Kaleidoscope – ’Flight From Ashiya’ / ’Holidaymaker’ (Fontana TF 863) September 1967

Kaleidoscope | Flight From Ashiya | Fontana | 1967 | “Flight From Ashiya” is a marvellous title. I have heard other stuff from Kaleidoscope and I like it better. This reminds me at the beginning of Mr. King and his saga of everyone going to the moon. My goodness. (Penny Valentine, Disc 16/09/67)

A big find for Fontana are Kaleidoscope, a new Pink freudian group from London. Their first single “Flight From Ashiya” is pretty damned supernatural, baby, and I love it. In fact I played it three thousand times on the trot as I mastered transcendental meditation with the rats in my attic.

You can practically smell the Ally Pally incense on this freaky, compelling record, with it’s pounding belly-rumble bass line, beautiful shimmering, attacking guitar work, and apostolic harmonies to blow all minds.

Definitely for tomorrow! Kaleidoscope write their own material and, if it’s all half as groovy as this, we’re in line for some wondrous works. (Intro, 30/09/67)

KALEIDOSCOPE: “Flight From Ashiya.” The first time I played this one I didn’t quite know what to think about it. But after a few spins I found a certain fascination in it. The type of song which reminded me of something that Jonathan King might have been involved with. Maybe not terribly commercial but very intriguing. (NME, 23/09/67)

A new group to the recording scene. Four young boys with some clever lyric ideas and a far-out group sound that many top industry people are expecting to happen soon in a big way.

Peter Daltrey, their songwriter and lead singer, is no relation to the Who’s Roger. He has written about 150 songs and is working with the group on their first LP. This mournful, poetic sound is an interesting example of their future work. But it is early days to say if they will have a hit yet. (Melody Maker, 02/09/67)

New group with a new approach, eerie space-like sounds early on, then a lyrical sort of song, a bit jerky, but with changes of form somehow. Lots happening for these boys and I think they’ll click first time out. Lovely falsetto harmonies.
Flip: What it says on the label: a lively holiday thing. (Record Mirror, 23/09/67)