Saturnalia – Magical Love (1973)

Saturnalia Magical Love (1973)

A thoroughly competent slice of mystical West Coast influenced progressive psychedelia with an occult edge, some excellent female vocals and searing lead guitar work.
Thank you Ade Hawkins and Richard Houghton for your comments!

Saturnalia was a rock group produced by Yardbirds legend Keith Relf.
With a man named Adrian Hawkins and woman named simply Aletta heading up the vocal duties, their sound was assorted and fascinating combination of psychedelic rock. I preferred what they sounded like with Hawkins at the helm; Aletta’s voice was off key and irritating for the most part. The music in total bordered on pre-prog-rock with a strong leaning towards hard rock, albeit a different slant than what was available in that era. I am sure some folks would consider this as weird music, I prefer to say they were making music that was original and off the beaten path, which for me personally is very appealing.
Besides the tripped out artwork on both sides of the LP, a booklet is included that tells the story of the band with an outline of each individual personality including their astrological sign a full explanation of all the elements, fire and water and such. It is all very much what 1969 was all about. Old hippies (and new) will love this album! It seems there is always so much more to talk about besides the music when I receive an album with so much color and character. This is what collectors live for so snag it up before they disappear.

reviewed by Keith “Muzikman” Hannaleck at progressiveworld.net

Adrian Hawkins – Vocals
Aletta – Vocals
Rod Roach – Guitar
Richard Houghton – Bass guitar
Tom Crompton – Drums

Tracklist:

1. Magical Love
2. She Brings Peace
3. And I Have Loved You
4. Winchester Town
5. Traitor
6 .Soul Song
7. Princess And The Peasant Boy
8. Dreaming
9. Step Out Of Line

Saturnalia – Magical Love (1973)

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25 Responses

  1. mike says:

    very nice. forgotten about this record. it was a big deal with the hippie kids at my school. thanx.

  2. jennabeeb says:

    OH my Goddess!..ask and you shall receive!
    I nearly jumped outta my seat!

    Thank you THANK YOU THANK YOU!

  3. jennabeeb says:

    Yes ..and I especially like the walking bass line during the g. solo and lyrics of “She Brings Peace”

    Thanks again

    XX

  4. freaky_lady says:

    Hi Jenna, pleased to hear you enjoyed the album. I like it very much, too, especially ‘Winchester Town’ with its fantastic guitar work.

  5. Andy Hurwitz says:

    Nice to see this album getting some recognition! However, despite every site on the internet and despite what it says on the recent issues, this album was not released in 1969! It was released in 1973 and was promoted as the first 3D picture disc (Curved Air had released the first rock picture disc two years earlier and shared the same manager Mark Hannah).

  6. Ken Monk says:

    great

  7. MM says:

    Good grief, I remember seeing this lot play the Fox in Croydon when the LP came out. They were dire and were more or less laughed off stage. No one took them seriously because of the hype over the picture disc, their sparkly new PA and instruments and the fact that they were shite. Mind you 35-odd years later I remember them, and not whoever the main act was.

  8. RichaR says:

    Great to read the reviews and comments – I was the bass player (Richard Houghton) – please e-mail me at richard@rghoughton.com if you are hippy enough……….

  9. Anonymous says:

    amazing lp!
    “magical love, traitor & winchester town” are my faves, unfortunatly these mp3s have a very weird fluttering sort of digital flurry sound (def. not the lp, i don’t mind the vinyl sounds)…great to hear this lp tho’ i must say.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Thanks for the info.
    I never saw them live and I was the only one who I knew had the album.
    One day I sold all my vinyl (NOTE: NEVER do this, it is a BAD idea) and I searched forever for a CD copy. I eventually got one from (I think) Germany.
    WOW! What a trip down memory lane. It still sounds fresh and “different”.
    Nice to hear from one of the band as well.
    A FAN

  11. Anonymous says:

    Does anybody here know the exact first release date for this record in 1969 (day/month/contry)? Thanks! 🙂

  12. Anonymous says:

    i have a copy of this record in good cond but on sleeve if intrested give me your best price
    email djbilly.hooke@ntlworld.com

  13. billy says:

    i have a copy of this record in good con no sleeve up for sale at best price email djbilly.hooke@ntlworld.com

  14. Anonymous says:

    “Reevoooluuuution. NOW.” Tomorrow

  15. RGCorris says:

    My memory coincides with Andy Hurwitz that this was released in 1973, not 1969. After losing Curved Air, manager Mark Hanau (not Hannah) tried to repeat the trick of launching a new band with a picture disc on the previously unknown Matrix Records, and Saturnalia were sent out on a nationwide tour which bombed, and were never heard of again.

    Can Richard Houghton add any more details ?

  16. Hamperi says:

    I just love this album, it’s a shame this is their only recording.

  17. rogermetal says:

    Great album!!!
    Thanks from Brazil.

  18. rogermetal says:

    Grear album, beautifully made music!
    Thanks from Brazil!

  19. Peter says:

    I believe that the album must have come out before ’73 because I bought mine, reduced, in Newton Abbot Smiths before I went to Uni in ’73. My version came without any cardboard cover – only a transparent plastic sleeve. I also had a white label copy on black vinyl which was sent to me by the record company when I complained about the excessive “rumbling” caused by the lamination process.
    Unfortunately, I never managed to see them live.
    Terrific, unique music with an etherial feel.

  20. Amigo44 says:

    Thank you a lot for the wonderful album of distant 60th!

  21. Anonymous says:

    just for the record[!]we recorded HORSE LP in 1969,SATURNALIA LP sept/oct. 1972,released 9th Feb 1973,and never played the Fox,Croydon.You must’ve seen one of those glam rock bands if you laughed ’em off stage with sparkly PA etc….BIG thanx to all who bought the albums & supported us. Ade Hawkins

  22. Huge thanks for sharing Saturnalia’s Magical Love album, it has become a firm favourite at my home, a wonderful example of the creative possibilities opened up by the late 60s/early 70s nexus of psychedelia and “prog” here in the UK…

    …also great to see an original band member post some comments! This is one aspect of the wonderful world of music blogging that often is occluded. The fact that the stories, legends and myths that have grown up around an artist/group/record get addressed and either confirmed or debunked from the horses mouth so to speak.

    A Garden Of Delights? A veritable forest of arcane and obscure sonic pleasures!

  23. Niall Good says:

    Check out “the Temple of Love” Facebook Group. There is a lot of material about the 12 Archetypes discovered by Tammo de Jongh and Richard Gardner which inspired material on this album. The vinyl came with a booklet by Richard and Tammo explaining this.
    https://www.facebook.com/groups/206581944030/

  24. Anonymous says:

    got the original album in original picture disc form in transparent sleeve complete with booklet, and saw them live at rainbow and it was a cracking performance

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