Top 10 Electric Prunes Songs

Photo: By Reprise Records (Billboard, page 63, 19 November 1966) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The 1960s saw an onslaught of psychedelic rock bands. Like any musical genre, once a particular style of music proves successful, whether from an economic or artistic standpoint, the scene inevitably becomes flush with new bands riding the wave of what’s hot. In 1965, the band The Electric Prunes was formed on the West Coast of the United States under the sunny skies of Los Angeles, California. After a year of forming, the band was signed to Reprise Records and released the single “Ain’t It Hard. Their first album, entitled The Electric Prunes, soon followed.

The band released five studio albums over two years, from 1967 to 1969. The group also released a dozen singles, a few live albums, and a series of compilation records. It’s amazing how bands in the 1960s released so much music in such a short period. Groups like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and many others constantly released singles or full-length albums every few months. The band broke up in 1970. However, thirty-one years later, the band reunited and began releasing albums once again. A few key members passed away in the 2010s, most notably bassist Mark Tulin. This article will take a look at the Electric Prunes Songs released during their late 1960’s period and the reunion period.

# 10 – Onie

We start our Top 10 Electric Prunes songs list with this tender, grooving ballad from the band’s debut album. The song was listed as the third track on the record. It was written by Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz, who were not members of the band but rather a professional songwriting team that wrote for a multitude of artists, including Frank Sinatra and the Jackson Five.

# 9 – Lost Dreams

Longtime band members James Lowe and Mark Tulin wrote the great Electric Prunes song “Lost Dreams. ” The song was the opening track on their comeback album Artifacts, which was released in 2001 on Halloween.

# 8 – Shadows

How could you not love this great 1968 single by the Electric Prunes? The haunting vocal lines riding the distorted guitar lick are just psychedelic perfection. Bands like The Electric Prunes, Roky Erickson And The 13th Floor Elevators, Blue Cheer, and many more defined the term psychedelia in the late 1960s.

# 7 – Ain’t It Hard

The song “Ain’t It Hard” was the band’s first single before their first album. It was issued in 1966. Although the recording failed to break onto any of the music charts at the time, it clearly defined the band’s potential.

# 6 – Finders Keepers, Loser Weepers

The song “Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers” was more of a blues-based song than one bathed in psychedelia. It featured a great organ solo in the midsection and some dynamic lead vocals. It is a truly great track and one of the most underrated Electric Prunes songs in the band’s catalog.

# 5 – Dr. Do-Good

The Electric Prunes song “Dr. Do-Good” was released on the band’s second album, Underground, in 1967. The song was written by the songwriting team of Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz. It was the opening track of the album’s B Side. The song was the first single released from the album, but it failed to garner any chart success.

# 4 – Sell

Our favorite Electric Prunes album was their final record, released in 1969. We loved their debut album, but the 1969 record rocked hard. However, the lineup dramatically differed from the original band, and many people felt this was not the Electric Prunes. Nonetheless, we liked this record. When a band goes through so many lineup changes, all we can do is look at the music and choose our favorite songs, no matter who was in what band at any particular time.

# 3 – Get Me To The World On Time

The classic Electric Prunes song “Get Me To The World On Time” was released on the band’s debut album. The song opened up the second side of the record and was also the second single released from the record. The recording quality is pretty poor, but perhaps that’s one of the reasons why we love this style of music. It’s raw and bathed in echo. It’s just so groovy.

# 2 – Kyrie Eleison

There have been critics who have written that the late 1960s psychedelic movement was short-lived. Bands like Led Zeppelin, Foghat, and The Allman Brothers began to dominate the airwaves so mighty that they buried the music of psychedelic bands for a long time. However, the psychedelic movement has never been forgotten, and it’s been reborn in current bands that borrow heavily from the style of bands like the Electric Prunes. Current bands such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and The Black Angels have kept the genre alive in the 2010’s.

The great track Kyrie Eleison was released on the band’s third album, Mass in F Minor, which was composed almost entirely by David Axelrod. The song’s significance on this list stems from its popularity based on its use in the 1960s movie Easy Rider.

# 1 – I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night

None of the Electric Prunes songs on this list is more well-known than the classic Electric Prunes song “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night.” It is the band’s most popular work and deservedly so. The song is a masterpiece that defines all the elements of psychedelic music in its greatest glory. The song “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” was released on the band’s debut album in 1967. The song was released as the album’s first single. The song reached the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967, peaking at number 11 on the charts. The songwriting team of Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz wrote the song.

The song “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” has become the band’s signature song. However, the song has represented the band and has become one of the defining moments of the late 1960s psychedelic era.