Strawberry Alarm Clock’s oldest song could be considered to be “Long Days Flight”, which was the a-side of the first single released by the band’s original carnation, Thee Sixpence. That band released a half-dozen songs, and the lineup was virtually the same as SAC.
The first Strawberry Alarm Clock songs proper were the two from the single “Incense And Peppermints” b/w “The Birdman Of Alkatrash”; the band’s first album Incense And Peppermints contained several more band originals. Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow, considered by some the band’s high point, was full of more great SAC originals.
The band’s third album, The World In A Sea Shell, featured several tracks written for the band by outside writers along with some originals; their final LP Good Morning Starshine featured all original Strawberry Alarm Clock songs, except the title song. After that final LP, the band released several non-LP singles with both Jim Pitman and Paul Marshall on vocals. They also contributed two songs to the 1970 movie soundtrack of Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls and two new songs on a 1971 compilation album, Changes.
In 2012, Strawberry Alarm Clock released the album Wake Up Where You Are, which featured remakes of some of their old songs plus a few new ones.
In 1995, Strawberry Alarm Clock apparently contributed a new song called “Love Story” to a various-artists compilation called World Jam. “Love Story” was written by longtime SAC member Lee Freeman, the man responsible for so much of Strawberry Alarm Clock’s classic 1960s sound. But this song, and the World Jam CD project, remain very mysterious. At any … Read more
Strawberry Alarm Clock recorded a version of The Seeds’ 1960s classic “Mr. Farmer” in 2012. The original plan was for the reconvened SAC to record the song for a Sky Saxon tribute CD, but plans fell through and that tribute does not seem to have ever made it to release. Strawberry Alarm Clock began work on … Read more
“Eulogy” is the shortest song on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album The World In A Sea Shell, and it’s one of the album’s more daring sonic sculptures. It has a mid-tempo pace, an opaque sheen to the vocal chorale, and some striking tonal dissonance in its sneaky chord changes. A fat, distorted electric guitar line … Read more
With “Lady Of The Lake”, Strawberry Alarm Clock closes out side 1 of its 1968 LP The World In A Sea Shell with its second Carole King-penned song (with Toni Stern). It’s another ditty featuring a tasty melody but with an overall inconsequential vibe. The most interesting thing about the track is the repetitive trumpet, … Read more
“Sea Shell” is the leadoff track on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album The World In A Sea Shell. A dense, lush and slow-moving song, “Sea Shell” has a gorgeous melody but some ill-conceived ocean sounds and sappy orchestral overdubs. The result is a song that may be too somnambulistic for certain fans of the band’s … Read more
Thee Sixpence covered the popular song “Fortune Teller” on their second release, a 45 rpm single on All American backed with “My Flash On You”. Thee Sixpence later evolved into Strawberry Alarm Clock. Many bands in the 1960s covered “Fortune Teller”, including the Rolling Stones and the Who (“and Wayne Fontana – ‘e did it”). … Read more
“Long Days Care” is a song by Thee Sixpence, later Strawberry Alarm Clock. It’s the a-side of the first single ever released by the band, on the All American label. A cover of Love’s “Can’t Explain” was the b-side. The “Long Days Care” single was released in 1966, and can be thought of as the world’s … Read more
“Shallow Impressions” is the last track on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album The World In A Sea Shell. It’s an experimental instrumental, the only song without vocals on the album. And it was the first such song by the Clock since “Pass Time With The SAC” from the 1967 LP Incense And Peppermints. It was … Read more
“An Angry Young Man” is a track from Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album The World In A Sea Shell. It was used as the b-side of the “Barefoot In Baltimore” single. Although its title may suggest a tough, aggressive rock song, the recording is in fact quite mellow and rich. It does feature a few … Read more
“Girl From The City” was one of Strawberry Alarm Clock’s final singles, a non-LP song with vocalist Paul Marshall. The track was recorded for the soundtrack of the movie Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls. The b-side was the evergreen “Three”. “Girl From The City” doesn’t strive to be great or profound, just to be a … Read more
“Lose To Live” is the third track on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1967 album Incense And Peppermints. Weird and angular, “Lose To Live” is defined by a piercing, harpsichord-like keyboard part, deranged vocals, and constantly changing musical sections. The track follows the shorter and gentler “Birds In My Tree”, and recalls the album’s opener “The World’s … Read more
“Sit With The Guru” is the first song on Side 2 of Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow. It was also released as a single. “Sit With The Guru” is jaunty and poppy, with an aggressive guitar vying for supremacy with the lovely, melodic vocal work. The relative placidness of “Sit With The … Read more
“Barefoot In Baltimore” is the first song on side two of Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album The World In A Sea Shell. It was released as a single as well, with the b-side “An Angry Young Man”. As one of the songs on the LP whose music (if not words) was actually written by the band, … Read more
“Go Back (You’re Going The Wrong Way)”, from Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 LP Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow, is perhaps the silliest song the band ever released, musically speaking. Mostly in 3/4 time, with slight, circus-like organ flutters emphasizing the goofiness of the waltz, the track tells a simplistic tale that (as usual) takes an unexpected … Read more
“Love Me Again” is from Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album The World In A Sea Shell. It’s only 3:30 but still the album’s longest song – and, significantly, one written by the band rather than outside composers. With a blistering lead guitar throughout, and with vocals considerably wilder than the album’s other songs, “Love Me … Read more
“Sitting On A Star” is a track from Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow. Another of the album’s musically adventurous tracks, the song features a harsh, militaristic beat throughout its verses along with spidery, Doors-like choruses and the occasional faux-funky jazz interlude. The singing is high and plaintive with a subdued harmony … Read more
The b-side of Strawberry Alarm Clock’s #1 hit song “Incense And Peppermints” was “The Birdman Of Alkatrash”. It’s a simple garage pop song that has received a lot of attention over the years due to its pairing with the famous a-side. “The Birdman Of Alkatrash” was originally released as the a-side to “Incense And Peppermints”, on the … Read more
Strawberry Alarm Clock recorded “Good Morning Starshine” for their fourth and final LP, also called Good Morning Starshine. It wasn’t their choice, though, and sounds like nothing else on the album. The jarring anomaly, recording a version of “Good Morning Starshine” from the musical Hair was not the idea of the band members. They had by … Read more
The third song on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1969 LP Good Morning Starshine is the entertaining “Small Package”. The performance has some of the gutsy blues-rock feel of the album’s first two songs (“Me And The Township” and “Off Ramp Road Tramp”) but “Small Package” is really more of an extension of the band’s adventurous songwriting … Read more
“Birds In My Tree” is the second track on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1967 album Incense And Peppermints. It was later chosen as the b-side of a single. A short and conventional pop song, “Birds In My Tree” features vaguely psychedelic touches in its adventurous melody, lyrical references to drugs and a new ideal existence, and a … Read more