Molly Ayala
The Electric Prunes were a psych-garage-pop group formed in the mid-1960s by a group of teenagers from Taft High School in Los Angeles. The band underwent several lineup changes throughout their existence, with members coming and going, including guitarist James Lowe, who fronted the band and was one of the main songwriters. The Electric Prunes released several albums and singles, including the self-titled Electric Prunes, which reached No. 113 on the Billboard chart, and Mass in F Minor, which marked a shift in their musical direction towards a mix of Gregorian music and psychedelic pop with vocals in Latin. Despite some commercial success, the band faced challenges, including financial and musical issues, and eventually disbanded. However, there was a brief reunion in the late 1990s, spurred by a compilation that revived interest in the band. James Lowe passed away in May 2025 at the age of 82.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Band name origin | The name started as a joke, but stuck as it was memorable. |
| Original band members | James Lowe, Mark Tulin, Ken Williams, Michael Weakley |
| Band members who joined later | Preston Ritter, James Spagnola, Mike Gannon, Joe Dooley, John Raines, Jeremy Stuart, Kenny Loggins |
| Band members who left | Ritter, Spagnola, Gannon, Dooley, Lowe, Tulin, Williams, Weakley |
| Reasons for leaving | Musical differences, medical reasons, unknown |
| Albums | Mass in F Minor, Underground, Stockholm '67, self-titled debut |
| Singles | "Ain't It Hard", "Little Olive", "Everybody Knows You're Not In Love", "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" |
| Band manager | Lenny Poncher |
| Record producers | Dave Hassinger, Leon Russell, David Axelrod |
| Band's sound | Psych-rock, psych-garage-pop, rock, Gregorian music, psychedelic pop |
| Band's active years | Mid-1960s to mid-1968 |
| Band's reunion | Late 1990s |
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What You'll Learn
The band's name origin
The name "The Electric Prunes" started as a joke, but band member Lowe convinced the other members to adopt the name, saying, "It's the one thing everyone will remember. It's not attractive, and there's nothing sexy about it, but people won't forget it."
Before becoming The Electric Prunes, the band was formed by a group of teenagers from Taft High School in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. They initially went by the names The Sanctions and then Jim And The Lords. Various members came and went, and the band even managed to record an unreleased session of rock standards.
The band's guitarist James Lowe, bassist Mark Tulin, lead guitarist Ken Williams, and drummer Michael Weakley were practicing in a garage one day when their neighbour, Barbara Harris, heard them. She approached the band and said that she knew someone in the record business—this turned out to be Dave Hassinger, the resident engineer at RCA Studios, who had helped record many of the Rolling Stones' albums. Hassinger suggested that the band change their name and provided them with a list of alternatives.
The band's unique name certainly stuck with fans and the public, and the band went on to gain recognition for their psych-rock hits in the 1960s, such as "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)", which featured Lowe's eerie double-tracked vocal.
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Line-up changes
The Electric Prunes underwent several line-up changes throughout their career, with various members joining and leaving the band at different times. The original band members were James Lowe (guitarist), Mark Tulin (bassist), Ken Williams (lead guitarist), and Michael Weakley (drummer). However, even before the band officially became The Electric Prunes, various members came and went.
One of the earliest line-up changes occurred when Preston Ritter replaced Michael Weakley on drums, and James Spagnola joined as the rhythm guitarist. During the recording of their second album, "Underground," Ritter left due to musical differences, and Weakley returned to the band. Spagnola also left the band due to medical reasons and was replaced by Mike Gannon, who recorded two songs with the band.
In early 1968, Weakley and Lowe left the group due to financial and musical issues. Tulin and Williams finished a tour with a line-up that included Kenny Loggins and Jeremy Stuart, but they also departed by mid-1968. The band continued to undergo changes, with the addition of Joe Dooley, and the return of Weakley on drums.
By the time of their European tour in late 1967, the line-up had shifted again, with Lowe, Tulin, Williams, Gannon, and Quint embarking on the band's first and only European tour. This line-up also recorded the "Mass in F Minor" album, marking a significant shift in the band's musical direction. Despite the various line-up changes, Mark Tulin and Ken Williams remained as the original band members for a significant portion of the band's career.
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Recording their second album, 'Underground'
The Electric Prunes' second album, 'Underground', was recorded at American Recording Studios. The recording of the album followed a busy touring schedule for the band, and they were keen to make an album of their own design. However, the band still did not have much creative freedom, as producer Dave Hassinger enlisted the songwriting team of Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz, who wrote seven of the 12 tracks. The band's main songwriters, Mark Tulin and James Lowe, were limited to just one track, "Luvin'".
Hassinger was less involved in the production of 'Underground' than he had been in the band's debut album, which gave the band more freedom to write their own material. The band wrote seven of the twelve tracks on 'Underground', expanding upon the experimentation of the first album with inventive guitar reverb and oscillation.
In the middle of the recording sessions, the line-up went through changes. Ritter departed due to musical differences and was replaced by original drummer Weakley, who appeared on five tracks. Spagnola left due to medical concerns and was replaced by Mike Gannon, who recorded two songs for the album, as well as the non-album track "Everybody Knows You're Not In Love".
Following the release of 'Underground' in August 1967, the band continued to tour the US in the latter half of 1967, playing prestigious clubs such as The Crystal Ballroom in Portland and The Pusi-Kat Club in San Antonio. They then embarked on their first and only European tour towards the end of 1967.
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The 'Mass in F Minor' album
The Mass in F Minor, released in January 1968, is the third studio album by the American rock band The Electric Prunes. The album was written and arranged by David Axelrod, a formally classically trained musician. It is a complex arrangement of religious-based rock, with vocals in Greek and Latin, and a mix of Gregorian music and psychedelic pop.
The album was conceived as a concept album by the band's manager, Lenny Poncher, and producer Dave Hassinger, who believed that the combination of religious and classical elements with psychedelic rock would bring commercial success. Axelrod was given free rein by Hassinger to do what he wanted with the band. The intricate orchestration proved too difficult and time-consuming for the band, and Hassinger had to enlist the help of session musicians, including the Canadian group The Collectors, to complete the album.
The Electric Prunes' original lineup started to fall apart during the recording of the album, with James Spagnola leaving due to medical reasons, and Mike Gannon recruited to finish the album. The album's release marked the beginning of the end for the original band, with James Lowe leaving in the middle of a tour shortly after.
The Mass in F Minor reached number 135 on the Billboard 200 and received positive reviews. The opening track, "Kyrie Eleison", is widely known and was featured in the 1969 film Easy Rider. The album is considered a unique and ambitious work, showcasing the band's creative and experimental approach to music.
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Touring and recording in the late 1960s
The Electric Prunes had a busy touring schedule in the late 1960s. In the latter half of 1967, they played across the US, performing in prestigious clubs such as The Crystal Ballroom in Portland and The Pusi-Kat Club in San Antonio. They also embarked on their first and only European tour towards the end of 1967, renting an apartment in London for 3-4 weeks. In December 1967, they appeared on Swedish TV.
The band continued to tour in 1968, but with a different lineup due to the departure of James Lowe in the middle of a tour of Texas. This new lineup included Mark Tulin, Ken Williams, Kenny Loggins, Jeremy Stuart, and session drummer John Raines. However, this tour was described by Mark Tulin as "possibly the worst tour of all time", as they played none of the old Electric Prunes songs and only new material written by Loggins or Stuart.
In addition to touring, The Electric Prunes also recorded several albums in the late 1960s. Their debut album included hit singles such as "Luvin'" and "Are You Lovin' Me More (But Enjoying It Less)". Their second album, "Underground", was released in August 1967 and featured more creative freedom for the band, who wrote seven of the twelve tracks. In January 1968, they released the album "Mass in F Minor", a concept album that integrated Gregorian music into psychedelic pop with vocals in Latin. This album marked a significant shift in the band's musical direction and is considered the beginning of the end for the original Electric Prunes.
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Frequently asked questions
The Electric Prunes started to experience frequent lineup changes and shifts in their musical direction. The band's second album, "Underground", saw the band take more creative control and experiment with their sound. However, the recording process was tumultuous, with members departing and being replaced mid-production.
Yes, the Electric Prunes reunited in the late '90s, spurred by a compilation release that revived interest in the band. James Lowe, the band's singer and frontman, was initially sceptical of the reunion but eventually agreed to perform again.
The Electric Prunes are best known for their ''60s psych-rock hit "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)", which was written by the female songwriting duo Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz. The song was a top 10 hit and is considered extremely influential for its use of backwards guitars, fuzz guitar, and the wah-wah pedal.
