Biography
In the landscape of 1960s rock, Strawberry Alarm Clock claims an odd standing. Listeners who navigated the psychedelic late 1960s recognized the ensemble's moniker nearly as readily as those of countless other acts, owing chiefly to its whimsical, hallucinatory flair together with the single major success "Incense and Peppermints," a recording that still functions as an aural echo of the Summer of Love. Nevertheless, a functioning band existed behind the name, its personnel drawn from extended experience on the Southern California club circuit, accomplished players who performed and harmonized capably and issued four LPs, three of them holding up to multiple hearings.
The group's roots trace to Glendale, California, during the mid-1960s and an earlier unit called the Sixpence. In 1965, when British associations still carried commercial weight, the name appeared logical. Personnel coalesced from several local outfits, comprising Lee Freeman on vocals, guitar, and harmonica, Ed King on guitar, Gary Lovetro on bass, Gene Gunnels on drums, Mike Luciano on tambourine, and Steve Rabe on lead guitar. The musicians concentrated on current hit covers and built a strong regional audience in Glendale and Santa Barbara, performing frequently enough in the latter city that some accounts list them as a Santa Barbara act. Like many accomplished local groups, they drew crowds yet hovered just short of wider recognition. Early recordings included the single "You're the One" on Impact and three 45s for the small All-American label in 1966, among them "Hey Joe," a cover of the Who's "I Can't Explain," and the rock standard "Fortune Teller"; after "Fortune Teller" was promoted as the A-side, Dot Records licensed the third All-American release for national release. Late that year Rabe exited while Mark Weitz joined on keyboards and vocals, sharing lead vocals with Freeman. Singles continued on All-American into 1967, the group briefly adopting the spelling Thee Sixpence.
Activity intensified around the band in spring 1967. Work began on a new single whose A-side was the sardonic punk-styled "The Birdman of Alkatrash," written by Weitz. A B-side was still required, so an instrumental titled "Incense and Peppermints," assembled by Weitz with assistance from King, was taped. Producer Frank Slay, who also controlled a publishing company, forwarded a copy to songwriter John Carter, whose earlier composition "That Acapulco Gold" had achieved modest success for the Rainy Daze. Carter supplied lyrics for "Incense and Peppermints," which, under an existing agreement with Slay, appeared credited solely to Carter and his partner Tim Gilbert.
The band members, now possessing greater self-assurance, resented Slay's arrangement; neither Weitz nor Freeman delivered the new words with full conviction, particularly once Carter arrived to supervise the vocal session. At Carter and Slay's direction, 16-year-old Greg Munford, a friend present at the date, sang the lead. Copyright filings listed only Carter and Gilbert as composers, although Weitz and King received arranger credit, and the fact that Munford was never a band member drew little immediate attention. The track was regarded as a disposable B-side whose fate hinged on whether "The Birdman of Alkatrash" received airplay.
Issued on All-American with "Incense and Peppermints" as the flip, a handful of pressings credited the Sixpence. Concern over similarly named groups prompted a name change. While gathered at Weitz's house, the musicians settled on "Strawberry," borrowed from a recent Beatles hit, then noticed a noisy kitchen appliance and completed the phrase "Strawberry Alarm Clock," which suited the period's playful spirit. By midsummer the new name appeared on the All-American 45, and the record began attracting attention, though disc jockeys favored the B-side.
Uni Records, a freshly launched subsidiary of American Decca and MCA, acquired national distribution rights. The brightly colored Uni label design complemented the track's psychedelic aura. Airplay spread steadily, driving sales that culminated in a number-one chart position in November 1967. An album was quickly assembled even though Munford, the hit's vocalist, remained outside the lineup. Additional personnel adjustments addressed a shortage of original material. Massachusetts-born George Bunnell, formerly of Something Else, Chapter Four, and the Waterfyrd Traene, arrived with collaborator Steve Bartek, still a high-school student from Ohio. Their songs filled space; Bunnell, also a bassist, assumed bass duties on several tracks after Lovetro encountered difficulties, while Bartek contributed flute. Bunnell's performance led to his full membership, though 16-year-old Bartek's parents withheld permission for him to join. The resulting configuration, featuring two bassists, was unusual. Drummer Gunnels, a Sixpence member since 1965 who had played on the hit, had already departed; Randy Seol, with the band since 1966 and also a vocalist, took his place. Seol sang on the hit single, and Gunnels would later return.
The Incense and Peppermints LP charted at number 11, the sole Strawberry Alarm Clock album to reach the charts, despite being recorded amid rapid personnel shifts. The sessions incorporated "special effects" credited to Weitz, Bunnell, King, and Seol, along with Bartek's flute and additional instruments. Bunnell later described employing multiple basses and the Vox Mando guitar during the dates. The finished record blended psychedelia, sunshine pop, garage rock, and California harmonies into one of the era's more engaging documents.
National touring followed throughout the second half of 1967 and much of 1968, with shared bills including Country Joe & the Fish, Jimi Hendrix, and the Who. For Bunnell the Who dates stood out; for King, the high points were tours alongside the Beach Boys and Buffalo Springfield. Lovetro accepted a $25,000 buyout, ceding his role to Bunnell and exiting the business. The five-piece group released the follow-up single "Tomorrow," a Weitz-King collaboration that reached number 23 in early 1968. The track featured strong hooks, a feedback-laden guitar solo by King, and lyrics written solely by Weitz; vocal coach Howard Davis refined the harmonies beyond those heard on the debut. The single's sound recalled the Association crossed with the Who or the Creation, yet the band performed its own instruments. Wake Up...It's Tomorrow, however, arrived a month after the single's chart run began, missing the moment when listeners still associated the song with the album; sales fell well short of the debut's quarter-million copies.
Had the second album performed better, perceptions of the group might have emphasized its identity as a working band rather than an AM-radio novelty. Wake Up...It's Tomorrow reflected the efforts of a cohesive unit even with Davis's contributions, though outside pressures and internal reservations persisted; Weitz later noted objections to Seol's and Bunnell's songs, particularly "Nightmare of Percussion" and "Curse of the Witches." King indicated he played many of the bass parts. The record nevertheless projected a stronger musicianship than producer-driven approach.
During the album sessions the band received an invitation to appear in Richard Rush's 1968 film Psych-Out, set in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district and starring Susan Strasberg, Jack Nicholson, Dean Stockwell, and Bruce Dern. The opportunity stemmed from an earlier appearance on Dick Clark's program. King and Freeman wrote "Pretty Song from Psych-Out" for the movie, and King coached Nicholson on guitar fingering. The sequence strengthened the group's reputation as a functioning ensemble alongside the Seeds and Boenzee Cryque.
Sales did not recover. By late 1968 bookings still relied on the earlier hits but at reduced levels. For the third album, The World in a Sea Shell, Uni asserted greater control, imposing softer harmonies, orchestral and brass arrangements, and four outside compositions. Two of those songs came from Carter and Gilbert, whose names remained attached to "Incense and Peppermints" despite having supplied only lyrics. The members now recognized the royalty implications. Side one leaned heavily on the outside material, including two songs by Carole King and Toni Stern, resulting in a sound closer to a pop act attempting psychedelia; the band's own identity surfaced mainly on side two. Seol and Bunnell, unrepresented as songwriters, departed. The group dismissed longtime manager Bill Holmes, who retaliated by forming a rival Strawberry Alarm Clock with Seol and Bunnell and initially defying a restraining order. Legal resolution left promoters wary of either act.
The continuing lineup added ex-Nightcrawlers guitarist and singer Jimmy Pitman, shifted King permanently to bass, and restored Gunnels on drums in place of interim player Marty Katin. Pitman's blues-inflected vocals and heavier guitar style redirected the music toward blues-rock. The resulting album, Good Morning Starshine, was self-produced by Weitz and King. Tracks such as "Small Package" and "Dear Joy" retained earlier flavors, while pieces like "Off Ramp Road Tramp" delivered forceful energy. The title track, drawn from the musical Hair, reached number 87 before being overshadowed by Oliver's version.
The single stalled, and lingering disputes with the former manager compounded difficulties. Pitman left by the end of 1969, replaced by vocalist Paul Marshall as King returned to lead guitar; Weitz departed soon afterward. A four-piece version continued under King's leadership until 1971. Shortly thereafter King joined Lynyrd Skynyrd, a Southern rock band that had opened for Strawberry Alarm Clock and whose singer Ronnie Van Zant he had befriended, appearing on the group's first three classic albums and their associated tours.
The group's roots trace to Glendale, California, during the mid-1960s and an earlier unit called the Sixpence. In 1965, when British associations still carried commercial weight, the name appeared logical. Personnel coalesced from several local outfits, comprising Lee Freeman on vocals, guitar, and harmonica, Ed King on guitar, Gary Lovetro on bass, Gene Gunnels on drums, Mike Luciano on tambourine, and Steve Rabe on lead guitar. The musicians concentrated on current hit covers and built a strong regional audience in Glendale and Santa Barbara, performing frequently enough in the latter city that some accounts list them as a Santa Barbara act. Like many accomplished local groups, they drew crowds yet hovered just short of wider recognition. Early recordings included the single "You're the One" on Impact and three 45s for the small All-American label in 1966, among them "Hey Joe," a cover of the Who's "I Can't Explain," and the rock standard "Fortune Teller"; after "Fortune Teller" was promoted as the A-side, Dot Records licensed the third All-American release for national release. Late that year Rabe exited while Mark Weitz joined on keyboards and vocals, sharing lead vocals with Freeman. Singles continued on All-American into 1967, the group briefly adopting the spelling Thee Sixpence.
Activity intensified around the band in spring 1967. Work began on a new single whose A-side was the sardonic punk-styled "The Birdman of Alkatrash," written by Weitz. A B-side was still required, so an instrumental titled "Incense and Peppermints," assembled by Weitz with assistance from King, was taped. Producer Frank Slay, who also controlled a publishing company, forwarded a copy to songwriter John Carter, whose earlier composition "That Acapulco Gold" had achieved modest success for the Rainy Daze. Carter supplied lyrics for "Incense and Peppermints," which, under an existing agreement with Slay, appeared credited solely to Carter and his partner Tim Gilbert.
The band members, now possessing greater self-assurance, resented Slay's arrangement; neither Weitz nor Freeman delivered the new words with full conviction, particularly once Carter arrived to supervise the vocal session. At Carter and Slay's direction, 16-year-old Greg Munford, a friend present at the date, sang the lead. Copyright filings listed only Carter and Gilbert as composers, although Weitz and King received arranger credit, and the fact that Munford was never a band member drew little immediate attention. The track was regarded as a disposable B-side whose fate hinged on whether "The Birdman of Alkatrash" received airplay.
Issued on All-American with "Incense and Peppermints" as the flip, a handful of pressings credited the Sixpence. Concern over similarly named groups prompted a name change. While gathered at Weitz's house, the musicians settled on "Strawberry," borrowed from a recent Beatles hit, then noticed a noisy kitchen appliance and completed the phrase "Strawberry Alarm Clock," which suited the period's playful spirit. By midsummer the new name appeared on the All-American 45, and the record began attracting attention, though disc jockeys favored the B-side.
Uni Records, a freshly launched subsidiary of American Decca and MCA, acquired national distribution rights. The brightly colored Uni label design complemented the track's psychedelic aura. Airplay spread steadily, driving sales that culminated in a number-one chart position in November 1967. An album was quickly assembled even though Munford, the hit's vocalist, remained outside the lineup. Additional personnel adjustments addressed a shortage of original material. Massachusetts-born George Bunnell, formerly of Something Else, Chapter Four, and the Waterfyrd Traene, arrived with collaborator Steve Bartek, still a high-school student from Ohio. Their songs filled space; Bunnell, also a bassist, assumed bass duties on several tracks after Lovetro encountered difficulties, while Bartek contributed flute. Bunnell's performance led to his full membership, though 16-year-old Bartek's parents withheld permission for him to join. The resulting configuration, featuring two bassists, was unusual. Drummer Gunnels, a Sixpence member since 1965 who had played on the hit, had already departed; Randy Seol, with the band since 1966 and also a vocalist, took his place. Seol sang on the hit single, and Gunnels would later return.
The Incense and Peppermints LP charted at number 11, the sole Strawberry Alarm Clock album to reach the charts, despite being recorded amid rapid personnel shifts. The sessions incorporated "special effects" credited to Weitz, Bunnell, King, and Seol, along with Bartek's flute and additional instruments. Bunnell later described employing multiple basses and the Vox Mando guitar during the dates. The finished record blended psychedelia, sunshine pop, garage rock, and California harmonies into one of the era's more engaging documents.
National touring followed throughout the second half of 1967 and much of 1968, with shared bills including Country Joe & the Fish, Jimi Hendrix, and the Who. For Bunnell the Who dates stood out; for King, the high points were tours alongside the Beach Boys and Buffalo Springfield. Lovetro accepted a $25,000 buyout, ceding his role to Bunnell and exiting the business. The five-piece group released the follow-up single "Tomorrow," a Weitz-King collaboration that reached number 23 in early 1968. The track featured strong hooks, a feedback-laden guitar solo by King, and lyrics written solely by Weitz; vocal coach Howard Davis refined the harmonies beyond those heard on the debut. The single's sound recalled the Association crossed with the Who or the Creation, yet the band performed its own instruments. Wake Up...It's Tomorrow, however, arrived a month after the single's chart run began, missing the moment when listeners still associated the song with the album; sales fell well short of the debut's quarter-million copies.
Had the second album performed better, perceptions of the group might have emphasized its identity as a working band rather than an AM-radio novelty. Wake Up...It's Tomorrow reflected the efforts of a cohesive unit even with Davis's contributions, though outside pressures and internal reservations persisted; Weitz later noted objections to Seol's and Bunnell's songs, particularly "Nightmare of Percussion" and "Curse of the Witches." King indicated he played many of the bass parts. The record nevertheless projected a stronger musicianship than producer-driven approach.
During the album sessions the band received an invitation to appear in Richard Rush's 1968 film Psych-Out, set in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district and starring Susan Strasberg, Jack Nicholson, Dean Stockwell, and Bruce Dern. The opportunity stemmed from an earlier appearance on Dick Clark's program. King and Freeman wrote "Pretty Song from Psych-Out" for the movie, and King coached Nicholson on guitar fingering. The sequence strengthened the group's reputation as a functioning ensemble alongside the Seeds and Boenzee Cryque.
Sales did not recover. By late 1968 bookings still relied on the earlier hits but at reduced levels. For the third album, The World in a Sea Shell, Uni asserted greater control, imposing softer harmonies, orchestral and brass arrangements, and four outside compositions. Two of those songs came from Carter and Gilbert, whose names remained attached to "Incense and Peppermints" despite having supplied only lyrics. The members now recognized the royalty implications. Side one leaned heavily on the outside material, including two songs by Carole King and Toni Stern, resulting in a sound closer to a pop act attempting psychedelia; the band's own identity surfaced mainly on side two. Seol and Bunnell, unrepresented as songwriters, departed. The group dismissed longtime manager Bill Holmes, who retaliated by forming a rival Strawberry Alarm Clock with Seol and Bunnell and initially defying a restraining order. Legal resolution left promoters wary of either act.
The continuing lineup added ex-Nightcrawlers guitarist and singer Jimmy Pitman, shifted King permanently to bass, and restored Gunnels on drums in place of interim player Marty Katin. Pitman's blues-inflected vocals and heavier guitar style redirected the music toward blues-rock. The resulting album, Good Morning Starshine, was self-produced by Weitz and King. Tracks such as "Small Package" and "Dear Joy" retained earlier flavors, while pieces like "Off Ramp Road Tramp" delivered forceful energy. The title track, drawn from the musical Hair, reached number 87 before being overshadowed by Oliver's version.
The single stalled, and lingering disputes with the former manager compounded difficulties. Pitman left by the end of 1969, replaced by vocalist Paul Marshall as King returned to lead guitar; Weitz departed soon afterward. A four-piece version continued under King's leadership until 1971. Shortly thereafter King joined Lynyrd Skynyrd, a Southern rock band that had opened for Strawberry Alarm Clock and whose singer Ronnie Van Zant he had befriended, appearing on the group's first three classic albums and their associated tours.
Albums
