Records like Psychic Temple IV aren't made anymore. Maybe they never were. There is a magic present that some mistake for "tubes" or "tape" but it's no more complicated than putting the right musicians together with the right songs.
Produced and composed by band/cult leader Chris Schlarb, Psychic Temple IV is what happens when 87-year old Max Bennett (bassist on Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark and Hissing of Summer Lawns) plays with 26-year old drummer Tabor Allen (of Cherry Glazerr). British rock legend Terry Reid sings a trio of duets written and arranged for the only artist nicknamed "Superlungs". When keyboardist Mick Rossi wrote to say he would be in town with the Philip Glass Ensemble, songs were composed and a new date was put on the calendar.
The recording studio is not just Schlarb's laboratory, it's also his workplace. Since the release of 2015's Psychic Temple III he has produced over two dozen albums ranging in style from jazz, bluegrass, folk, and rock to country, R&B, experimental, and children's music. "I used to ditch class in high school and spend hours at the library researching how people made records," Chris says. "It's all I've wanted to do for the last 20 years." He recently opened BIG EGO, his own commercial studio in Long Beach, California.
Psychic Temple IV was recorded in Los Angeles over a series of eight large scale sessions. In the spirit of the classic Wrecking Crew sessions for Phil Spector and the Beach Boys, the band was often tasked with recording four songs per session. Vocals were added as soon as the rhythm section tracks were cut with Terry Reid, Arlene Deradoorian, and Nedelle Torrisi joining Chris in the studio to work out harmony parts and sing live together.
After making his vocal debut on III, Schlarb toured the country twice over. His voice is assured and he seems to have lived with these songs (and the idea of singing) for some time. His melodies are soulful yet unpredictable having transferred his ability to write for instrumental ensembles to pop music. And yet the exploratory spirit of the first Psychic Temple album still abides. The music has been pored over with both care and abandon. There is magic in Psychic Temple IV. It's no more complicated than that.
released July 14, 2017
PSYCHIC TEMPLE IV
Side A
1. Spanish Beach
Tabor Allen – drums
Max Bennett – electric bass
Avi Buffalo – electric guitar
Dave Easley – pedal steel guitar
Eamon Fogarty – backing vocal
Danny Frankel – percussion
Nathan Hubbard – vibraphone
Danny T. Levin – trombone
David Moyer – baritone saxophone
Chris Schlarb – acoustic and 12-string electric guitar, vocals
Anthony Shadduck – double bass
Kris Tiner – trumpet
Jeremy Trezona – tenor saxophone
John Clement Wood – Wurlitzer electric piano
2. Wait For Me
Tabor Allen – drums
Max Bennett – electric bass
Arlene Deradoorian – backing vocals
Danny Frankel – percussion
Davin Givhan – acoustic guitar
Chris Schlarb – acoustic guitar, vocals
Nedelle Torrisi – backing vocals
John Clement Wood – Wurlitzer electric piano
Interlude
Philip Glenn – mandolin
Chris Schlarb – 12-string electric guitar
John Clement Wood – Hammond organ
3. Dream Dictionary
Tabor Allen – drums
Davin Givhan – acoustic guitar
Philip Glenn – Wurlitzer electric piano
Nathan Hubbard – vibraphone
Terry Reid – vocals
Chris Schlarb – 12-string electric guitar, vocals
Anthony Shadduck – double bass
Interlude
Philip Glenn – mandolin
Chris Schlarb – 12-string electric guitar
John Clement Wood – Hammond organ
4. Turn Off The Lights
Tabor Allen – percussion
Dave Easley – pedal steel guitar
Danny Frankel – percussion
John Clement Wood – Hammond organ
Steuart Liebig – electric bass
Terry Reid – vocals
Chris Schlarb – acoustic guitar, vocals
Chad Taylor – drums
Interlude
Davin Givhan – acoustic guitar
Philip Glenn – mandolin
Chris Schlarb – acoustic guitar
5. Nazarene Dream
Tabor Allen – drums
Max Bennett – electric bass
Avi Buffalo – electric guitar
Arlene Deradoorian – backing vocals
Danny Frankel – drums
Eamon Fogarty – backing vocals
Nathan Hubbard – vibraphone
Danny T. Levin – trombone
David Moyer – baritone saxophone
Chris Schlarb – acoustic guitar, 12-string electric guitar, vocals
Nedelle Torrisi – backing vocals
Jeremy Trezona – tenor saxophone
John Clement Wood – Hammond organ
Side B
1. S.O.S.
Prelude
Danny T. Levin – trombone
David Moyer – baritone saxophone
Kris Tiner – trumpet
Jeremy Trezona – tenor saxophone
Tabor Allen – drums
Danny Frankel – percussion
Davin Givhan – acoustic & electric guitar
Lloyd Harmon – backing vocals
Nathan Hubbard – vibraphone, tone bells
Steuart Liebig – electric bass
Mick Rossi – Wurlitzer electric piano
Chris Schlarb – acoustic & electric guitar, vocals
2. Paper Tiger
Tabor Allen – drums
Mike Baggetta – electric guitar
Max Bennett – electric bass
Arlene Deradoorian – backing vocals
Danny Frankel – percussion
Nathan Hubbard – vibraphone
Chris Schlarb – acoustic guitar, vocals
Nedelle Torrisi – backing vocals
John Clement Wood – Hammond organ
Interlude
Tabor Allen – percussion
Danny Frankel – percussion
Terry Reid – acoustic guitar
Chris Schlarb – acoustic guitar
3. If I Don't Leave, They'll Take Me Away
Tabor Allen – percussion
Davin Givhan – acoustic guitar
Philip Glenn – mandolin
Terry Reid – vocals
Chris Schlarb – acoustic guitar, vocals
Anthony Shadduck – double bass
Interlude
Tabor Allen – percussion
Danny Frankel – percussion
Philip Glenn – violin
Terry Reid – acoustic guitar
Chris Schlarb – acoustic guitar
John Clement Wood – Hammond organ
4. The Art of Giving Up
Tabor Allen – drums
Danny Frankel – percussion
Philip Glenn – Hammond organ
Nathan Hubbard – vibraphone, tone bells, glockenspiel
Danny T. Levin – trombone
Steuart Liebig – electric bass
David Moyer – baritone saxophone
Mick Rossi – Wurlitzer electric piano
Chris Schlarb – acoustic guitar, vocals
Anthony Shadduck – double bass
Kris Tiner – trumpet
Jeremy Trezona – tenor saxophone
Interlude
Philip Glenn – violin
John Clement Wood – Hammond organ
5. Isabella Ocean Blue
Tabor Allen – percussion
Dave Easley – pedal steel guitar
Danny Frankel – percussion
John Clement Wood – Hammond organ
Danny T. Levin – trombone
Steuart Liebig – electric bass
David Moyer – baritone saxophone
Chris Schlarb – 12-string electric guitar
Chad Taylor – drums
Kris Tiner – trumpet
Jeremy Trezona – tenor saxophone
Composed, Arranged, and Produced by Chris Schlarb
Mixed by Ronan Chris Murphy and Chris Schlarb at BIG EGO, Long Beach, CA.
musicfromBIGEGO.com
Engineered by Jeff Lewis and Devin O'Brien
Assistant Engineered by William Caleb Parker and Steve Krolikowski
Recorded at All Welcome Records, Inglewood, CA. and BIG EGO, Long Beach, CA.
Mastered by Ian Sefchick at Capitol Records
All songs written by Chris Schlarb unless noted
"Wait For Me” & "Nazarene Dream"
Music by Chris Schlarb, lyrics by Tabor Allen & Chris Schlarb
“Paper Tiger”
Music by Chris Schlarb, lyrics by Tabor Allen
Horn arrangement on “Isabella Ocean Blue” by Jeremy Trezona
Cover Photography by Olivia Hemaratanatorn
Inner Sleeve Photography by Devin O'Brien, Olivia Hemaratanatorn, and Ian Souter
Artwork and Layout by David J. Woodruff
C+P 2017 Joyful Noise Recordings & Psychic Temple