Strawberry Alarm Clock – Incense Peppermints Lyrics

In 1967, psychedelic band Strawberry Alarm Clock released their debut single “Incense Peppermints.” The song is one of the quintessential psychedelic recordings of that time. It was a hit all over the country and set the band up for a great future.

The song is very catchy and has been a part of the pop culture for over 50 years. It was written by record producers John Carter and Tim Gilbert, who had approached the band after they had heard them practicing in a garage. They loved the band’s sound and wanted to work with them. The lyrics to the song are very interesting. It has a lot of imagery and symbolism that make it very memorable. The music to the song is great, with memorable keyboard parts played by Mark Weitz on his Farfisa compact combo organ. It also has a fun percussion section with cowbell, handclaps and a high-hat cymbal break. The drumming was done by Gene Gunnels, who eventually left the group. He was replaced by a blond teenager named Randy Seol who proved to be very important to the band’s success.

While the song was being recorded, a dilemma arose over who would sing lead on it. According to various accounts, lead singer Lee Freeman tried out several different vocal sounds and was unsatisfied with them all. In the end, manager Bill Holmes brought in a 16-year-old guitarist and singer named Greg Munford to try out for the part. He ended up doing a good job and singing the lead for what became their most popular recording.

It was originally released in April of 1967 as the B side of an All-American Records release with “The Birdman of Alkatrash” under the band name Thee Sixpence. However, a DJ named Johnny Fairchild on KIST in Santa Barbara started playing the “Incense” side and it took off from there. Eventually the success of “Incense” led to the single being flipped over and released as a Strawberry Alarm Clock release under the correct name. All the other issues that could have spelled disaster for the record — changing the name, missing writers’ credits, and a mystery singer — ended up working in the band’s favor and propelling them to success.

The band went on to produce several more hits before breaking up in 1970, though a reformed version of the band still exists today. Guitarist Steve Bartek went on to become a composer and orchestrator. He has worked on scores for movies such as “Sweet Home Alabama” and is currently a member of the rock group Oingo Boingo. Bassist George Bunnell joined the group shortly after the recording of “Incense and Peppermints” and stayed with them until the group’s final album, which was in 2012. He now resides in San Diego, California. This article is based on an interview with Bunnell conducted by writer Chris Arnott for the website Rock Cellar. It was edited by John P. O’Connor.