The idea began in 1967 with Jac Holzman, the head of Elektra Records. Elektra was primarily a label for obscure folk-rock artists like The Incredible String Band. It had just gained major success with The Doors' debut album in January of 1967. Holzman hired Alex Hassilev, a member of The Limeliters, to produce the album. Hassilev brought in Mort Garson, whom he had just formed a production company with, to write the music for the album. Hassilev and Garson had planned to do a series of concepts following Cosmic Sounds. Garson wrote music for one of the other intended albums, The Sea, but Rod McKuen, who was supposed to have been on the project, left and did his own version with Anita Kerr. Hassilev temporarily left the project to produce The Dusk 'Till Dawn Orchestra's Sea Drift album, which incorporated part of The Sea's intended theme.
After Sea Drift, work on Cosmic Sounds at last began. Garson brought in a group of musicians for the group. Exactly who they all were is unknown. (Garson, who may be the only one who knows, has never been interviewed about the album). Little known Jazz artist Paul Beaver, who had done music effects for films, was chosen to perform the electronic instruments. Beaver was very into electronic music. He and Hassilev went to an AES (Audio Engineering Society) convention to borrow a Moog synthesizer from its creator, electronics guru Robert Moog. Beaver did some work for the Moog company. He sold a Moog to Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz. Dolenz, with Beaver, recorded the Moog on two Monkee songs that were featured on the group's fourth album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., which was released just after Cosmic Sounds.
Emil Richards, who had worked with several famous musicians (including Frank Zappa, Marvin Gaye, and Harry Mancini) was chosen to provide an assortment of percussive instrumental surprises throughout the album. Bassist Carol Kaye and "Drummer Man" Hal Blaine, both top on-demand session musicians, were The Zodiac's rhythm section. Both had worked with Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. Bud Shank, a top flute performer, was also brought in. Jacques Wilson wrote the album's narration and folk artist Cyrus Faryar was chosen (suggested by Hassilev) to speak to narration over the album's exotic instrumentation.
Cosmic Sounds was released in November of 1967. The album would go on to become a cult classic. The Zodiac itself split up. Hassilev would continue producing albums, and would keep performing with The Limeliters. Richards continued offering his percussive services to other artists. Faryar did other albums. Beaver joined with fellow Moog artist Bernie Krause. As Beaver & Krause, the duo would record a few albums until Beaver's death in 1975. Garson would do other Moog albums (including several sequels entitled Signs Of The Zodiac and Electronic Hair Pieces) and arrangements for records. His biggest claim to fame would be the writing of the National Geographic theme. Other members continued working the session circuit. Richards, Blaine, Shank and Kaye have all been featured on records by artists over the years. In 2002, Water Records remastered and reissued Cosmic Sounds on CD, with a booklet featuring liner notes by 60s rock buff Ritchie Unterberger.
Gemini
The Zodiac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Five versatile fingers.
Gemini,
Adding up the day,
Impatient to be done.
A warm hand for the winter wind,
A cool hand for the summer sun.
Bringing chaos to its knees
With thought as clear as crystal,
Cool as marble.
Straight line vision!
Camera eye!
Total viewing!
Say it like it is!
Gemini!
Mercury swift
Final
Gemini is a song by the band The Zodiac and the lyrics show an ode to the astrological sign of Gemini. The first stanza talks about the five versatile senses and fingers of a Gemini, which indicates that they are quick in multitasking and adapting to different situations. The next line, "Adding up the day, impatient to be done," alludes to the restless nature of Geminis and their eagerness to move forward to new challenges.
The following lines refer to the duality of Geminis, as they are represented by the twins in astrology. The warm hand for the winter wind represents one twin, while the cool hand for the summer sun represents the other. The chorus emphasizes the power of thought and clear vision possessed by a Gemini. They have a straight-line vision, camera eye, and total viewing, which means they can see through complex issues and put forth a clear perspective. The final line, "Say it like it is!" highlights their straightforward and honest approach to communication.
Overall, the lyrics of Gemini showcase the dynamic, enigmatic, restless, and communicative traits of a Gemini.
Line by Line Meaning
Five keen senses,
Possessing a heightened awareness of the world through sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
Five versatile fingers.
Able to adapt and manipulate the environment with great dexterity using their hands.
Gemini,
A reference to the astrological sign Gemini, a symbol of duality and versatility.
Adding up the day,
Making the most of every moment, calculating and maximizing their time.
Impatient to be done.
Eager to move on to the next task or phase, unwilling to waste time or energy.
A warm hand for the winter wind,
Capable of providing comfort and warmth in the cold, harsh conditions of winter.
A cool hand for the summer sun.
Equally adept at providing relief and cooling in the intense heat of summer.
Gemini,
A reference to the astrological sign Gemini, a symbol of duality and versatility.
Bringing chaos to its knees
Able to manage and control even the most turbulent or chaotic situations through clear thinking and level-headedness.
With thought as clear as crystal,
Having a concise and organized thought process, seeing things with impeccable clarity and precision.
Cool as marble.
Remain calm and collected, not easily excited or flustered.
Straight line vision!
Able to see things objectively and logically, unswayed by emotions or biases.
Camera eye!
Able to see and capture details with a photographic memory, retaining a visual record of everything they encounter.
Total viewing!
Taking in the whole picture, seeing the big picture and all its details.
Say it like it is!
Communicating directly and honestly, speaking with an unvarnished truth.
Gemini!
A reference to the astrological sign Gemini, a symbol of duality and versatility.
Mercury swift
Referring to the swift-footed messenger of the gods, symbolic of quickness and agility.
Final
Demonstrating their ultimate mastery and control over any situation or challenge.
Contributed by Audrey I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Your Local Uraraka
I'm proud to be Gemini
Lisa Mpofu
Same
Samuel Malih
Who isn't 😁😁
Neelam Pahuja
Me tooooooooooooooo
Jeanne Boss
The Gemini Squad
・ShurBerry gacha・
Same
Trancera
gemini do not focus on the big picture. That's why we over think. We focus on the small stuff that create the big picture as a whole.
Cortland Baugher
Agreed I'm Gemini
pretty money
Exactly
As i Am
Exactly