Haymarket Square - Magic Lantern 1968
Contents
- Introduction
- Magic Lantern
- The Baron & Bailey Light Circus
- Biography & reviews
- Lyrics
- References
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1. Introduction
On 3 January 2025 the writer was introduced to Haymarket Square, a young American (Chicago-based) psychedelic rock band with a female lead vocalist and song writer. Their music was in a similar vein to San Francisco's Jefferson Airplane, though heavier, with drums and fuzz-toned electric guitar to the fore. They took their name from Haymarket Square, a commercial area in Chicago, Illinois, that is known for the Haymarket Affair, a violent confrontation between police and workers that took place there in 1886. The band's one and only recording - 1968's extremely rare 12" LP Magic Lantern (Chaparral Records) - was apparently only released in a limited edition of 80-100 copies. It's sound quality was tinny, which was common for the time in American pop culture recordings primarily aimed at the radio market, rather than catering to the burgeoning LP sales and increasing hi-fidelity preferred therein. Whilst the recorded sound may have been thin, the lyrics and music were heavy, especially when the drama of drugs was introduced into the traditional staples of love and blues. The band's track Funeral is a perfect example of this, as the singer wails above a slow blues backing about leaving town, taking a trip, and dying. The late 1960s was a period of much experimentation, in both counterculture lifestyles, popular music and recording techniques, with the UK leading the way in the latter.
Magic Lantern was released around June 1968, prior to the appearance of the landmark Led Zeppelin LP (November 1968) which would capture on a popular modern rock record for perhaps the first time the true audio-sonic dimensions of a modern rock band. This was no fluke. It was the result of the engineering expertise of Glyn Johns, musical direction of Jimmy Page, John Bonham's powerful drumming, Robert Plant's insane vocals, the bass, keyboard and studio talents of John Paul Jones, and the visionary guitar and songwriting abilities of Page. In comparing the recorded sound of Magic Lantern with Led Zeppelin I in 1968, one can see a closer relationship in sound dynamics and quality of Haymarket Square with the Yardbirds during 1966, just prior to Page joining that band. Whilst the United States may have been dominating the charts in 1968 with Bubblegum and other pop fads evident in recordings by bands such as the Monkees, the British were capturing on record the multidimensional audio aspects of this new LSD-driven phenomena called psychedelia. Not only was it being expressed through drug-drenched lyrics, it was also seen in the so-called counterculture movement and the existence of a distinct group of young people known as hippies, but most especially in the long, experimental musical jams of bands such as Cream, the Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. These varied significantly from what music aficionados had become used to since the 1920s with jazz, especially in the use of fuzz-tone and wah wah guitar effects, most evident from late 1966 in the live performances and recordings of Hendrix - an American who found his sound thanks to the audio recording talents of British engineers and producers such as Chas Chandler. Further evidence of the rapid changes in popular music at the time was seen in the American garage band The Real Things and its transformation, by the second half of 1967, from British Beat copyists into the psychedelic Haymarket Square which gave us something not widely recognised at the time - the classic 1968 Magic Lantern LP.
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2. Magic Lantern
Magic Lantern was the result of an early 1968 initiative by two university professors, a Chicago arts facility, and Haymarket Square. The band's musicians at the time of recording (May-June 1968) included the following:
- Gloria Lambert (21) - vocals. Her voice is reminiscent of both Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) and Judith Durham (The Seekers).
- Mark Swenson (18) - guitar, vocals. Heavy use of fuzz-toned guitar and wah wah pedal, typical for the time and extended leads.
- Robert Homa (19) - bass, vocals. Almost invisible on the record due to the tight link between his bass playing and the highly percussive drums of his friend Kowalski.
- John Kowalski (19) - percussion. Prominent throughout the recordings on Magic Lantern, with distinctive fast rolls.
The LP was recorded by engineer Laddie Oleson; album photography was by Bob Bailey, Bob Baron and (?) Wenner; band manager was Dan Kovacevic; and equipment manager was John Rantz. All the musicians were involved to varying degrees in the song writing for the LP, with Lambert's compositional abilities - both lyrical and musical - most prominent. Magic Lantern comprised the following tracks:
- Elevator 6.55 (Lambert). Dominant drum melody plus vocals, with psychedelic lead guitar break from the 4.20 minute mark. Refer lyrics below. [0.00 - 07.00]
- Train Kept a Rollin' 7.15. Possibly vocal by Homa. Traditional tune, based on the Yardbirds version, with drums dominant until vocals and guitar come in. A strange song to include in the LP, but perhaps it was one of the band's live highlights, and harked back to Kowalski and Homa's The Real Things garage band origins. [07.00 - 14.25]
- Ahimsa 8.08 (Kowalski - Homa - Swenson). Dominant guitar and drum jam, with drum solo. Possibly recorded as background music for the installation. No vocals. [14.25 - 22.40]
- Amapola (Swenson) 10.30. Vocals by Swenson, plus background vocals by Lambert. Refer lyrics below. [22.40 - 26.20, 28.48 - 37.35]
- Phantasmagoria (Lambert) 2.26. Evidence of Lambert's classical and folk origins. Inserted in between My Amapola. Refer lyrics below. DDFGD [26.20 - 28.48]
- Funeral (Lambert) 9.25. Traditional blues. Refer lyrics below. [37.35 - 46.58]
Copies of the complete recording, and selected individual tracks, have been posted on YouTube.
Haymarket Square, Magic Lantern, 1968, YouTube, duration: 46.57 minutes.
According to a Rarest Records note, the LP was .... released privately through Chaparral (CRM 201) a pressing label used by Laddies Recording Studios, named after proprietor and engineer Laddie Oleson. ....It was mainly composed for a museum's sound and light show. Therefore, it features long instrumental passages of fuzzy psychedelic guitar and lots of drums. A copy sold in 2015 for £3169.
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| Guerssen LP in pink, rear cover, circa 2012. |
Releases of Magic Lantern (c.f. Discog) include the following, from initial print run in 1968 and leading up to the remastered edition of 2021:
- 1968 - Chaparral Records (CRM 201), original release of 12" LP, with red cover. 1st official release.
- 1996 - The Sacred Temple of the Golden Icon, STG001, 12" LP release with red cover. Bootleg.
- 1996 - LSD007, CD release, with red cover. Bootleg.
- 1998 - Osmose Productions, Europe, LP. Bootleg.
- 2001 - Gear Fab Records, GF176, CD release, first official re-release, with red gatefold cover and liner notes by John Kowalski.
- 2001 - Gear Fab Records, GF176 / Comet Records, 12" LP, first official re-release, with red gatefold cover and liner notes by John Kowalski.
- 2009 - Void Records (VOID 52), Millbrook, New Jersey, 12" LP with pink gatefold cover.
- 2013 - Guerssen, Spain, 12" LP release, with pink gatefold cover.
- 2017 - Russian bootleg of Gear Fab Records release of 2001.
- 2021 - Guerssen, France, 12" LP release, with pink gatefold cover and paper strap. Remastered.
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3. The Baron & Bailey Light Circus
The music on the album was used to accompany the Baron and Baily Light Circus performance and psychedelic lightshow installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, from 25 June through to 7 July 1969. As such, it included additional sound effects and extended jams to provide the space for contemplation of the visuals presented within the MCA space. It is likely that if not for the initiative by Baron and Baily, Haymarket may never have entered a recording studio.
Reference to the installation was included on the reverse of the album cover. Two posters are also known, along with a number of colour photographs of the exhibition, along with archival pre-exhibition drawings and a letter dated circa March 1968 from one of the proponents of the show.
A detailed account of The Baron & Bailey Light Circus is to be found in the comprehensive September 2020 Magic Lantern Society article by Jeremy Brooker available here in pdf form.
Haymarket Square appeared at the MCA "live & in colour" on the afternoons of Saturday and Sunday, June 29 & 30, between 12 noon and 5 p.m. to perform numbers from the Magic Lantern album.
Members of the original Baron & Bailey Light Circus included: Bill Bailey, Bill Baron, Gerald Warner, Nick Pan, Mona Berman and Michael Siwek. The following poem by Siwek appeared on the reverse of the cover of Magic Lantern in 1968. It reflects aspects of the LSD-induced psychedelic experience, or that of other hallucinogenic drugs and related states of consciousness.
Magic Lantern
The lights
inside the mind
exploding in
flashes of
purple. Ripped with
scarlet, yellow, tangerine mist
exploding through the walls
of reality
images fade,
descend,
become changes
through thought
processes of good to
evil.
Shapes appear out
of nothingness, to fade
into something which
rotates, flashing, vibrates
yielding only to the
thoughts
of man alone.
Lights disappear briefly
only to come on again
more vibrant
more grotesque
more beautiful.
... Michael Siwek
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| Void Records, rear cover, 2012. |
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4. Biography & reviews
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| Haymarket Square, undated. Equipment: VOX AC30 & Fender amps. |
The three of us were in desperate need for a lead singer when Bob received a phone call from Gloria Lambert. Gloria was in a folk band called Jordan, Damian and Samantha and was looking for something more electric and exciting. An audition was set for the following Friday. the audition would prove to be more than we expected. Keep in mind that Mark was 17 and Bob and I were 18. When Gloria walked into the audition and sang, our jaws dropped. Gloria was blonde, tall, 20 years old and sang like a cross between an angel and Grace Slick. We knew that with the addition of Gloria, the new band would be able to develop a sound that would be unique from all other Chicago garage bands. All we needed now was a name. One day I noticed the large bronze statue of a police officer dressed in a uniform, from the early 1900s. His hand was raised over his head with two fingers pointed up in the form of a peace sign. The statue was located in Haymarket Square in memory of a labor riot that took place at the turn of the century. The current year was 1967 and student unrest was on the rise. Haymarket Square was the perfect name for the band. In the late 1960s Haymarket Square's popularity was on the rise and we soon begin playing such premier venues as Chicago's The Electric Playground, the Playboy Mansion, and numerous teen clubs such as the Hut, The Deep End and The Cellar. We played with well known groups such as the Yardbirds, Cream and HP Lovecraft. In addition, the band played with other popular local groups, such as Saturday's Children and the Shadows of Knight. We were heavily influenced by bands such as Cream, HP Lovecraft, Jefferson Airplane and a variety of folk and blues bands. Needless to say we idolize the Jefferson Airplane and soon we began writing our own songs with subject matter ranging from the psychedelic to the occult. You have to remember that at this time, rock bands with a female in the lead singer position were practically non-existent. This CD is a result of a relationship between Haymarket Square and the Baron and Bailey Light Circus. The Baron and Bailey Light Circus, which was produced by two professors from the University of Illinois, was the dynamic combination of music with changing light patterns and colors. In the Summer of 1968, the Baron and Bailey Light Circus, with Haymarket Square, was exhibited as a living work of art at the Museum Contemporary Art in Chicago. Shortly after the songs on this CD were recorded the band had a change in personnel. Bob decided to leave the band and was replaced on bass by Ken Pitlick. In an effort to increase the tonal texture of our songs, Robert Mueller joined on rhythm guitar. The band continued to play with this lineup until it disbanded in 1974. The talent in Haymarket Square was enormous. Both Bob and Mark, as well as myself, taught ourselves to play our respective instruments. Gloria had studied classical piano since the age of six. Everyone was creative and Gloria had a knack for writing and composing. Reviews of the band by Chicago critics were extremely positive. Unfortunately, with the break up of the group, everyone went their separate ways into other careers, including architecture and teaching. Mark, and Gloria married, had two sons both musicians, and divorced, but the legacy of this unique band lives on in this CD. The late 1960s was a time of turmoil and change. The music of Haymarket Square reflects the uncertainty and creativeness of an emerging era of music.
* Allmusic.com. - Drummer John Kowalski and bass player Bob Homa formed Haymarket Square in Chicago in the late '60s. Both had previously toiled in Chicago high school garage band the Real Things, the name a derivation and tribute to English beat band the Pretty Things. Not your typical amateurs, the Real Things actually played professional instruments and earned professional gigs until they disintegrated in 1967 due to the usual reasons of the season, leaving the two original members to assemble a new unit. Homa decided to place ads in the campus newspaper of the University of Illinois Chicago - where both he and Kowalski had enrolled by this time - as well as in two local Chicago dailies. Guitarist Marc Swenson, a 17-year-old lead player who idolized and emulated Dave Davies, was the first to answer and was quickly hired after a short, impressive audition. The three then set about searching for a singer, but were unsuccessful until receiving a call from Gloria Lambert, who had also seen their advertisement. At the time, she was biding her time in the folk band Jordan, Damian, and Samantha until something more exciting (i.e., electric) came along for which she could utilize her classically trained skills. An audition was set, and when the 20-year-old blonde with the powerful Grace Slick voice showed up, the three teenagers were somewhat awestruck and, of course, impressed, and snapped her up immediately. Like Swenson, Lambert also happened to be a strong burgeoning songwriter. The quartet took the name Haymarket Square in honor of the Chicago Labor riot that took place at the turn of the century. Within a short time, the band had earned a strong local reputation and degree of popularity on the Chicago rock scene, playing premier rooms such as the Electric Playground and the Playboy Mansion in addition to the many teen clubs and hangouts, and sharing stages with important international groups like the Yardbirds and Cream, as well as local favorites H.P. Lovecraft, Saturday's Children, and the Shadows of Knight. Soon they were composing their own songs in imitation of their idols Jefferson Airplane, while also absorbing the city's blues and folk traditions, and adding a smattering of Lovecraftian occult touches. Haymarket Square's escalating stature led to an offer from the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art in the summer of 1968 to act as backup musicians for a live work of art that was on display at the time, the Original Baron and Bailey Light Circus, produced by a pair of University of Illinois professors. It in turn led to Magic Lantern, released on independent Chaparral Records later in 1968. As the music featured on it was initially utilized as live accompaniment and created expressly with that purpose in mind, the album plays much like the records of the Airplane's middle, most psychedelic period, as much visceral experiences to fill San Francisco ballrooms as they are objects for home listening, or like early Grateful Dead recordings, intended as soundtracks for Acid Tests and experimental light shows. But as with the work of those bands, Magic Lantern transcends its intended purpose; in fact, it is one of the stronger - not to mention one of the earliest - slices of acid rock from the era, outstanding in every way, from Kowalski's expert drumming to Lambert's impressive, insistent singing to the intensely mood-filled, darkly textured original songs. The band changed personnel shortly after the album's release. Homa chose to exit the band and was replaced by Ken Pitlik, while Robert Miller added a second guitar to the mix. This version of Haymarket Square continued through 1974, when they called it quits. By this point, Swenson and Lambert had married, while the others went their own separate ways. In the intervening decades since its release, Magic Lantern was extensively bootlegged, especially in America and Europe. Finally, at the end of 2001, Gear Fab officially released the first authorized CD reissue of the album in all its original glory, exposing one of the most significant remaining archival finds from the '60s acid counterculture.
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| Baron & Bailey Light Circus, 1968. Source: MCA, Chicago. |
* Lost Horizon - Haymarket Square are yet another example of the brilliant, psychedelic sounds coming from the USA musical underground of the late ’60s through the early 1970s. Like many other bands featured here on Loud Horizon, they would record only one LP in their time together. But boy – what a doozy! Copies of the original pressing have been sold via Discogs from between £1500 and £2700! The band came about with the demise of Chicago garage band, The Real Things. As the young band parted for college and other personal reasons, drummer John Kowalski and rhythm guitarist Bob Homa decided to form a new outfit. Auditions were advertised in their University of Illinois newspaper and other local rags. Guitarist Marc Swenson immediately impressed with his ability to play in the style of The Kinks‘ Dave Davies. No question – he was hired right away! With an impressive guitarist in place, Bob moved over onto bass. There was now just one integral position to be filled – that of vocalist. Desperation was setting in on the three young players (John & Bob were 18, Marc, just 17) when out of the blue, Bob received a phone call from the twenty year old, tall, blond Gloria Lambert. She was at that time singing in a Folk band but was looking for something a bit more ‘electric;’ something more raucous and exciting. Gloria, as you can hear on the tracks here, was so strong in her delivery and had that sort of Grace Slick, psychedelic feel to her tone. It was the perfect match. This was 1967, and female singers taking on lead vocals in rock bands was at this point, still relatively unusual. The band were already almost one step ahead of other Chicago bands. Now for a name. Civil disobedience was rife amongst the US student population at this point, and when John Kowalski saw a statue marking a labour riot back in the early 1900s he adopted the name of the location – Haymarket Square. It wasn’t long before the band’s name and reputation grew to such level that they were opening in the city’s larger venues for established acts like, The Yarbirds, Cream and H.P. Lovecraft. Shortly thereafter, they were writing their own material with subject matter ranging from various psychedelic topics to the occult. Their sound has a very distinctive feel with the guitar, bass and drums all sharing the heavy load. What struck me though was the drumming – at times very ‘surf’ inspired, and others, more of a pounding, hard rock style. The guitar wails with a fuzzy tone throughout and the bass is played with a real, distinctive bounce. And of course, there’s no getting away from Gloria’s vocals giving an air of Jefferson Airplane. Only one of the tracks on the album is a ‘cover’ – an outstanding version of Tiny Bradshaw’s ‘Train Kept-A-Rollin’.’ This version tops those of Johnny Burnette and Aerosmith in my opinion. There are only six tracks on the album too – but with only one coming in at less than seven minutes, there is that wonderful sense of tripped out jamming on the others. The album is a direct result of the band liaising with two professors from The University of Illinois who put together the ‘Baron & Bailey Light Circus’ which was a dynamic combination of music with changing light patterns. In the summer of ’68, they teamed up with Haymarket Square and the album was exhibited as a living work of art at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. However, shortly after the album was recorded, original member Bob left the band and was replaced on bass by Ken Pitlik. At the same time, they decided to augment their sound with the addition of a rhythm guitarist, Robert Miller. Haymarket Square continued as a five-piece for another six years before they finally broke up in 1974, the members all going heir own ways. Sadly, and I’m afraid I don’t know why, there were no more recordings. But if you’re going to leave just a one-album-legacy, then I guess ‘Magic Lantern‘ is about as good as it gets.
* youngernow2 eBay sale 2017 - Haymarket Square "Magic Lantern" Mega-Rare Illinois private pressing original issue Chaparral CRM-201, fabulous psych independent release, fully autographed by the band ! We purchased this amazing piece from a friend of the band, for whom they signed it at the time! We had a very hard time getting good, clear pictures of the ballpoint signatures, but it is signed by all 4 - Gloria Lambert, Marc Swenson, Robert Homa, and John Kowalski, in ballpoint pen on the front. Hard to say for sure, but either Marc or Gloria appear to have written the dedication in the front upper left. Absolutely guaranteed the real deal. Reportedly only 100 copies of this were actually issued at a Chicago Contemporary Arts Museum audio-visual event in 1968. It has a hand-made cover with front and back slicks glued onto a generic sleeve. Considering that this was not kept in a proper sleeve over the years the cover is in excellent condition, light wear only and some slight soil. The cover is very slightly 'warped' as opposed to perfectly flat, which is not uncommon for this album due to the way they were made, with glue attaching the slicks. This is minor anyway, since the cover otherwise has only minor wear and is fully signed!!! The labels are bright and clean, no writing, no stickers. Has spindle trails at the center hole on both sides, it has been played and enjoyed numerous times. NB: I have played this several times myself, after cleaning the usual dust and finger prints off. It has light overall play wear, and the following: * Side A has numerous tiny hairlines and a several more obvious superficial marks. Plays and sounds great with one very quick little skip at the beginning of an extended guitar solo in track 1 "Amapola". I checked and can't see any specific reason for it, but couldn't 'clean' it out either. It is so quick you could mistake it for part of the guitar riff, but it isn't. The rest of the side is great. Their take on "the Train Kept A-Rollin'" is insane! * Side B has fewer of the little hairlines but more of the more obvious marks, mostly in one area - if you look at the record as a clock based on the label as the face, between 3:30 & 5:30 there are about a dozen mostly superficial scuffs & spindle trails of various sizes. As far as I can tell from playing these don't have much if any effect on playability, other than some occasional tics. There was a skip in an early vocal on this side when played at about 1 gram as I usually do, but when adding tone-arm weight it played through fine. There is another skip later in the side that I couldn't get rid of with tone-arm weight. The rest of the side has light play wear and lighter superficial marks. While the skips described are disappointing they don't do much to interfere with enjoying this amazing and ultra-rare record, which otherwise plays fine and sounds good.
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5. Lyrics
The following lyrics have been derived from YouTube captioning and listing to the original recordings. Due to the loudness of the backing instruments, it is often difficult to hear precisely the lyrics being sung. The overlay of backing vocals also complicates comprehension.
* Elevator (Lambert) track 1, side B, duration: 6.55 minutes. The lyrics deal with the positive use of drugs (i.e. getting high) in dealing with love, either present or unrequited, especially during the night and early morning.
Sit by my window and wait for dawn
The night is lasting and so is love
When you can see them from above.
I'm on the top floor and I'm never coming down
This life is better when you're off the ground.
Look out my window and see the sun
I guess a new day has begun.
The night is over and so is my heart
I must go and breath the sky.
When you've been flying it's much harder to come down
Can't take your feet off of the ground.
Walk in the sunlight,
See why I cry,
Oh It's much better to be high
Oh it's much better to be high
Oh it's much better to be high.
* Amapola (Swenson), track 1, side A, duration: 10.30 minutes.
A boy with a dream upon a distant shore
A man with the way of crying "Please no more"
Each night as they blew their mind
They tuned in round the words he said
My Amapola
My pretty puppy
You're like a flower
So sweet and groovy
Since I found you
My heart's right round you
And loving you takes all I have.
My Amapola
I am apola
I must have gotten charm from you
I'm apola, I’m apola
How I love to say I love you.
The boy left his love upon a distant shore
and sailed from the one whose arms were longing for
He vowed he'd return one sunny day
One sunny day
Once more to repeat what is harder to say
My Amapola
my pretty puppy
you're like a flower
so sweet and groovy
since I found you
My heart's right round you
and loving you takes all I have
My Amapola
I am apola
I must have gotten charm from you
I'm apola, I’m apola
How I love to say I love you.
* Phantasmagoria (Lambert), track 2, side A, duration: listed as 4.05 minutes on original LP label, but actually 2.26 minutes long as it is sandwiched in between verses of My Amapola.
Rain is falling down the hill
and the spider’s left weeping on the sill
Waves rushing to the shore
and the shells are broken on the floor.
* Funeral (Lambert), track 3, side A, duration: 9.25 minutes. Blues song. Once again, the lyrics appear to relate to a death associated with a drug trip.
Come to my funeral
Oh won't you come to my funeral?
and bring flowers, like the flowers
smell them when you're high
smell them when I die.
Let me down in the grass babe
Oh let me down in the grass babe
and light a fire, raging fire
smoke up low and red
smoking when I’m dead.
I'm gonna leave by the long train
I'm gonna leave on a long trip
I’ll miss the sweet morning glory
It will be lovely at dawn
Even when I’m gone.
I'm traveling down to the hard land
I'm traveling down to the hard land
and leave my body, precious body
so my mind’s free to roam
'Cause I'm going home.
Won’t you to come to my funeral?
I want you to come to my funeral
and bring flowers, lots of flowers
smell them when you're high
smell them when I die.
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5. References
Brooker, Jeremy, The Original Baron & Bailey Light Show: The Magic Lantern in 1960s Chicago, The Magic Lantern, Magic Lantern Society, 24, September 2020, 8-12.
Haymarket Square, Loud Horizon - Underplayed Underground Music from the 60s and 70s, 12 April 2022.
Haymarket Square, Wikipedia, accessed 3 January 2025.
Kowalski, John, The Story of Haymarket Square, Magic Lantern CD liner notes, August 2001.
Magic Lantern, 12" LP, 1968, Roots Vinyl Guide, 31 December 2017. Sale for US$1,375 on eBay of original LP signed by all members of the band.
The Original Baron and Bailey Light Circus [installation view - image], 25 June - 7 July 1968, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.
The Original Baron and Bailey Light Circus, Facebook, 23 August 2013.
Superbillie1, 60s Chicago Psychedelic Rock - Haymarket Square, Magic Lantern 1968, Pop on the Run [blog], 1 May 2020.
Swihart, Stanton, Haymarket Square - Magic Lantern, Plain and Fancy [blog], 15 September 2012.
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Last updated: 4 January 2025
Michael Organ, Australia
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