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.
The King Is In The Counting House
The Electric Prunes Lyrics
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The King is in the counting house counting out his money
The Queen is in her parlour eating bread and honey
And in her royal heart of hearts, she's happy as can be
Isn't she ?
Isn't she ?
The children see their father's brow knitted by frustrations
But in his royal heart of hearts, he serves his family
Doesn't he ?
Doesn't he ?
The golden calendar reflects a day of obligations
The King and Queen will offer love to cold and distant nations
The children's day goes by so fast nobody's thought to miss them
The golden clock is striking twelve
Now it's too late to kiss them.
Though the castle's marble walls don't echo any laughter
But the family portrait paints them happy ever after
But in their royal heart of hearts, they're happy as certainly
Aren't we ?
Aren't we ?
"The King Is In The Counting House" by The Electric Prunes is a song that tells the story of a royal family, specifically the king and queen, who are busy with their daily duties. The first stanza describes the king counting his money in his counting house, while the queen is enjoying a meal of bread and honey in her parlour. The queen seems to be content and happy in her heart.
The second stanza describes the king signing proclamations and being frustrated by his work. The children see their father's worried expression, but in his heart, he is serving his family. The golden calendar reflects a day of obligations, including offering love to distant nations. The children's day goes by so fast that nobody thinks to miss them. The golden clock strikes twelve, and it's suddenly too late to kiss the kids goodnight.
The last stanza describes a castle without laughter, but the family portrait paints a picture of happiness. Even though they carry out their duties and responsibilities for their country, they are still happy in their hearts. The song poses a question to the listener, whether they too are happy in their hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
The King is in the counting house counting out his money
The king is inside his office, completely focused on counting his wealth.
The Queen is in her parlour eating bread and honey
The queen is relaxing in her room, indulging in a simple but enjoyable snack.
And in her royal heart of hearts, she's happy as can be
Deep down, despite the pressures of her position, the queen is content with her life.
Isn't she ?
This line questions whether others see and understand the queen's true feelings.
The King is always working, now signing proclamations
The king is constantly busy with official duties, like signing important documents.
The children see their father's brow knitted by frustrations
The king's children notice that their father is stressed and visibly worried.
But in his royal heart of hearts, he serves his family
Despite his heavy workload, the king tries his best to provide for and support his loved ones.
Doesn't he ?
This line questions whether others recognize the king's family-oriented nature.
The golden calendar reflects a day of obligations
The grand, ornate calendar reminds the king and queen of their many responsibilities and commitments.
The King and Queen will offer love to cold and distant nations
The royal couple must make diplomatic appearances and show kindness to faraway lands, even if they may not particularly want to.
The children's day goes by so fast nobody's thought to miss them
The king and queen are too busy with their own affairs to even consider the fact that they may not be spending enough time with their kids.
The golden clock is striking twelve Now it's too late to kiss them.
The clock reminds the king and queen that the day is over and they missed their chance to say goodnight to their children.
Though the castle's marble walls don't echo any laughter
Despite the grandeur of their surroundings, the family is not particularly happy or joyful.
But the family portrait paints them happy ever after
The portrait hanging on the wall shows the family looking content and satisfied, but this is merely an illusion.
But in their royal heart of hearts, they're happy as certainly
Despite their struggles and shortcomings, the family members find some degree of happiness within themselves.
Aren't we ?
This line implies a desire to be perceived as happy and content, even if the reality is more complex.
Contributed by Bentley Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Benito Soriano
on Are You Lovin' Me More (But Enjoying It Less)
A very nice and underated song should have done better . . . .
Benito Soriano
on Onie
A ery nice and underated song should have done better. . . .Up to now.