Originally called The Sixpence, Strawberry Alarm Clock were a Californian psychedelic bubblegum band of the mid-’60s, reaching the top of the charts with their debut single, Incense and Peppermints, at the height of the flower power era. The lead vocals on the track were sung by a 16-year-old friend of the band named Greg Munford.
Before recording their debut album the band added George Bunnell, who played bass also – but more importantly Bunnell became the group’s main songwriter.
In the summer of 1967, Strawberry Alarm Clock contributed music to – and appeared in – the film Psych-Out (1968). 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 line-up changes, and at the time of Good Morning Starshine, the band featured King on bass, Weitz on organ, guitarist Jimmy Pitman and drummer Gene Gunnels. By this time Strawberry Alarm Clock had lost much of its audience, but they managed to keep performing until 1971 – when the band finally broke up.
Ed King joined Lynyrd Skynyrd, while several former members of Strawberry Alarm Clock reunited in the 1980s to perform on oldies tours.
The original band line-up reunited to perform an approximately one-hour set at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Illinois, on 29 April 2007.
The event was part of the last day of Roger Ebert’s ninth annual Overlooked Film Festival and was preceded by a screening of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970).
The band, including Steve Bartek as a full member on both lead guitar and flute, went on to play several other gigs.
Guitarist, singer and lyricist Lee Freeman passed away in 2010.
Ed King
Guitar, bass, vocals
Lee Freeman
Vocals, Guitar
Mark Weitz
Organ
Gary Lovetro
Bass
Randy Seol
Drums, vocals
George Bunnell
2nd bass
Jimmy Pitman
Guitar, vocals
Gene Gunnels
Drums
