Flo & Eddie :: I Been Born Again

In 1972, Mark Volman (“Flo” aka Phlorescent Leech) Howard Kaylan (“Eddie”), original members of  The Turtles, took some time off from their gig with Frank Zappa’s band to record an album for Reprise called (of course), The Phlorescent Leech and Eddie. If you’re not curious already, what if I said this tune approximates something like a sweetly psychedelic Laurel Canyon acid trip, experienced from the back seat of the bus while Cowboy Neal cranks the wheel, doing doughnuts in the meadow? It’s trippy, tightly executed, and always on the edge of falling apart – controlled chaos delivered with a wry smile. Wildly under-appreciated stuff. words / r wilson

Flo & Eddie :: I Been Born Again

11 thoughts on “Flo & Eddie :: I Been Born Again

  1. I interviewed them (in Alice Cooper’s hotel room) during the 1973 Billion Dollar Babies tour; they were his opening act. The two said that Zappa was not pleased that they had left his band, making off not only with themselves, but also with his bassist Jim Pons (also, like them, an ex-Turtle) and drummer Aynsley Dunbar. But of course Frank was out of commission in those days, having been attacked in London, pushed off a stage by a fan into a concrete orchestra pit.

    Nice guys (as was Alice).

  2. Cool. There’s a cover of this song on The Phenomenal Handclap Band’s eponymous debut from 2009. If you haven’t heard that album, I very, very strongly recommend checking it out. Their version of this song is one of the highlights.

  3. Great stuff! Definitely an underrated album. And you can definitely hear a bit of a Zappa influence, especially with the percussion flourishes.

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