After a brief stint as The In Crowd that nearly landed them a cameo in Michael Antonioni’s Blow Up (a role that eventually went to The Yardbirds), Keith West, Steve Howe, John “Junior” Wood and new drummer Twink (John Adler) re-christened themselves as Tomorrow and threw their hats into the psychedelic scene. With producer Mark Wirtz, the group entered Abbey Road Studios in Spring 1967 (where The Beatles were currently recording Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band) and recorded the songs for their first and only album.
The first fruits of those recording sessions were a pair of singles: “My White Bicycle” b/w “Claramount Lake” and “Revolution” b/w “Three Jolly Little Dwarfs.” Although they didn’t chart, the singles did catch the ear of John Peel as well as another John, Lennon, who praised “My White Bicycle” as an early psychedelic anthem. Unfortunately, the rest of the album wasn’t released until the following year, by which time the psychedelic music scene had already shifted to heavier fare.
At the time of its release, Keith West was the band’s most visible member (particularly after the success of “Excerpt From A Teenage Opera”). Today, Tomorrow is remembered mostly as a footnote in the career of Steve Howe, or by psychedelic artifact hunters who appreciate the album’s (then) high-production values.
The Discography
My White Bicycle (1967)
b/w Claramount Lake. Released on 7-inch in May 1967 in the US (New Voice, 827).
Revolution (1967)
b/w Three Jolly Little Dwarfs. Released on 7-inch in September 1967 in the UK (Parlophone, R 5627).
TOMORROW (1968)
My White Bicycle / Colonel Brown / Real Life Permanent Dream / Shy Boy / Revolution // The Incredible Journey of Timothy Chase / Auntie Mary’s Dress Shop / Strawberry Fields Forever / Three Jolly Little Dwarfs / Now Your Time Has Come / Hallucinations. Released on mono and stereo elpee in February 1968 in the UK and Singapore (Parlophone, PMC/PCS 7042). Re-issued on expanded elpee in the US (Import Records, IMP 1003) with one bonus track. Re-released on expanded compact disc on August 25, 1991 in Japan (EMI, TOCP-6799) with one bonus track. Re-released on expanded, remastered compact disc in 1999 in the UK (EMI, 98819-2) and Japan (Parlophone, TOCP-67517) with 12 bonus tracks. Re-issued on 140g vinyl mono elpee in 2015 (Parlophone, PPMC 7042).
50 MINUTE TECHNICOLOR DREAM (1998)
Am I Glad To see You / Blow Up / Caught In A Web / Revolution / Why / Real Life Permanent Dream (alternate vesion) / Three Jolly Little Dwarfs / Revolution / Caught In A Web (live) / Shotgun & The Duck (live) / My White Bicycle (live) / Real Life Permanent Dream (live) / Revolution (live) / Why (live) / Mr. Rainbow (live) / Strawberry Fields Forever (live). Released on compact disc in 1998 (RPM, 311841).
LIVE & UNRELEASED 1967 (2001)
Am I Glad To See You / Blow Up / Three Jolly Little Dwarfs / Revolution / Caught In A Web (live) / Shotgun & The Duck (live) / My White Bicycle (live) / Real Life Permanent Dream (live) / Revolution (live) / Why (live) / Mr. Rainbow (live) / Strawberry Fields Forever (live). Released on compact disc on March 6, 2001 in the US (Purple Pyramid, 09892).
