| The Amazing Charlatans | |
|---|---|
| Compilation album by The Charlatans | |
| Released | September 1996 |
| Recorded | August 1965 - early 1968 |
| Genre | Folk rock, psychedelic rock |
| Length | 67:29 |
| Label | Big Beat Records |
The Amazing Charlatans is a compilation album by the American psychedelic rock band The Charlatans that was released in 1996 by Big Beat Records.[1] The album is a collection of demos, tracks that appeared on singles, and previously unreleased sessions that the band recorded between August 1965 and early 1968, at a variety of different San Francisco studios.[2]
All but three of the tracks featured on the album were previously unreleased, although a number of them had appeared on unofficial or bootleg albums over the years.[1][2] The tracks on the album that had been officially released before were "The Shadow Knows" and "32–20", which had both been released on a 1966 single,[2] and "Codine", which had first appeared on the 1985 Rhino Records' compilation, Nuggets, Vol. 7: Early San Francisco.[3]
The tracks on the album originate from four recording dates: an August 1965 demo session for Autumn Records, a recording session for Kama Sutra Records in early 1966, a July 1967 demo session, and an early 1968 studio session.[2] The final track on the album is a radio commercial for Groom N' Clean hair preparation, recorded in November 1966.[2] It features the band playing their signature song, "Alabama Bound", with alternate lyrics outlining the merits of Groom N' Clean.[2]