Unknown Mystery 60's Group

Biography

The first CD of Unknown Mystery 60's Group songs was released by Distortions Records (DR 1040) in 1997. According to the CD liner notes, the songs were found on a reel-to-reel tape at an outdoor flea market in Philadelphia. Nothing was known about the group except for the song titles which were written on the tape box. Two photographs also found inside the tape box were included in the CD release on the front and back covers. Members of the unknown group were asked to contact the record label for their royalties and further contract negotiations.

In 2001, Octopus Records decided to track down the group responsible for the music. Requests for information about the unknown group were placed in the classified sections of various Philadelphia newspapers. A number of respondents provided clues that led Octopus to the band's drummer and archivist who was living in Spain. The archivist supplied Octopus with missing details, photographs, and tapes that made possible the release of Unknown Mystery 60's Group Volume II. As a concession to the band members, the identity of the band remained anonymous; the expatriate, serving as a spokesman for the others, explained: "It's more or less Bob Dylan's line: 'I was so much older then. I'm younger than that now.'" According to Tim Sendra of AllMusic, the songs on Volume II are "mostly folky garage rock with a few tracks leaning in a more psychedelic direction". Sendra praises the "nicely chiming guitars and harmony vocals in a Byrdsy style" but concludes that "[o]nly rabid garage collectors will find this disc worthwhile."

Thanks to the band archivist in Spain, a third volume consisting of twelve love songs was released by Birdhouse Records in July 2007. Birdhouse Records has also taken over distribution of the first two volumes.

Discography

Unknown Mystery 60's Group

1. "Birdhouses"
2. "Are You Mad at Me?"
3. "Burroughs in Mexico"
4. "Dandelion"
5. "Percival"
6. "She's So Fine"
7. "Salsbury Jane"
8. "Around the Bend"
9. "Is It Me or Is It You?"
10. "Crysanthemum"
11. "Something"
12. "Bumby"
13. "Flower"
14. "I Wanna LetYou Know"

Volume II

1. "Dark Side of the Sun"
2. "I Gave up on You"
3. "I'm Alright"
4. "Why You Gotta Be That Way?"
5. "Timothy"
6. "The Trouble You've Been In"
7. "When I Get Home"
8. "Another Song"
9. "Duane"
10. "The Great Northeast"
11. "Morrell Park"
12. "(I Wanna Do Anything) But Look for a Job"
13. "I Must Confess"
14. "One for the Baker"
15. "Flapjacks"
16. "Ain't Got a Thing"
17. "Tell Me"
18. "Parachute"
19. "Precious Snapalicious"

Volume III – Love Songs

1. "Fileroom"
2. "Having You Here With Me"
3. "Kara's Song (Why Can't I Tell You?)"
4. "Butterfly"
5. "Into Bed With Me"
6. "You've Changed"
7. "How Long Will You Wait?"
8. "What Did I Do to Deserve You?"
9. "Three Hurtful Things"
10. "Jennifer"
11. "Instead of Being Happy"
12. "Heaven"