The Electric Prunes | Artist
The Electric Prunes is an American psychedelic rock band, formed 1965 in Los Angeles, California, by James Lowe (vocals, guitar), Ken Williams (lead guitar), Mark Tulin (bass, keyboards) and Michael "Quint" Weakley (drums). After recording a single "Ain't It Hard", new drummer Preston Ritter replaced Weakley and rhythm guitarist James "Weasel" Spagnola was added to make a quintet. The band worked with songwriters Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz who wrote the majority of the group's songs. Their music was marked by psychedelic electronic elements and innovative recording techniques with fuzz-toned guitars and oscillating sound effects. Guitarist Ken Williams' and singer James Lowe's concept of "free-form garage music" gave the band a richer sonic palette than many of their contemporaries. In 1967, signed to Reprise Records, the band cut several more singles including the garage-psych classics "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night" and "Get me to The World on Time". They also recorded two albums that year, the uneven The Electric Prunes and the much better Underground. At the suggestion of their record company the band agreed to record a concept album fusing Gregorian music with psychedelic pop, with the belief it would be a commercial success. Neo-classically trained musician, David Axelrod, was brought in to compose all of the material for the project. The result, Mass in F Minor was a complex arrangement of religious-based rock, which was sung entirely in Greek and Latin. An eerie version of the opening track, "Kyrie Eleison", became an underground favorite when it appeared in the soundtrack for Dennis Hopper's counterculture film, Easy Rider. The band went on to release nine studio albums, standouts include The Electric Prunes, Underground, Mass in F Minor, and the archival live album Stockholm 67. The compilation Too Much to Dream: Original Group Recordings - Reprise 1966-1967 is also highly recommended.
Artist Website: electricprunes.com
Featured Albums: The Electric Prunes
Related Artists: David Axelrod, Strawberry Alarm Clock
