''Seven Up'' is the third studio album by German

krautrock Krautrock (also called , German for ) is a broad genre of experimental rock that developed in Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It originated among artists who blended elements of psychedelic rock, avant-garde composition, and electron ...

band

Ash Ra Tempel Ash Ra Tempel was a German krautrock group led by guitarist Manuel Göttsching that was active from 1970 to 1976. Their debut album '' Ash Ra Tempel'' was released in 1971. Following the band's demise, Göttsching released music under the name A ...

and their only album recorded in collaboration with American psychologist/drug advocate

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from "bold oracle" to "publicity hound". Accordin ...

. It was first released in 1973.

Background and recording

''Seven Up'' was mainly recorded at the Sinus Studio in Bern, Switzerland in August 1972. Some tracks, like the vocals on "Downtown" by Portia Nkomo and Michael Duwe, were recorded later at Studio Dieter Dierks near Cologne, Germany. Timothy Leary was living in exile in Switzerland at the time of the album's creation, having escaped from prison in

San Luis Obispo, California ; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...

in September 1970. The name "Seven Up" was thought up by lyricist

Brian Barritt Brian Sydney Barritt (1934–2011) was an English author, artist, and counterculture figure. He served in the British army, and was a friend and collaborator to such notables as Timothy Leary, William Burroughs, and Alex Trocchi. He was particu ...

, after the group were given a bottle of the lemonade drink

7 Up 7 Up (stylized as 7UP worldwide) or Seven Up is an American brand of Lemon-lime drink, lemon-lime–flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, although the beverage is internationally distributed ...

that had been spiked with

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a semisynthetic, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and serotonergic activity. I ...

Track listing

Music by Ash Ra Tempel, lyrics by Timothy Leary and Brian Barritt. In the liner notes, both titles are listed as "Live from 'The Bern Festival'" even though there were overdubs at Dierks Studios.

Personnel

* Hartmut "Hawk" Enke - bass, guitar, synth/electronics *

Manuel Göttsching Manuel Göttsching (9 September 1952 – 4 December 2022) was a German musician and composer. As the leader of the groups Ash Ra Tempel and Ashra in the 1970s and 80s, as well as a solo artist, he was one of the most influential guitarists of ...

- guitar, synth/electronics *

- voice, "direction", lyrics * Michael Duwe - voice, flute ;Additional personnel *

- voice, lyrics, arrangements *Liz Elliott - voice * Bettina Hohls - voice *Portia Nkomo - voice *Steve Schroyder - organ, synth/electronics *Dieter Burmeister - drums *Tommie Engel - drums *

Dieter Dierks Dieter Dierks (born 9 February 1943) is a German record producer, sound engineer, music publisher, studio owner and musician. He became well known as producer of the rock band Scorpions (band), Scorpions who were signed to him between 1975 and ...

- synthesizer, radio downtown,Seven Up 2011 CD reissue booklet recording *Klaus D. Müller - performer (no role specified) *Peter Geitner - design (cover) *

Walter Wegmüller Walter Wegmüller (25 February 1937 – 26 March 2020) was a Swiss painter and recording artist. As a recording artist, he was best known for the Krautrock album ''Tarot'', which was released on the Cosmic Couriers label in 1973. Biography Wegm� ...

- painting (cover paintings) *

Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser (born June 18, 1943) is a German writer and record producer. He is best known as the founder of the Ohr, Pilz, and Cosmic Couriers record labels. These labels released many of the earliest Krautrock albums in the early 1970s, a ...

- production *Gille Lettmann - co-production *Kurt Zimmermann - recording (Sinus-studio)

References

{{Authority control 1973 albums Ash Ra Tempel albums