Family centered on the talents of guitarist John "Charlie" Whitney and vocalist Roger Chapman, and found early acceptance in the London underground scene. The pair was originally in the Leicester-based Farinas, along with sax/flute player Jim King and bassist Ric Grech. American producer Kim Fowley gave them their name, a reference to their "mafia" appearance. Rob Townsend then arrived on drums, and after recording one single for the Liberty label, they were signed by Reprise Records.

Fairport Convention got its start in the same London underground as their more psychedelic counterparts and eventually became England’s first (and finest) electric folk band. Founded by bassist Ashley Hutchings, guitarists Simon Nicol and Richard Thompson, and singer Judy Dyble, the band took its name from Nicol’s parents’ house in Muswell Hill. Drummer Martin Lamble joined after their first gig, while second vocalist Iain Matthews (McDonald) was recruited just prior to the recording of their first album.

Another stanchion of the London underground scene, Arthur Brown had huge success with the single "Fire" b/w "Rest Cure." Released in June, it rose to the top of the UK charts, while reaching No. 2 in the US that September. The single was a tough act to follow, perhaps even overshadowing the rest of his career. But let's not sell the man short. Brown's real contribution to rock music was theatre: his on-stage antics-from fire helmet to crucifixion-set the standard for most every act to follow.

With Syd Barrett's unpredictability on stage reaching the point of embarrassment for the band, Pink Floyd-bassist Roger Waters, drummer Nick Mason and keyboardist Rick Wright-forged ahead into 1968 with fellow Cambridge guitarist and friend David Gilmour in tow. Driven by pressure from EMI for another hit, they first released a single, "It Would Be So Nice" b/w "Julia Dream" in April, but it was mostly throwaway. However, the album, A Saucerful Of Secrets, fared much better.

As the In Crowd, a London-based mid-60s soul band, bassist John "Junior" Wood and singer Keith West (born Keith Alan Hopkins) found middling success, but after teaming with ex-Syndicats guitarist Steve Howe and drummer John "Twink" Alder, the quartet rebranded themselves as Tomorrow and launched straight into the popular psychedelia of 1967.

Taking their name from Steve Marriott's (of the Small Faces) euphemism for being high, The Nice originally formed as a back-up band for Immediate label soul singer P.P. Arnold. But the group's infatuation with Jimi Hendrix-like stage antics, manifested in Keith Emerson's keyboard histrionics, led them quickly away from the singer and into London's limelight. Guitar heroes had been around for years already, but Emerson lashed out as England's first keyboard showman.

Upon review, The Nice's self-titled third record is certainly not their strongest effort, as it fails to offer any progress on the band's prior two releases. The album opens with "Azrael Revisited," though Keith Emerson's piano is an inferior substitute to David O'List's guitar on the original single.

With David O'List gone, Keith Emerson firmly took charge of The Nice. It should be no surprise then that their second effort finds the trio diving deeper into the classical music realm to further flaunt Emerson's keyboard histrionics. Their six-minute rendition of Leonard Bernstein's "America," from the musical West Side Story (recorded while O'List was still with the band), was released as a single and nearly reached the UK Top 20 in July.