There’s no problem picking out 10 albums from the class of ’68 to add to a classic rock Record collection. Bob Dylan was riding high in June 1968 with his 9^th album, John Wesley Harding. Amongst the memorable tracks are the original version of ‘All Along the Watchtower’ which was covered by Jimi Hendrix. ‘I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight’ and ‘I Pity The Poor Immigrant’ are also fine songs along with the haunting title track. It has been described as a sparse, austere album somewhat out of step with the summer of love but Dylan was never one to try to be fashionable.

Fleetwood Mac were formed in 1967 as a Blues group and their 1968 hit LP, sometimes called Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, is a fine example of British blues. This early work is far removed from the radio friendly Rumours, which would take the band to global stardom in 1977. If you like bands such as Cream, Yardbirds and early Rolling Stones then you will appreciate this record from Fleetwood Mac.

A band you may not have heard of were riding high in 1968- the Incredible String Band with Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter. They are very hard to classify but could be seen as acid/folk/psych/rockers. This album has quite an Eastern feel to it and it sounds just as strange today as it must have back in 1968. It does show just how receptive record buyers were in 1968 to new sounds.

Jimi Hendrix needs no introduction to Carouser readers. Smash Hits was a compilation of his hit singles and B sides which were not available on the studio albums plus four tracks from his first album Are You Experienced?. In the 1960s and well into the 1970s it was not uncommon for British bands to release a few singles and then do a studio album. Because a 12 “ vinyl record could only hold around 40 minutes of music, bands often left out previously released singles as they figured fans did not want to pay twice for the same material. Although there are other Hendrix compilations around, this LP is still a good introduction to the great man. Who wouldn’t want to listen to ‘Hey Joe’, ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Wind Cries Mary’?

Donovan was a very popular singer songwriter in the 1960’s who had many hits both in the UK and the USA. He was at one time hailed as the British Bob Dylan but is perhaps more representative of the hippy ethos of the 1960s. A Gift from a Flower to a Garden was a repackaging of two US LPs, Wear Your Love Like Heaven and For Little Ones.  This double album set does not include any of his more familiar hit singles. You can now buy this record as a single CD but Donovan’s Greatest Hits might be a better introduction.

The Byrds were the founding fathers of Country Rock and one of the first bands to cover Dylan songs. The Notorious Byrd Brothers did surprisingly well in the UK getting to No 12 in the album charts but only reached No 47 in the USA. Many excellent tracks on this album including ‘Going Back’ (a Goffin/King song) which has been covered by everyone from Dusty Springfield to Bon Jovi.

Julie Driscoll and the Brian Auger Trinity are probably the least known band today that charted in 1968. Julie had a very distinctive jazzy blues voice and she was accompanied by Hammond organist Brian Auger and his band. She was a skilled interpreter of other people’s songs and they had a top 5 hit single in 1968 with their version of the Dylan song, ‘This Wheels on Fire’. features her 7’40” interpretation of the Donovan song ‘Season of the Witch’. She is the only artist from this chart of 1968 whose records are not widely available today.

One of the best-known albums from this chart is the Small Faces Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake with it circular cover which is meant to look like a tobacco tin. Ogden’s Nut Brown Flake was a brand of pipe tobacco popular in the 1960s. This record is one of the best examples of British psychedelic rock ever recorded. The record is narrated by the surrealist English comedian Stanley Unwin and features classic tracks such as ‘Afterglow’ and ‘Lazy Sunday’. An essential record and my pick of the June 1968 chart.

Some dismiss the Beach Boys as pure pop but they were immensely successful in both the USA and UK with their surf pop sound. They were the pioneers of multi-track recording and had made some very elaborate albums such as Pet Sounds which is one of the greatest albums of all time and was to inspire the Beatles to record Sgt Pepper. Wild Honey, whilst not reaching the heights of Pet Sounds, is still an interesting album with great tracks such as ‘Darlin’ and ‘Country Air’.

Just bubbling under the June 1968 top 30 were British folk-rock outfit Pentangle who were formed by guitarists John Renbourn and Bert Jansch with Jaccqui McShee on vocals. They are best known for their 1969 LP Basket of Light which got to No 5 in the UK LP charts. Renbourn and Jansch were the finest folk guitarists ever to be recorded. Jacqui has quite a haunting voice, not unlike the late Sandy Denny. Pentangle present a purer version of folk than their contemporaries Fairport Convention.

The Carouser’s June 1968 revisionist top 10 album chart

Actual chart positions (Official UK Charts Company) on 9 June 1968 are in brackets.

1. Small Faces – Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake (23)
2. Jimi Hendrix – Smash Hits (12)
3. Bob Dylan – John Wesley Harding (3)
4. Incredible String Band – Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter (6)
5. Fleetwood Mac – (Peter Green’s) Fleetwood Mac (5)
6. Julie Driscoll & Brian Auger Trinity – Open (21)
7. The Byrds – Notorious Byrd Brothers (17)
8. Donovan – A Gift from a Flower to a Garden (16)
9. Beach Boys – Wild Honey (19)
10. Pentangle – The Pentangle (33)

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