“(You Put Me On) Stand By”

In 1969 Strawberry Alarm Clock released the single “(You Put Me On) Stand By”. It was taken from the LP Good Morning Starshine. The song is a throwback to the band’s classic sound of fat, buzzy lead guitar lines, chirpy, rhythmic organ work, exciting drumming, and soaring, searching vocals.

“(You Put Me On) Stand By” is very short. It’s a pleasant track, and would have been a standout track on either of the band’s previous two albums (Wake Up… It’s Tomorrow or The World In A Sea Shell). On Good Morning Starshine, however, it sounds a tad outdated compared with the strong blues rock and SAC-esque innovations that surround it.

“(You Put Me On) Stand By” as a single

It wasn’t actually a bad idea to release “(You Put Me On) Stand By” as a single, though. It is representative of the SAC sound, and the band can be proud of it. It just wasn’t what the record-buying populace was into in 1969, and that isn’t the band’s fault.

The b-side, “Miss Attraction”, was in this case a superior song to its a-side. That’s not unlike the band’s first release under the Strawberry Alarm Clock moniker, “The Birdman Of Alkatrash” backed with a b-side called “Incense And Peppermints”. Those songs’ sides were switched around and resulted in the erstwhile b-side reaching #1. “(You Put Me On) Stand By” may have benefited from something similar. Unfortunately it just wasn’t in the cards.

“(You Put Me On) Stand By” appears on…

Good Morning Starshine (1969)
“(You Put Me On) Stand By” b/w “Miss Attraction” (1969)