Seven Up (album)

Seven Up is the third studio album by German krautrock band Ash Ra Tempel and their only album recorded in collaboration with American psychologist/drug advocate Timothy Leary.^[1] It was first released in 1973.

Seven Up
Studio album by Timothy Leary with Ash Ra Tempel
Released	1973
Recorded	August 1972 at Sinus Studios, Bern, Switzerland, overdubs recorded October 1972 at Dierks Studios in Stommeln, Germany
Genre	Krautrock, psychedelic rock, space rock
Length	37:18
Label	Cosmic Couriers
Producer	Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser, Gille Lettmann
Ash Ra Tempel chronology
Schwingungen (1972) Seven Up (1973) Join Inn (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 in September 1970.^[2]

The name "Seven Up" was thought up by lyricist Brian Barritt, after the group were given a bottle of the lemonade drink 7 Up that had been spiked with LSD.

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.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Space I. Downtown II. Power Drive III. Right Hand Lover IV. Velvet Genes"	16:03
2.	"Time I. Timeship II. Neuron III. SHe"	21:15

Personnel

• Hartmut "Hawk" Enke - bass, guitar, synth/electronics
• Manuel Göttsching - guitar, synth/electronics
• Timothy Leary - voice, "direction", lyrics
• Michael Duwe - voice, flute

Additional personnel

• Brian Barritt - 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 - synthesizer, radio downtown,^[3] recording
• Klaus D. Müller - performer (no role specified)
• Peter Geitner - design (cover)
• Walter Wegmüller - painting (cover paintings)
• Rolf-Ulrich Kaiser - production
• Gille Lettmann - co-production
• Kurt Zimmermann - recording (Sinus-studio)