Biography
Although the Syn issued just a pair of singles, British rock enthusiasts have long held the group in esteem, largely because guitarist Peter Banks and bassist Chris Squire later appeared in Yes’s original 1968 lineup. Both 1967 Deram releases traced the ensemble’s shift from mod sounds toward psychedelic guitar rock in a style reminiscent of Tomorrow, the era’s celebrated British psych cult act that featured Steve Howe. The opening A-side, “Created by Clive,” struck the musicians as an affected Carnaby Street confection they never favored, whereas its B-side, the hard mod pop number “Grounded,” displayed the band’s true leanings through its soaring soul harmonies and the dialogue between organ and bright guitar lines.
That promise reached full expression on the final 45, “14 Hour Technicolour Dream,” widely regarded as one of the strongest lesser-known British psychedelic singles of the period and, indeed, among the finest examples from any act. Drawing its title from the celebrated 1967 London festival, the track distilled the era’s pop-psych virtues—catchy, buoyant melody, crisp vocal blends, sudden structural shifts, drumming reminiscent of the Who, and restrained guitar fuzz—into a concise, exhilarating whole. Issued only as the flip of “Flowerman,” it failed to chart, and the group dissolved in early 1968. Banks and Squire spent several months in another psychedelic outfit, Mabel Greer’s Toyshop, before becoming founding members of Yes. All four Syn sides have since surfaced on various British psych-pop anthologies; the same tracks plus a demo of “Flowerman” also appear on Peter Banks’ Can I Play You Something?, a collection of pre-Yes recordings.
In a surprising development, the Syn reconvened in 2004 and proved far more prolific in this later phase than during the 1960s. The revived lineup of bassist Squire, guitarist Paul Stacey, keyboardist Gerard Johnson, drummer Jeremy Stacey, and vocalist Steve Nardelli delivered Syndestructible in October 2005. Subsequent performances featured Squire, Nardelli, Johnson, guitarist Shane Theriot, and drummer Alan White. Eventually the project became Nardelli’s own, with supporting players rotating for live dates and recordings. Two further studio albums, Armistice Day (2007) and Big Sky (2009), preceded the live set The Syn Live Rosfest (2015) and the studio album Trustworks (2016). In 2021 Grapefruit Records released Flowerman: Rare Blooms from the Syn 1965-69, a compilation of the original singles and additional rarities.
That promise reached full expression on the final 45, “14 Hour Technicolour Dream,” widely regarded as one of the strongest lesser-known British psychedelic singles of the period and, indeed, among the finest examples from any act. Drawing its title from the celebrated 1967 London festival, the track distilled the era’s pop-psych virtues—catchy, buoyant melody, crisp vocal blends, sudden structural shifts, drumming reminiscent of the Who, and restrained guitar fuzz—into a concise, exhilarating whole. Issued only as the flip of “Flowerman,” it failed to chart, and the group dissolved in early 1968. Banks and Squire spent several months in another psychedelic outfit, Mabel Greer’s Toyshop, before becoming founding members of Yes. All four Syn sides have since surfaced on various British psych-pop anthologies; the same tracks plus a demo of “Flowerman” also appear on Peter Banks’ Can I Play You Something?, a collection of pre-Yes recordings.
In a surprising development, the Syn reconvened in 2004 and proved far more prolific in this later phase than during the 1960s. The revived lineup of bassist Squire, guitarist Paul Stacey, keyboardist Gerard Johnson, drummer Jeremy Stacey, and vocalist Steve Nardelli delivered Syndestructible in October 2005. Subsequent performances featured Squire, Nardelli, Johnson, guitarist Shane Theriot, and drummer Alan White. Eventually the project became Nardelli’s own, with supporting players rotating for live dates and recordings. Two further studio albums, Armistice Day (2007) and Big Sky (2009), preceded the live set The Syn Live Rosfest (2015) and the studio album Trustworks (2016). In 2021 Grapefruit Records released Flowerman: Rare Blooms from the Syn 1965-69, a compilation of the original singles and additional rarities.
Albums
