Kaleidoscope – Tangerine Dream

I found Tangerine Dream completely randomly, and now I think it’s a timeless album. I used to go into a vinyl shop in Denmark Street that used to sell loads of 60s music. I bought a test pressing of Fairfield Parlour [Kaleidoscope’s eventual band name] there. I would often talk with this hippy guy in there, so I asked him what other music was out there like that record.

Tangerine Dream was then lent to me by a friend’s next-door neighbour, and I had no idea about it. I just fell in love with it. It’s so English, so Fairport Convention. Typical 60s lyrics and crazy clothes. When I DJ’d, I’d do some obscure 60s sets. Anything Englishy-sounding. I had an idea of making a reissue label that put out classic 60s bands, including Nick Drake, The Eyes, and after listening to Tangerine Dream, Kaleidoscope too! So, I contacted their major label asking if I could licence the album. They wanted £3000, and in 89 that was a lot of money!

I ended up contacting the singer Peter Daltrey, and we put out a double album. It didn’t do very well, but it’s still a nice double CD that I’m happy to have done.