Sunday, July 6, 2025

Psychedelic Jukebox: [1967] Dantalian's Chariot - The Madman Running Through The Fields

 

In the annals of British psychedelic music, Dantalian's Chariot stands as a luminous anomaly—a band that burned briefly in the kaleidoscopic fires of 1967 yet left behind a legacy far richer than its commercial lifespan would suggest. The group was born from the artistic metamorphosis of Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, a rhythm and blues outfit that had enjoyed moderate success in the early to mid-1960s. As the psychedelic movement swept across London, Zoot Money, along with guitarist Andy Summers (who would later gain international fame with The Police), reimagined the band as Dantalian's Chariot, fully embracing the sonic and visual aesthetics of the countercultural zeitgeist.

The band's name itself—drawn from a demon listed in the 17th-century grimoire "The Lesser Key of Solomon"—evoked a sense of arcane mysticism and otherworldliness, signaling their departure from conventional pop paradigms. Their live performances were an immersive, almost ritualistic experience. The band members dressed entirely in white, and all their instruments and amplifiers were similarly color-coded to reflect and amplify the vivid oil-based light shows projected on stage. These performances placed them squarely in the center of London's underground scene, alongside luminaries such as Soft Machine and Tomorrow. Their shows at venues like the UFO Club and Middle Earth were noted not just for their auditory richness but for their visual innovation, making them a synesthetic phenomenon that typified the psychedelic underground.

Musically, Dantalian's Chariot was an audacious fusion of experimental rock, early British psychedelia, jazz-inflected progressions, and Eastern instrumentation. Their lone single, "Madman Running Through the Fields," released in September 1967 on Columbia Records, is widely regarded as a seminal example of British psychedelic pop. The song's structure embodies a duality that reflects the psychedelic experience itself. Zoot Money explained that the song was constructed around two contrasting lyrical perspectives: one from the inner experience of a hallucinogen user, and the other from an outside observer witnessing this altered behavior. This dichotomy is reflected musically through abrupt tonal shifts, reverse tape effects, sitar-like guitar lines, and swirling organ textures. Andy Summers' guitar work, already technically impressive, displayed a deep engagement with modal experimentation and non-Western influences, prefiguring the more expansive directions of progressive rock.

Despite its musical sophistication and aesthetic daring, "Madman Running Through the Fields" failed to chart, largely due to EMI's uncertainty about promoting such an overtly psychedelic project. Nevertheless, the track earned critical acclaim and cult status, eventually being ranked #28 in Record Collector's list of the "100 Greatest Psychedelic Records." It also found its way into the acclaimed box set "Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire and Beyond," further cementing its place in the canon of 1960s psychedelia. In retrospective analysis, critics such as Richie Unterberger have praised the song's intricate layering and likened it to the early works of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. The song remains an enduring artifact of a brief but potent moment in British musical history.

While "Madman" was the only official release during the band's lifetime, Dantalian's Chariot recorded a full suite of tracks at Sound Techniques Studio in Chelsea. These sessions, shelved by EMI at the time, were later compiled into the posthumous album "Chariot Rising," released in the 1990s by Wooden Hill and later reissued by Esoteric Recordings.

The reissues of "Chariot Rising" have been celebrated for their meticulous remastering and inclusion of detailed liner notes. Audiophiles have lauded the preservation of the original mono mixes, which enhance the dense layering of the recordings. These releases have also helped to rehabilitate the band's reputation, bringing their music to new audiences and enabling a more nuanced appreciation of their work. Notably, Guerssen Records' vinyl editions include inserts designed in the visual style of late-60s psychedelia, further amplifying the authenticity of the listening experience.

Dantalian's Chariot was, in many ways, too ambitious and too ahead of their time to succeed in the conventional music market of the late 1960s. EMI, wary of the band's unorthodox presentation and complex arrangements, ultimately opted to distance itself from the project. Instead, some of the band's material was repurposed under Zoot Money's name, a move that further diluted their identity. Disillusioned, the band dissolved in early 1968, with its members scattering to other projects. Andy Summers, in particular, went on to have a storied career, collaborating with artists like Kevin Coyne, Soft Machine, and later co-founding The Police. Yet he has often spoken fondly of his time with Dantalian's Chariot, citing it as a crucible of creative experimentation.

Sources:

  1. https://jazzrocksoul.com/artists/dantalians-chariot/
  2. https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2017/10/dantalians-chariot-chariot-rising-review.html
  3. https://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/11/dantalians-chariot-chariot-rising-1967.html
  4. https://louderthanwar.com/dantalians-chariot-chariot-rising-remastered-edition-album-review/
  5. https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/dantalians-chariot-chariot-rising-remastered-edition-album-review
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dantalian%27s_Chariot
  7. https://therisingstorm.net/dantalians-chariot-chariot-rising/
  8. https://www.discogs.com/release/1834166-Dantalians-Chariot-Chariot-Rising
  9. https://www.shinybeast.nl/spotlight-2024-42
  10. https://www.discogs.com/master/379257-Dantalians-Chariot-Chariot-Rising
  11. https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/detail/-/art/dantalian-s-chariot-chariot-rising/hnum/7736948
  12. https://www.thesoundprojector.com/2019/03/19/chariot-rising/
  13. https://bracefortheobscure60srock.com/2024/02/09/i-shall-be-released-dantalions-chariot-high-flying-bird-brace-for-the-obscure-60s-rock-february-9-2024/
  14. https://bracefortheobscure60srock.com/2023/02/09/dantalians-chariot-sun-came-bursting-through-my-cloud-brace-for-the-obscure-60s-rock-february-9-2023/
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dantalian%27s_Chariot
  16. https://bracefortheobscure60srock.com/2024/07/12/dantalians-chariot-the-madman-running-through-the-fields-brace-for-the-obscure-60s-rock-july-12-2024/

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