Danish Rock Band Culpeper's Orchard Danish psych/rock group in 1970's
Culpeper's Orchard [Denmark] Culpeper's Orchard (1970) Second Sight (1972) All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go (1973) Live 45 sec A/V clip
Culpeper's Orchard is a great Danish psych/rock group that put out three albums, of which this is the only one to make the transfer to CD, so far. The first time you listen to the opening strains of "Banjocul," you'll think, "What did I get myself into?" But then comes the opening chords of Mountain Music and you'll know you are in for one fun guitar jam for the entire album. Though definitely in the psych vein, Culpeper's Orchard isn't a rehash of the '66-'69 psychedelic bands or the "west-coast sound." Instead, the band takes intense electric jams that dissolve into beautiful folk-like acoustic arrangements and harmonized vocal melodies. Even the lead guitar is clean and jangling, eschewing the popular fuzz-tone of that era. The Orchard combine known styles with Danish-folk arrangements into an original style distinctly their own. Hendrikson's electric lead played over driving dual acoustic rhthym guitars never fails to get me out of my chair and bopping 'round the living room. His lead guitar style in "Gideon's Trap," "Your Song and Mine," and the two-part "Mountain Music" draws heavily upon Eric Clapton during EC's time with John Mayall and Cream. This is most obvious in "Mountain Music Part 2," where he plays many classic Clapton licks from the Bluesbreaker album in homage to Eric. Though drawing from Clapton, Hendrikson doesn't wear it on his sleave, having developed a unique style of his own. Don't look for outstanding technical ability or phenomenal musicianship because you won't find it here. Just expect some good solid psych 'n' roll and you'll be as happy as I am with this album. Highly recommended. A completely different beast from the usual, this obscure Danish group produced a really underrated album in 1971 that should please those fans of innovative sixties acts. This album is amazingly stylistically diverse. Opening with a banjo/vocal ditty, you really have no idea what is going to happen next as Culpeper heads into a great rock flight like the best of the early Vertigos with Jack Bruce on vocals. Strong point of this group is the lead guitarist who's tone and emotion causes this group to really excel. As the album progresses you hear the Byrds, the Beatles, Crosby Stills and Nash, Procul Harum, Chocolate Watchband, 13th Floor Elevators, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, the list goes on. The way it all comes together is extremely powerful and in my opinion far better than much of those bands music. In truth this is like an amazing tour into the late sixties and early seventies by a simply excellent band. Source: Gibraltar Encyclopedia Progressive Rock Web Site (Found on 26 Mar 2000, but no longer there on 23 Jan 2001)
Album: Culpeper's Orchard Band: Culpeper's Orchard Year: 1970 Label: Polydor 847 374-2 (Germany) Band Members: Cy Nicklin: Lead vocals, Rhythm & Acoustic Guitars, Percussion Neils Hendrikson: Lead Guitar, Piano, Lead Vocals on Acoustic Guitar, Harpsicord Michael Friss: Bass, Organ, Flute, Two Finger Piano, Percussion Rodger Barker: Drums, Percussion Gary: Good Vibrations, Darts
Song List: Banjocul Mountain Music Part 1 Hey You People Teaparty for an Orchard Ode to Resistance Your Song & Mine Gideon's Trap Blue Day's Morning Mountain Music Part 2
Total Playing Time: 41'45" Song: "Banjocul" Going down to Culpeper's, Going down to have some fun Going down to Culpeper's, Going down to do what's done Song: "Mountain Music - Part One" To be forgotten, To live in Dust To float in a stream and fly in the air What more could we wish, To always be spread on earth Plucked as a flower to die with love, And fly to greet the sun Flowers in the forest freed, Deadlocked in your arms I bleed Knowing not the rhymes I need, To take me from my madness Wrap my mind in cellophane, Ignore the pleas to stop the rain From falling on your windowpane, When your asleep at midnight The iron mountains metal rings, Beside the bedrooms light in spring And hums the words 'cause they can't sing, The words they haven't learnt yet All is free while bodies moan, So shut the door but hear them groan While petals fall from what is known, Of love and what goes with it Song: "Hey You People" Hey you people We've looked across a thousand seas, Our hair was winding in the stray And as the currents closed our minds, waves were rolling in our bay Hey you people We've looked into a thousand suns, And bent the rays upon our eyes And as they've kissed our golden lips, Love was scrolled across the skies Song: "Teaparty For An Orchard" The white knight is creeping through the forest Where the eastern king is sitting on his throne Moon shining light disturbs the autumn silence The Christmas fairy hasn't got a home Luck carefully blocks out the castle windows While Magus sits and weaves the lonely web Two lovers in the maze have lost their reasons And Marie Antoinette has lost her head Don't look at me, Everything is free Set the table quickly, James, We'll be thirteen for tea The captain has just lost his only spyglass Tony Perkins pushing cars into the moss I don't know if there's time, but please believe me We've got to get the leader off the cross The Tongs are chasing butterflies with razors And when they meet the fleet they'll have some fun I thought I heard the sound of distant thunder Perhaps it's Rodger practising the drums Don't follow me, To the angel by the sea Set the table quickly, James, We'll be thirteen for tea You suddenly came into my mind Suddenly was all I could find, Nobody but you It isn't just a game Picture needs no frame, Don't blame the brain drain I'm told that flying saucers have been sighted That's the news I've waited just to hear It means that all our guests are on their way in I'm sure that very soon they will appear I think I see them climbing up the hill now Their robes are flowing gently in the air So Oluf better quit his nails and hide them And find the little prince an easy chair Don't look at me, Everything is free Set the table, James, We'll be thirteen for tea Song: "Ode To Resistance" Moments of sorrow, You can't borrow pleasure from the truth When you feel low down, My friend, Go down, Search in your roots of youth You will find, Piece of mind, With happiness you will remember Just like you, Thought of a girl that I once knew, In some September When you were young girl did you loose the flag Did someone take the rainbow from your night I know there are moments when you only see the rain I'll let the rain melt if you let me stay I can give you magic, That I was born to use And if your morning's tragic, We have no time to loose Sitting quietly doing nothing, Magic is alive in you and me Spring is coming and the grass grows, God is still a singing (Even if you can't see him), God is still a singing tree If you want to know a direction, Ask from one who know the way But don't go casting your reflection, On one who knows On one who knows, On one who knows but will not say Song: "Your Song & Mine" Rainbow from your eyes and fill the skies, Blow your tears away Sunbeams chase the mist and you must insist, Tomorrow is today From your dreams you're 'waking, As the dawn is breaking See the things that summer brings, When winter hides in snow Things you've feared become the weird, Fantastic shadow show Change the world you're facing, In the nighttime's racing Only you will find you can't show the blind, Time will tell it's true When you're agrown only you have known, It will not change you When you're off on that fairgrounds ride, No time to hang around Don't hide away 'cause tomorrow is changing Sea gull's quest will bring no rest, Till fantasy gets through A mirror can reflect what you reject, Dreams that could be true Harbour of the morning, Burns the ship of dawning Only you will find you can't show the blind, Time will tell it's true When you're agrown only you have known, It will not change you When you're off on that fairgrounds ride, No time to hang around Sea gull's quest will bring no rest, Till fantasy gets through A mirror can reflect what you reject, Dreams that could be true Harbour of the morning, Burns the ship of dawning Song: "Gideon's Trap" And so the coffins all were lowered, And all my friends were dead And all there's left is God's forgiveness, That is just what the preacher said The sky was turning grey with anger, I walked alone along the way God only knew what's on my shoulders, And *you are lost* I heard him say But on my way to find an answer, Out from nowhere a demon came He was a hunchback, I was frightened, I said: Go back to Notre Dame I have some things to say, he answered, I know your troubles yes my son You carry heavy loads upon you, I tell you: The fun has just begun And so he left me disappointed, A deadly light came out from west I heard a sound of distant thunder, I kept thinking: Who knows best I know my life, I know my living, My will is given me at birth And I can do just what I want to, Then I was swallowed by the earth I landed with my feet on fire, I stood before my masters throne He filled my mind with soft desire, He taught me: Everyone's alone And that is where I end my story, And all there's left for me to say Is: See your death is softly coming, And watch the winters fade away Song: "Blue Days Morning" Velvet evenings, Gentle calls from nowhere Making me lonely, seeing you with my eyes closed Can't you see me or even hear me Dawn is breaking, On a blue days morning Violets waving, whispering how to reach you Mournful willows bring me their sadness Softly fading words change their meaning Into endless, aching hours, Filled with empty harmonies Recalling you, Wanting You Song: "Mountain Music - Part Two" One grain of sand One grain of sand in all this world, Mountain eyes of honey flowers Silver skin of ageless hours, Living high psychotic towers One crystal tear One crystal tear in all the world, Lovely tears of Erocks cries Mountain speed of empty lies, Cannot know the waiting sighs One by one girl One by one girl in all this world, Lovely lips of mystic gold Lovely lips of clinging cold, Blowing time of mysteries old Will she come this laughing day Will she hear what people say, Virgin wings of holy weeps Silver cross of mistress sleeps, Silent hours where no one peeps Will she know the scarlet sun Will she be the homeless one, Lovely lips of mystic gold Lovely lips of clinging cold, Blowing time of mysteries old One grain of sand One grain of sand in all this world, Mountain eyes of honey flowers Silver skin of ageless hours, Living high psychotic towers One boy one girl One boy one girl in all this world, Lovely tears of Erocks cries Mountain speed of empty lies, Cannot know the waiting sighs For more info, contact: Mike Taylor Source: Information found in a song lyrics section of a Russian web site: "Heliophysics, Internal Structure and Seismology", which is published by a small group of scientists working at Sternberg Astronomical Institute, which is a part of Moscow State University.
Culpeper's Orchard first identified to Culpepper Connections! by Bill Russell. Origin of Name: There were no Culpeper's in this group, and the origin of the group's name is unknown. A likely explanation is that this Danish group picked up the Culpeper name from Culpeper House, a world-wide chain of herbal shops named for Nicholas Culpeper. Last Revised: 27 Mar 2004
Culpepper Connections! The Culpepper Family History Site
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