The Misunderstood – Never Had A Girl Like You Before (1969) Fontana, Psychedelia, Blues.

The Misunderstood – Never Had A Girl Like You Before

Fontana 1969

This version of The Misunderstood soon disintegrated after a low key tour and the flop of their single, Campbell and sax player Chris Mercer going on to form Juicy Lucy, who incidentally had a hit with Who Do You Love a song covered by the original Misunderstood.

The Misunderstood lineups 1965 – 1969

Rick Brown (voc)
Glenn Ross Campbell (lead g)
Tony Hill (rgtr, key)
Rick Moe (drums)
Greg Treadway (rgtr, key)
Steve Whiting (bass)
George Phelps (lgtr, 1965)
–1969 lineup–
Glenn Campbell
Steve Hoard (voc)
David O’List (rgtr, bass)
Chris Mercer (sax)
Guy Evans (drums)
Nic Potter (bass)
Ray Owen (rg

In London they released two critically acclaimed singles before being forced to disband, notably two classic psychedelic tracks: “Children of the Sun” and “I Can Take You To The Sun”. Influenced by The Yardbirds, the distinctive feature of their sound was the steel guitar of Glenn Ross Campbell.

British DJ John Peel championed the Misunderstood music throughout his entire career. Shortly before his death, in an interview with Index Magazine, Peel stated, “If I had to list the ten greatest performances I’ve seen in my life, one would be The Misunderstood at Pandora’s Box, Hollywood, 1966. My god, they were a great band!”

The band are known for having pioneered the live light show. Campbell initially soldered a guitar jack to a car light bulb and plugged this into the extension output behind each amp. This simple idea produced visual music, as the response between the guitars and the lights plugged into the amps was identical. They first showed this feature at the Hi Ho Club in Riverside in early 1966. They also played with lights at the Marquee Club in London in mid 1966, to the amazement of the audience. An advanced multi colored large scale version of this “light show” or “visual sound” system was being planned in London when the band were forced to retire, just as they were in mid-launch. Another feature of their sound was getting all three guitars feeding back using different tremolo settings and the players leaving the stage flashing with musical lights.

In a recent release of early John Peel “Top Gear” shows on BBC he is recorded as saying on air, “This (“I Can Take You To the Sun” by The Misunderstood) is to my mind the best popular record that’s ever been recorded”

After the demise of the original Misunderstood in 1967, singer Rick Brown became a draft dodger (eventually ending up as a monk in India!) and English guitarist Tony Hill first joined David Bowie, then formed the classic High Tide. The other three Californians went back home, and it was about a year later that slide guitarist Glenn Campbell was tempted back to England to form another Misunderstood.