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You would think that
a
group
made
up
of
five talented musicians with the ability to write their own distinct brand of hard-edged psychedelic songs and based in the psychedelic hotbed of San Francisco would have flourished during the summer of 1965, the season that spawned the birth
of
The
Misunderstood.
But
sometimes,
timing
and
talent
just
aren't
enough.
Bands like The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and Big Brother were all thriving in the area and meeting with great success as they helped to define the "new" West Coast psychedelic sound. Gone were the days of The Beach Boys and
surf-rock
as
the
defining
sound
of
California. Unfortunately for The Misunderstood, it was the success of the aforementioned bands that caused them to remain in the shadows, albeit with a definite local following. Frustrated by their lack of exposure and good fortune in the U.S., their British guitarist succeeded in convincing his fellow band mates to travel across the pond and try their luck in England.
The
Misunderstood
arrived
in
England
in
mid
1966
and
their
talents
were
quickly
recognized.
In
short
order
the
group
secured
a
recording
contract,
becoming
label
mates
with
The
High
Numbers
(The
Who)
on
Fontana
Records.
The
group
went
into
the
studio
in
the
early
part
of
November
1966
and
recorded
six
singles.
This
would
mark
the
first
and
last
time
the
band
would
ever
record
with
this
original,
fiery
line-up.
The
following
month,
their
first
single
was
released.
It
was
a
self-penned
number
titled
"
I
Can
Take
You
To
The
Sun"
b/w
"Who
Do
You
Love".
Both
songs
were
branded
with
their
unique
style
of
hard
psychedelic
rock.
Unfortunately,
the
band
could
not
have
picked
a
worse
time
to
bring
their
debut
single
to
market.
At
the
exact
same
time
as
The
Misunderstood
attempted
to
catch
the
ear
of
the
U.K.,
The
Jimi
Hendrix
Experience
exploded
onto
the
scene
with
the
release
of
their
first
disc
"Hey
Joe".
Any
hopes
for
some
much
needed
airplay
for
the
single
were
quashed
when
two
months
later
The
Beatles
released
"Strawberry
Fields
Forever".
Once
again
The
Misunderstood
stood
in
the
shadows.
Many
connoisseurs
of
the
psychedelic
era,
however,
still
rank
this
single
as
one
of
the
best
psychedelic
songs
of
the
sixties.
Inexplicably,
their
next
single
(recorded
at
the
same
sessions
in
Nov
'66)
wasn't
released
until
March
1969.
"Children
Of
The
Sun"
b/w
"I
Unseen"
were
both
harder
rocking
numbers
highlighting
the
band's
continued
penchant
for
unyielding
guitar
and
drum
work.
Amazingly,
especially
when
considering
the
fact
that
it
was
recorded
some
two
years
prior
to
it's
release,
the
single
blended
in
surprisingly
well
with
other
hard
rock
acts
and
sounds
emerging
out
of
the
heavy-Blues
influences
in
England
at
the
time.
Having
to
compete
with
an
emerging
Led
Zeppelin
and
The
Beatles'
"Abbey
Road",
The
Misunderstood
were
one
of
many
bands
to
go
unnoticed
around
this
time.
An odd story surrounds their last single, titled "My Mind" b/w "Find The Hidden Door". It was never released while the band was in existence. In fact, it wasn't actually released until 1982, and then only as part of an English psychedelic compilation album titled "Before The Dream Faded".
Both songs were
high-quality
Psych-Pop
and they once again showcased the band's intensity and hard-edged approach to
psychedelia.
With the Vietnam War raging, the four young and able-bodied Americans of the group received draft summons from the U.S. military. This compounded their troubles as the band was also having difficulty securing long-term work permits. With their overall success minimal and their hopes dashed, The Misunderstood disbanded and the four Americans left England and returned to the U.S. in September
1969.
Member
Tony Hill, upon his return from the U.K. and successfully dodging the draft, went on to form the progressive rock band High Tide.
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