Southwest F.O.B.

The Southwest F.O.B. Biography by Richie Unterberger Late-sixties Dallas band Southwest F.O.B. are mostly remembered for "Smell of Incense," a pop-psychedelic tune with an ethereal organ that was a big regional hit in the South, and a small national one. The group were more aligned with the "soft rock" or sunshine pop sounds typical of many late-sixties pop-psychedelic southern Californian acts than the tough Texas garage style. Multi-part vocal harmonies characterized many of their arrangements, and their occasional use of horns added a mild dash of soul. Although "Smell of Incense" was a pop-slanted cover of a song by L.A. psychedelic group the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, most of their material was original, penned by Dan Seals and John Ford Colley [sic], who went on to land some big soft-rock hits in the 1970s as England Dan and John Ford Coley. Their brand of psychedelia was way tougher than what they'd make in the 1970s, but certainly on the tame side. After making one album and a few singles, Seals and Colley left the group to form a duo, leaving the remaining members to carry on for about a year before disbanding.