" Shin Jung-Hyeon is the Godfather of Korean pop/rock. He started his musical career in 1955. In those days, immediately after the Korean War, there were few musicians. At 1957 he could play at the US army in Korea. His psychedelic play fascinated US soldiers, and some record company asked him to make an LP. His 1st band Add 4 constructed in 1962. Add 4 is the first rock band in Korea. After the time SJH started to make hit songs. Kim Jeong Mi, Park In Su, Pearl Sisters, Kim Chu Ja, Im A Yeong, Jang Hyeon and other singers debuted with the support of Shin Jung Hyeon. They debuted with his hit songs and he became the biggest power in Ga Yo scene." Folkie Jin
"Early Shing Jung-Hyun debuted with Korean's first psychedelic group Donkeys and professional rock group Questions supporting various singers."
The most interesting records of him are all dating from 1969-1973
some compiled tracks :
Kim Chu Ja with Shin Jung Hyun & the Men (KO,1969):
compi Tr.1, "Must leaving the people" 8 min
This is a song with nice psych organ in late 60's psych pop style.
Jung Hyun & The Men (KO,1972):
compi Tr.2, "Beautiful river and land" 11 min -100
A very good end 60's styled psychpop ballad. With some hobo, acoustic and
electric guitars, drums, bass & organ, with fantastic psych instrumental part!
On vocals: Shin Jung Hyun & Park Kwang Su.
compi Tr.4, "A lawn" 5 min
With Park Kwang Su on low vocals & with backing soprano female vocals, soprano sax ?, psych organ, drums. This is another fine song with some emotionality.
"From this record only the song on Side B(2) got a reissue in CD format in 2002, on The men compilation album. The men was his best days group with Yupjeons and made highest perfectionist songs because of the participation of Son Hak-Rae(Saxophone, Oboe). They played mostly long time Psychedelic numbers and longer than original song at live show. It was a great improvisation performance!! But sadly, live songs weren't recorded. The Men members were Shin Jung-Hyun(Lead guitar and vocal), Lee Tae-Hyun(Bass), Mun Yung-Bae(Drum), Son Hak-Rae(Saxphone,Oboe),Kim Gi-Pyu(Organ),Park Kwang-Su(Vocal) with guest vocalist(Kim Jung-Mi,Lim A-Yung,Jang Hyun etc.) At this time Shin Jung Hyun had to consider both a Popular and Experimenting approach, like the record company demanded. So Side A contains popular short songs with a Guest singer and Side B are more longer psychedelic songs of his group the Men, with Jang Hyun and the men, Jiyeon and the men, Yoon Young-Kyun. So you must pay attention to Side B songs!! Side B2 "Jandi(Lawn)" means Marijuana (local secret language). This song is a very unique and fascinating eastern psychedelic number.
Side B1 "Beautiful Rivers and Mountains" is a masterpiece song of Korean psychedelica. He wrote this song for a week at Korean group sound office room. This song is a about praising the nature of Korea.
-Park Jung-Hee (the President of South Korea from at these days a military regime was president of dictatorial government) commanded Shin Jung-Hyun to make the blue house (which is the Korean presidential residence) praising song but he rejected to do so and made the song "Beautiful rivers and mountains" instead, that praised the beautiful nature of Korea.- Since then they were probly searching something to blame him more seriously..
Great psychedelic Gem and Eastern psychedelic style song! And you can hear nice fuzz guitar sounds at the latest section.
Ji Yeon & The Men (KO,1972) :
compi Tr.5, "The woman in the rain" 12 min
This is a fine psychedelic instrumental of the band, starting of with
melancholic organ. It has a great electric guitar improvisation. Basically it's a bass & drums psychedelic repetition, suitable for solo improvisations. It
shows the guitarist's talent. But above all the organ solo/keyboard improvisation also is really excellent!
Yoon Young Kyun & the Men (KO,1973):
compi Tr.3, "It's a lie" 24 min -136
This is another psychedelic track. The small song part itself is ok, but it's
the large instrumental improvisation that really does it. Here the organ solo is at its best, but also the group sound is best.Excellent psych! It also has an improvisation part on something that sounds like a hobo or clarinet (?). One of the best Korean psychedelic tracks I heard so far. With wa-wa guitar, lots of experimentation in organ sounds, etc.
* label ? Kim Sang Hee : Psychedelic Live Stage
with Shin Jung Hyun & Questions (KO,1970)°°°
Tr.9, "How am I" 9 min 9 -145
"How am I" starts like Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gada-Da-vida with some
church organ. The song and singing that follows takes it first back to a kind of pop-song. Technically the singing overloads a bit because this is a (still
somewhat ok quality) bootleg recording. The music repeats a certain rock
pattern. But then it builds up quickly to psychedelic heights, first with organ, then after a while with electric wa-wa guitar outbursts on a bass repetition, until it comes back to the song. This track especially makes the recording interesting. Most of the rest is much more into mainstream territory.
"This record is live recording. Side A recordings are pop styled, but Side B recordings are psychedelic styled. Especially Side B 3 "How am I?" is a great Korean psychedelic live recording.Shin jung-hyun thought to himself that she could also sing in Jefferson Airplane moods. So I think that this song was similar to 'White Rabbit' of Jefferson airplane!! Musical performance by Questions of Shin Jung-Hyun. I think that this record is a her best recording and one of Korean psychedelic best live recordings!! Highly recommendable record!!" Folkie Jin
* Jigu Rec. Shin Jung Hyun & Coins (KO,1974)**°
Tr.3, "Exciting" 5 min -150
(Tr.7, "Beautiful woman" 5 min)
I still want to airplay this sweet (soft psych-rock) ballad, but I might not have
enough time to airplay anything of this boogie/blues-psychrock release.)
It was airplayed before on WFMU by Tony Coulter. Listen to it here
"This record was reissued only CD format in 2003. A Korean psychedelic rock
masterpiece!! Only this album released about 500 copies!! First pressing has not
the A5 and B5 song, but only it just appeared the songs on the cover track list.
Members are Shin Jung-Hyun(Guitar and Vocal), Lee Nam-Lee (Bass), Kim Ho-Sik(Drums). It is a different Musical performance and Drummer compared to the second pressing. It contains a psychedelic music performance. First pressing was reissued on CD, but at the reissue there are dubbed guitar sounds. The first pressing is in fact the best combination of styles (of Western rock music combined with Korean traditional rhythms) of all his records. It is a great eastern pyschedelia!! Only I just can say that "He almost completed his hope (to combine Western music with Korean traditional rhythm) at this album." Just you must feel it!!
(The second pressing had hard rock styled musical performances. The reason is that record company wants popular rock sounds, and while the first pressing is not, they wanted to record it again. That's how Shin Jung Hyun had to record it again. They were only given to a broadcasting station. So it was a very rare and expensive these days. Second pressing is not so rare and low price.
Second pressing members are Shin Jung-Hyun(Guitar and Vocal), Lee Nam-I (Bass), Kwan Young-Nam(Drums). It is a different Musical performance and Drummer compared to the second pressing." Folkie Jin
The second version will be airplayed at the end of next radioshow. Altough Folkie Jin has a different opinion I Think I still prefer the second version of the album, which is more rock-orientated, with attention to the instrumentation.
