Неизвестные 60-е. Часть 33. Группа Strawberry Alarm Clock

Не решусь отнести обсуждение творчества этой группы к рубрике "Неизвестные 60-е", хотя я лично о группе Strawberry Alarm Clock до недавнего времени совершенно ничего не знал. Группа не была неизвестной - сингл Incense And Peppermints достиг в 1967 году вершин американских хит-парадов. :)

Я только начинаю знакомство с группой - начинаю с их второго альбома Wake Up It's Tomorrow. Пока наиболее запомнившиеся песни - Sit With The Guru и Tomorrow. Впрочем, моё мнение пока не столь авторитетно, чтобы я его опубликовал перед знатоками, поэтому предлагаю сначала высказать своё мнение тем, кто уже не один год слушает этот интересный калифорнийский коллектив.

Информация с allmusic.com

Strawberry Alarm Clock was a psychedelic bubblegum band of the mid-'60s, reaching the top of the charts with "Incense and Peppermints" at the height of the flower power era. Originally called the Sixpence, the Californian group consisted of Ed King (lead guitar), Lee Freeman (rhythm guitar), Gary Lovetro (bass), Mark Weitz (organ), and Randy Seol (drums). On the band's debut single, "Incense and Peppermints," lead vocals were sung by Greg Munford, a 16-year-old friend of the band. Before recording their full-length debut album, the band added George Bunnell, who also played bass; more importantly, Bunnell became the group's main songwriter. In the summer of 1967, the Strawberry Alarm Clock contributed music to the film Psych-Out, as well as appearing in it. Gary Lovetro left the band before they recorded their second album, Wake Up It's Tomorrow, which also appeared in 1967. Between 1968's The World in a Seashell and 1969's Good Morning Starshine, the band went through a number of lineup changes; as of Good Morning Starshine the band featured King on bass, Weitz, guitarist Jimmy Pitman, and drummer Gene Gunnels. By this time, the Strawberry Alarm Clock had lost much of its audience. They managed to keep performing until 1971, when the band finally broke up. Ed King went on to join Lynyrd Skynyrd; several of the former members of Strawberry Alarm Clock reunited in the '80s to perform on oldies tours.

Информация из "Fuzz, Acid & Flowers"

Personnel:
GEORGE BUNNELL bs A B
LEE FREEMAN hrmnca, vcls, gtr A B C D E
ED KING ld gtr, (bs), vcls A B C D E
GARY LOVETRO bs A
RANDY SOEL drms, vibes, bongos, vcls A B
MARK WEITZ organ, vcls, piano A B C D
MARTY KATIN drms C
JIMMY PITMAN gtr, vcls C D
GENE GUNNELS drms D E
PAUL MARSHALL gtr, vcls E


ALBUMS:
1(A) INCENSE AND PEPPERMINTS (Uni 73014) 1967 11
2(B) WAKE UP IT'S TOMORROW (Uni 73025) 1968 -
3(B) WORLD IN A SEASHELL (Uni 73035) 1968
4(D) GOOD MORNING STARSHINE (Uni 73054) 1969
5(-) BEST OF (Uni 73074) 1969
6(-) CHANGES (Vocalion 73915) 1970


NB: (1) reissued on CD in Japan (Universal MVCE 22007). (2) reissued on CD in Japan (Universal MVCE 22008). (3) reissued on CD in Japan (Universal MVCE 22009). (4) reissued on CD in Japan (Universal MVCE 22010). There's also a CD compilation on One Way, Anthology (22083) and another: Strawberries Mean Love (Big Beat WIK 56) 1987. The later CD version featuring eight additional tracks.

45s:
1 Incense And Peppermints/The Birdman Of Alcatraz (All American 373) 1967 -
2 Incense And Peppermints/The Birdman Of Alcatraz (Uni 55018) 1967 1
3 Tomorrow/Birds In My Tree (Uni 55046) 1967 23
4 Sit With The Guru/Pretty Song From Psych-Out (Uni 55055) 1968 65
5 Barefoot In Baltimore/Angry Young Man (Uni 55076) 1968 67
6 Sea Shell/Paxton's Back Street Carnival (Uni 55093) 1968 -
7 Stand By/Miss Attraction (Uni 55113) 1969
8 Good Morning Starshine/Me And The Township (Uni 55125) 1969 87
9 Desires/Changes (Uni 55158) 1969 -
10 Starting Out The Day/Small Package (Uni 55185) 1969
11(E) I Climbed The Mountain/Three (Uni 55190) 1970
12(E) California Day/Three (Uni 55218) 1970
13(E) Girl From The City/Three (Uni 55241) 1970


NB: (8) 'A' side from the musical 'Hair'.

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.

Line-up 'A' above includes two bass players, of which Gary Lovetro was the original, being in both Thee Sixpence and Strawberry Alarm Clock. In mid-1967 after Incense had started to climb, their manager Bill Holmes and UNI decided to make an album. George Bunnell was drafted in to the sessions because of his song writing abilities, along with his best friend Steve Bartek (later in Oingo Boingo). George was friends with Randy Seol and that is how he was introduced into the band (they were both in Waterfyrd Traene prior to the Strawberry Alarm Clock). George joined the group and more than half of the first album's songs were Bunnell/Bartek compositions. Steve couldn't however join the band as he was still in high school and his parents wouldn't let him travel. Because George was a great song writer and a great bass player by the end of 1967 Gary Lovetro was fired.

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.

After the World In A Sea Shell album was released a fellow by the name of Marty Katin came aboard on drums for about four months. He was never on any recordings but was an "official" member of the band and toured nationally with them. At the same time as Marty joined, Jimmy Pitman (ex-The Nightcrawlers) was recruited on guitar with Ed King movin temporarily onto bass. Marty was replaced shortly before recording commenced on the Good Morning Starshine LP by former Sixpence/Strawberry Alarm Clock member, Gene Gunnels (who had previously drummed on the Incense And Peppermints 45 A-Side only!).

Original Beauchemins songwriter/lead vocalist Paul Marshall later joined The Strawberry Alarm Clock, circa '69, around the time of their final UNI album, Good Morning Starshine. He also appeared during a party scene in Russ Meyers' 'Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls' singing his self-penned Girl From The City, later issued on the Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls soundtrack LP.

We asked Paul, what working on this cult film was like:- "It was a lot like working on any movie set as an actor or sideline musician. We had ridiculously early call times. I seem to remember having to be on the Fox lot at 6:00 A.M. We had our own trailer into which we'd pile our belongings and head for the breakfast buffet or the makeup trailer or the wardrobe department. That whole process took several hours. After we were ready for our big scene, we'd wait around in the trailer or on the set. If we were in the trailer, at least two of us were getting semi-obliterated on one of a number of popular mind altering substances. It's amazing I don't look more wiped out in my close-up. If we were on the set, we were often standing on the stage for hours while they'd do lights and blocking and then shoot our main scenes and our background scenes."

"The set was the party at the mansion, so all the actors and extras that were in that scene were around all the time. It was a pretty nutty collection of characters, so much so that the party in the movie is not an inaccurate portrayal of the assemblage. The stars were pretty nice to us too, as was Russ Meyer. The sweetest of all was Dolly Read, who I'd love to see again sometime. Lee had better social skills than I did, and he shmoozed up Dolly and everybody else. I tried to do a good job, whatever that meant, and just focused on being where I was supposed to be. I probably gained 5 lbs that week just from the food. On movie shoots, there is always food. And then you go to lunch in the commissary. I remember seeing Charles Nelson Reilly in the commissary every day. So basically it was: eat, get high, and wait around. Not very thrilling. I guess it was different from most movies at that time in that there were more scantily clad, large busted starlets than usual, but except for the extra who dances through the party in a flesh colored body suit, I was not presented with any truly X-rated sights."

"Around 6:00 p.m. they'd call it a wrap and we'd make our way back home and try to get our lives in order and get some sleep and do it again the next day. We got an invitation to Russ Meyer's wedding after the movie was over. We attended and were seated at a table with Hugh Hefner and Barbi Benton. That was fun."

Compilaton coverage has so far included: Incense And Peppermints on Best Of '60s Psychedelic Rock (CD), Nuggets, Vol. 9 (LP), Nuggets Box (4-CD), Nuggets From Nuggets (CD), Psychedelic Visions (CD), Even More Nuggets (CD) and Excerpts From Nuggets (CD; Tomorrow on Nuggets Vol. 5 (LP); Nightmare Of Percussion on Baubles - Down To Middle Earth; Girl From The City and I'm Comin' Home on Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls (LP); In Relation (as by 'Strawberry Sac') on Mindblowing Encounters Of The Purple Kind (LP); a '70s re-recording of Incense.. appears on Psychotic Reactions (a compilation LP on U.K. budget label Topline, not the Planet X comp); and Black Butter on Electic Psychedelic Sitar Headshrinkers Vol. 3 CD.

(Max Waller/Vernon Joynson/Jeff Ziemer w/thanks to Paul Marshall)

Сам я слышал только диск Strawberries Mean Love.
Диск, наверное, неплохой :-)
Но такая музыка меня совсем не цепляет...

Ну что же. Ты попал в точку. Это источник чистой воды. Это Лето Любви 67 года.

Название группа взяла ироничное - в противовес другой калифорнийской команде Chocolade Watchband. (игра слов - Шоколадная Часовая Башня/Земляничный Будильник)

Группа участвовала в записи саундтрека в культовому фильму "Psych Out". Именно там звучала их классическое психеделическое откровение World On Fire

SAC - команда несущая ценности Детей Цветов, наивные и трогательные постулаты хиппи первого (он же и последний) призыва. Конечно же электрический ситар, зафузированная гитара и гармоническое многоголосье...Понятно, что дальше 1969 года они они просуществовать в этом формате не смогли. Такие композиции как "Отвори Дверь, Дружище", "Дождливый Денек, Грибочки Вокруг" и "Сидя С Гуру" уже были не востребованы. Лето Любви закончилось, на смену приходили мрачновато-концептуальные прог-арт-рокеры.

Гитарист группы Ed King вскоре после распада группы начинает играть в таком пестром коллективе как Lynyrd Skynyrd(хонки-тонки-приколисты), совершив головокружительный прыжок в музыкальных стиля

Для тех кто коллекционирует калифорнийский псих и гараж 60-х SAC на своей полке иметь необходимо. ИМХО

Более детальный взгляд на внешний вид "клубничных будильников". Один похож на смесь Рэя Манзарека и Джона Леннона. :) В общем, неплохо выглядели ребята. :)

На сцене в хипповых рубашках. Жаль, что фотография чёрно-белая...

http://www.govorilka.com/psych60s/music/usa/artisto/Strawberry%20Alarm%20Clock.htm - вот откуда я получаю творчество обсуждаемой группы. Большая часть второго альбома уже скачена... :) Завтра, воспользовавшись выходным, попытаюсь докачать Wake Up и начать скачивать Incense And Peppermints.

Ещё две песни, особо понравившиеся - Go Back (You're Going The Wrong Way) и Soft Skies No Lies.

еще скачай там же в секции "Видео" их видео))) это кул.

2BOB DYLAN:

Спасибо, попытаюсь! :) Правда, скорость скачивания с "говорилки" у меня паршивая. Боюсь, весь день буду видео скачивать...

господа качки.рекомендую ознакомица с истинной кислотой америкосов(да и не только),главными растворителями душ-Electric Prunes!

2koshei:

>господа качки.рекомендую ознакомица с истинной
>кислотой америкосов(да и не только),главными растворителями
>душ-Electric Prunes!

Господин Кошей. Черносливы у нас есть в полном собрании. Если я предложу Вам ознакомиться с чем-то интересным на мой взгляд, список будет очень долгим.
Начните с С.A. Quintet и 13th Floor Elevators Вот это кислота из кислот, растворяет ВСЕ
Для начала хватит.

sunset-
это конечно радует,что сливки Вами собраны.но совершенно не разделяю Вашего оптимизма по предложенному.не сомневюсь в многообразии Вашего списка,но на сколько он будет длин,на столько же, по большей части,он будет и скучен-это арьегард!
типа столового уксуса.
в авангарде остается около десятка групп-это и есть компонеты царской водки!

2koshei:

Замечание сомнительно и отдает вкусовщиной. Тем более, что водку не пью, прредпочитаю кентукский бурбон:)))

Кавалерийскую терминологию я по отношению к музыке не приемлю. Авангард -- это отдельный жанр , и если хотите поговорим об этом отдельно:)))

ну спорить о том что сильнее разъедает мозг можно до бесконечности

все вышеперечисленное мною например сильно любимо - и прюнс и элевэйторс и си
эй квинтет и с тробери эларм клок- все они абсолютно разные, а у прюнс и элеваторс есть абсолютно непохожие альбомы

что касается меня
13th floor elevators - bull of the woods
electric prunes - mass in f mirror
мои приоритеты

т.е. настолько что буквально по коже снуют муражки и состояние смертельной радости

Пока вы тут спорите, я успел влюбиться в песню Go Back (You're Going The Wrong Way). :)) Потрясающая мелодия! У песни какой-то сказочный и магический характер. Муражки по коже.

Никто не знает, где можно найти слова песен Strawberry Alarm Clock?

2лед и сталь:

>13th floor elevators - bull of the woods
>electric prunes - mass in f mirror
>мои приоритеты

разделяю полностью твои приоритеты.

2Бека:

где слова найти не знаю, но это можно при желании...
а пока вот -

http://www.whatisdeepfried.com/mego420.html

усмехнись:))) поздравляю с дебютом на ввс

sunset-
терки точно можно перетирать до бесконечности.кому поп,а кому дочка.но могу точно сказать,слово авангард произошел до муз.авангарда.да и сильных групп,к сожалению,не так уж и много.
(царскую водку,насколько я знаю,не пьют)

2sunset:

Здорово! :))) Замечательно же они подогнали звуковое сопровождение под картинку! :))

Спасибо за поздравления. :)