BOBBY CALLENDER Rainbow 1968 ORIG SITAR PSYCH LP LISTEN

$

34

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS…

BOBBY CALLENDER "Rainbow"

Original 1968 LP on the MGM label, STEREO SE-4557

COVER:  NEAR MINT, really one of the nicest covers of this one I've seen!

VINYL:  Plays VG+ with some pops

Here it is, kids, one of the all-time biggest and BEST kaftan and hookah pipe sitar psych MINDBLOWERS of the Bosstown Alan Lorber 60's scene, a big paisley rainbow of Tikka Masala goodness in one 12-inch black platter.  You can tell just by looking at the COVER that you're in for a magic carpet ride of spiritual fun here, boys and girls, led by Bobby himself in full cosmic bliss-out gear, having JUST gotten off work as head waiter at the Shalamar Restaurant in the stripmall outside of Somerville.  On the back cover, he's saying stuff like "My rainbow of colors reflects the past and the present.  Each change has been indicated by the spectrum of my life and only it knows the hidden colors of my future."  Those "hidden colors" of course, turned out to be black and pink - one final black album three years later (1971's "The Way") and a pink slip from the music industry after that.  Still, RAINBOW is a masterwork of what we know call "raga rock," jazzy free improvisations based on Indian instruments like the sitar and tabla embellished with American instruments like the violin, piano and electric bass.  The leadoff title track sets the scene immediately - with Bobby's highly distorted, breathy kaleidoscopic vocals matched by only a sitar and waves of dronic exotic Indian instruments.  Suddenly Bobby goes all full-blown Bollywood psych rock on us, as a full band kicks in with some groovy echoed-out percussion, more frantic sitar and plenty of those hallucinogenic warbly wobbly FX on Bobby's inner rainbow vocals.  "Nature" follows and is even MORE out there, a full-on cosmic sitar freakout from space, as if Pink Floyd journeyed to Marrakesh and made a musical travelogue.  Listen on headphones for maximum enjoyment, and see if you can pick up the instensely 3-D levels of sound here - from the mystical half-asleep crooning vocals up front, to the droning sitar midway, to the subtle shimmering organ that hovers somewhere in the background.  Then there are the moogs and orchestra even FURTHER back, and way WAY back in the closet on the third floor of the building across the street, the SOARING acid guitar solos.  If you NEVER get tired of listening to the great Tea Company album, or Side 2 of Mandrake Memorial's MEDIUM, then Bobby Callendar's RAINBOW will provide you with even MORE memorable nights of spiritual soul searching and inner rainbow finding.  And maybe you'll even find YOUR hidden colors.

HEAR IT!

UPDATE:  SORRY, I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  ALL DOMESTIC ORDERS REQUIRE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION, WHICH IS AN EXTRA 75 CENTS.  Air mail shipping to Canada starts at $10 US, each additional record $2 shipping.  Air mail shipping everywhere else in the world starts at $16 US, with each additional record only $3 shipping.  ALL FOREIGN ORDERS REQUIRE CERTIFICATE OF SHIPMENT, WHICH IS AN EXTRA $1.10.  I accept payments through Paypal. 

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

And finally, I include delivery confirmation on all shipments inside the US.  This is my proof of shipment, and also helps us to track your package if it doesn’t arrive when it should.  I will email you within 2 days of shipment and give you the confirmation number at that time.  Insurance is always optional, but for larger orders, it’s highly recommended.   I DO NOW REQUIRE THAT ALL FOREIGN BUYERS PAY AN ADDITIONAL $1.10 FOR PROOF OF SHIPMENT.  IT'S A NOMINAL FEE AND THE CHEAPEST WAY FOR ME TO PROVE THAT I ACTUALLY SHIPPED YOUR PACKAGE AND DIDN'T JUST POCKET YOUR MONEY AND SKIP TOWN.  For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.   Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.