Heidi Norton
Incense and Peppermints is a psychedelic rock song by the Strawberry Alarm Clock that was released in 1967. The song is considered a one-hit wonder, and its groovy vibe instantly transports listeners back to the Summer of Love. With its unique organ sound, layers of backing vocals, and heavy use of cowbell, Incense and Peppermints peaked at #1 in the United States, selling over a million copies. The song's success is also attributed to its feature in movies like Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of release | 1967 |
| Artist | Strawberry Alarm Clock |
| Songwriters | John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert |
| Lead vocals | Greg Munford |
| Keyboardist | Mark Weitz |
| Guitarist | Ed King |
| Peaked at | #1 in the United States |
| Record label | UNI |
| Genre | Psychedelic rock |
| TV appearance | American Bandstand |
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What You'll Learn
Incense and Peppermints was released in 1967
"Incense and Peppermints" is a psychedelic rock song by the Strawberry Alarm Clock, released in 1967. The song is considered a one-hit wonder, with its groovy vibe instantly transporting listeners back to the Summer of Love. It is known for its "zonked-out organ noodling," "starry-eyed guitar riffage," and heavy use of cowbell, as well as its layers of backing vocals.
The song was written by Mark S. Weitz, the original keyboardist of the Strawberry Alarm Clock, along with guitarist Ed King, when they were part of Thee Sixpence. However, the writing credits are listed as John Carter and Tim Gilbert, who were not part of the band. The lead vocalist, Greg Munford, was also an outsider to the group. He was just 16 years old at the time and was initially brought in to sing harmonies but ended up with the lead vocals.
The song first entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart on September 24, 1967, at position #88. On November 19, 1967, it peaked at #1 and spent a total of 16 weeks on the Top 100. The song sold over a million copies.
Despite the song's success, Greg Munford never joined the Strawberry Alarm Clock as a regular member. The song's popularity has endured, with appearances in TV shows such as "The Simpsons" and movies like "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery." It is a tune that can still evoke vivid memories of peace, love, and flower power.
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The song was performed by Strawberry Alarm Clock
"Incense and Peppermints" is a song performed by the band Strawberry Alarm Clock. The song was released in 1967 and became a number-one hit in the United States, selling over a million copies. Despite the success of the song, Strawberry Alarm Clock is often considered a one-hit wonder.
Strawberry Alarm Clock was formed from former members of several Southern California bands. The group recorded a few singles in 1966-67 under the name Thee Sixpence. There were some lineup changes during this period, but ongoing members included Lee Freeman on vocals and rhythm guitar, Gary Lovetro on bass, Gene Gunnels on drums, Mark Weitz on keyboards, and Ed King, who later joined Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The song "Incense and Peppermints" has a complicated history. While it is performed by Strawberry Alarm Clock, the song's writing credits are listed as John Carter and Tim Gilbert, who were not part of the band. Additionally, the lead vocals on the track were performed by an outside artist, Greg Munford, a 16-year-old singer with a group called The Shapes, who was brought in to sing harmonies but ended up singing lead.
According to Mark Weitz, the original keyboard player of Strawberry Alarm Clock, he came up with the idea and music for the song, which was originally untitled. The lyrics were written by Carter and Gilbert, who also came up with part of the melodic idea. However, there was a legal battle over the song credits, as the members of Strawberry Alarm Clock claimed they wrote the music but were not given proper credit or royalties.
"Incense and Peppermints" has endured as a beloved song, evoking the era of the Summer of Love. It has been featured in TV shows such as "The Simpsons" and movies like "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery", showcasing its lasting impact on popular culture.
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It was written by John Carter and Tim Gilbert
"Incense and Peppermints" is a psychedelic song by the Strawberry Alarm Clock that was released in 1967. It is often referred to as a one-hit wonder. The song was written by John Carter and Tim Gilbert, who were not part of the band. Carter and Gilbert also wrote the vocal melody.
The song was initially an instrumental concept by Thee Sixpence's keyboardist, Mark Weitz, and guitarist, Ed King. However, when it was released, full credit was given to Carter and Gilbert. In an interview, Weitz explained that he and King wrote the music, while Carter and Gilbert contributed the lyrics and part of the melodic idea.
The song's lyrics were described as a "patched-together pastiche of vague counterculture signifiers and drug-haze gibberish." Despite the seemingly nonsensical nature of the lyrics, the song became a commercial success, peaking at #1 in the United States and selling over a million copies.
The lead vocals on the track were performed by Greg Munford, a 16-year-old singer with a group called The Shapes. Munford was brought in to sing harmonies but ultimately ended up singing the lead vocals. He was not a regular member of the Strawberry Alarm Clock and did not join the group after the song's success.
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The lead vocals were performed by Greg Munford, a 16-year-old singer
"Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm Clock was released in 1967. The song was a hit, reaching number one in the United States. Interestingly, the lead vocals were performed by Greg Munford, a 16-year-old singer who was not a member of the band. Munford was initially brought in to sing harmonies and perform backing vocals, but he ended up taking the lead when the band members were unhappy with how they sounded on the song.
Despite the song's success, Munford never joined Strawberry Alarm Clock. The writing credits for "Incense and Peppermints" are listed as John Carter and Tim Gilbert, who were not part of the band either. Carter and Gilbert wrote the lyrics and part of the melodic idea, while the original harmony and music were created by Mark Weitz, the band's keyboardist, and guitarist Ed King.
Weitz shared his account of how Munford came to sing the lead vocals: "I came up with the idea and actual music to the then-untitled song that ultimately evolved into the #1 national hit, 'Incense and Peppermints.' A studio session was organized to record vocals, and 16-year-old Greg Munford was invited to perform backing vocals. After completing takes, the producer preferred Munford as the lead, and the band members sang only background and harmony vocals."
The song's success led to a legal battle over song credits, as the members of Strawberry Alarm Clock claimed they had written the music but were not properly credited or compensated. The group considered suing the producer, but he persuaded them not to, promising a successful upcoming tour. Later, Weitz attempted to establish the truth in court, but he could not cover the high legal fees, and the case was closed.
"Incense and Peppermints" has endured as a beloved song, featured in TV shows like "The Simpsons" and movies like "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery." It evokes the era of the Summer of Love and has left a lasting impact on popular culture.
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The song peaked at #1 in the US
"Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm Clock peaked at #1 in the US on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on November 19, 1967, and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100. The song was released in 1967 and floated up the charts, eventually hitting the #1 spot. The song has been described as a one-hit wonder and has an enduring legacy, featuring in TV shows such as The Simpsons and movies like Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. It is a song that can bring back vivid memories of peace, love, and flower power.
The song is known for its groovy vibe, which instantly transports listeners back to the Summer of Love in 1967. The psychedelic rock song features zonked-out organ noodling, starry-eyed guitar riffage, layers of backing vocals, and heavy use of cowbell. Despite the success of "Incense and Peppermints," the singer, Greg Munford, was not a regular member of the band and did not join them after the song's release.
The writing credits for the song are listed as John Carter and Tim Gilbert, who were not part of the band, and the lead vocalist, Greg Munford, was also an outsider. Mark Weitz, the original keyboard player of Strawberry Alarm Clock, and guitarist Ed King wrote the song's original harmony when they were part of Thee Sixpence, out of which Strawberry Alarm Clock was formed. The song's producer then commissioned third-party songwriters John Carter and Tim Gilbert to write the lyrics.
The song's lyrics are a patched-together pastiche of vague counterculture signifiers and drug-haze gibberish, including references to incense and peppermints as ways to disguise the smell of marijuana. The song's success can be attributed to its ability to take the sounds floating around at the time, such as the psych-rock of the early Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, and translate them into silly and efficient bubblegum pop music.
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Frequently asked questions
The song "Incense and Peppermints" by Strawberry Alarm Clock was released in 1967.
The song is credited to John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert, who were not part of the band. However, Mark Weitz and Ed King, members of the band Strawberry Alarm Clock, claim they wrote the music but were not given credit.
The singer of "Incense and Peppermints" was Greg Munford, a 16-year-old friend of the band who was initially invited to perform backing vocals.
