The Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes is an American rock band formed in 1966 as an experimental psychedelic group attracted international attention for the first time. After the band did not manage to get their music under their own control, and the differences with the producers were getting bigger, they broke up in 1968. In 2000, the band reformed again to make new recordings from 2001 and to give concerts.

  • 2.1 Singles in the USA
  • 2.2 Singles in Europe
  • 2.3 albums
  • 2.4 Live
  • 2.5 compilations
  • 2.6 Other Publications
  • 2.7 DVD

History

Prehistory

The band was founded in 1965 by James Lowe, Mark Tulin and Ken Williams, who knew each other from Taft High School in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley. The first drummer, Steve Acoff, was replaced by Mike Weakley and Dick Hargraves (keyboards) joined the band, first called The Sanctions and Jim and The Lords 1966. Hargraves left the band and guitarist James ( Weasel ) Spagnola was added. The band played in clubs and eventually took home studio by Russ Bottomley own songs, which were not published until much later under The Sanctions / Jim and The Lords ( Heartbeat Records).

Through an acquaintance of Tulin family, Barbara Harris, the band hit the songwriter Annette Tucker and Dave Hassinger, who was at that time sound engineer at RCA Records and worked with The Rolling Stones, who happened to be in Los Angeles. Hassinger allowed the band to make some demo recordings. At this time was also renamed The Electric Prunes. The single Is not It Hard / Little Olive was there, the band released a contract with Reprise Records. Mike Weakley did not agree with the terms of contract and left the band; he was replaced by Preston Knight. When the single was not a success, Warner Brothers dropped the band.

The band was Dave Hassinger

The second single I Had Too Much to Dream ( Last Night ) was chosen by Hassinger of material that came from the experienced songwriting team Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz. Together with Luvin ' Hideaway and a cover version of the Hollies song Way of My Own took Jim Lowe, James Spagnola, Ken Williams, Mark Tulin and Preston Ritter, a new demo tape in the studio of Leon Russell (Sky Hill Studios ) on. Reprise Records gave the band a new contract and Dave Hassinger was tape - producer.

I Had Too Much To Dream ( Last Night ) (B-side: Luvin ) ( 1966) was supported by the disc jockey Pat O'Day ( KJR (AM) in Seattle ) was known and very popular there, before they even in the national music charts appeared. It was the biggest success of Prunes and reached number 11 in the U.S. and number 49 in England. The third single, Get Me to the World on Time, was relatively successful: # 27 in the U.S. and 42 in England. In 1967 the band The Lovin ' Spoonful, Steppenwolf, Jefferson Airplane and Buffalo Springfield is in the northwest and south of the United States on tour and they play together at concerts with The Beach Boys, Cream,.

The first two albums, The Electric Prunes: I Had Too Much to Dream ( Last Night ) (1967 at American Recording in North Hollywood, mainly songs from Tucker / Mantz ) and Underground ( 1967; own songs and three songs from Tucker / Mantz ) reached the lower regions of the Billboard charts. During the recording of Underground it gabT tensions between Hassinger and the band wanted to record his own songs and more experimental music. Preston Knight left the band and original drummer Mike ( Quint ) Weakley came back and Spagnola was replaced by Mike Gannon, but only starred in two songs. The fourth single Everybody Knows You're Not In Love was included in this lineup.

The band Dave Axelrod

Before the band in 1967 embarked on a European tour, she took on the third album. Mass In F Minor (1968 ) is a concept album, which was written, arranged and produced by David (Dave ) Axelrod. It contains individual songs a show that had been implemented in the psychedelic style of Prunes. The most famous piece of this album, Kyrie Eleison, accompanied the Mardi Gras scene in the movie Easy Rider and appeared in 1969 on the soundtrack of the film. When it took too long to take the first piece in the production - Mark Tulin was the only one who could read sheet music - Studio musicians were added, replacing Ken Williams and James Spagnola. Only Tulin and played Weakley and James sang, sometimes supported by the Canadian group The Collectors. The album caused a sensation and was even discussed in Time magazine, but sales were disappointing.

The European tour led Lowe, Tulin, Weakley, Williams and Gannon ( of the diseased Spagnola replaced) also to Stockholm, where her concert Sveriges Radio, the public radio institution in Sweden, is recorded. This was the only live recording of the band during the 1960s and was later released as Stockholm 67 at Heartbeat Records. Tensions during the tour increased, in France, the band left Weakley and remains in Europe. Back in the States, he was replaced by Joe Dooley.

Followed in 1968 by the next album, Release of An Oath, again a concept album with religious themes and in turn produced entirely by Axelrod. Studio musicians painted The Electric Prunes, which are limited to the vocals. In the same year, the band tries to make another tour - without James Lowe, in the occupation of Ken Williams, Mark Tulin, Jeromy Stuart and Kenny Loggins, but this tour is a disaster: The band had no drummer and was not able to to play their greatest hits. Back in Los Angeles, the band broke up.

"The New Improved Electric Prunes "

An album, Just Good Old Rock and Roll was recorded under the name The New Improved Electric Prunes 1969 by a completely newly assembled group of musicians from Colorado, which had no relationship to the original band. This group toured and released a single with Reprise Records, but it was 1970 again disappeared.

Reprints and cover versions

The song I Had Too Much to Dream ( Last Night ) was on the Scrapbook Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, which was published in 1972 and later - 1976 and 1998 - appeared again, making The Electric Prunes a new generation of listeners reached. This title was also used by other groups such as Prince Vlad & the Gargoyle Impalers (early 1980s) and The Damned ( Alter Ego: Naz Nomad and the Nightmares, 1980 ) was added. Also XTC - under the name of The Dukes of Stratosphear - used the style of Too Much to Dream in their song 25 O'Clock. He also was recorded by Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks for her album Doo Dad and then used in Webbs Horror Hayride.

Late in the 1990s saw the publication of Stockholm, the only live album by The Electric Prunes, stir. Heartbeat Records also announced the early recordings of the band under the name The Sanctions and Jim and The Lords ' out of the previously unplayed, 35 years old lacquer dubplates, ie thin aluminum plates, which are coated with polyvinyl acetate ( PVAc), are transferred.

Reformation

After more than 30 years, the original quartet Lowe, Tulin, Williams and Weakley met in a studio to reflect on a revival of the band. Lowe, Tulin and Williams, who had also played on all early recordings, decided - reinforced by two new members, including James Lowe's son Cameron - The Electric Prunes to regroup. In 2001 she began international tours and in 2002 they released the CD album Artifact and a DVD album ( Rewired ). In 2002 the Rewired Tour and 2004 Undone Tour.

In 2007, the trio Lowe, Tulin, Williams and released the CD feedback. Currently (2010) makes tape recordings and goes further with a new drummer Walter Garces, on tour.

Discography

Singles in the USA

  • Is not It Hard / Little Olive (Reprise 0473 ) 1966
  • I Had Too Much to Dream ( Last Night ) / Luvin ' (Reprise 0532 ) 1966 USA 11th - UK number 49
  • Get Me to the World on Time / Are You Lovin ' Me More (Reprise 0564 ) 1966 U.S. # 27 - UK number 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, Single -sided
  • Sanctus / Credo (Reprise PRO 277 ) 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 Lewis ( Moby Grape ), composed of The Electric Prunes
  • Get Me To The World On Time (Live) ( Birdman Records BMR037 ) 2002 ( recorded at Voxfest III, June 2001 )
  • Left in Blue (Original Azure Halo )

Singles in Europe

  • I Had Too Much to Dream ( Last Night ) / 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 / Is not 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: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 compilation ) UK
  • I Had Too Much To Dream ( Last Night ) / Luvin ' ( Radar ADA 16 - picture sleeve reissue ) 1979 UK

Albums

  • The Electric Prunes 1967
  • Underground 1967
  • Release of An Oath 1968
  • Just Good Old Rock and Roll 1969
  • Artifact 2002
  • California 2004
  • Feedback 2006

Live

  • 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
  • Artifact 2001
  • Too Much To Dream: Original Group Recordings: Reprise 1966-1967 2007

Other Publications

  • Easy Rider Soundtrack 1969 ( contains " Kyrie Eleison " )
  • Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 ( includes " I Had Too Much To Dream ( Last Night ) " )
  • Pebbles, Volume 2, 1978 ( contains " Vox Wah-Wah Radio Ad" )
  • Rarities: Great Live Concerts 1981

DVD

  • Rewired in 2002

Bibliography

Psychedelic Rock Cream (band) Steppenwolf (Band) Mass (music)
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