Brain Police: San Diego's Only Psychedelic Cops 1968 (Reissue 2000)

 

The Brain Police were an American psychedelic rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1968. Led by songwriters Rick Randle and Norman Lombardo, the project had a cult following in the West Coast's psychedelic scene. Formed in 1968, the Brain Police consisted of principle songwriters Rick Randle (guitar, vocals) and Norman Lombardo (bass guitar) who were joined by Randle's younger

brother David (lead guitar) and Tony Johnson (drums). Johnson left the group however before any recordings were completed, and was replaced by Sid Smith. Other contributors to the band included a black soul group known as the Soul Patrol which occasionally filled in for the Brain Police for live performances. Over a few months between 1964 and 1965, the group recorded and released the rockabilly-influenced "Bonnie" single. With a changed name, "The Other Four", the band released three additional singles in 1965 and 1966,

                                 

                                                        
The Brain Police landed high profile gigs like opening for Jefferson Airplane, as well as for Buffalo

Springfield at downtown’s Community Concourse in December 1967. "That was the last show we did with the Soul Patrol as part of the Brain Police," recalls David Randle, "and it was the last time we played much of anything other than our original songs...'Conquistador' was an amazing Procol Harum song. We didn't play a cover unless there was something we really liked about it."
                               

The Brain Police, one of the few psychedelic rock bands established in San Diego, played regularly

throughout California with contemporaries of the psychedelic music scene such as Jefferson Airplane, Buffalo Springfield, and Strawberry Alarm Clock. The same year the group recorded a demo album that focused on original material written by Randle and Lombardo in La Mesa in an attempt to secure a recording contract with a major record label. labels with Brain Police records now include Shadoks Music (Germany) and the Italian label Akarma, which reissued the original demo album in 2000.
                                   

A Normal/Shadoks CD reissure of the original unreleased album came with songs cut for a 1969 single and several earlier singles (1964-1966) by "The Man-Dells" and "The Other Four", both

featuring Brain Policemen Norm Lombardo and Rick Randle. Things within the band got rocky, with Sid Smith departing and being replaced by Nate Rubin, at least for one nearly-final show. According to David Randle, "When Sid left to tour with Roy Head, Norm decided to move to San Francisco and Rick followed him. I was the only one left. "Much to the band's frustrations, the Brain Police received no offers for their work and the group disbanded following a tour with Steppenwolf in the Southwest United States.
                                     

Labels with Brain Police records now include Shadoks Music (Germany) and the Italian label Akarma,

which reissued the original demo album in 2000. A Normal/Shadoks CD reissure of the original unreleased album came with songs cut for a 1969 single and several earlier singles (1964-1966) by the Man-Dells and the Other Four, both featuring Brain Policemen Norm Lombardo and Rick Randle. This unreleased LP was reissued on CD by Normal/Shadoks, as were songs cut for a 1969 single and poppier 1964-1966 cuts from singles by "The Man-Dells" and "The Other Four" (bands that Brain Police songwriters Norman Lombardo and Rick Randle played in prior to 1967).

MEMBERS

David Randle
Larry Grant
Norman Lombardo
Rick Randle
Sid Smith

Brain Police – San Diego's Only Psychedelic Cops
Label: Shadoks Music – SHADOKS 008
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: Germany
Released: 2000
Genre: Rock, Blues
Style: Acid Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Rhythm & Blues

TRACKS

                         

01. Brain Police – Election For Mayor / Ride My Train Of Love
02. Brain Police – I'll Be On The Inside, If I Can
03. Brain Police – I'd Rather See You Dead
04. Brain Police – Find Me A Moment
05. Brain Police – Getting Too Much Higher
06. Brain Police – Adler
07. Brain Police – Gypsy Fast Woman
08. Brain Police – I'll Find Love  (Percussion – Benny Bennett)
09. Brain Police – There's A Light Over The City
10. Brain Police – My World Of Wax

Bonus Tracks

    
11. Brain Police – World Of Wax
12. Brain Police – Smoking At Windsor Hill
13. The Man-Dells – Bonnie
14. The Man-Dells – Oh No
15. The Other Four – Why?
16. The Other Four – Searching For My Love
17. The Other Four – These Are The Words
18. The Other Four – Once And For All Girl
19. The Other Four – Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night
20. The Other Four – How Do You Tell A Girl

Marketed By – Normal Records
Manufactured By – Normal Records
Pressed By – DOCdata Germany

NOTES

    
Artwork By – Step Albers
Drums – Sid Smith
Lead Guitar – David Randle
Vocals, Bass – Norman Lombardo
Vocals, Organ, Guitar – Rick Randle
Written-By – Norman Lombardo (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 8 to 12)
Written-By, Artwork By – Rick Randle (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 7)

MP3 @ 320 Size: 144 MB
Flac  Size: 375 MB