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.
“Nightmare Of Percussion”, which starts off Strawberry Alarm Clock’s second LP Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow (1968), immediately serves as notice to listeners that this album isn’t going to be playing it safe musically. A bouncy, slapdash drums-and-bass intro leads to a guitar slowly feeding back — already stranger than the band’s first LP Incense And … Read more
“Tomorrow” is probably Strawberry Alarm Clock’s second-best known song (after “Incense And Peppermints”). It’s the third song on the band’s second album Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow (1968) and was a minor hit single. The de facto title song of the album, “Tomorrow” is classic SAC in that it moves through several different sections, showing off a … Read more
“Can’t Explain” is a cover of a song by Arthur Lee’s legendary band Love, recorded and released by Strawberry Alarm Clock’s early incarnation Thee Sixpence in 1966. It was the b-side of the band’s first single, “Long Days Care”. While not as great as Love’s version, Thee Sixpence’s “Can’t Explain” actually has a more energetic feel … Read more
“Hummin’ Happy” is the seventh track on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1967 LP Incense And Peppermints. A fast rock song with strikingly cynical lyrics, “Hummin’ Happy” is notable as perhaps the most negative of the band’s dark side. This dynamic is also heard on songs like “The World’s On Fire”, “Lose To Live” and “Curse Of … Read more
“Off Ramp Road Tramp” is the second song on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s final album, Good Morning Starshine (1969). It’s another breathless blues-rock anthem with gravelly, passionate vocals and a stately 70s-rawk vibe. “Off Ramp Road Tramp” could almost have been a recording by Deep Purple. The track is another notice to the record-buying public that … Read more
“Unwind With The Clock” is the final track on the 1967 album Incense And Peppermints by Strawberry Alarm Clock. Mostly instrumental (until a verse sung towards the end) and similar to the filler track “Pass Time With The SAC”, “Unwind With The Clock” is actually the second-longest song on the album and a very groovy, … Read more
“Changes” is the song that closes out Strawberry Alarm Clock’s final album, Good Morning Starshine from 1969. It is a slow, dramatic blues, featuring some great soloing, ethereal organ atmospherics, and Jim Pitman’s gutbucket wailing. Built around a simple chord sequence, “Changes” is an opportunity for the Clock to stretch out and take its time. … Read more
“I Climbed The Mountain” is one of Strawberry Alarm Clock’s final singles, a non-LP song that was backed with “Three” in 1969 after the released of the band’s final LP, Good Morning Starshine. “I Climbed The Mountain” is a nice orchestrated pop song with a subtle air of spiritual redemption. This comes mostly from the … Read more
“Pass Time With The SAC” is a short instrumental song and the eighth track on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1967 LP Incense And Peppermints. Apparently conceived as and included as filler for the short album, “Pass Time With The SAC” is actually a pretty fiery performance. Ed King’s distorted guitar twists all over the place, as … Read more
“Wooden Woman” is the second song on side 2, and 8th song overall, on the album The World In A Sea Shell, Strawberry Alarm Clock’s third album from 1968. The ballad has a lugubrious air about it, as does virtually the entire album. “Wooden Woman” is highlighted by a heartbreaking chord sequence and delicate vocals. … Read more
“Curse Of The Witches” is the fifth song on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1968 album Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow. By far the longest track on the album, it’s arguably the most adventurous and certainly the most epic in scope. The song boasts some of the most unusual sonic excursions ever undertaken by the band. “Curse Of … Read more
“I’m Comin’ Home” is a Strawberry Alarm Clock song released only on the soundtrack of the 1971 movie Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls. It represents the final release from the final classic version of the band, who broke up soon after the movie’s release. “I’m Comin’ Home” is a pretty nice slice of catchy … Read more
“Paxton’s Back Street Carnival”, the sixth song from Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1967 LP Incense And Peppermints, is an aggressive rock song evoking the spirit of California psychedelia’s heyday. The very notion of a street carnival was endemic to that time and place. The swirling images in the song’s lyrics fit the overall mood very well. … Read more
“The World’s On Fire” is the first track on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1967 LP Incense And Peppermints. At over eight minutes, it is the band’s longest-ever track and is one of the better “long” psychedelic grooves of the era. “The World’s On Fire” was presumably conceived in the spirit of other mid- and late-60s tracks … Read more
“Dear Joy” is a song from Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1969 LP Good Morning Starshine. It’s firmly in the classic SAC mold: wistful and adroit, with a decided denseness to the arrangement that is tempered by some pleasant, psychedelic asides, all in a cheerful little tune tinged with subtle melancholy. As a gentle song from singer … Read more
“In The Building” is the third single from Thee Sixpence, the band which evolved into Strawberry Alarm Clock. It was released on the All American label in 1966 and backed with “Hey Joe”. Basically, “In The Building” is a slow-ish blues workout — but a very dark and psychedelically fuzzy one. The song is heavily … Read more
“Pretty Song From Psych-Out” is probably Strawberry Alarm Clock’s all-time high point. Dynamic and strong, the unimaginatively-titled but otherwise excellent song was composed by Strawberry Alarm Clock for the 1968 movie Psych-Out, and appeared on the band’s 1968 album Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow. “Pretty Song From Psych-Out” is exactly what its title says it is. … Read more
“Write Your Name In Gold” appears on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s 1969 album Good Morning Starshine. A slow-paced and highly dramatic song, “Write Your Name In Gold” has some excellent sparkling organ work and an uncluttered drum track to go along with melodic vocals and straightforward rhythm guitar. The song proves that Strawberry Alarm Clock could … Read more
Strawberry Alarm Clock released the non-LP single “Desireé” in 1969. It was backed with “Changes” from the Good Morning Starshine album. “Desireé” is a great song, and one of SAC’s real lost classics. The performance features the vocals of 1969-era Clock singer Jim Pitman, as well as a great horn section. “Desireé” is catchy in … Read more
“Incense And Peppermints” is Strawberry Alarm Clock’s most famous song, the band’s only #1 hit, and one of the most well-known classics of the entire 1960s era. It was originally a b-side, was sung by a non-member, and isn’t all that similar to the rest of the band’s music. “Incense And Peppermints” first saw the … Read more