Oldish Psych and Prog

This Glendale, California-based band was originally known as the Irridescents, a surf combo with one 45 in 1963, and later as Thee Sixpence who issued several 45s under this name. The name change came with the release of the 45 Incense And Peppermints because of other similarly-named groups. This was picked up by UNI and the rest is history as they say. Strawberry Alarm Clock were very much a product of their era and their commercial brand of psychedelia was more acceptable to the general public than that of the more interesting underground bands. Like The Seeds they were very much geared to the flower power scene, and both bands were featured in a cult movie of that era, Psych-Out. One advantage they possessed over The Seeds was their catchy name, although later with the demise of flower power, this would prove to be more of a disadvantage. Efforts the band made to tailor themselves a 'psychedelic' image are evident from the apparel they wore on the front cover of their best album Incense and Peppermints, which was released on Pye (28106) in the UK. Aside from the ultra-commercial title track, this contained a number of prominently instrumental quasi-psychedelic jams, with Mark Weitz's organ usually to the fore.

Further albums and more hits followed before The Strawberry Alarm Clock became a victim of the changing times. Ed King later played with Lynryd Skynyrd. A 1981 line-up was reported gigging around California. A good introduction to the band is the 1987 compilation Strawberries Mean Love.

(Vernon Joynson / Max Waller)

 Side 1
Nightmare of Percussion (2:57)
Soft Skies, No Lies (3:07)
Tomorrow (2:14)
They Saw the Fat One Coming (3:25)
Curse of the Witches (6:46)
Side 2
Sit with the Guru (2:59)
Go Back (You're Going the Wrong Way) (2:19)
Pretty Song from Psych-Out (3:15)
Sitting on a Star (2:55)
Black Butter, Past (2:23)
Black Butter, Present (2:10)
Black Butter, Future (1:32)

Mark Weitz – keyboard, vocals
Randy Seol – drums, keyboard, percussion, vocals
Ed King – lead guitar, vocals
Lee Freeman – rhythm guitar, sitar, vocals
George Bunnell – bass guitar, vocals
Howard Davis - vocal arrangements, spoken passage on "Nightmare Of Percussion"