SAM GOPAL’S DREAM (SAM GOPAL DREAM)
Sam Gopal (also called Sam Gopal’s Dream) was an underground British Psychedelic rock band. The band was named after its founder, Sam Gopal, born in Malaysia. From the age of seven, he played tabla, a northern Indian percussion instrument, which replaced drums in the band. The first line-up was Sam Gopal on tabla, Mick Hutchinson on guitar, Pete Sears on bass guitar and keys, and later towards the end, Andy Clark on organ and vocals. On 28 April 1967, the band performed at The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, a UK Underground event organised by the International Times at Alexandra Palace. Sam Gopal’s Dream played at the UFO Club (their first show), The Electric Garden in Covent Garden (later to become Middle Earth), The Roundhouse, and Happening 44. (More from Wikipedia)
In 1966, two of the bandmembers in the Sons of Fred joined an underground psychedelic rock band called Sam Gopal’s Dream. Sam Gopal is from Malaysia and plays the tabla, a type of drum that often accompanies the sitar in Indian music. Bandmembers initially were Sam Gopal (tabla), Mick Hutchinson (guitar), and Pete Sears (bass guitar); a little later, Andy Clark was added on organ.
Sam Gopal’s Dream performed at The 14 Hour Technicolor Dream, the benefit concert mentioned earlier for the International Times underground newspaper, and also at the UFO Club. To date, the recordings made by Sam Gopal’s Dream for Screen Gems Records in 1967 remain unreleased.
(March 2014/2)
