneers in the late '80s UK neo-psychedelic scene, Dave Mclean and Paul Lake founded The Chemistry Set in 1987, releasing mind-melting sets of songs on Manchester's alternative Imaginary label as well as the cassette-only Acid Tapes label. Known for their sophisticated original songcraft as well as their uncanny ability to interpret often obscure (but always classic) psychedelic songs with unparalleled cover versions, The Chemistry Set have taken some the most lysergic works of The Pink Floyd, Love, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Rolling Stones, Del Shannon, The Moody Blues, Tomorrow and more to exciting and unexpected places. The band took an extended hiatus in the mid '90s until remarkably reappearing in 2008. The return came about when their unreleased LP from 1989, 'Sounds Like Painting,' somehow was uploaded onto numerous blogs and downloaded over 5,000 times. The second stage of the band has seen the release of four albums, five vinyl singles and several compilation appearances. Praised by musical royalty from John Peel to David Axelrod and lauded in a wide spectrum of music media, the band's prolific catalogue of releases have been accompanied by extensive tours throughout the UK, Europe and the United States. 'Paint Me A Dream' is about the power of visions. It begins, lyrically, with a group of mystics who become hypnotized as they sing together while playing dulcimers and lyres. This in turn evolves into mystical visions and a request to the divine eye to "paint them a dream" (travel from the grey to the technicolor). As the painted dream multiplies and embraces them further, they meet Orpheus, the lyre-playing Greek musician, poet and prophet, travelling further in time and space to encounter translucent orbs, stratospheric emanations and transcendental oscillations. Yes, it's a trip. Musically, the song employs layered multiple rhythm guitars to create a wall of sound, using the differing tones of a 1963 Fender Esquire with custom pick-ups (as a Syd Barrett once wielded) and a Gretsch with TV Jones pick-ups. Riffs were put through vintage fuzz, tremolo and '60s tape delays, offering different textures and dynamics. After the first guitar solo, a bow of appreciation is given to the band HP Lovecraft, with harmonies in a style similar to a part of their live version of 'The Drifter' while also finishing with 'The Drifter' riff in a different key to the original. Because it's so similar to the style in which The Chemistry Set write their own songs, 'The Witch' felt like a great choice for a cover. For the intro, the band crafted a Bee Gees-inspired five-part Gregorian chant to achieve the desired ethereal vibe, while a bit of Red Krayola-style free-form-freak-out later in the song adds a new twist to Mark Fry's obscure classic. The full glory of psychedelia was further augmented with a collection of interesting instruments, including Persian setar, acoustic cigar box guitar, strangely tuned 12 string acoustic, vintage keyboards, various ethnic percussive instruments and even a half full whiskey bottle hit with a knife! Both songs are influenced by the immortal collective spirits of Arthur Lee and Love, Syd Barrett, Jimi Hendrix, Tomorrow, The Electric Prunes and Ennio Morricone.