Giles, Giles & Fripp - The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles & Fripp (The Songs) LP

Label: Panegyric

Pressed on 200 gram super-heavyweight vinyl.

The first standalone release of the songs from the charming and eccentric, Giles, Giles Fripp Decca label debut from 1968, with the spoken word sections removed. Features a 2025 remaster by David Singleton.

Peter Giles, Michael Giles and Robert Fripp deliver a mix of folk and psychedelic pop interspersed with Goonish humor. A slightly confusing cocktail of seriousness and comedy perhaps, but nonetheless an album showcasing some beautiful harmonies and exquisite guitar playing. While 1967 is rightly remembered for an abundance of classic albums, there were also quieter debut LPs emerging, signaling popular music’s imminent changes to a more rock-oriented, musician-centered approach. It was also the year that Robert Fripp applied for a ‘singing organist’ role advertised by brothers Peter and Michael Giles, despite having no experience either as a singer or organist. Experiencing a few challenges and disappointments on the way, the year was an exciting one for the trio, who recorded a series of demo tapes which eventually led to them being offered a record deal with Decca Records. For all its lack of commercial success, the album has been reissued on several occasions – though never in an edition that focuses purely on the songs.

For this updated 2025 release, the somewhat dated spoken word/humorous interludes have been removed which has allowed for the songs to flow as an album revealing it as a charming, sometimes whimsical example of late British psychedelic music.