The Forum Quorum. 1968 Decca
The Forum Quorum is a way cool psych album from New York City area teenagers. They exclusively used Vox Continental organs, and were in fact sponsored by the company. They also made a couple of appearances on the Mike Douglas Show. And, on top of that, they also appeared in a movie. In a lot of ways, they were the East Coast equivalent to the Strawberry Alarm Clock, especially when you consider the amount of flute they employed. They didn't quite have the songwriting skills, or the master of harmony, as did SAC but otherwise a much better than average pop psych album, with plenty of progressive touches.
---1/15/24
In hearing my LP again for the first time in over a decade, this is one of those albums where you question yourself, as each track opens, "Is it really that good?" But as the songs develop you're drawn in by the diverse instrumentation and quality songwriting. Unlike a lot of 60s pop psych, the compositions are not static and demonstrate a progressive nature. I didn't mention the electric bouzouki prior, but that's another distinguishing characteristic. The Forum Quorum definitely display a Mediterranean background, consistent with being from the borough of Queens. Very solid album that remains under the radar.
Priority: 2
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