Wild Silk’s double-sided classic ‘(Vision In A) Plaster Sky’ / ‘Toymaker’ has long been coveted by enthusiasts of UK 60s pop-psych. The exciting news is that now an extensive anthology of the extant recordings by this talented Luton outfit is available, including what was intended for a full-length release at the time.
Signed by Shel Talmy Productions in early 1968, the quartet issued three singles in the UK as Wild Silk, alongside a further pair in the US (one under the name Basil), and a subsequent UK single credited to Cotton Socks. Mostly taped with the cream of British session men, the band’s recordings constitute a remarkable transatlantic take on the West Coast sunshine pop sound, with excellent covers of material by Sagittarius, Harpers Bizarre, the Tokens and Randy Newman, as well as strong original material in a Hollies/Grapefruit vein.
Visions In A Plaster Sky contains the released singles, the unissued Wild Silk album, and sundry outtakes, all produced by Shel Talmy. Also included are a brace of tracks cut in late 1969 with Talmy associate Hugh Murphy, when the band augmented its personnel ahead of being renamed Little Big Horn. These sport a heavier psych flavour and include an alternate mix of the current club favourite ‘Just A Game.’
Assembled from freshly-transferred masters and packaged with detailed notes from reissue producer Alec Palao, that include the contribution of all four original Wild Silk members, Visions In A Plaster Sky finally spills the beans on an intriguing entry in the British pop-psych pantheon, and will delight any aficionado of the genre.
