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Post by ekforum on Nov 29, 2009 11:15:43 GMT -5
The story behind the song, "Incense and Peppermints," is a fascinating one...as well as a hard lesson learned! Mark Weitz wrote the bulk of the music and I wrote the bridge. We didn't have lyrics.
Our manager took our music track to a producer in Hollywood. In a month we received our lyrics in the form of sheet music and a demo tape. Neither Mark's name or my name appeared on the credits. Our manager's explanation? "This is what you have to do to break into the music business." What? Give away something you wrote??
No one in the band could sing the tune so the vocal was done by a friend of ours, Greg Munford, who also had a local band. Despite the record going to #1 in November, 1967, Munford never joined the band.
The Strawberry Alarm Clock appeared on some of the top television shows at the time (including The Jonathan Winters Show, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In) and a couple of movies ("Psych-Out" and, later, "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls"). We recorded a follow-up tune called "Tomorrow" which charted as high as #14. The record company didn't like our next album so they brought in some outside writers for our third album. By this time, internal conflicts caused the departure of Bunnell & Seol. We tried, through various incarnations, to revive the music but just couldn't come up with another "Incense...".
Funny how things work out. While the "Clock" was sitting at home and out of work, we received word that our former manager had put together a bogus "Clock" and had booked a 3-month tour of the South. We were able to stop the bogus band in its tracks and then decided WE should do the tour ourselves. And THAT's how I met Ronnie Van Zant and the rest of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Skynyrd was our opening act for most of the tour. We became good friends and went through some interesting experiences together. One day Skynyrd was rehearsing at a club in downtown Jacksonville. Ronnie called me and said "Come on down...we want you to hear a tune we wrote." The tune was called "Need All My Friends" and I was blown away. I wanted to play guitar behind that guy! It took a couple of years but finally, in late '72, Ronnie called me with an invite into the band....on bass.
The memory of the "Clock" would be brought to the forefront again in 1997 when "Incense And Peppermints" was featured in the first Austin Powers movie. |
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Post by ekforum on Nov 29, 2009 11:18:02 GMT -5
Incense and Peppermints Released: 1967
Label: Uni Records 17340
Cover Design: : Lazarus / LePrevost
Photography: Ed Caraef
Side 1
The World's On Fire
Birds In My Tree
Lose To Live
Strawberries Mean Love
Side 2
Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow
Paxton's Back Street Carnival
Hummin' Happy
Pass Time With The SAC
Incense And Peppermints
Unwind With The Clock
The first LP released by the band and the only LP of their career to make an impact on the album charts, it reached #11 nationally. The LP contained the #1 national hit "Incense And Peppermints" which was written by members Mark Weitz and Ed King with lyrics by John Carter. The song was sung by a friend of the band, Greg Munford who was in Shapes Of Sound and later Crystal Circus. Also on the LP is Steve Bartek who co-wrote many of the songs with George Bunnell and plays flute on some tracks. An excellent LP with some great playing and heavenly harmonies.(Information and write up supplied by Jeff Ziemer) |
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Post by ekforum on Nov 29, 2009 11:21:09 GMT -5
Wake Up...It's Tomorrow
Released: 1969
Label: Uni Records 73025
Producers: Frank Slay & Bill Holmes
Engineers: Paul Buff & Jack Hunt
Side 1
Nightmare of Percussion
Soft Skies, No Lies
Tomorrow
They Saw the Fat One Coming
Curse of the Witches
Side 2
Sit with the Guru
Go Back (You're Going the Wrong Way)
Pretty Song from Psych-Out
Sitting on a Star
Black Butter Past
Black Butter Present
Black Butter Future
What many consider to be their finest moments on record, "Wake Up" is an excellent LP from start to end. Much like their first LP, the group dominated the song writting and great tunes are the fore! This was the first LP by the now 5 piece Alarm Clock, Gary Lovetro had left prior to the recording of this LP. Also around this time, the band was featured in the movie "Psych-Out" in which they performed the theme song and played at the club.(Information and write up supplied by Jeff Ziemer) |
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Post by ekforum on Nov 29, 2009 11:23:44 GMT -5
The World in a Sea Shell
Released: 1968
Label: Uni Records Stereo
Producers: Frank Slay & Bill Holmes
Engineers: Paul Buff
Side 1
Sea Shell
Blues For a Young Girl Gone
An Angry Young Man
A Million Smiles Away
Home Sweet Home
Lady of the Lake
Side 2
Barefoot in Baltimore
Wooden Woman
Heated Love
Love Me Again
Eulogy
Shallow Impressions
The last LP to feature George Bunnell and Randy Seol, who opted out at the end of the recordings. The first side is dominated by outside writters except for "Million Smiles." Side 2 however is pure Alarm Clock and finds the group in some of it's finest moments. "Wooden Woman," "Heated Love," "Eulogy" and "Shallow Impressions" a stunning whirl wind instrumental are among my favorites. When the producers brought in writters outside the group, it broke them up. However most find side 1 boring and uninspired, "Lady Of Lake" was a great song with nice harmonies and that added SAC touch! Soon after Marty Katin came aboard on drums and former Nightcrawlers ("Little Black Egg" & "Basket Of Flowers" their hits) front man Jimmy Pitman on guitar and vocals.(Information and write up supplied by Jeff Ziemer) |
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Post by ekforum on Nov 29, 2009 11:26:22 GMT -5
Good Morning Starshine
Released: 1969
Label: Uni Records Stereo
Producers: M. Weitz, E. King, J. Zabadak, SAC
Engineers: Phil Yeend & Carl Yancher
Side 1
Me And The Township
Off Ramp Road Tramp
Small Package
Hog Child
Miss Attraction-LP Version
Side 2
Good Morning Starshine
Miss Attraction-45RPM Single Version
Write Your Name In Gold
Standy By (You Put Me On)
Dear Joy
Changes
With this LP the Alarm Clock now had a new sound. Earlier in 1969 Marty Katin was replaced by former member of Thee Sixpence and Strawberry Alarm Clock, Gene Gunnels on drums. The LP features great driving guitars, organ and drums. Not like the previous 3 LP's, this LP is best described as Alarm Clock Rock. Jimmy Pitman's arrival was crucial to the band. He brought in a new sound, a new lead voice and new songs. This was the first LP since their first to feature of picture of the group on the cover. This would also be the last studio LP the Alarm Clock would ever put out. The playing on this LP is outstanding! On songs like "Hog Child" and "Miss Attraction" the guitars/organ/drums are all over the place. "Small Package" sounds like the SAC of old and the end tag is from "California Girls" by the Beach Boys with whom they toured often with in 1967-1968. "Write Your Name In Gold" and "Dear Joy" are outstanding as well! Soon after this LP's release, Jimmy Pitman would leave to form Jumbo and was replaced by Paul Marshall who had been in The Beauchemins and The Tree Toppers.[/size] (Information and write up supplied by Jeff Ziemer) |
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Post by ekforum on Nov 29, 2009 11:29:01 GMT -5
The Best of Strawberry Alarm Clock
Released: 1970
Label: Uni Records Stereo
Producers: F. Slay, B. Holmes, E. King, M. Weitz, J. Zabadak, J. Mills
Side 1
Incense And Peppermints
Tomorrow
Sit With The Guru
Angry Young Man
Barefoot In Baltimore
Pretty Song From "Psych-Out"
Side 2
Birds In My Tree
Sea Shell
Miss Attraction
Good Morning Starshine
Desiree
Starting Out The Day
By the time of this albums release in 1970, the Strawberry Alarm Clock were now a 4 piece band consisting of Paul Marshall, Ed King, Gene Gunnels and Lee Freeman. Mark Weitz had left just prior to the album's release in December of 1969. This was the last LP to feature any new songs as well. "Starting Out The Day" and "Desiree" were singles only until this album was released. This is also the last LP the band would release on UNI Records. The LP is a pretty good "Best Of" compilation which blends the earlier stuff with some of the later stuff pretty well and includes the hits and good b-sides as well.[/size] (Information and write up supplied by Jeff Ziemer) |
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Post by ekforum on Dec 4, 2009 11:20:01 GMT -5
Q - How did you guys come to form Strawberry Alarm Clock? Who was in the band to begin with? Was Paul in at the beginning?
The "Clock" was really put together out of two bands. Mark Weitz, Lee Freeman, Gary Lovetro & myself were in Thee Sixpence.
Randy Seol and George Bunnell were in another band. Can't recall the name. Mark lived in Sherman Oaks, Randy & George in Woodland Hills and the rest of us were from Glendale. (California, of course.)
Randy mainly joined our band because our drummer, Gene Gunnels, had quit prior to the release of our hit single. Then Randy became appointed to sing "Incense & Peppermints" on stage because Lee's voice wasn't right for it. The guy who sang on the record, Greg Munford, was asked to join but declined. He would've been a real asset to the band - at that time, he had a real good musical vision for his age (16, I believe). I'd probably be up for a Clock reunion if we could drag him out of the D.C. area where he now lives. From what he says, he's real busy working with politicians! Funny... that's where a lot of us hippies wound up. Getting "respectable."
Paul Marshall didn't join the band until around 1969-70...after Mark left. Then Gunnels came back. It was in this version of the Clock that I met Skynyrd on a tour in Florida in 1970.
When the Strawberry Alarm Clock had a #1 hit, I was 17. Actually, by the time it hit #1, I was 18.
Q - Did you play guitar or bass?
I started out playing guitar but a lot of times I played bass. With the Alarm Clock, I recorded both bass and guitar.
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" from Germany !!!