goin’ round in my mind – the merrell fankhauser anthology 1964-1979

• Career anthology of Los Angeles-based musician Merrell Fankhauser described by one pundit as “the cult artist’s cult artist”.
• Includes his work as a solo performer and fronting such collectable garage rock/ psychedelic acts as The Exiles, Fapardokly, HMS Bounty and Mu.

Spriguns Of Tolgus (later shortened to just Spriguns) were a British folk-rock group formed in 1972, who have long been admired by connoisseurs of that era. Having made two self-funded albums, they attracted a major label deal with Decca for two further LPs, which demonstrated their growing originality, and caught the attention of some significant figures in that world.

An integral player on the Southern California music scene, the young Merrell Fankhauser’s budding career took off in 1964 after his family relocated to the Antelope Valley area of the Western Mojave Desert.

With the likes of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart also active in the area, Frankhauser hooked up with 14-year-old guitarist Jeff Cotton to form Merrell And The Exiles, a teen pop outfit who had a couple of local hits.

In 1967 Merrell put together Fapardokly, whose limited edition LP is now one of the rarest US psychedelic albums.

Fapardokly mutated into HMS Bounty, signed by UNI Records president Russ Regan. An HMS Bounty album was headed by ‘Things (Goin’ Round In My Mind)’, an insidious slice of bubblegum that fell just short of becoming a hit single.

HMS Bounty then gave way to Mu, a partial reformation of The Exiles that reunited Merrell with Jeff Cotton, who meanwhile had been a key member of Captain Beefheart’s band during the ‘Trout Mask Replica’ days.

After an acclaimed 1971 album, Mu moved to the Hawaiian island of Maui before breaking up. Merrell stayed on the island, living in a self-built jungle cabin and recording ‘The Maui Album’ before returning to the mainland.

A 6CD that includes the various 1964-1979 albums and singles in their entirety as well as numerous out-takes from the same time-frame, ‘Goin’ Round In My Mind’ – newly- remastered, and featuring a new 5000 word essay – is a fitting tribute to the prodigious career of a legendary cult talent.

Track Listing:

DISC ONE: Merrell and The Exiles – The Early Years
1. PLEASE BE MINE
2. DON’T CALL ON ME
3. SEND ME YOUR LOVE
4. SHAKE MY HAND
5. LONG, LONG TIME
6. DON’T LET GO
7. REMEMBER ME
8. PAIN IN MY HEART
9. LET THE TIME GO BY
10. ET ME GO
11. AN’T WE GET ALONG
12. HE’S GONE
13. UN BABY RUN
14. AKE IT BACK TO MEMPHIS
15. OVE ONLY YOU
16. OU’VE BEEN UNTRUE
17. OYS
18. AVE ON
19. HAT’S ALL I WANT FROM YOU
1 Single, Glenn 308, released April 1964
2-3 Single, Glenn 310, released June 1964
11, 19 Single, Golden Crown GMA-102, released September 1965
4-10, 12-18 Not originally released,recorded 1964-1965 Fapardokly

1. LILA
2. THE MUSIC SCENE
3. SORRY FOR YOURSELF
4. GLASS CHANDELIER
5. TOMORROW’S GIRL
6. SUZIE CRYIN’ (aka I SAW SUZIE CRYING)
7. MR. CLOCK
8. GONE TO POT
9. NO RETREAT
10. TOO MANY HEARTBREAKS
11. WHEN I GET HOME
12. SUPERMARKET
bonus tracks
13. THE WAR
14. YES I LOVE YOU
15. BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR WEEK
1-12 The album Fapardokly, UIP LP 2250, released circa February 1968
10 Single, Glenn 308, released April 1964
3,6 Single, Glenn 313, released April 1965
5,11 Single, Glenn 426, released April 1967 13-15 Not originally released, recorded 1966-1967

1. THINGS (GOIN’ ROUND IN MY MIND)
2. GIRL (I’M WAITING FOR YOU)
3. WHAT DOES SHE SEE IN YOU
4. LOST IN THE CITY
5. YOUR PAINTED LIVES
6. DRIVIN’ SIDEWAYS (ON A ONE WAY STREET)
7. IN A MINUTE NOT TOO SOON
8. A VISIT WITH ASHIYA
9. THE BIG GRAY SKY
10. RICH MAN’S FABLE
11. ICE CUBE ISLAND
12. MADAME SILKY
bonus tracks
13. I’M FLYING HOME (B-side)
14. TAMPA RUN (B-side)
15. EV’RYBODY’S TALKIN’ (A-side)
1-12 The album Things, Shamley SS 701, released December 1968
13 Single, Shamley S 44008, released March 1969
14-15 Single, Shamley S 44019, released November 1969

1. AIN’T NO BLUES
2. BALLAD OF BROTHER LEW
3. BLUE FORM
4. INTERLUDE
5. NOBODY WANTS TO SHINE
6. ETERNAL THIRST
7. TOO NAKED FOR DEMETRIUS
8. MUMBELLA BAYE TU LA
9. THE CLOUDS WENT THAT WAY
bonus tracks
10. YOU’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE (B-side)
11. ONE MORE DAY (A-side)
12. ON OUR WAY TO HANA (A-side)
1-9 The album MU, RTV Records RTV 300, released December 1971
10-11 Single, Mantra MS-101/102, released November 1972
12 Single, Mantra MS-103/104, released May 1973

1. THE LAND OF MU
2. MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE
3. HALEAKALA
4. BLUE JAY BLUE
5. SHOWERING RAIN
6. I SAW YOUR PHOTOGRAPH
7. IT’S LOVE THAT SINGS THE SONG
8. YOU AND I
9. CALLING FROM A STAR
10. WAITING FOR THE SUN
11. CHILDREN OF THE RAINBOW
12. WHO WILL WRITE THIS SONG
13. DAYBREAK SUNSHINE
14. DRINK FROM THE FOUNTAIN
15. THE LOVE WE BARE
16. IN MU
17. YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE
18. END OF AN ERA
19. EARTH NEWS INTERVIEW
20. THE AWAKENING
1-20 Not originally released, recorded early 1974

1. LOVELY LADY
2. I SAW YOUR PHOTOGRAPH
3. WE WERE ALL FREE
4. ON OUR WAY TO HANA
5. MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE
6. GARDEN IN THE RAIN
7. WATERFALL
8. LA LA DOES THE BOO RU
9. SAIL IT OVER THE OCEAN
10. LOVE IS ALL THERE IS
11. THE SOURCE
Bonus tracks
12. SOME OF THEM ESCAPED
13. THE WIND CRIES MAUI
14. PEACE IN THE WORLD
15. MATTHEW’S DREAM
16. DHARMIC CONNECTION
17. CALLING FROM A STAR
1-11 The album The Maui Album, Maui Music Recording Co. M 101, released February 1976
12-16 Not originally released, recorded 1975-1977
17 Single, Free Spirit FS-1001, released 1979