The Tea Company "Come And Have Some Tea With..." LP

From New York City, The Tea Company was one of the early birds on the US psychedelic underground scene with an LP on the market originally released on Smash Records in 1968. This album stands for the evolution of the 45 rpm psych-garage bands to the upcoming LP-generation with extended improvisation parts. Tea Company evolved from the Naturals which were founded in 1963 and played the big ballrooms supporting Mamas and the Papas, The Lovin´ Spoonful, Bob Dylan, Ritchie Havens and many others. The band describes themselves as "an assemblage of possessed rock performers, retinue preparing the unusual, alternating with the roots of soul whose purpose is to cause sensation, due to stimulation of the auditory centers of the brain". 

They became famous in the US for spectacular live shows and lyrical hippie statements. The music is inspired by the Beatles, using exactly the same equipment as them. Tea Company played with lots of freaked-out-echo-organ/-guitar noises on a 12 string Rickenbacker and various stereo madness reminds strongly of Syd Barrett´s spirit but more driven by hard hittin´ drums. Being buddies of Vanilla Fudge and inspired by them, the Tea Company also did an outrageous 9 min. version of "You keep me hangin´ on" which is celebrated among 60s collectors as a true milestone. The album is a mindblowing production!