“Blues For A Young Girl Gone”

The second track on Strawberry Alarm Clock’s third album, The World In A Sea Shell (1968), “Blues For A Young Girl Gone” is a lush pop song in keeping with the less-psychedelic feel of the album, as compared with the band’s previous albums. It is actually one of the album’s better songs, and one of two co-written by Carole King.

“Blues For A Young Girl Gone” is defined by its warm, enveloping vocal performance and its post-psych melodiousness. The lyrics, although not coming from the band members themselves, do fit with Strawberry Alarm Clock. They recall the young runaway theme of “Pretty Song From Psych-Out” from Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow.

As with much of The World In A Sea Shell, “Blues For A Young Girl Gone” is awash with orchestration and may seem slight to some fans of the band.

Looking for a modern garage band

The song would be great, however, as a grittier, punkier garage-rock song, something Strawberry Alarm Clock itself was pretty good at. I can just hear it being done by Thee Sixpence. The Clock’s management around this time was exerting a contentious influence over the group’s music and its affairs in general, and this soft, inoffensive sound was their idea more than the frustrated musicians’.

So, if you’re in a band that can do unadorned, trashy garage rock, by all means I recommend this song. For it’s groovy, even if Strawberry Alarm Clock’s version takes a too-soft approach. If you record a version, let me know!

All in all, “Blues For A Young Girl Gone” is not bad, and a respectable offering from The World In A Sea Shell, but not exactly on a par with the band’s best work.

“Blues For A Young Girl Gone” appears on…

The World In A Sea Shell (1969)
Changes (1971)
The Strawberry Alarm Clock Anthology (1993)