Strawberry Alarm Clock is a psychedelic rock band formed in 1967 with origins in Glendale, California, a city near Los Angeles. They are best known for their 1967 hit single "Incense and Peppermints". Strawberry Alarm Clock, who have been also categorized as acid rock, psychedelic pop, and sunshine pop, charted five songs, including two Top 40 hits.
The first and most famous SAC single was "Incense and Peppermints", produced by Frank Slay and
initially released by Thee Sixpence on All American Records, owned by Bill Holmes, the band's manager and producer. The band was not impressed by songwriter John Carter's singing, so Slay chose Greg Munford, a 16-year-old friend of the band who was from another group called Shapes of Sound, to sing lead on the track. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week ending November 25, 1967. The band made a cameo appearance performing the song in the Richard Rush film Psych-Out.
Incense and Peppermints is the debut album by psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock. Released in November 1967, the album reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album charts and included the band's No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Incense and Peppermints". In addition to the six official members of the band, the album also featured the flute playing of Steve Bartek, who co-wrote four songs on the album with bass player George Bunnell.
The tracks "The World's on Fire", "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow", and "Incense and Peppermints" were all featured in the motion picture Psych-Out, along with a new song, "Pretty Song from Psych-Out", which later appeared on the band's second album, Wake Up...It's Tomorrow.
Shortly after recording "Incense and Peppermints", the band added Bunnell (on bass, rhythm guitar, and
vocals) before making their first album. Also titled Incense and Peppermints, it hit No. 11 on the US album chart in late 1967. Bunnell would also become their main songwriter. Some early Strawberry Alarm Clock songs were penned by Bunnell with Bartek. The latter played flute on the first two SAC albums and would continue to be involved with the band's later incarnations. Bartek later joined The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo and orchestrated Boingo frontman Danny Elfman's film scores.
A compilation album of the same name (albeit spelled with an ampersand) was released by MCA in 1990. To date, the album has been released on CD only in Japan and (more recently) on Sundazed Records.
[ AllMusic Review by Lindsay Planer
This is the debut long-player from the southern California-based Strawberry Alarm Clock -- the title
track of this album topped national singles charts in December of 1967. As the cover art might suggest, their image practically defined both the musical as well as peripheral aspects of the pseudo-psychedelic counterculture. However, below that mostly visual veneer, Strawberry Alarm Clock actually have more in common with other "Summer of Love" bands such as Love and Kak than the bubblegum acts they have long been associated with. Prior to Strawberry Alarm Clock, the band was initially named Thee Sixpence and issued a 45 -- "In the Building" b/w "Hey Joe" -- in the spring of 1966.
As legend has it, none of the actual bandmembers sang lead on the hit single; the singer was in fact a
vocalist named Greg Munford, who was attending the session as a visitor. The track was originally issued by Thee Sixpence on the regional All-American label. By the second pressing, however, the band's name had changed to Strawberry Alarm Clock. Sensing the possibility of a national hit, they were scooped up by the MCA Records subsidiary Uni and given the go-ahead to commence recording this, their debut LP.
Much of the band's sound is due at least in part to the writing styles of George Bunnell (bass/vocals) and the uncredited Steve Bartok (flute/vocals). The edgy fuzz-toned guitar sound of "Birds in My Tree"
and the Los Angeles freeway-inspired "Paxton's Back Street Carnival" exude a garage rock flavor similar in style to that of Spirit's self-titled debut long-player. Another distinguishing factor is Strawberry Alarm Clock's multi-layered vocals. "Hummin' Happy" and "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow" are precursors to the sophisticated harmonies that would also inform "Tomorrow" and "Pretty Song From Psych-Out," from their follow-up long-player, Wake Up...It's Tomorrow.]
TRACKS
01. The World's on Fire (S.A. Clock)
02. Birds in My Tree (George Bunnell, Steve Bartek)
03. Lose to Live (Mark Weitz, S.A. Clock)
04. Strawberries Mean Love (Bunnell, Bartek)
05. Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow (Bunnell, Bartek)
06. Paxton's Back Street Carnival (Bunnell, Bartek)
07. Hummin' Happy (Bunnell, Randy Seol)
08. Pass Time with the SAC (S.A. Clock) - instrumental
09. Incense and Peppermints (John S. Carter, Tim Gilbert) (uncredited: Mark Weitz, Ed King)
10. Unwind with the Clock (Lee Freeman, Ed King)
MEMBERS
Mark Weitz - organ, piano, harpsichord, vocals
Randy Seol - drums, bongos, vibraphone, vocals
Ed King - lead guitar, vocals
Lee Freeman - rhythm guitar, bass, harmonica, drums, vocals, woodwind
George Bunnell - bass, vocals
Gary Lovetro - bass, vocals
Steve Bartek - flute
Greg Munford - lead vocals on "Incense and Peppermints" (uncredited)
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WAKE UP... IT'S TOMORROW 1968
Wake Up...It's Tomorrow is the second album by the American psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock, released by Uni Records in 1968. It came as the group was challenged with continuing the success of their debut single, the psychedelic classic and number one hit, "Incense and Peppermints" and the LP that followed. Their second effort would expand upon the arrangements of its predecessor's unique blend of vocal harmonies, psychedelia, and pop music. In addition, the band's atypical lineup, which featured two bassists, would be altered to address studio and performing issues.
[ AllMusic Review by Lindsay Planer [-]
For their second album, Wake Up...It's Tomorrow, Strawberry Alarm Clock built upon the solid writing and musicianship that inevitably carried over from the Incense and Peppermints project. In retrospect, it is baffling as to why they were relegated to the "one-hit wonders" file, as their most social and musically relevant statements had yet to be made.
Stylistically, the material on this album vacillates between the lighter and pop-oriented sides such as
"Tomorrow" and the stunningly agile vocal arrangements on "Pretty Song from Psych-Out" to the exceedingly ominous "Curse of the Witches" and "Nightmare of Percussion." Howard Davis -- whose spoken word narration can be heard during the latter track -- arranged some stunning vocal charts for "Soft Skies, No Lies," "Go Back, You're Going the Wrong Way," and the "future" section of the "Black Butter" trilogy.
They are reminiscent of the tight harmonies incorporated by Harpers Bizarre or the retro New Vaudeville Band. Conversely, "Sitting on a Star," "They Saw the Fat One Coming" (which refers to the infiltration of Roy Freeman, a lyricist hired by the band's management), and the first two movements in the "Black Butter" trilogy reflect the group's mod garage rock roots. Here the band projects a more primal sound akin to People or the Chocolate Watchband.]
TRACKS
01. Nightmare of Percussion (George Bunnell, Howard Davis, Randy Seol) 2:57
02. Soft Skies, No Lies (Ed King, Lee Freeman) 3:07
03. Tomorrow (King, Mark Weitz) 2:14
04. They Saw the Fat One Coming (King, Freeman) 3:25
05. Curse of the Witches (Bunnell, Seol) 6:46
06. Sit with the Guru (King, Weitz, Freeman) 2:59
07. Go Back (You're Going the Wrong Way) (King, Freeman, Weitz) 2:19
08. Pretty Song from Psych-Out (King, Freeman) 3:15
09. Sitting on a Star (Bunnell, Seol, Steve Bartek) 2:55
10. Black Butter, Past (King, Davis, Freeman) 2:23
11. Black Butter, Present (King, Freeman) 2:10
12. Black Butter, Future (King, Davis, Freeman) 1:32
MEMBERS
Mark Weitz – keyboards, vocals
Randy Seol – drums, vibraphone, glockenspiel, marimba, keyboards, percussion, vocals
Ed King – lead guitar, bass guitar, vocals
Lee Freeman – rhythm guitar, sitar, vocals
George Bunnell – bass guitar, vocals
Steve Bartek - flute
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A tremendous post. All the info, & art included.So much fun.Plus, the music! Thanks.
ReplyDelete@ Konrad Useo: Many thanx for your comment.
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