In the early 1970s, a band was formed by FUMA cadets and the daughter of FUMA's band director. They called their band "Asylum" because the band was their refuge from the routine of military school life.
Elaine LaZizza sang and played piano. Buddy Williamson played keyboard, Bob King played bass, Ken Ward sang and played the drums, Dan Dinkins sang and played lead guitar, "Mac" McNamara added special effects and percussion, and Ken Willis provided special effects and served as equipment manager.
The group produced an album in 1973 which they named "First and Last" because they knew it would be just that - their first and last album together. They pressed 500 vinyl copies.
The nine tracks on the album includes two covers and seven original songs, which have been described as "true 60s West coast psychedelic, garage, folk" and sound very reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane and other groups of that time.
The album is so good that in 2004, the album was re-released by the World In Sound label in Germany. New copies of the vinyl album can be purchased online at the World In Sound website.
In recent years, some of the original copies of the album from that 500-copy pressing have become quite the collectors' item. The website popsike.com tracks auction results for rare albums, and shows records of recent sales of Asylum's "First and Last" original album for up to $1,331:
http://www.popsike.com/Asylum-First-and-Last-Private/300323519759.html - sold for $1,331
http://www.popsike.com/monster-psych-original-ASYLUM-First-And-Last/4800... - sold $1,005
http://www.popsike.com/ASYLUM-First-Last-LP-orig-psych-private-press/380... - sold $710
http://www.popsike.com/Asylum-First-and-Last-Original-Press-RARE-Psych-L... - sold $432
Track List
1 - I Want You Everyday (Dan Dinkins, Ken Ward)
3 - Been Down That Road Too (Elaine LaZizza)
4 - I Will Be Free (Dan Dinkins)
5 - The First Time (Ewan MacCall) (cover)
7 - Deliverance (Dan Dinkins, Elaine LaZizza)