Author Topic: One hit wonder (Read 145 times)

David Houck · « **on:** August 11, 2009, 08:33:05 PM »

I heard a few seconds of this tune tonight; and the sound, the high vocal, the organ, the guitar lick, was overloading my memory circuits. So I did some research (I asked around) and here it is. I don't think I ever knew the words, or even the name of the tune; but that sound was very distinct for the time, and apparently made an impression on me. My guess is that this may be of interest only to those of you who are my age, and then probably not many of that group either. The band was a one hit wonder, and this is the one hit, and you probably had to be there at the time for this song to make an impression. But at the time, I thought it was a really cool sound. And apparently, I still do.

ajdover · « **Reply #1 on:** August 11, 2009, 09:38:36 PM »

Dave,

You gotta love the Rick 4000 in the picture.

Al

2400wattman · « **Reply #2 on:** August 11, 2009, 10:15:08 PM »

I can't freekin' believe it! My wife found these guys on You Tube and blasted this song for almost two weeks..no bull! Thanks a lot Dave!hehehe..

jagerphan84 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 11, 2009, 10:48:14 PM »

Cool tune, Dave... Makes me think of Zappa's doowop-esque material.

David Houck · « **Reply #4 on:** August 12, 2009, 06:35:22 AM »

It's similar to Incense and Peppermints, which it predates by two years, and which also made a big impression on me. Adam, tell her to add this one to her rotation!

mike1762 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 12, 2009, 07:33:01 AM »

Strawberry Alarm Clock... Ed King (from Lynyrd Skynyrd) was in that band. It's wild how King went from a psychedelic band (where you could barley make out the guitar parts) to a guitar based Southern Rock/Blues band. That was actually King on bass on Skynyrd's first album.

sonicus · « **Reply #6 on:** August 12, 2009, 07:50:13 AM »

Did this Bass player from the Strawberry Alarm Clock ever own a GUILD STARFIRE BASS ?.

David Houck · « **Reply #7 on:** August 12, 2009, 08:28:51 AM »

I saw Strawberry Alarm Clock at some point between 1969 and 1971, between the release of the last album and the demise of the band. I don't remember what kind of bass the bass player had, nor who the bass player was at that point. The primary bass players for the band were Ed King, Lee Freeman, Gary Lovetro, and George Bunnell.

sonicus · « **Reply #8 on:** August 12, 2009, 08:58:14 AM »

Thanks for your response Dave, the reasoning for my inquiry is that I still own an Alembic modified Guild Starfire that I was told at the time of purchase from the previous owner once belonged to a Bass player who played with the Strawberry Alarm Clock.When I purchased it around 1973 or so ,it was still unmodified. I took it to the old Alembic Brady St. location where it went through The Alembic transformation. I recently took it up to the 'Mother Ship where Mica took some photos of it. It still had the early GUILD- HAGSTROM pickups when purchased . I regret having replaced those later around 1976 with HI-A pick ups. ( later known as Bartolini)

john_judge · « **Reply #9 on:** August 12, 2009, 09:15:50 AM »

Dave one of my all time visual favorites and if you go to utube and load the slow motion one well it will give you a laugh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpV5InLw52U I was playing a Hagstrom Bass when this came out and later traded it for a Dan Armstrong which came with 2 pickups that screwed on from the back of the plexiglass body also 2 more mentions are Hot Smoke and Sasafrass by Bubble Puppie and Talk Talk by the Soft Machine and one of my all time favoyites for the time was Ohmaha by Moby Grape...of course Mobt Grape did do more than one tune but if you ever get into blues give a listen to The jerry Miller band, he was a great guitar with great chops back in the day and his later recordings and live performances, still strong

(Message edited by john judge on August 12, 2009)

(Message edited by john judge on August 12, 2009)

David Houck · « **Reply #10 on:** August 12, 2009, 09:45:47 AM »

John; that's a great video, great tune, and great band. I was blown away by that tune when it came out.

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #11 on:** August 12, 2009, 02:53:23 PM »

Oh, yeah! On their first (and maybe only) US tour, Focus played the college in my hometown (the back of the t-shirt read something like New York, Philadelphia, New Concord, Chicago We loved it). 5 minute walk, $2 ticket, 6 feet from the stage, 20-minute + Hocus Pocus. The video is great, but it just ain't the same without the bass solo! Saw Strawberry Alarm Clock there, too. Alas, no Castaways (though some years later I did sound for a band that covered Liar Liar). Thanks for the memories, guys.

Peter

hifiguy · « **Reply #12 on:** August 12, 2009, 03:29:35 PM »

I must be psychic. I KNEW this was gonna be Liar Liar when I clicked on the link without reading the thread.

Heard this on the radio as a local hit when I was but a sprout back in the Sixties, and it's also available on the Soma records compilation.

Edited to remove redundant reference to Ric bass after actually reading thread.

Memories......

(Message edited by hifiguy on August 12, 2009)

hifiguy · « **Reply #13 on:** August 12, 2009, 03:41:40 PM »

BTW, there was an unbelievably killer cover of Incense & Peppermints recorded by the Adult Net back in 1985 and released as a UK 12 single/EP. The band's leader was Laura Brix Smith, then the wife of The Fall's Mark Smith, and it's supposedly mostly The Fall backing her. Truly to die for - very faithful to the original in tone and style but with excellent sound and some hyper-groovy backwards guitar work and lots of attitude.

aquaman · « **Reply #14 on:** August 12, 2009, 03:52:55 PM »

Liar, Liar was also covered and recorded by Debbie Harry for the soundtrack album Married to the Mob in 1988.