The Tongues - The Tongues (1970 Zodiac) LP

Artist: The Tongues
Album: The Tongues
Label: Zodiac – ZLP 1041
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: New Zealand
Released: 1970
Genre: Pop Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Audio codec: FLAC | lossless

Tracklist:
A1. Take Me To The Pilot
A2. I Shall Be Released
A3. Stormy
A4. Highway
A5. Delta Lady
A6. Aspen Colorado
B1. This Wheel's On Fire
B2. Melting Pot
B3. Rain And Tears
B4. Baby Come Back To Me
B5. The Weight
B6. The Flesh Failures / Let The Sun Shine In

The Hi-Revving Tongues were among New Zealand’s earliest purveyors of psychedelic pop music, wowing audiences on both sides of the Tasman with their madcap antics. The band known for its organ driven music, tight vocal harmonies and guitar phasing evolved from North Shore unit Species Nine when members joined with former Sierras guitarist Mike Balcombe. They chose their curious name in what he describes as a Monty Python moment and within weeks of forming in 1967 had recorded an acetate disc of what has been described as New Zealand’s first psychedelic song. The Mike Balcombe song Illusion was personally taken into pirate radio station Hauraki, where it was given immediate airplay and voted likely to succeed. The band then signed to Allied International, re-recorded it and gained minor success. The hard working unit was further elevated into pop star status with regular work on the dance scene and the release of the single Tropic of Capricorn written by singer Chris Parfitt. Hi-Revving Tongues stage shows were always unpredictable and by today’s standards downright dangerous. Bass player John Walmsley, the mad scientist in the group, devised a range of explosion that would be triggered at appropriate points in the show. Dummy amplifiers and prop guitars would be set alight in mid performance and loud sound effects, smoke bombs and other unexpected pyrotechnics would keep the audience on edge. Hi-Revving Tongues won Benny Levin’s 1968 Battle of the Bands and toured with the finalists and then with Larry’s Rebels and Johnny Farnham before heading across the Tasman as part of their prize. After eight months performing in the heart of Sydney’s club scene the band’s single Rain and Tears, a cover of a Demis Roussos song, began soaring up the New Zealand charts. They were called home by manager Eldred Stebbing to promote it and support its entry into the Loxene Golden Disc Award. The song reached number one on the national pop charts and saw the band win the group section of the Loxene Gold Disk Awards in 1969. After a couple of line-up changes the group changed its name to simply The Tongues, recorded a second album and after a round the world cruise moved to Australia where they became Caboose before folding in 1972