Vision Of Sunshine – S/T
I was lucky enough to stumble upon this little gem a few years ago while digging through box upon box of lp’s at a now defunct local flea market. I remember falling instantly in love with the cover art and I couldn’t wait to get the thing home! I had all these expectations…and let me tell you, I was not let down. If you’re a sucker for weird xian psych-folk bands, which I am, I have a feeling you’ll dig this.
The album opens with a dreamy song called ‘Mourning Word’ and then goes right into ‘She Said’, an amazing song that starts off slowly, eventually weaving in and out with soft vocal harmonies and then heads staraight to the breakdown where vocals collide with heavy guitars and eveyone sings “Jesus is a coming and I don’t know when. Jesus is a coming and I’m filled with sin.”
VOS also do an okay version of Jerry Jeff Walker’s ‘Mr. Bojangles’ but it’s probably my least favorite song on the album. It definitely doesn’t compare to ‘Stranger Here’ the last song on side A, or ‘Vision Of Sunshine’ the opening song on side B which opens with a young boy singing “may the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you, and the pure light within you, will guide you on your way.”
I don’t wanna say too much else. You’ll have to decide on your own. I can easily say this is one of my favorite albums of all time.
Audio:
Vision of Sunshine
She Said
17 Comments
This is excellent. Thanks.
holy christ!
grand. just so grand.
stunning, just stunning!
Impressive, want to find all the album. Help required.
How cool. I’m the drummer on this LP. After all these years . . . If you want some history on it, contact me via email anytime. I have a few interesting anecdotes about making this album: Avco Embassy dragging their feet on paying the sidemen, the artists on the record, rehearsing at Bob “Gilligan” Denver’s Lake Sherwood, CA, house. Gerald Hauser is the actor known as Wings Hauser. Mike DeTemple is famous for his high-end hand made “DeTemple Guitars”, Rabbit Mackay is still performing in Ojai, etc.
andy, i would love to talk to you about this album. you can contact me at:
ivegonecountry@hotmail.com
it’s so great that you responded to this review!
xo,
amber
Would it be possible to get a copy of this LP? Digital or otherwise.
My late sister Joyce played cello in this group. They played at the Troubadour in Hollywood and in a bizarre combination with Don Ho and Rod McKuen at the Greek Theatre in late 69 or early 70.
Any other info much appreciated.
Thanks,
Doug Miller
Grass Valley, CA
I am also a sibling of cello player Joyce and am very interested in getting my hands of a copy of this, in any form. I can’t believe I didn’t hold onto it when I had it all those years ago, and I’m very grateful that someone has found it.
It’s a family reunion I suppose. I’m Joyce’s son, and I have to thank Doug for sending this link to Andra, my sister. This is the first time I have ever heard my mother play, and I can’t express what it means to me. My dad is going to contact Wings (Gerald) Hauser (the male singer) to see if there is a way to get a copy. If anybody discovers a way, please let myself or my sister know, you can contact me at bend@ucla.edu.
Thank you again everyone who has posted here, and for the existence of this in general…
Hello!
I work for Lili Hause Studios, owned by the rookie/veteran film and music partnership of Cali Lili Hauser and Wings Hauser. I just came across your site and wanted to let you know that this album was created by Wings, who put the band together and wrote most of the songs. I believe the album was recorded at Wings’s parents’ home which was situated just near Bob Denvers’ home — not at the Denver home — and I don’t believe there was a drummer named Andy Douglas on the album — I will show the site to Mr. Hauser and I’m certain he will be pleased to know that people enjoy it. He and Cali are preparing their own album, with lyrics/vocals by Cali and music/vocals by Wings. Their mutually impressive backgrounds can be viewed at IMDB.com. Best wishes to you all! Happy Summer,
GTA Management
for Lili Hause Studios
Correction from GTA : I didn’t mean the album was recorded at Wings’s parents’ home — I’m sure it was REHEARSED there — OOps.
Excuse me, GTA, but believe it or not I am Andy Douglas and I WAS the drummer on this album. I happen to have a copy of the album, sealed in the original plastic, unplayed, which I recently purchased on eBay. I was very happy to get a copy of it as it’s one of my career highlights being the first album I was on. It was nice to see, as I recalled, that I am credited with performing on this album in the liner notes along with Rabbit Mackay and Mike DeTemple. Rabbit Mackay wrote the song “Stranger Here”. He was my sister Ellen’s husband. Get your facts straight, GTA, please. Yes, we rehearsed at the Lake Sherwood home in a large rec room overlooking the pool with a view of the lake; facing east I believe, because the sun was from behind us in the afternoon/evening when facing the pool. There was a second room behind the rec room with a low couch. I remember it well. My hazy 1960’s memory however, could easily have confused whether the house was Bob Denver’s or nearby because it was mentioned in passing, not a big deal at the time. The album was recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, at least you caught your own error on that mistake, GTA. I know because I was at the sessions playing drums. Bill Lazarus was the engineer. He couldn’t get the sound he wanted out of my snare drum until we turned it upside down and taped the snare. I laid down some bongo tracks but apparently Bill came along behind me and re-recorded the tracks. He’s credited with percussion on the liner notes. Family members of this band are welcome to contact me with your email address. I’ll figure out how to get the album cover scanned and send the .pdf to you. I’m a little hesitant to start emailing cuts off the album as I’m clueless about copyright issues. Sorry if I sound a little miffed, but I don’t appreciate GTA’s sorry attempt to discredit my memories and my history. – Andy
Note from Mike Detemple’s Web Site:
http://www.detempleguitars.com/pages/photoalbum/photos4.htm
“1967: The Somis Rhythm Boys — Rabbit MacKay and Michael DeTemple. Rehearsing for the opening act for Blind Faith (Earl Warren Show Grounds concert). Michael and Rabbit did an album together, Rabbit’s second titled “Stranger Here.” This photo was taken at Bob Denver’s Lake Sherwood, CA home during his “Gilligan’s Island” period.”
This reminded me that I was told at the time that Mike was house-sitting Bob Denver’s home. However, Mike is mistaken about one thing, “Stranger Here” was a cut off Rabbit’s second album, it wasn’t the title. The album was entitled “Passing Through” on the UNI label. I have this album and Rabbit’s first: “Bug Cloth”. So, I suppose one could assert he might have been mistaken about who’s house he was living in at the time, too. Whatever. . . .
-Andy
Amazing to bump into this site. My sister Mary Till was the flautist on this album. Who knew it would have legs like this??
I’d like to verify the photo at Mike Detemple’s web site was taken at the Lake Sherewood house of Bob Denver, my stepfather. Indeed, there was a large room overlooking the lake and the pool was to the east of it, and a den behind the room with a large (I beleive, leather) couch. I’d love to hear from anyone who has memories of hanging out at the house. There was a period time that Three Dog Night and Hoyt Axton came over quite often. Earlier in the late sixties Bob had a house in Topanga on Wave Veiw Drive where various memebers of the Byrd’s, CSN and others were often found by me “sleeping over” in the big living room upstairs. Sleeping over…. Tuesnbach@aol.com
Hey Y’all
Heartwarming to see the interest in VOS.I played piano, celeste & Hammond organ on VOS when I was 16. The little boys voice is my brother Casey when he was 10. To Doug & Benjamin my condolences on Joyce’s passing. I didn’t know. To Cathi Till, Mary contacted me a couple of years ago. What’s up with that girl? To Andy Douglas I have fond memories of us beating the snot out of our instruments in Mike DeTemple’s living room while trying to avoid Mike’s doberman “Pecker”. Andy I also remember you taping your wallet to the snare drum and that Bill Lazarus was impressed.
Peace to All, Sean
Jeez! So interesting and heartwarming to hear from all of you from so long ago. An old friend of mine, Ron Grajeda, visited over Halloween weekend to attend one of my annual Halloween bashes. I have the album on my wall. He recognized Joyce Miller from Camarillo High School and has fond memories of her. Of course, he was sad to learn she had passed. Sean Nelson – OMG! We hated Pecker! You know what? My wallet is just as thin now as it was then. Hey, if you want, check on the website of the band I’m currently performing with http://www.dc4band.com. If any of you are ever in Wash DC, you must look me up. I will be happy to scan the back and front of the album sleeve and will do it in color at Kinko’s or something. Send your email address to drummerdrew13@yahoo.com and I’ll send you a copy. There is a wonderful pic of Joyce on the back cover. Thanks to you all and let’s keep in touch. – Andy