The Electric Prunes are a rock band who first achieved international attention as an experimental psychedelic group in the late 1960s, and contributed one track to the soundtrack of Easy Rider. After a period in which they had little control over their music, they disappeared for a period of 30 years, reforming as a recording and touring band in 2001.
History
Origins
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, probably because their records were very popular in that city. The first members, Ken Williams (guitar), James Lowe (lead vocal), 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 Oliver (the A side a cover, the B side original) 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 sourced 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. However 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 appears on this album.
The Axelrod period
The Prunes' 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. There was a planned tour to follow the album release, which 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 days previously.
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 vocal work.
"the new improved Electric Prunes"
To add to the indignities heaped upon the original band members, 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' 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 on 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 covered 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.
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 long 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 and have also taken residence in myspace, reaching out to fans of new and old.
They are now recording and touring with a new drummer, Walter Garces, who has been called the "drum guru" of LA.
Get Me To The World On Time
The 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's song "Get Me to the World on Time" is a rock ode to the effects of love on the human body. It starts with the singer's anxious feelings when being around their crush - as soon as the person enters the room, the singer's body starts reacting in ways they cannot control. Their hands shake, and their pulse begins beating faster, leading to a sense of imminent disaster. The lyrics of the song suggest that this rush of feelings is something that the singer cannot resist - they have to go with it, no matter how out of control it may feel at times.
The chorus of the song has the singer asking that their partner get them to the world on time, as if they are in a hurry to experience life with this person before their feelings spiral any further. The rest of the lyrics describe the way that love makes the singer feel alive, but also how it causes them to feel wild sensations and sweet frustrations. Throughout the song, the singer is asking their partner to help them get to a place where they can experience this love fully, without the fear of losing control.
Overall, "Get Me to the World on Time" is a song about the physical and emotional effects of love, and how it can make us feel both alive and out of control. The lyrics suggest that love is something to be embraced and savored, even in the face of fear and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I go (higher, higher)
The singer is deeply excited and wants to go higher, literally and metaphorically.
Here I go, go, go, go, go
The singer is overjoyed and expresses it through repetition of the word 'go.'
You gotta get me to the world on time
The singer is anticipating a pivotal event, and asks for someone's help to arrive on time.
The minute you walk in the room I break into a sweat
The singer admires someone so much that they become nervous, causing physical symptoms.
My hands begin to shake so bad I can't light my cigarette
The singer is so overwhelmed that their body has trouble performing basic tasks.
Then you start walkin' towards me and my cool comes all undone
The singer loses all composure when the object of their affection approaches them.
If I could get my feet to move I'd turn around and run
The singer is so overcome with emotion that they wish to escape the situation.
My pulse is beatin' faster
The singer's heart is beating more rapidly due to intense excitement or stress.
And I'm headin' for disaster
The singer senses that they may be in danger because their emotions are so out of control.
One kiss from you and my whole body starts to actin' strange
The singer believes that physical contact with their love interest causes their entire being to react in unexpected ways.
You shake up all my hormones, you put me through a change
The love interest has such an effect on the singer that their hormones are impacted, causing physiological changes.
This chemical reaction isn't easy to refine
The impacts that the love interest has on the singer are complex and cannot be easily explained or understood.
You drive me to distraction, you disturb my peace of mind
The singer is so preoccupied with thoughts of their love interest that they cannot focus on anything else and mental peace is elusive.
You got me spinning like a top now
The singer feels as though they are out of control and are spinning uncontrollably.
And I don't know how to stop now
The singer is so consumed by their feelings that they are unsure of how to control or stop them.
Is this what loves all about
The singer questions whether these intense feelings are what is meant by love.
Lately I feel so without
The singer has not felt these emotions before, and it feels as though something is missing from their life.
Wild sensations
The singer is feeling strong, uncontrollable emotions.
Sweet frustrations
The emotions that the singer is feeling are both pleasurable and confusing.
You get me goin' and there's no slowin' me down
The singer is so caught up in their feelings that they cannot be deterred or calmed down.
Whoa here I go, go
The singer expresses again how excited they are.
Whoa, Here I go, go, go
The singer uses repetition again to emphasize their excitement.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JONES TUCKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-fs3pt4lp2u
Got you beat, I’m 77 and boy does it bring back good memories. Just returned from Viet Nam and my girlfriend and I would listen to this over and over. Not sure it was her choice but we loved/married for 22 years. Should have stayed, my bad. Still love her and the song.
@johnager9428
Great song from the 60s, still listening at 73yrs old
@paulbare6371
me as well 45 version
@marclayne9261
68 here...
@garycallihan4206
I am a mere 70+, and do understand.
@artredoubt3629
Me too, at about the same age. But I woke up this morning with this song playing in my head. The human mind is a wonderful thing.
@gaetanodetorrice5555
Electric prunes I never heard of them they're pretty cool 👍😎
@morningstar8651
Ya gotta get to the world on time!!!
@mikeace5831
Total psychedelic Rock classic but not forgotten
@ykrgfk
They did nothing else of this quality but they've been in my hall of fame since '67 because of these two great singles. Heavily Stones and Bo Diddley influenced, sure, but the sounds they got transcended those influences - and just about everything else around at the time. James Lowe was an excellent vocalist.