STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK CDs available from booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon
Strawberry Alarm Clock were famous for their hit single, 'Incense And Peppermints', and the album of the same name.
From Los Angeles, Strawberry Alarm Clock tapped into the spirit of the time, with their psychedelic rock sound, and the song 'Incense And Peppermints' always seems to find itself on any documentary about the 'Swinging Sixties'. It was a number one in the US in 1967. Notably, lead singer Greg Munford was only 16. The other members of Strawberry Alarm Clock at this time consisted of Ed King on lead guitar, Randy Seol on drums, Gary Lovetro on bass, Mark Weitz on keyboards, and Lee Freeman on rhythm guitar. George Bunnell (bass/rhythm guitar) then joined the band just before the recording of their debut album, 'Incense And Peppermints', in 1967. The album did well, reaching a high of 11 in the US charts. Bunnell wrote several songs for Strawberry Alarm Clock with flautist Steve Bartek, but Bartek was still at school, so was too young to join the band! Though he did play on Strawberry Alarm Clock's first two albums.
Also in 1967, Strawberry Alarm Clock's second album, 'Wake Up... It's Tomorrow', was released, which spawned their only other US Top 20 hit - 'Tomorrow'. Often being pushed into recording material they didn't like, Strawberry Alarm Clock also featured in the vile Russ Meyer's 'Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls' movie.
After a helluva lot of line-up changes, Strawberry Alarm Clock split in 1971. Ed King went on to join Lynyrd Skynyrd, and there were several reunions in the 1980s - the first coming about after a clever ploy by LA music club owners, who had put in an advert in a newspaper about a Strawberry Alarm Clock reunion - on the off chance that some band members would turn up to investigate, which rhythm guitarist Lee Freeman did!
- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.
