Olympic: Big Beat from Prague (1967-1968)

Olympic were the most important group during the 60s in what used to be Czechoslovakia, a country that spawned many great groups like The Matadors or the Slovakian Prudy to name just a couple. The Matadors are probably better known amongst foreigners since most of their stuff was recorded in English.
That was not the case with Olympic since, even though they started playing rock'n'roll covers, when they begun writing their own material they were the first to do it in their native tongue.
OLYMPIC: Czech Beat Greats! (FULL CLIP)

They released several singles, EPs and recorded the first album in Czech Rock's history in 1968 "Zelva" (The Tortoise). That year the band was touring France were an EP was issued with 3 songs in English, "Midsummer night" being one of my favourites showing the band going crazy, totally freaking-out, a must hear!
OLYMPIC "I'm stupid" (Ptak Rosomak)

"I'm stupid" is the English version of "Ptak Rosomak" (The Wolverine Bird!) which is also the title of their second LP released in 1969. The band had gone back home despite the events of 1968 when Russian tanks rolled into the country to put a stop to the so-called Prague Spring that had started earlier that year...

You can find "Zelva" the album thanks to http://faintlyblowing.blogspot.com or most recently http://onwingsdream.blogspot.com/.
Here is that French EP that was released under the name The Five Travellers!
The rest was released as singles in 1967-'68, also included two more English versions of their songs that were featured on the compilation LP "Night Club '67".
http://www.shareonall.com/OLYMPIC_jkes_rar.htm
Tracklist:
01. Please don't leave me
02. Thoughts of a foolish boy
03. Story of a wonder
04. I'm stupid
05. Midsummer night
06. Pohreb sue vlastni duse (My funeral march)
07. Zelva
08. Snad jsem to zavinil ja
09. Dej mi na klin oci unaveny
10. Nejim a nespim
11. Krasna neznama
12. Ptak Rosomak
tracks 1 & 2 from "Night Club '67" LP, 3-6 "Five Travellers" French EP 1968, 7/8 single 1967, 9/10 single 1967, 11 single 1968, 12 single 1968.