The group started out as The Souvenir Badge Factory, but shortened their name to The Factory and signed to MGM and then CBS. The group's members were Ian Oates (guitar and vocals), Jack Brand (bass and vocals) and Bill MacLeod (drums).

"Path Through The Forest" is regarded by some as one of the greatest British psych/freakbeat songs ever, even if the extended version is way better in my opinion. (MGM didn't wanted to release that version, they thought it was too spaced out. The song appears on complications like 'Chocolate Soup For Diabetics Volume 3' and 'Nuggets 2 (Disc 3)'.

The B-side, "Gone", is a cover of a Paul Revere & The Raiders-song (Originally 'Gone - Movin' On' from their LP 'Revolution!' from '67).

 

However, The Factory never got the big break, probably because they were too late. Both their 45s should have been released in '67 instead of '68-'69.

 

"Path Through The Forest” (taken from a demo sent in by a writer now long since lost in the mists of time) was their debut single but it was not released in its original intended form.
 
As well as another Pantry original "Red Chalk Hill", Factory recorded covers of Fairport Convention's "Mr. Lacey",
"So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star", and "Second Generation Woman" .

More info:

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1680/" rel="nofollow - http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1680/
http://www.ibcstudio.co.uk/thefactoryindex.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.ibcstudio.co.uk/thefactoryindex.html
http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_factory" rel="nofollow - http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_factory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't find a tube for their other cover songs 'Mr. Lacey', & 'So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star'.