Casting Pearlman before Swine

Philip Gadahn, born Philip Pearlman, is an American musician from western Riverside County, California. He is best known as the artist behind several psych-folk happenings in the 60s & early 70s. He has attracted more mainstream attention in recent years because of his son, Adam Yahiye Gadahn, a convert to radical Islam & a suspected al Qaeda operative. Pearlman attended the University of California at Irvine. Phil is the son of a Jewish father & Protestant mother. Pearlman himself was raised agnostic. He converted to Christianity in the early 70s, just prior to recording the underground classic Relatively Clean Rivers. After conversion he changed his last name to ‘Gadahn’ as a tribute to the Bible’s Gideon.

The earliest known release from Phil is a surf/hot rod 45 with some unusual touches from the less-than-legendary Phil & the Flakes. Listed as #23 on the Top 40 Surf Music Vocals by Montjurich Surfboards.

 

Phil & the Flakes – Chrome Reversed Rails b/w Blower Scoop 7" 45,
Hydra Music FINK 1010, 1964.
all decryption codes in comments

 

After the Flakes flaked, Phil hooked up with other like-minded SoCal BoHo musicians & recorded a free spirited project called The Beat of the Earth.

 

The Beat of the Earth – The Beat of the Earth, Radish 0001, 1967.

Side 1 –

This Record is an Artistic Statement Part I

Side 2 –

This Record is an Artistic Statement Part II

 

Outtakes from the 1967 The Beat of the Earth recording session.

The Beat of the Earth – Our Standard 3-Minute Tune, Radish 0001½, 1994.

Side 1 –

Part I

Side 2 –

Part II

The Electronic Hole is a band put together after BOTE. Pearlman assembled The Electronic Hole in 1969 strictly for personal use, to serve as auditions for musicians for a new band. To help accomplish this & also to add to his own collection of demos, he used local studios in off-hours thanks to his friendship with album engineer Joe Sidore. The fact that Phil did a lot of his own recording helped create the rather unique sound tone of The Electronic Hole. One of the first things is the strange fuzz & noisy power combined with psychedelic riffing complexity. The next thing may be that it only has two song titles…"The Golden Hill" & "Love Will Find A Way" which are then divided into numerous parts. The whole noise usage & street-wise vocals may remind of The Velvet Underground. Pearlman's voice has a sound similar to John Cale's & The Electronic Hole has been called “a West Coast Velvets.

 

This album contains extremely rare songs from an extremely rare band. Original heavy psych sound that drones you into mind wandering. 

 

The Electronic Hole – The Electronic Hole, Radish 0002, 1970.

Side A –

The Golden Hill Part I

The Golden Hill Part II

The Golden Hill Part III

The Golden Hill Part IV

Side B –

Love Will Find a Way Part I

Love Will Find a Way Part II

Love Will Find a Way Part III

 

 

Phil assembled his band in the early 70s & eventually recorded this magnificent rural rock album in 1975. The Relatively Clean Rivers album stands with the very best albums of the era, possessing a purely American sound. Amazingly well produced compared to previous Pearlman releases, it is the very antithesis of his earlier material which was for the most part garage (although they in truth project a certain tangible level of sophistication). No measurable degree of time or expense was spared in the creation of the Relatively Clean Rivers album, which took over a year to assemble. It is one of the most flawless snapshots of the California seventies underground scene you will ever hear.

Some feel this album is the second coming, with strong apocalyptic acid visions & wonderful musicianship. Others feel that it’s a solid rural rock record with strands of late period psychedelia.Whichever, it is worth a good listen.

NOTE: Please avoid purchasing this album from the Radioactive label. Radioactive & its related label, Fallout are pirate operations, meaning they do not pay the original artists or copyright holders when they sell bootleg vinyl rips on CD. Read more about it at NothingExceptional.com.

Relatively Clean Rivers is: Phil Pearlman – vocals, guitar, bass, flute, baglama, harmonica, & synthesizer; Kurt Baker – vocals & guitar; plus John Alabaster – congas & Hank Quinn – drums on “The Persian Caravan” with Dwight Morouse – effects on “The Persian Caravan” & “A Thousand Years”.

Relatively Clean Rivers – Relatively Clean Rivers, Pacific Is 17601, 1976.

Side 1 –

Easy Ride

Journey Through the Valley of O

Babylon

Last Flight to Eden

Side 2 –

Prelude

Hello Sunshine

They Knew What to Say

The Persian Caravan

A Thousand Years

Enjoy,
NØ