The Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes are a mid 60s psychedelic acid/garage rock band from the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. They are well known for their offbeat and unique hard-rocking sound which makes inventive and extensive use of echo, reverb, and other kinds of quirky sonic distortion. The group first formed in 1965. The original members were James Lowe (vocals), Ken Williams (lead guitar), Mark Tulin (bass/keyboards), and Michael Weakley (drums). They started out as the Sanctions before changing their name to Jim and the Lords. The name the Electric Prunes was suggested as a joke by manager and RCA Records sound engineer David Hassinger. Their debut single "Ain't It Hard/Little Oliver" was a flop. The band achieved their greatest commercial success with the groovy "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)," which peaked at #11 on the Billboard pop charts. The equally gnarly follow-up tune "Get Me to the World on Time" likewise did well; it reached #27 on the Billboard pop charts. Moreover, the Electric Prunes recorded several albums which include the underground cult favorite "Mass in F Minor," "Release of An Oath," and "Just Good Old Rock and Roll." However, these three albums were recorded by different line-ups of the band. The Electric Prunes folded in 1970. The song "Kyrie Eleison" was featured on the soundtrack for the hit counterculture movie "Easy Rider," "Shadows" popped up on the soundtrack for the obscure exploitation picture "The Name of the Game is Kill," and "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" was put to effective use on the soundtrack for the horror film "Bad Dreams." Original members Lowe, Tulin and Williams reunited in 1999. They recorded the album "Artifact" in 2001 and have performed at various venues all over the world.