The New Colony Six

The New Colony Six is an American rock band formed in 1964 in Chicago, Illinois, by musicians Ray Graffia Jr. (vocals, tambourine), Pat McBride (vocals, harmonica), Craig Kemp (organ), Wally Kemp (bass), Chic James (drums) and Jerry Van Kollenburg (guitar). The line-up changed frequently thereafter. Hailing from the Midwest garage rock scene, the band's raw, energetic sound was initially akin to the Yardbirds and early Rolling Stones, before evolving into a softer, more melodic style, tinged with psychedelic pop and baroque pop, in the vein of The Left Banke or The Association. Their first album, Breakthrough (1966), contains garage tunes like "At the River's Edge" and "I Confess", reflecting their rhythmic, powerful beginnings. The second album, Colonization (1967), took a more melodic turn, with richer vocal arrangements and more polished production. The band's greatest commercial success came with "I Will Always Think About You" (1968), from the album Revelations, which reached the Top 40 in the U.S., followed by the hit "Things I'd Like to Say", from Attacking a Straw Man (1969). These softer songs, with their orchestral arrangements and sentimental lyrics, won them great popularity with the general public, while disconcerting some die-hard fans. The band went out of business in the 1970s, but occasionally reformed for nostalgic concerts. The New Colony Six remain an important figure in the transition from garage rock to a softer, more sophisticated pop, emblematic of the American musical evolution of the second half of the 1960s.

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