The short-lived group Synanthesia, founded in London in 1968 by guitarist Leslie Cook, was a trio that also included 18-year-old Dennis Holmes, a former soul bassist who had switched to guitar and vibraphone. The trio was completed by jazz saxophonist and flautist Jim Fraser from Northern England. They performed in and around London and caught the attention of the then newly established record label Chrysalis. One of their regular venues was the notorious Three Tuns in Beckenham, Kent, home to David Bowie’s Arts Lab. Eventually, in 1969, they recorded their eponymous album in two days at London’s Sound Techniques.

It features lyrical, gentle folk-rock with psychedelic elements and ethereal vocals, based on purely acoustic instrumentation including acoustic guitar, bongos, saxophone, vibraphone and varied flute playing. However, getting the album released proved difficult, as no record company seemed interested. It was only after a long wait that Synanthesia secured a contract with RCA, which then released the album in England in November 1969 with a cover design and photographs by Terence Ibbott. Unfortunately, however, the record label did not show sufficient interest in promoting the band, and so the album flopped. Without RCA’s support and due to a lack of radio airplay, the trio disbanded, and the three musicians went their separate ways. The legacy of this creative and highly professional band is their sole album, which is now an absolute rarity as an original English pressing.