Song of the Week: “I Had Too Much to Dream”
R.I.P James Lowe
So, five guys from LA got together and formed a garage band. Not in itself a radical story. That’s been done thousands of times. But they had a radical sound for 1966. They arrived just as rock music was turning the corner from guitar-assisted pop to something harder and edgier. They were on the front lines of some of that change, and can fairly be considered pioneers of psychedelic rock.
Some of them had already been in bands together, and through a series of chance meetings and connections, and a few unsuccessful demos, they found themselves with a label and a manager, and a weird but memorable name: the Electric Prunes. They teamed up with songwriters Annette Tucker and Nancy Mantz, and the partnership worked out well for all of them.
The Prunes had several charting songs in a short time, before disbanding. James Lowe, the founder and lead singer (and autoharp player) would reactivate the band multiple times over the years, mostly with new personnel. He was still touring until shortly before his death this past May. He was 82.
Tucker and Mantz would go on to have long careers, writing for artists as disparate as Tom Jones, the Sinatras and Maureen McGovern. After Mantz retired, Tucker went on to write for TV shows and Broadway musicals as well as commercials. According to Discogs she is credited on almost 300 songs, albums and shows.
The Prunes made several appearances on American Bandstand with the legendary Dick Clark. Here is their first visit, and their most famous hit, from 1966. This is how I imagine surf-rock sounds on mushrooms:
For Annette Tucker’s discography:
https://www.discogs.com/artist/751136-Annette-Tucker?superFilter=Credits
If you haven’t already, mark your calendar for this Sunday, July 13 at 4pm U.S. Eastern time.
We will be having our Album of the Month discussion. This one is a “virtual album” of some of my favorite songs from around the world. The article, with links and instructions on how to join, is here:
Oh the time travel music can make you go on. My best mate I knew back in the seventies to nineties was an Electric Prunes fan. I knew the music but he would be a fan of the band. He could bore any passing listener with the same enthusiasm I have for my favourites. Sadly long gone but the music and the evenings of just chilling to music on the turntable. Yes kids that used to be a thing is a memory well loved.
Thanks for the memory and a reminder that time machines do exist. You can never have enough to dream.
Wow! Great song and an even better bonus: it chased my unwelcome earworm away.