Kaleidoscope (British band)

English psychedelic rock band

the American band

Kaleidoscope are an English psychedelic rock band from London that originally were active between 1967 and 1970. The band's songs combined the elements of psychedelia with whimsical lyrics. The band were also known at various times as The Sidekicks, The Key, I Luv Wight and Fairfield Parlour.

Having performed since 1963 under the name The Sidekicks, they became The Key in November 1965, before settling upon the name Kaleidoscope when they signed a deal with Fontana Records in January 1967 with the help of the music publisher Dick Leahy. The group consisted of Eddy Pumer on guitar, Steve Clark on bass and flute, and Danny Bridgman on drums and the vocalist Peter Daltrey, who also played various keyboard instruments. Most of the band's songs were compositions of Pumer's music and Daltrey's lyrics. Two months later, Tangerine Dream—also produced by Dick Leahy—was released. The album included "Flight From Ashiya", "Please Excuse My Face" and "Dive into Yesterday," now considered some of the band's best songs. Meanwhile, the band performed live on several BBC radio shows. After the failure of Faintly Blowing, they released two more singles.

By the end of the decade, failing with their last single "Balloon", the band moved on with their new manager, DJ David Symonds, whom they met during the BBC sessions, under the name Fairfield Parlour, with the same lineup. Although now called a progressive rock band, their music did not change much, still including fairy tale lyrics with psychedelic harmony. The band's first single as Fairfield Parlour, "Bordeaux Rosé", was released on 17 April 1970 on the Vertigo label. The band's fourth album, White Faced Lady, which they financed independently, was recorded in Morgan Studios in London. Attempts at finding a record company failed and the album was shelved until 1991 when it was released under the name Kaleidoscope on an independent label. The band's last appearance in the early days was at a concert in Bremen, Germany, in 1972.