If The Syn is known today at all, it's because the band provided one of the starting points for Yes: Syn members Chris Squire and Peter Banks were two-fifths of the original 1968 Yes line-up. Now, Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint is setting out to give The Syn its due with a new compilation.  Flowerman: Rare Blooms from The Syn 1965-69 features all four of the band's single sides originally released in 1967 by Deram Records plus previously unreleased tracks and rarities.

The Syn evolved from The Selfs, a Wembley R&B band formed by bassist Chris Squire, keyboardist Andrew Pryce Jackman, drummer Martyn Adelman, guitarist John Wheatley, and vocalist Chris Slatter.  The mod sounds of The Selfs can be heard on Flowerman via a rather pallid cover of The Who's "I Can't Explain" and a Jackman original, "Love You."  Late in 1965, The Selfs decided to merge with the original Syn, a group which had itself morphed from the outfit called High Court.  The new Syn would consist of lead vocalist Steve Nardelli and guitarist John Painter plus The Selfs' Squire, Jackman, and Adelman.  But personnel changes happened over time; Adelman was replaced by Gunnar Hakonarson and Painter by Peter Banks.  (Chris Squire would remain in touch with Adelman, and he would shoot photos for Yes' Close to the Edge LP.)  The Syn continued in the Selfs' vein of playing Tamla Motown R&B for the mod crowd but realized the need to move forward with original material were they ever to succeed on records.  Nardelli and Jackman were up to the task, envisioning ambitious, psychedelic rock operas from which compositions such as "Flowerman," "Mr. White's White Flying Machine" and "The Gangster Opera" sprung.

The Syn attracted attention with the group's residency at The Marquee during which time they supported the likes of Pink Floyd, The Who, Cream, and Jimi Hendrix - the latter on his only Marquee appearance of January 24, 1967.  They were signed to Decca's "underground" Deram label for a 45 release in June 1967, but the brass relegated their original, Motown-inspired composition "Grounded" to the B-side.  The A-side went to the outside song "Created by Clive."  While a passable slice of twee psychedelia, a rival version by The Attack was issued the same day, and The Syn's rendition went nowhere.  Three months later, in September, The Syn's second and final Deram single was issued: Nardelli's "Flowerman" (cut down from the full rock opera and featuring blasts of trumpet) and "14 Hour Technicolor Dream," inspired by the Ally Pally "happening" at London's Alexandra Palace.

But the departure of Gunnar Hakonarson threatened to derail The Syn; he was first replaced by Ray Steele and then Chris Allen, who had briefly spent time with The Attack.  The Syn wasn't destined to survive much past 1967; by year's end, Chris Squire and Peter Banks were working with the group Mabel Greer's Toyshop.  Once Squire met singer Jon Anderson, the rest was Yes history.

In addition to the Deram sides, Grapefruit's collection features The Syn's 1966 acetate "Merry-Go-Round;" originally-unreleased outtake "The Gangster Opera" and the Marquee Studios demo of "Flowerman" sans horns; the 1969 Andrew Jackman recording "The Last Performance of the Royal Regimental Very Victorious and Valiant Band;" and Ayshea's recording of Jackman and Nardelli's "Mr. White's White Flying Machine."  The latter, a Syn live favorite, was recorded by television presenter Ayshea (wife of Polydor executive Chris Brough) for her 1970 Polydor LP.  Squire played bass while Jackman played piano and produced the session.  With a bold, brassy arrangement, the groovy, jazz-inflected cut is one of the strongest tracks here.

Three bonus tracks continue the story of The Syn.  In 1974, Squire, Jackman, and Nardelli reunited to form the production company Narsiquijack.  The trio recorded a pair of Nardelli tunes, "Cadillac Man" and "Sunset Boulevard Lament," the rough demos of which are reprised here.  The most recent cut is a 2004 remake of "Grounded" from Nardelli's reformed version of The Syn also featuring Martyn Adelman and Peter Banks.  Nardelli would go on to later welcome Chris Squire back into the fold.   (Squire and Jackman, who died in 2003, continued to work together post-Syn including on Squire's 1975 solo debut Fish Out of Water and on Yes' 1978 Tormato LP.)

Audio, remastered by Simon Murphy, is variable on Flowerman, with the Deram and Polydor tracks sounding terrific and the acetates, demos, and Selfs recordings less so, owing to the source quality.  The 24-page full-color booklet recounts The Syn's whole story in David Wells' excellent liner notes as well as numerous photos.  A certain Mr. Phil Collins, early fan of The Syn, shares an introduction.

Flowerman: Rare Blooms from The Syn 1965-69 preserves an engaging bit of Yes history in fine fashion.  Almost all of this material is available on the 2005 compilation Original Syn, but as that's been out-of-print for some time, this set is a welcome addition to the Syn catalogue.  It's available now from Cherry Red and Grapefruit Records at the links below.

The Syn, Flowerman: Rare Blooms from The Syn 1965-69 (Cherry Red/Grapefruit CRSEG0103, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

1. Merry-Go-Round (rec. 1966)
2. Created by Clive (Deram single DM 130, 1967)
3. Grounded (Deram single DM 130, 1967)
4. Flowerman (Deram single DM 145, 1967)
5. 14 Hour Technicolor Dream (Deram single DM 145, 1967)
6. Flowerman (Marquee Studios demo, 1967)
7. I Can't Explain - The Selfs (rec. mid-1965)
8. Love You - The Selfs (rec. mid-1965)
9. The Last Performance of the Royal Regimental Very Victorious and Valiant Band (rec. 1969)
10. White's White Flying Machine - Ayshea (from Polydor LP 2384 026, 1970)
11. Cadillac Dreams - Narsquijack (rec. 1974)
12. Sunset Boulevard Lament - Narsquijack (rec. 1974)
13. Grounded 2004 (rec. 2004)