Peter and Gordon: The Magic Story of the Park Keeper and his Fairy Godmother

"What the dickens am I listening to?" I hear you ask.

Jakartajive, who posted this on YouTube, explains:

With Peter Asher and Gordon Waller, you know you're getting classy pop music - that's a given.  But you also know - at least you might expect - that, after sixteen albums between 1964 and 1967 (let's see today's groups produce like that) and hit singles like "A World Without Love" and "I Go to Pieces", you'll be getting squeaky clean, early British Invasion sounding pop music, and that's that.  

So by 1968, the Peter and Gordon sound would seem to be rather outdated, at least among the Carnaby Street and Haight/Ashbury crowds. So what's a couple of clean-cut nice young boys with a knack for pop to do? Does the world expect them to drop a couple tabs of acid in their English tea and try their hands at this new "psychedelic" sound? 

Well, that's pretty much exactly what they did on this, their final 60's album, "Hot Cold and Custard". Now don't go expecting Peter and Gordon's "Saucerful of Secrets" -- but with all the backwards instruments, George Martin-esque orchestration and whimsical Carnaby Street arrangements, this really does sound right in line with the Hollies "Butterfly" and "Evolution", the Kinks "Something Else" and "Village Green Preservation Society", and any of the much-revered 1967-1968 Beatles long players.  

Popsike fans shouldn't be shocked that the songs here are so great -- Asher/Waller have always been the Lennon/McCartney of the pure pop hook -- it's just that here, finally, they've managed to trip out their pop sensibilities with a little bit of the "hip", psychedelic flavourings.

All I need add is that Peter Asher once left a couple of comments on this blog.