Incense and Peppermints (song)

Last updated
"Incense and Peppermints"
Incense and peppermints by strawberry alarm clock US single side-A.png
Side A of the 1967 US single
Single by Strawberry Alarm Clock
from the album Incense and Peppermints
B-side "The Birdman of Alkatrash"
ReleasedMay 19, 1967 [1]
Recorded1967
Genre
Length2:47
Label UNI
Songwriter(s)
(uncredited: Mark Weitz, Ed King)
Producer(s) Frank Slay
Strawberry Alarm Clock singles chronology
"Incense and Peppermints"
(1967)		"Tomorrow"
(1967)
Official audio
"Incense And Peppermints" on YouTube

"Incense and Peppermints" is a song by the Los Angeles-based psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock. The song is officially credited as having been written by John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert, although it was based on an instrumental idea by band members Mark Weitz and Ed King. [4] It was released as the A-side of a single in May 1967 by Uni Records and reached the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for one week before beginning its fall down the charts. [5] [6] Although the single was released in the United Kingdom it failed to break into the UK Singles Chart. [7] The song was featured in the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery [8] and the fictional biopic Daisy Jones and the Six.

Contents

History

Prior to the release of "Incense and Peppermints," Strawberry Alarm Clock had already issued four singles ("Long Day's Care" b/w "Can't Explain," "My Flash on You" b/w "Fortune Teller," "In the Building" b/w "Hey Joe," and "Heart Full of Rain" b/w "First Plane Home") on All-American Records under the name Thee Sixpence. [5] [9] During recording sessions for "Incense and Peppermints," the Thee Sixpence members expressed a dislike for the song lyrics (which John S. Carter wrote, relying on a rhyming dictionary[ citation needed ] for the purpose), so the lead vocals were sung by a friend of the band, Greg Munford, who was attending the recording session as a visitor. The regular vocalists in the band were relegated to providing background and harmony vocals on the record. [10] Band members Mark Weitz and Ed King were both denied songwriting credits by producer Frank Slay, despite the fact that the song was, at least partially, built on an instrumental idea by Weitz and King. [4] The songwriting credits went to Carter and to his songwriting partner Tim Gilbert, despite the latter neither writing nor helping to write the song. King would go on to greater fame as a member of the 1970s Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

"Incense and Peppermints" initially appeared on the B-side of Thee Sixpence's fifth single, "The Birdman of Alkatrash," released on All-American Records in April 1967. [11] However, local radio stations began playing "Incense and Peppermints" instead of the A-side, and the song began to gain in popularity in and around Los Angeles. Sensing the possibility of a national hit, the Uni Records subsidiary of MCA (now called Universal Music Group) picked up the record for national distribution and the single was re-released in May 1967: this time with "Incense and Peppermints" on the A-side and "The Birdman of Alkatrash" as the B-side. By the time of this second pressing, the band had changed its name to "The Strawberry Alarm Clock" due to the existence of a local group with a name somewhat similar to Thee Sixpence. [5]

"Incense and Peppermints" spent 16 weeks on the Billboard chart, finally reaching the #1 spot for the week ending November 25, 1967. [6] The single earned a gold disc from the RIAA on December 7, 1967 for sales of one million copies. [12]

Chart performance

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Seeds</span> American rock band

The Seeds were an American psychedelic garage rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965, best known for their highest charting single "Pushin' Too Hard". The band's classic line-up featured frontman Sky Saxon, guitarist Jan Savage, keyboardist Daryl Hooper and drummer Rick Andridge. In 1968, the band changed their name to Sky Saxon and the Seeds, with Savage and Andridge departing the band. They went on to release a handful of additional singles, with Hooper also departing at some point before splitting up in circa 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strawberry Alarm Clock</span> American psychedelic rock band

Strawberry Alarm Clock is a psychedelic rock band formed in 1967 with origins in Glendale, California, a city about ten miles north of downtown Los Angeles. They are best known for their 1967 hit single "Incense and Peppermints". Categorized as acid rock, psychedelic pop and sunshine pop, they charted five songs, including two Top 40 hits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed King</span> American rock musician (1949–2018)

Edward Calhoun King was an American musician. He was a guitarist for the psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock and guitarist and bassist for the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd from 1972 to 1975 and again from 1987 to 1996.

<i>Incense and Peppermints</i> 1967 studio album by Strawberry Alarm Clock

Incense and Peppermints is the debut album by psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock. Released in October 1967, it reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album charts during a 24-week run and included the band's No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Incense and Peppermints". In addition to the band's six official members, the album features the flute playing of Steve Bartek, who co-wrote four of the album's songs with bass player George Bunnell.

"Peppermint Twist" is a song written by Joey Dee and Henry Glover, recorded and released by Joey Dee and the Starliters in 1961. Capitalizing on the Twist dance craze and the nightclub in which Dee performed, the song hit No.1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in early 1962. The original recording of the song was considered too long for release on a 45 rpm single, so it was split into two parts. It was this first part, "Peppermint Twist ", with a length of 2:03, which became the No.1 hit; the mostly instrumental second half of the recording is rarely heard today.

The Adult Net was a British indie pop band formed by British-based American singer and guitarist Brix Smith in 1984, while she was a member of The Fall.

A Band Called David was a group of musicians who provided the instrumental support from 1974 until 1988 for the 2nd Chapter of Acts, a contemporary Christian music group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Band Played On</span> Popular 1895 song

"The Band Played On", also known as "Casey Would Waltz with a Strawberry Blonde", is a popular song. It was written in 1895 with lyrics by John F. Palmer and music by Charles B. Ward (1865–1917).

Billy & Lillie were an American pop vocal duo, composed of Billy Ford and Lillie Bryant.

Mark Stephen Weitz is an American musician. A keyboard player for the 1960s psychedelic rock group Strawberry Alarm Clock, Weitz was the principal composing member of the band.

The Rainy Daze was a psychedelic pop group formed in Denver, Colorado in 1965. They were composed of singer/guitarist Tim Gilbert with his brother Kip on drums, lead guitarist Mac Ferris, bassist Sam Fuller, and keyboardist Bob Heckendorf.

<i>Journey to the Center of the Mind</i> 1968 studio album by The Amboy Dukes

Journey to the Center of the Mind is the second studio album released by The Amboy Dukes. Released in April 1968 on Mainstream Records, the album is best remembered for it's hit single title track, which charted at #16 on the Billboard singles chart.

<i>Wake Up...Its Tomorrow</i> 1968 studio album by Strawberry Alarm Clock

Wake Up...It's Tomorrow is the second album by the American psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock, released by Uni Records in 1968. It came as the group was challenged with continuing the success of their debut single, the psychedelic classic and number one hit, "Incense and Peppermints" and the LP that followed. Their second effort would expand upon the arrangements of its predecessor's unique blend of vocal harmonies, psychedelia, and pop music. In addition, the band's atypical lineup, which featured two bassists, would be altered to address studio and performing issues.

<i>The World in a Sea Shell</i> 1968 studio album by Strawberry Alarm Clock

The World in a Sea Shell is the third album by Strawberry Alarm Clock, released in November 1968 on the Uni label. The album was not a chart success, and was the final LP to include the classic Strawberry Alarm Clock lineup.

Ernie and the Emperors were a rock band from Santa Barbara, California. They were an example of 1960s rock and pop, influenced by the British Invasion with songs that employed rich harmonies, instrumental hooks, and upbeat lyrics. Their biggest hit was their single "Meet Me At The Corner", a hit for them as Ernie and the Emperors. In later years, they also released materials as The Giant Crab, as Big Brother Ernie Joseph, Faith and as the Brian Faith Band.

John S. Carter, Jr., better known as simply Carter, was an American music producer, writer, arranger, instrumentalist, and A&R man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Farmer</span> 1967 single by The Seeds

"Mr. Farmer" is a song by American garage rock group The Seeds, written by vocalist Sky Saxon and produced by Marcus Tybalt. It was released as a single in 1967 and peaked at number 86 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was banned on many radio stations during the time of its release because of its drug references.

"Tell Mama" is a song written by Clarence Carter, Marcus Daniel and Wilbur Terrell. It is best known in its 1967 recording by Etta James. An earlier version of the song was first recorded in 1966 by Carter, as "Tell Daddy".

Frank Conley Slay Jr. was an American songwriter, A&R director, record producer, and record label owner. He wrote with Bob Crewe in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the partnership's most successful songs including "Silhouettes", a hit for several artists including The Rays and Herman's Hermits, "Daddy Cool", and "Tallahassee Lassie". As a producer, his biggest hit was "Incense and Peppermints" by the Strawberry Alarm Clock.

<i>Good Morning Starshine</i> (Strawberry Alarm Clock album) 1969 studio album by Strawberry Alarm Clock

Good Morning Starshine is the fourth album by American psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock, released in 1969 on Uni Records. It featured a considerably altered lineup and a departure from the sound on the group's past psychedelic pop works, toward blues rock. The album itself failed to chart, but a single, "Good Morning Starshine", peaked in the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100.

References

  1. ↑ "Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incense and Peppermints".
  2. ↑ Mark Kemp (1 November 2007). Dixie Lullaby. Simon and Schuster. p. 68. ISBN   978-1-4165-9046-0 . Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Doyle Greene (10 March 2014). The Rock Cover Song: Culture, History, Politics. McFarland. p. 152. ISBN   978-1-4766-1507-3 . Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Mark Weitz Biography". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-03-31.
  5. 1 2 3 Hogg, Brian. (1992). Strawberries Mean Love (1992 CD liner notes).
  6. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel. (2008). Top Pop Singles 1955-2006. Record Research Inc. p. 814. ISBN   978-0-89820-172-7.
  7. ↑ Brown, Tony. (2000). The Complete Book of the British Charts. Omnibus Press. p. 861. ISBN   0-7119-7670-8.
  8. ↑ "Austin Powers soundtrack". Imdb.com. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  9. ↑ "USA single's list S from 1966-72". Psychlists. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
  10. ↑ "Incense and Peppermints album review". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-03-31.
  11. ↑ Stax, Mike. (1998). Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 (1998 CD box set liner notes).
  12. ↑ Murrells, Joseph. (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p.  231. ISBN   0-214-20512-6.
  13. ↑ "Go-Set National Top 40, 31 January 1968)". Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  14. ↑ "RPM Top 100 Singles - November 18, 1967" (PDF).
  15. ↑ [Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002]
  16. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2016-08-12. Retrieved 2017-04-05.
  17. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1967/Top 100 Songs of 1967". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
  18. ↑ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1967".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.