this specific kind of string-based psychedelia

It's music that's reliant on a string section but also tends to feature an electric guitar; atmosphere is valued over catchiness, which is notable because when it pops up it's usually in the works of ppl who tend towards the pop and melodic. I'm no good at explaining this, there's a reason I stopped trying to write music criticism. Anyway I'd appreciate any examples ppl can come up with, hopefully the youtubes included here will explain what I mean better. I used to think of this as basically a Serge Gainsbourg thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3WeNexb2a8
Serge Gainsbourg - Melody

But recently I have come across some Brazilian examples:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avNMdrCweys
Caetano Veloso - The Empty Boat (especially from 2:30 on)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ldMQl6Nq8E
Erasmo Carlos - É Preciso Dar Um Jeito

Strangely tho I don't think I've heard any anglo-american music that does this kind of thing? At least not from the same era as this stuff.

A prime Brazilian example of this for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZhOhlmA9q8

Though maybe not per the thread description. This particular track isn't strings-led but it *does* have strings and is properly psychedelic. Great thread idea, btw!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkileyX032M

As far as American artists, I'd think some Lee Hazelwood might fit this genre.

The United States of America - Love Song for the Dead Che

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKjVMCSot2s

no drumset/guitar though

the first thing that came to mind is scott 3 and scott 4, though he doesn't really do that more blues-based, lurchy psychedelic rock kind of thing in the first examples.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSzOcvAJmi0

Obviously Beck's Paper Tiger is a straight up rip-off of the first song itt, but Lonesome Tears is the best example of this on Sea Change imo, relistened to it recently and it still owns

(I know you're looking for examples more from the time)

Maybe too poppy for what you are looking for, but makes me think of the first two David Axelrod records.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3jv7dNKB70

oh damn that's fab

Morricone perhaps?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBt36Bw7_8Q

Guitar really rips at the end

Elton's not usually regarded as psychedelic, but Paul Buckmaster's strings on "Madman Across the Water" are pretty close to this sound. There's also an outtake version with Mick Ronson playing electric guitar, but no strings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWrzhWnzhAs

Jean-Claude Vannier probably owns this thread, btw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKc0FjOhgWE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt21ySnfdvg

No guitar, although the Headless Heroes cover version of it has plenty, there is a ripping stylophone solo.

this vibe makes me think of the rotary connection albums, tho the vibe was more sitar, keys, and minnie riperton's melisma than electric guitar. their cover of "burning of the midnight lamp" fits pretty well, i think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSvgdzgDxSA

their cover of "respect" might fit the bill too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0mU2hLQ39c

So far the things that sound the most like what I was trying to describe itt are the Jean Pierre Ferland and the David Axelrod. Which is not to say the others shouldn't have been posted, it's all good music and I did make the thread super vague.

One thing about things like the United States of America and Scott Walker (one of my fav artists, tho I'd never think of him as psychedelic?) tracks is that they use strings, superbly, for the kind of thing it's intuitive to use strings for in pop at the time, i.e. lushness, beauty. The approach in the tracks I posted is I think very different from that. "Lurchy" is a good adjective for it, thanks map.

Morricone perhaps?

You'd think so, wouldn't you? Feels like his kind of thing! But I've listened to tons of the man's music and while there's plenty of strings + electric guitar, and plenty of lurching, I don't think he's ever combined them in this way. Would love to hear a track that disproves this tho.

Jean-Claude Vannier probably owns this thread, btw.

Oh yeah, and Melody Nelson is probably as much about him as it is about Gainsbourg.

The other French examples here I'd guess are influenced by Melody, perhaps even arranged by Vannier. The Brazilian ones intrigue me though - I'm sure the MPB and Tropicália folks had access to French pop, but I dunno if they appreciated Gainsbourg at the time or just thought of it as music for parents.

Maybe not psch, but the strings on John Martyn's "Smiling Stranger" have a Melody Nelson vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV_m5AGf_oM

Smiling Stranger always makes me think of David Essex's Rolling Stone. Same squelchy minimal liquid dub with strings -isness. I would say both owe the style of string arrangement to Norman Whitfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atWwoCgLuNo

I want to come up with examples of what this thread is after but I'd probably be gone ages while I think.

Weirdly, something which came quite quickly to mind and which I now can't get past - hence why I mention it - is the only Eagles track I can claim to be a fan of. But it's probably a bit too epic and besides which it favours echoey banjo over guitar. Still quite psychedelic in its way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZdZKolMIl0

Hitchhiker's Guide theme

And on the topic of Eagles, this came to mind, though I'm not too sure how psychedelic you would consider it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUr1wVf29b8

My favourite Eagles or Eagles related track of all!

Perhaps an early example?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0W1H8LGs-k

video not available :(

love this thread

9 minute version from a YouTube remixer. Man I wish this actually did build up for that time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDcr0LVVRIk

I feel like there's a Saint Etienne song that fits this thread perfectly, but I'm not an expert on them to find the right one to post. Hooverphonic made (for them) an outlier album where they ditched the trip-hop and made a full band album of psychedelic pop. It's not bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06x7pxwyt6M

Bases on the three examples in the OP, the presence of an underlying groove seems to be key component? In which was something like this should fit the bill:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l3Mn_llfIg

Feels like it's almost cheating to bring up Air as they clearly owe so much to Gainsbourg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUX8fUrKRNU

I feel like there's a Saint Etienne song that fits this thread perfectly

this is v much my wheelhouse lots of the tracks itt are favorites but idk, if the Lee Hazlewood stuff with David Whitaker strings is not what you're after i need to give it some thought because that's the first thing i would have suggested, too. seems like the criteria are much more specific than they appear at a glance.

Not sure if you'd call this "psychedelic" but it's definitely got more of the "lurching" qualities in the strings that that the OP was after:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIxJOO02jWo

this is v much my wheelhouse lots of the tracks itt are favorites but idk, if the Lee Hazlewood stuff with David Whitaker strings is not what you're after i need to give it some thought because that's the first thing i would have suggested, too.

fwiw I love Lee Hazelwood and think that if anyone in the anglosphere DOES have one of these he'd be the guy but I'm blanking on tracks that actually qualify

tbc plenty of good examples itt, the Small Faces one in partic comes very close! But am I wrong in thinking the 3 tracks I posted resemble each other more exactly than they do any of the non-modern examples posted? could just be me.

just to better understand, is there a reason why e.g. Lost in the Paradise off that same Caetano lp doesn't qualify? it has strings and careening fuzz guitar. is it not the right kind of string arrangement, tempo, mood or groove?

one guy i'd bet on is Andre Popp. unfortunately, i don't know his catalog real well outside of Delirium in Hi-Fi (which, if you haven't heard it, drop everything right now). but like this track does something similar to that kind of string arrangement, but with horns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eYVrdL3rRE

Le Coeur en Fete has the erotic funk grooves and fuzz guitar, there's probably something in his early 70's work that nails it.