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James Lowe, the lead singer in psych-rock band the Electric Prunes, has died. In a statement shared on Facebook, Lowe’s family said he died of natural causes on Thursday (May 29). “Dad leaves behind a legacy of sound, love, and boundless creativity,” his family wrote. “At the center of it all was our amazing mom, Pamela – his guiding star, enduring muse, and wife of 62 years. We know how deeply he cherished this community, and we feel that love too.” Lowe was 82.
The founding member the Electric Prunes, Lowe’s vision for groovy, trippy psych-rock had a large influence on the direction and popularity of the genre—especially in America—during the 1960s. Their biggest hit, “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night),” scaled the Billboard Hot 100 to secure a spot in its upper tier. It also landed a critical spot on Nuggets, the 1972 psych and garage-rock compilation that garnered a cult following. The Electric Prunes’s self-titled LP boasted what would become their final Top 40 single: “Get Me to the World on Time.” Coasting over the tracks was Lowe’s smoky, soulful voice, an embodiment of easygoing Californian cool – in part thanks to him being born in San Luis Obispo and growing up in Los Angeles.
Surf rock-inspired garage band the Sanctions—founded by Lowe on vocals and guitar, bassist Mark Tulin, lead guitarist Ken Williams, and drummer Michael Weakley—eventually morphed into the Electric Prunes in 1965 when a real estate agent introduced them to Dave Hassinger, the sound engineer at RCA Studios who wanted to produce an album. During the band’s recording session, Hassinger suggested they change their name, and Lowe tossed out the Electric Prunes as a joke. “It’s the one thing everyone will remember,” Lowe rationalized. “It’s not attractive, and there’s nothing sexy about it, but people won’t forget it.”
Despite their early singles failing to gain traction, Reprise Records signed the Electric Prunes to a contract overseen by Hassinger. Although a few lineup changes and songwriter sub-ins took place, they settled into the studio and churned out “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night).” Building off its success, they recorded the albums The Electric Prunes and Underground, both released in 1967, and went on a successful tour of Europe.
Hassinger pitched the Electric Prunes on the idea of a concept album that utilized Gregorian music and psych-pop, and nabbed the late David Axelrod to compose the songs – launching a new, slowly lauded era for the band. The resulting Mass in F Minor was an ambitious, unwieldy record, and one of its spaced-out tracks, “Kyrie Eleison,” gained a belated popularity bump when it was synced for the cult 1969 film Easy Rider. Years later, it became coveted fodder for rap producers like MF DOOM and Madlib, who worked samples from Mass in F Minor into their songs.
