The Electric Prunes
Encyclopedia
The Electric Prunes are an American rock band
who first achieved international attention as an experimental psychedelic
group in the late 1960s. Their song "Kyrie Eleison" was featured on the soundtrack of Easy Rider
. After a period in which they had little control over their music, they disappeared for thirty years, reformed in 1999, then resumed as a recording and touring band in 2001.
in Los Angeles
, though during the group's long disbandment, rumors circulated that they were from Seattle. Their first hit was discovered by Seattle disk jockey Pat O'Day
at KJR (AM) and was very popular in that city before it broke into the national charts. The founding members, Ken Williams (guitar), James Lowe (lead vocal, autoharp), Michael Weakley and eventually Joe Dooley (drums) and Mark Tulin
(bass) called themselves The Sanctions, and later, Jim and the Lords. Soon, Dick Hargrave joined on organ, but left shortly afterwards to pursue graphic arts
. Their lineup changed many times, including one lineup with Kenny Loggins
.
Lowe, Tulin, Williams and Weakley were introduced to David Hassinger
, then resident engineer at RCA studios, who arranged for them to record some demos at Leon Russell
's home recording facility (which he called Sky Hill Studios). Hassinger also suggested they needed a new name. In response, the band produced a long list of suggestions, with The Electric Prunes last as a joke.
A single Ain't It Hard/Little Olive was released from these sessions, and flopped.
" (1966), was chosen from material Hassinger culled from the established songwriting team of Annette Tucker
and Nancie Mantz. It remains their highest charting success, reaching 11 in the USA and 49 in the UK. Personnel included Jim Lowe on vocals, James "Weasel" Spagnola and Ken Williams on guitar, Mark Tulin on bass and Preston Ritter
on drums. This is regarded by many as the classic Prunes lineup.
Their third single, Get Me to the World on Time, was also successful but less so, peaking at 27 in the USA and 42 in the UK. Both their first album, The Electric Prunes: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)
(1967) and consisting mainly of Tucker/Mantz material, and the followup Underground
(1967) which featured mainly original Prunes material, charted in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts.
By the time Underground was complete, there had been several more personnel changes. Original drummer Weakley returned to replace Ritter, and Spagnola was replaced on guitar by Mike Gannon, who appears on only two songs. Their fourth single, Everybody Knows You're Not In Love, was recorded by this line-up, but does not appear on this album.
(1968), was a psychedelic
ized setting of the Mass
, written and produced by David Axelrod
. Initial work on the arrangements was done by Mark Tulin, but it became clear during the recording that Axelrod's intentions outstripped the band's technical abilities, Jim Lowe commenting that "David Axelrod was so far above what we, as a garage band, were able to deliver." The band reportedly broke up during the recording, and Axelrod completed the album using Canadian band The Collectors and session musicians. A tour had been planned to follow the album release, but it was cancelled after one disastrous show at which it was obvious that the Prunes couldn't play the music, some of which they had seen for the first time only a few days before the concert. Nevertheless, the album became somewhat of an underground
favorite. Kyrie Eleison from this record was used to back the dinner scene wherein Billy was trying to convince a grief-stricken Captain America to go to Mardi Gras to get laid and do drugs in the movie Easy Rider
.
This was followed by Release of An Oath
(1968), another religious-themed work composed and arranged by Axelrod, this time combining Jewish and Christian
liturgy
. It was produced by David Hassinger
using top session musicians for all instruments, backing the Prunes's vocal work.
(1969) was recorded by another, completely different, group of musicians, originally from Colorado, who were assigned the Prunes's name, which was not legally owned by Hassinger (according to James Lowe in a recent interview). The album cover read the new improved Electric Prunes to reflect the new lineup, although the group name remained the same. This band toured and also released a single on Reprise Records
in 1969, but dissolved early in 1970.
" on the seminal Nuggets compilation of 1960s psychedelic
gems the Electric Prunes continued to reach new fans in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. That track in particular has been a regular of psychedelic bands through the decades including Australia's Prince Vlad & the Gargoyle Impalers in the early to mid 1980s. The track was recorded by psychedelic punks The Damned in the 1980s, under their alter ego of Naz Nomad and the Nightmares
, and was also a feature of The Damned's live set in the mid-80s. XTC
, recording under the name Dukes of Stratosphear also paid homage to the song on their song "25 O'Clock
" which emulates the style of the song. It was also recorded by Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks for their album "Doo Dad", and featured in the "trip" sequence in Webb's movie "Horror Hayride". A Patrick Cowley
-produced Hi-NRG
version, simply entitled "Too Much to Dream", was released in 1983 by Paul Parker
as part of an album of the same name.
The late 1990s saw renewed interest in the Electric Prunes, with the release on Heartbeat Records of Stockholm, a concert recorded by the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation
while the (original) Prunes were on tour there in 1967. Heartbeat also issued an early collection of recordings by The Sanctions and Jim and The Lords, recovered from unplayed 35-year-old acetate
s.
After a period of 30 years, the original quartet of Lowe, Tulin, Williams and Weakley met in the studio in 1999 to consider a revival. As a result Lowe, Tulin and Williams (the three who had played on all the early recordings) were joined by two new members, including James Lowe's son, to reform the band. They began touring internationally in 2001, and in 2002 released a new recording titled Artifact and a DVD album called Rewired.
Continuing the momentum in 2007, the trio of Lowe, Tulin, and Williams released a new CD entitled Feedback, a hook-laden orgy of tremolo, reverb, rollicking drums and hilariously juvenile lyrics ("I have to off myself just to get away from you") that was heard by too few critics but hailed as a masterpiece by some of those who did, including author Elizabeth Hand, who blogged, "'Feedback' is truly one of the best albums I've heard in years. Anyone who's expecting an oldies nostalgia act is going to be wicked disappointed: these guys sound like they're still twenty years old with something to prove."
The Prunes have also taken up residence in MySpace and Facebook, reaching out to fans new and old.
In 2007, the rock band The Verve ran the track "Holy Are You" before their concerts.
They were mentioned in Thomas Pynchon
's 2009 novel Inherent Vice
(pg. 103) and receive a shoutout from James Murphy in the LCD Soundsystem classic single "Losing My Edge
."
The band is now recording and touring with a new drummer, Walter Garces, who has been called the "drum guru" of L.A. They are currently recording new tracks with musician and producer Billy Corgan
of Smashing Pumpkins.
On February 26, 2011 Tulin collapsed while helping out at the Avalon Underwater Clean-Up in Avalon, California. Baywatch Avalon and Avalon Fire Department medics responded immediately, but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
who first achieved international attention as an experimental psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
group in the late 1960s. Their song "Kyrie Eleison" was featured on the soundtrack of Easy Rider
Easy Rider
Easy Rider is a 1969 American road movie written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. It tells the story of two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and South with the aim of achieving freedom...
. After a period in which they had little control over their music, they disappeared for thirty years, reformed in 1999, then resumed as a recording and touring band in 2001.
Origin
The group started in the San Fernando ValleySan Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, though during the group's long disbandment, rumors circulated that they were from Seattle. Their first hit was discovered by Seattle disk jockey Pat O'Day
Pat O'Day
Pat O'Day is a Pacific Northwest broadcaster and promoter. He is probably best known as the afternoon drive personality at Seattle's KJR 950 in the 1960s, he would eventually become program director and general manager. He owned KYYX - FM 96.5 Radio in Seattle in the mid seventies and early...
at KJR (AM) and was very popular in that city before it broke into the national charts. The founding members, Ken Williams (guitar), James Lowe (lead vocal, autoharp), Michael Weakley and eventually Joe Dooley (drums) and Mark Tulin
Mark Tulin
Mark Tulin was the bassist with The Electric Prunes. They had hit singles with "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" and "Get Me To The World on Time"...
(bass) called themselves The Sanctions, and later, Jim and the Lords. Soon, Dick Hargrave joined on organ, but left shortly afterwards to pursue graphic arts
Graphic arts
A type of fine art, graphic art covers a broad range of art forms. Graphic art is typically two-dimensional and includes calligraphy, photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, lithography, typography, serigraphy , and bindery. Graphic art also consists of drawn plans and layouts for interior...
. Their lineup changed many times, including one lineup with Kenny Loggins
Kenny Loggins
During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
.
Lowe, Tulin, Williams and Weakley were introduced to David Hassinger
David Hassinger
David Hassinger was a sound engineer at RCA Studios in Los Angeles.From November 1964 until August 1966 he was the engineer for the Rolling Stones, working on all of their albums recorded in that period....
, then resident engineer at RCA studios, who arranged for them to record some demos at Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
's home recording facility (which he called Sky Hill Studios). Hassinger also suggested they needed a new name. In response, the band produced a long list of suggestions, with The Electric Prunes last as a joke.
A single Ain't It Hard/Little Olive was released from these sessions, and flopped.
Early success
The Prunes' next single, "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)
"I Had Too Much to Dream " is a song written by Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz, which was recorded in late 1966 by The Electric Prunes...
" (1966), was chosen from material Hassinger culled from the established songwriting team of Annette Tucker
Annette Tucker
Annette Tucker is a composer, lyricist, teacher, writer, arranger, and producer. Her songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, Tom Jones, Maureen McGovern, Nana Mouskouri, Ricky Nelson, The Knickerbockers, The Electric Prunes, The Ventures, The American Breed, The...
and Nancie Mantz. It remains their highest charting success, reaching 11 in the USA and 49 in the UK. Personnel included Jim Lowe on vocals, James "Weasel" Spagnola and Ken Williams on guitar, Mark Tulin on bass and Preston Ritter
Preston Ritter
Preston James Ritter , is a drummer, drum teacher and author of drum methods. He played on The Electric Prunes first album and two hit singles before being replaced by their original drummer Michael Weakley during recording of their second album.-External links:* ....
on drums. This is regarded by many as the classic Prunes lineup.
Their third single, Get Me to the World on Time, was also successful but less so, peaking at 27 in the USA and 42 in the UK. Both their first album, The Electric Prunes: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)
The Electric Prunes: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)
The Electric Prunes is the 1967 debut album by The Electric Prunes. The first track, "I Had Too Much to Dream ", was a hit and became the band's signature tune...
(1967) and consisting mainly of Tucker/Mantz material, and the followup Underground
Underground (Electric Prunes album)
Underground is the second studio album by The Electric Prunes, released in 1967.-Track listing:Side one# "The Great Banana Hoax" – 4:09# "Children of Rain" – 2:37# "Wind-Up Toys" – 2:26...
(1967) which featured mainly original Prunes material, charted in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts.
By the time Underground was complete, there had been several more personnel changes. Original drummer Weakley returned to replace Ritter, and Spagnola was replaced on guitar by Mike Gannon, who appears on only two songs. Their fourth single, Everybody Knows You're Not In Love, was recorded by this line-up, but does not appear on this album.
The Axelrod period
At the suggestion of manager Lenny Poncher, the Prunes's third album, Mass in F MinorMass in F Minor
Mass in F Minor is the third studio album by The Electric Prunes, released in 1968, consisting of a musical setting of the mass sung in Latin and arranged in the psychedelic style of the band...
(1968), was a psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
ized setting of the Mass
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
, written and produced by David Axelrod
David Axelrod (musician)
David Axelrod is an American composer, arranger and producer, working in several musical genres.-Biography:...
. Initial work on the arrangements was done by Mark Tulin, but it became clear during the recording that Axelrod's intentions outstripped the band's technical abilities, Jim Lowe commenting that "David Axelrod was so far above what we, as a garage band, were able to deliver." The band reportedly broke up during the recording, and Axelrod completed the album using Canadian band The Collectors and session musicians. A tour had been planned to follow the album release, but it was cancelled after one disastrous show at which it was obvious that the Prunes couldn't play the music, some of which they had seen for the first time only a few days before the concert. Nevertheless, the album became somewhat of an underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
favorite. Kyrie Eleison from this record was used to back the dinner scene wherein Billy was trying to convince a grief-stricken Captain America to go to Mardi Gras to get laid and do drugs in the movie Easy Rider
Easy Rider
Easy Rider is a 1969 American road movie written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. It tells the story of two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and South with the aim of achieving freedom...
.
This was followed by Release of An Oath
Release of an Oath
Release of An Oath is the fourth studio album by The Electric Prunes, released in 1968. Following the musical pattern of their Mass in F Minor, it is a rock music setting of a service intended to release a penitent from an oath "made under duress and in violation of his principles" .The album is...
(1968), another religious-themed work composed and arranged by Axelrod, this time combining Jewish and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
. It was produced by David Hassinger
David Hassinger
David Hassinger was a sound engineer at RCA Studios in Los Angeles.From November 1964 until August 1966 he was the engineer for the Rolling Stones, working on all of their albums recorded in that period....
using top session musicians for all instruments, backing the Prunes's vocal work.
"The New Improved" Electric Prunes
The following album Just Good Old Rock and RollJust Good Old Rock and Roll
Just Good Old Rock and Roll is the fifth studio record album by The Electric Prunes, released in 1969. It was recorded with a lineup put together by Wilson-Fisher management for David Hassinger, who owned the name, during a period in which the original group was disbanded...
(1969) was recorded by another, completely different, group of musicians, originally from Colorado, who were assigned the Prunes's name, which was not legally owned by Hassinger (according to James Lowe in a recent interview). The album cover read the new improved Electric Prunes to reflect the new lineup, although the group name remained the same. This band toured and also released a single on Reprise Records
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
in 1969, but dissolved early in 1970.
Reissues and reformation
Through the inclusion of their classic "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)
"I Had Too Much to Dream " is a song written by Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz, which was recorded in late 1966 by The Electric Prunes...
" on the seminal Nuggets compilation of 1960s psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
gems the Electric Prunes continued to reach new fans in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. That track in particular has been a regular of psychedelic bands through the decades including Australia's Prince Vlad & the Gargoyle Impalers in the early to mid 1980s. The track was recorded by psychedelic punks The Damned in the 1980s, under their alter ego of Naz Nomad and the Nightmares
Naz Nomad and the Nightmares
Naz Nomad and The Nightmares was a one-off project featuring the members of British punk and gothic rock band The Damned.Naz Nomad and The Nightmares released one album entitled Give Daddy The Knife Cindy in 1984. The album was packaged to look like the re-issue of a 1967 soundtrack album to a ...
, and was also a feature of The Damned's live set in the mid-80s. XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, recording under the name Dukes of Stratosphear also paid homage to the song on their song "25 O'Clock
25 O'Clock
25 O'Clock is an EP from XTC which was released under the pseudonym The Dukes of Stratosphear, and was also the title song from that release...
" which emulates the style of the song. It was also recorded by Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks for their album "Doo Dad", and featured in the "trip" sequence in Webb's movie "Horror Hayride". A Patrick Cowley
Patrick Cowley
Patrick Joseph Cowley was an American disco and Hi-NRG dance music composer and recording artist. He recorded in a style that has drawn comparisons to that of Giorgio Moroder and is often credited with pioneering electronic dance music.-Early life:Patrick Cowley was born in Buffalo, New York to...
-produced Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG
Hi-NRG describes a form of high-tempo disco music as well as a genre of electronic dance music originating in the United States during the late 1970s...
version, simply entitled "Too Much to Dream", was released in 1983 by Paul Parker
Paul Parker
Paul Andrew Parker is a retired English footballer who played for Queens Park Rangers, Fulham and most notably Manchester United...
as part of an album of the same name.
The late 1990s saw renewed interest in the Electric Prunes, with the release on Heartbeat Records of Stockholm, a concert recorded by the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation
Sveriges Radio
Sveriges Radio AB – Swedish Radio Ltd – is Sweden's national publicly funded radio broadcaster. The Swedish public-broadcasting system is in many respects modelled after the one used in the United Kingdom, and Sveriges Radio - like Sveriges Television - shares many characteristics with...
while the (original) Prunes were on tour there in 1967. Heartbeat also issued an early collection of recordings by The Sanctions and Jim and The Lords, recovered from unplayed 35-year-old acetate
Acetate
An acetate is a derivative of acetic acid. This term includes salts and esters, as well as the anion found in solution. Most of the approximately 5 billion kilograms of acetic acid produced annually in industry are used in the production of acetates, which usually take the form of polymers. In...
s.
After a period of 30 years, the original quartet of Lowe, Tulin, Williams and Weakley met in the studio in 1999 to consider a revival. As a result Lowe, Tulin and Williams (the three who had played on all the early recordings) were joined by two new members, including James Lowe's son, to reform the band. They began touring internationally in 2001, and in 2002 released a new recording titled Artifact and a DVD album called Rewired.
Continuing the momentum in 2007, the trio of Lowe, Tulin, and Williams released a new CD entitled Feedback, a hook-laden orgy of tremolo, reverb, rollicking drums and hilariously juvenile lyrics ("I have to off myself just to get away from you") that was heard by too few critics but hailed as a masterpiece by some of those who did, including author Elizabeth Hand, who blogged, "'Feedback' is truly one of the best albums I've heard in years. Anyone who's expecting an oldies nostalgia act is going to be wicked disappointed: these guys sound like they're still twenty years old with something to prove."
The Prunes have also taken up residence in MySpace and Facebook, reaching out to fans new and old.
In 2007, the rock band The Verve ran the track "Holy Are You" before their concerts.
They were mentioned in Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
's 2009 novel Inherent Vice
Inherent Vice
Inherent Vice is a novel by Thomas Pynchon, originally published in August 2009.-Title:The term "inherent vice" is a legal tenet referring to a "hidden defect of a good or property which of itself is the cause of its deterioration, damage, or wastage...
(pg. 103) and receive a shoutout from James Murphy in the LCD Soundsystem classic single "Losing My Edge
Losing My Edge
"Losing My Edge" is the first single by LCD Soundsystem, released on July 8, 2002 and later featured on their eponymous debut.The song was listed at #13 on Pitchfork Media's top 500 songs of the 2000s...
."
The band is now recording and touring with a new drummer, Walter Garces, who has been called the "drum guru" of L.A. They are currently recording new tracks with musician and producer Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
of Smashing Pumpkins.
On February 26, 2011 Tulin collapsed while helping out at the Avalon Underwater Clean-Up in Avalon, California. Baywatch Avalon and Avalon Fire Department medics responded immediately, but he could not be revived and was pronounced dead.
Band members
- James Lowe – vocals, guitar, harmonica, autoharp (1965–1968) (1999–present)
- Ken WilliamsKen WilliamsKen Williams may refer to:*Kenneth Williams , British actor*Ken Williams , baseball outfielder*Ken Williams , American college basketball player...
– guitar (1965–1968) (1999–present) - Steve Kara – guitar, vocals (2004–present)
- Jay Dean – guitar, vocals (2004–present)
- Walter Garces – drums, vocals (2006–present)
Former members
- Dick Hargraves (1965-1965)
- Steve Acoff (1965-1965)
- Preston RitterPreston RitterPreston James Ritter , is a drummer, drum teacher and author of drum methods. He played on The Electric Prunes first album and two hit singles before being replaced by their original drummer Michael Weakley during recording of their second album.-External links:* ....
(1966-1966) - James Spagnola (1966–1967)
- Mike Gannon (1967–1968)
- Jeromy Stuart (1968-1968)
- Kenny LogginsKenny LogginsDuring the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, King of the Movie Soundtrack.He began with "I'm Alright" , "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack...
(1968-1968) - John HerronJohn HerronJohn Herron may refer to:*John Herron , mayor of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1840s*John S. Herron, later mayor of Pittsburgh in the 1930s*John Herron , former Canadian Member of Parliament from Alberta in the early 1900s...
(1969–1970) - Brett Wade (1969–1970)
- Ron Morgan (1969–1970)
- Mark Kincaid (1969–1970)
- Dick Whetstone (1969–1970)
- Mike Weakley (1965–1966) (1967-1967) (2001-2001)
- Cameron Lowe (2001–2003)
- Mark Moulin (2001–2004)
- Joe DooleyJoe DooleyJoe Dooley is an Irish former hurlers and manager.Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Dooley enjoyed a successful playing career at club level with Seir Kieran and remains the only Offaly player to have won three All-Ireland titles...
(1967–1968) (2001–2006) - Mark TulinMark TulinMark Tulin was the bassist with The Electric Prunes. They had hit singles with "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" and "Get Me To The World on Time"...
(1965–1968) (1999–2011)
Studio albums
- The Electric Prunes 1967
- UndergroundUnderground (Electric Prunes album)Underground is the second studio album by The Electric Prunes, released in 1967.-Track listing:Side one# "The Great Banana Hoax" – 4:09# "Children of Rain" – 2:37# "Wind-Up Toys" – 2:26...
1967 - Mass In F MinorMass in F MinorMass in F Minor is the third studio album by The Electric Prunes, released in 1968, consisting of a musical setting of the mass sung in Latin and arranged in the psychedelic style of the band...
1968 - Release of An OathRelease of an OathRelease of An Oath is the fourth studio album by The Electric Prunes, released in 1968. Following the musical pattern of their Mass in F Minor, it is a rock music setting of a service intended to release a penitent from an oath "made under duress and in violation of his principles" .The album is...
1968 - Just Good Old Rock and RollJust Good Old Rock and RollJust Good Old Rock and Roll is the fifth studio record album by The Electric Prunes, released in 1969. It was recorded with a lineup put together by Wilson-Fisher management for David Hassinger, who owned the name, during a period in which the original group was disbanded...
1969 - Artifact 2002
- California 2004
- Feedback 2006
Live albums
- Stockholm 1997/2002 (with different front cover)
- The Sanctions / Jim and the Lords: Then Came the Electric Prunes 2000
Compilations
- Long Day's Flight 1986
- The Singles 1995
- Lost Dreams 2001
- Artifact 2001
- Too Much To Dream : Original Group Recordings : Reprise 1966-1967 2007
U.S. Singles
- "Ain't It Hard" / "Little Olive" (Reprise 0473) 1966
- "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)"I Had Too Much to Dream " is a song written by Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz, which was recorded in late 1966 by The Electric Prunes...
" / "Luvin" (Reprise 0532) 1966 US #11 - UK #49 - "Get Me to the World on Time" / "Are You Lovin' Me More" (Reprise 0564) 1966 US #27 - UK #42
- "Vox Wah-Wah Ad"(Thomas 08-000132-0) 1967
- "Dr Do-Good" / "Hideaway"(Reprise 0594) 1967
- "The Great Banana Hoax" / "Wind-up Toys" (Reprise 0607) 1967
- "Everybody Knows You're Not In Love" / "You Never Had it Better" (Reprise 0652) 1968
- "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night" / "Get Me To The World On Time" (Reprise 0704 - Double A-side) 1968
- "Shadow" (Reprise PRO 287) 1968, one-sided single
- "Sanctus" / "Credo" (Reprise PRO 277) 1968
- "Help Us (Our Father, Our King)" / "The Adoration" (Reprise PRO 305) 1968
- "Hey! Mr. President" / "Flowing Smoothly" (Reprise 0756) 1969
- "Violent Rose" / "Sell" (Reprise 0833) 1969
- "Love Grows" / "Finders, Keepers, Losers, Weepers" (Reprise 0858) 1969
- "Hollywood Halloween" (Birdman Records BMR1313) 2001, Peter LewisPeter Lewis (musician)Peter Lewis is one of the founding members of the band Moby Grape. Three of his better known songs with Moby Grape are "Fall On You" and "Sitting By The Window" from the self-titled first Moby Grape album and "If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes", from Moby Grape '69.- Background :He is the...
(Moby GrapeMoby GrapeMoby Grape is an American rock group from the 1960s, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz together with rock and psychedelic music...
) backed by The Electric Prunes) - "Get Me To The World On Time (Live)" (Birdman Records BMR037) 2002 (recorded at Voxfest III in June 2001)
- "Left in Blue" (original by Azure Halo)
European Singles
- "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)"I Had Too Much to Dream " is a song written by Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz, which was recorded in late 1966 by The Electric Prunes...
" / "Luvin" (Reprise RS 20532) 1966 UK - "Get Me To The World On Time" / "Are You Lovin Me More (But Enjoying It Less)" (Reprise RS 20564) 1967 UK
- "The Great Banana Hoax" / "Wind-Up Toys" (Reprise RS 20607) 1967 UK
- "Long Days Flight" / "The King In His Counting House" (Reprise RS 23212) 1967 UK
- "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" / "Luvin'" / "Little Olive" / "Ain't It Hard" (Reprise RVEP 60098) 1967 French
- "Everybody Knows You're Not In Love" / "You Never Had It Better" (Reprise RS 20652) 1968 UK
- "Long Day's Flight" / "Dr Do Good" / "The Great Banana Hoax" / "Captain Glory" (Reprise RVEP 60110) 1968 French
- "Everybody Knows You're Not In Love" / "You Never Had It Better" (Reprise RV 20149) 1968 French
- "Hey Mr President" / "Flowing Smoothly" (Reprise RV 20198) 1969 French
- "Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" / ("Lies" by the Knickerbockers) (Elektra K 12102) 1973 (from the Nuggets compilation) UK
- "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" / "Luvin" (Radar ADA 16 - picture sleeve reissue) 1979 UK
Various
- Easy Rider 1969 (includes "Kyrie Eleison")
- Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 (includes "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)")
- Pebbles, Volume 2Pebbles, Volume 2Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Another Pebbles, Volume 2 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has almost completely different tracks.-Release data:...
1978 (includes "Vox Wah-Wah Radio Ad") - Rarities: Great Live Concerts 1981
External links
- Archive website
- Official website on current activities
- Independent discography with images.
- Comprehensive discography
- Lost Dreams CD Track Annotation
- Liner notes from I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night).
- Interview with James LoweJames Lowe-Life:Lowe was apprenticed on 2 November 1813 to Edward Shorter, a master mechanic and a Freeman of the City of London, who had in 1800 taken out a patent for propelling vessels, which he had named ‘the perpetual sculling machine.’ In 1816 Lowe ran away and joined a whaling ship named the Amelia...
, discussing effects used on the early recordings. - Interview with Annette TuckerAnnette TuckerAnnette Tucker is a composer, lyricist, teacher, writer, arranger, and producer. Her songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, Tom Jones, Maureen McGovern, Nana Mouskouri, Ricky Nelson, The Knickerbockers, The Electric Prunes, The Ventures, The American Breed, The...
, another perspective on the Prunes. - Interview with songwriter Nancie Mantz
- Interview with Preston RitterPreston RitterPreston James Ritter , is a drummer, drum teacher and author of drum methods. He played on The Electric Prunes first album and two hit singles before being replaced by their original drummer Michael Weakley during recording of their second album.-External links:* ....
, on his history with the group. - Exclusive track on Psychedelica Vol.1 on Northern Star RecordsNorthern Star RecordsNorthern Star Records is a UK based record label founded by Scott Causer and Andy Oliver in 2005. The label launched in March 2006 with their first release, the double CD compilation Psychedelica Vol. 1...
- Live and early recordings on Heartbeat Records