Origin
The group started in the San Fernando Val… Read Full Bio ↴From Wikipedia:-
Origin
The group started in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, though during the group's long disbandment, rumors circulated that they were from Seattle. Their first hit was discovered by Seattle disk jockey Pat O'Day at KJR (AM) and was very popular in that city before it broke into the national charts. The first members, Ken Williams (guitar), James Lowe (lead vocal, autoharp), Michael Weakley (drums) and Mark Tulin (bass) called themselves The Sanctions, and later, Jim and the Lords. Soon, Dick Hargrave joined on organ, but shortly thereafter left to pursue graphic arts. Their lineup changed many times, including one lineup with Kenny Loggins.
Lowe, Tulin, Williams and Weakley were introduced to David Hassinger, then resident engineer at RCA studios, who arranged for them to record some demos at Leon Russell's home recording facility (which he called Sky Hill Studios). Hassinger also suggested they needed a new name. In response, the band produced a long list of suggestions, with The Electric Prunes last as a joke. Somehow it stuck.
A single Ain't It Hard/Little Olive was released from these sessions, and flopped.
Early success
The Prunes' next single, "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" (1966), was chosen from material Hassinger culled from the established songwriting team of Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz. It remains their highest charting success, reaching 11 in the USA and 49 in the UK. Personnel included Jim Lowe on vocals, James "Weasel" Spagnola and Ken Williams on guitar, Mark Tulin on bass and Preston Ritter on drums. This is regarded by many as the classic Prunes lineup.
Their third single, Get Me to the World on Time, was also successful but less so, peaking at 27 in the USA and 42 in the UK. Both their first album, The Electric Prunes: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) (1967) and consisting mainly of Tucker/Mantz material, and the followup Underground (1967) which featured mainly original Prunes material, charted in the lower reaches of the Billboard charts.
By the time Underground was complete, there had been several more personnel changes. Original drummer Weakley returned to replace Ritter, and Spagnola was replaced on guitar by Mike Gannon, who appears on only two songs. Their fourth single Everybody Knows You're Not In Love, was recorded by this line-up, but does not appear on this album.
The Axelrod period
The Prunes's third album, Mass in F Minor (1968), was a psychedelicized setting of the Mass, written and produced by David Axelrod, and somewhat of an underground favorite. Kyrie Eleison from this record was used to back the Mardi Gras drug-trip scene in Easy Rider. The band reportedly broke up during the recording, and Axelrod completed the album using Canadian band The Collectors[1] and session musicians. A tour had been planned to follow the album release, but it was cancelled after one disastrous show at which it was obvious that the Prunes couldn't play the music, some of which they had seen for the first time only a few days before the concert.
This was followed by Release of An Oath (1968), another religious-themed Axelrod work this time combining Jewish and Christian liturgy. It was produced by Axelrod using top session musicians for all instruments, backing the Prunes's vocal work.
"the new improved Electric Prunes"
The following album Just Good Old Rock and Roll (1969) was recorded by another, completely different, group of musicians, originally from Colorado, who were assigned the Prunes's name, which was not legally owned by Hassinger (according to James Lowe in a recent interview). The album cover read the new improved Electric Prunes. This band toured and also released a single on Reprise Records in 1969, but had totally dissolved by 1970.
Reissues and reformation
Through the inclusion of their classic "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" on the seminal "Nuggets" compilation of 1960s psychedelic gems the Electric Prunes continued to reach new fans in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. That track in particular has been a regular of psychedelic bands through the decades including Australia's Prince Vlad & the Gargoyle Impalers in the early to mid 1980s. The track was recorded by psychedelic punks The Damned in the 1980s, under their alter ego of Naz Nomad and the Nightmares, and was also a feature of The Damned's live set in the mid-80s. XTC, recording under the name Dukes of Stratosphear also paid homage to the song on their song "25 O'Clock" which emulates the style of the song.
The late 1990s saw renewed interest in the Electric Prunes, with the release of Stockholm, a concert recorded by the Swedish Broadcasting Corporation while the (original) Prunes were on tour there in 1967. An early collection of recordings by The Sanctions and Jim and The Lords was also released, recovered from unplayed 35-year-old acetates.
After a period of 30 years, the original quartet of Lowe, Tulin, Williams and Weakley met in the studio to consider a revival. As a result Lowe, Tulin and Williams (the three who had played on all the early recordings) were joined by two new members including James Lowe's son to reform the band. They began touring internationally in 2001, and in 2002 released a new recording titled Artifact and a DVD album called Rewired.
Continuing the momentum in 2007, the trio of Lowe, Tulin, and Williams released a new CD entitled Feedback, a hook-laden orgy of tremolo, reverb, rollicking drums and hilariously juvenile lyrics ("I have to off myself just to get away from you") that was heard by too few critics but hailed as a masterpiece by some of those who did, including author Elizabeth Hand , who blogged, "'Feedback' is truly one of the best albums I've heard in years. Anyone who's expecting an oldies nostalgia act is going to be wicked disappointed: these guys sound like they're still twenty years old with something to prove."
The Prunes have also taken residence in myspace, reaching out to fans new and old.
They are now recording and touring with a new drummer, Walter Garces, who has been called the "drum guru" of LA.
In 2007, the rock band The Verve ran the track "Holy Are You" before their concerts.
Get Me to the World on Time
Electric Prunes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here I go (higher, higher)
Here I go, go, go, go, go
You gotta get me to the world on time
You gotta get me to the world on time
The minute you walk in the room I break into a sweat
My hands begin to shake so bad I can't light my cigarette
If I could get my feet to move I'd turn around and run
My pulse is beatin' faster
And I'm headin' for disaster
Here I go (higher, higher)
Here I go (higher, higher)
Here I go
Get me to the world on time
You gotta get me to the world on time
One kiss from you and my whole body starts to actin' strange
You shake up all my hormones, you put me through a change
This chemical reaction isn't easy to refine
You drive me to distraction, you disturb my peace of mind
You got me spinning like a top now
And I don't know how to stop now
Is this what loves all about
Lately I feel so without
Wild sensations
Sweet frustrations
You get me goin' and there's no slowin' me down
Here I go
Whoa here I go, go
Whoa, Here I go, go, go
The Electric Prunes’ song “Get Me to the World On Time” features lyrics uncovering the rush of emotions that occur when falling in love. The singer is poised to meet the one they love and they are overcome with anxiety as if time is running out for them. The first verse describes the intense physiological effects that occur when the person they love walks in the room. The lyrics are telling the story of how the singer is completely overtaken by emotion and all the control they thought they had over themselves is lost.
The second verse exemplifies how the one they love has completely turned their life upside down, to the point where basic daily activities become a chore. The lyrics convey that the one they love has taken over every thought, desire and feeling they have. The chorus line, "Get me to the world on time," acts as a directive to their partner. It suggests that the singer may be late for something important unless the person they love helps them out of their emotional state.
The overall tone is that of someone head-over-heels in love and utterly consumed by their infatuation. The lyrics convey just how debilitating the feeling of being in love can be when one is completely overwhelmed by emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I go (higher, higher)
The singer is getting excited and anxious as he is about to take a leap of faith or experience something new
Here I go, go, go, go, go
The singer is building up his excitement and is ready to go and explore the world
You gotta get me to the world on time
The singer is relying on someone else to help him achieve his goal of experiencing the world to the fullest
The minute you walk in the room I break into a sweat
The entrance of someone special makes the singer anxious and nervous
My hands begin to shake so bad I can't light my cigarette
The singer is so nervous that he can't even smoke a cigarette
Then you start walkin' towards me and my cool comes all undone
The confidence that the singer had is quickly disappearing as the person approaches him
If I could get my feet to move I'd turn around and run
The singer is so overwhelmed that he wishes he could run away
My pulse is beatin' faster
The singer's heart is racing with anxiety and nervousness
And I'm headin' for disaster
The singer is worried that the situation will turn out badly for him
One kiss from you and my whole body starts to actin' strange
The person the singer is attracted to has a powerful effect on his body and emotions
You shake up all my hormones, you put me through a change
The attraction to the person is having a physical effect on the singer's body
This chemical reaction isn't easy to refine
The attraction and chemistry between the two people is difficult to control or understand
You drive me to distraction, you disturb my peace of mind
The person the singer is attracted to is making it difficult for him to focus or remain calm
Is this what loves all about
The singer is questioning what love truly is and why it has such a powerful effect on him
Lately I feel so without
The singer feels empty or incomplete without the other person in his life
Wild sensations
The singer is experiencing intense and unpredictable feelings and emotions
Sweet frustrations
The singer's attraction to the other person is both enjoyable and challenging
You get me goin' and there's no slowin' me down
The other person has such a powerful effect on the singer that he cannot resist their attraction or influence
Whoa here I go, go
The singer is excited to take a chance and experience new things
Whoa, Here I go, go, go
The singer is repeating his excitement and eagerness to take risks and explore the world
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: JONES TUCKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind