RANDY HOLDEN POPULATION II – Mega Rare 1970 USA Heavy Psych Rock LP £880 Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer

Here is a the mega rare 1970 USA release of Randy Holden – Population 11, issued on the very obscure Hobbit Records (HB 5002). The legend has it that it was never officially released as most original copies have a deleted `drill hole` in them. Rumours persist of just 80+ copies being pressed, as a result there have been a lot of pirate copies made over the years. The original can usually be identified by the typical thick US card sleeve with poor matt finish which in turn will usually show ringwear plus of course the drill hole, the label also will have distributed exclusively by GRT Records. A copy sold for £882 in 2015 however copies have been known to reach over £1000! Musically with sixteen 200 watt Sunn amplifiers blasting away it is no wonder the music has been compared to Black Sabbath in style.

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Side 1
1.Guitar Song 0:00
2. Fruit & Iceburgs 6:08
3. Between Time 11:13
4. Fruit & Iceburgs (Conclusion) 13:03

Side 2
1. Blue My Mind 14:53
2. Keeper Of My Flame 20:57

Randy Holden is an American guitarist best known for his involvement with the West Coast acid rock group Blue Cheer on their third album.
After leaving Blue Cheer Randy formed a new band with drummer Chris Lockheed. Lockheed, also a keyboard player, uniquely played both drums and keyboard simultaneously in live performances.
During this time Holden obtained a sponsorship deal with Sunn amplifiers. Through this, he received his legendary sixteen 200 Watt amplifiers. His new band was dubbed "Randy Holden - Population II" which was a reference to the fact there were only two members in the band (Royal Blood anybody?) as well as being an astronomical term "Population II" that defines a special kind of Star Group cluster type, having Heavy Metal in its composition. An appropriate description of the original style of the music attributed to Holden's new band. The band recorded its only album, Population II (1970). Trouble with the release of the album led to Holden going bankrupt, losing all his equipment and his departure from music for over two decades. Population II was eventually released multiple times in bootleg forms over the years, The album has become a much-sought-after collectors' item over the years.