Pandamonium | No Presents For Me | CBS | 1967

Pandamonium – “No Presents For Me” / “The Sun Shines From His Eyes” (CBS 2664) April 1967

Pandamonium | No Presents For Me | CBS | 1967 | Starting out as a schoolboy group, the Pandas, in 1963/64, the Kent-based quartet of Bob Ponton, Martin Curtis, Mick Glass and Steve Chapman became the more contemporary Pandamonium and signed to CBS in 1966.

Towards the end of the year, their vinyl debut was an impressive cover of Donovan‘s “Season Of The Witch”, which actually pre-dated the release of Leitch’s own version on the UK “Sunshine Superman” album by some months.

In 1967, Pandamonium made their best single, “No Presents For Me”, an immaculate slice of punchy psychedelic beat which was both adventurous and commercial. The record sold poorly and is extremely scarce today. Backed by the slightly less striking, but similarly inclined “The Sun Shines From His Eyes”, this single ranks alongside many of the “Chocolate Soup selections as one of the seminal records of its genre.

Worth investigating — but disappointing, considering its predecessor — is their final 45, “Chocolate Buster Dan. / “Fly With Me Forever”, which appeared in May 1968 and proved to be their swansong. (Record Collector)

‘No Presents’ knocks all other psych-benders into second place: all you ever needed off ‘Revolver’ in two and a half minutes. ‘Sun’ is almost good but its ruined by those wanky lyrics. Good cover of ‘Season Of The Witch’ (was there ever a bad one?) but the flip is expendable; issued on the continent on the Palette label, and came in a pic sleeve. ‘Chocolate Buster Dan’ is fatuous but ‘Fly’ is pleasantly evocative. (Evocative? Is that some sort of glue? – Ed.) (117)

Discography:

“Season Of The Witch” / “Today I’m Happy” (CBS 202462) 11/88
“No Presents For Me” / “The Sun Shines From His Eyes” (CBS 2664) 04/67
“Chocolate Buster Dan” / “Fly With Me Forever” (CBS 3451) 05/68