Park Avenue Playground – I Know / The Trip

One question people have always ask me is ”What makes some records so expensive?” That’s a difficult question to answer, with more reasons than I care to think of, though in the case of this gem, the reason is rather simple. Released on USA Records in April of 1967, “The Trip” epitomized all things psychedelic, featuring a fuzzed out breezy song with a hard edged lyrical presentation , capturing a perfect in your face disjointed garage structured snapshot of the mild altering substance lysergic acid diethylamide. It was sort of a freak-flag freak-out of banner waving, a number that simply by hearing initiated one into the counter culture underground … and owning it, well that qualified you to run for President. There is a caveat here, the song was not taken from personal experience, it was all from the imagined standpoint of a 17 year old during those hazy days.

The flip side was not written by George Eder [later to take the name George Michael], and is a rather Beatle-ish number, a bit quieter, but with the same bizarre atmospheric presentation.

This record is highly prized and highly sought after, and I know those who’ve spent over one thousand dollars of this bit of wax. The reason why this 45 is so rare, is that USA refused to distribute the record, and in addition the overstock of records were kept in a basement which later flooded, destroy all of them. The vinyl that did survive were early copies that found their way to radio stations, or were given to friends by the artist, meaning that there are but a mere handful of these out there.

Oh, and the band’s name … Park Avenue Playground was just that, a playground on Park Avenue.

*** George Michael [George Elder] moved from New York to California, and now considers himself a musical journeymen, having played with and contributed to hundreds of artist and their outings.

While the 45 is impossible to find, Sundazed Records has reissued it as part of various artists production entitled 2131 South Michigan Avenue: 60’s Garage & Psychedelia from USA and Destination Records as a 3 vinyl LP set and a double disc CD compilation … and is well worth your while to explore.

Review by Jenell Kesler