Fever Tree

Fever Tree LP

LP (vinyl) | $16.98

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Fever Tree’s lone hit single, the haunting 1968 tribal anthem “San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native),” perfectly captured the spirit of the psychedelic era. Although their signature hit led many to assume that they were a Bay Area band, Fever Tree actually hailed from Houston, Texas. “San Francisco Girls” quickly emerged as a staple of American underground FM radio, and won the band an international audience after becoming an airplay favorite of influential British DJ John Peel.

“San Francisco Girls” is also the centerpiece of Fever Tree’s self-titled first LP, one of the period’s most distinctive debut efforts. As the album demonstrates, the quintet was adept at incorporating jazz and classical influences, ambitious song structures and resourceful production touches. Such memorable numbers as “The Sun Also Rises” and “Come with Me (Rainsong)” benefit from Dennis Keller’s hypnotic vocals, Michael Knust’s dynamic guitar work and Rob Landes’ inventive keyboard textures. Also included is a memorable medley of the Beatles’ “Day Tripper” and “We Can Work It Out,” and a unique interpretation of the Neil Young/Buffalo Springfield nugget “Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing.” Fever Tree’s expansive musical settings also feature key contributions from a pair of noted arrangers: David Angel, renowned for his work on Love’s Forever Changes and Gene Page, whose resume includes work with the likes of Phil Spector and Marvin Gaye.

Fever Tree would release three more well-received albums, before disbanding at the dawn of the 1970s. Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in the band’s vintage work, and this one-of-a-kind debut album remains a deeply compelling sonic artifact.

Sundazed’s new vinyl edition of this vintage gem is mastered from the original analog tapes, features complete original cover art and is pressed on high-quality, high-definition vinyl, the better to recapture the original magic of this timeless album.



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