Seamus Hammond
Incense and Peppermints is a song by the American psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock. It was released as a single in May 1967 and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in November of that year. The song was officially credited as having been written by John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert, although it was based on an instrumental idea by band members Mark Weitz and Ed King. The lead vocals were sung by Greg Munford, a friend of the band, as the band members were not considered a good fit for the lead vocal track. The song was featured in the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. It also gave its name to the band's debut album, which was released in October 1967 and reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album charts.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the song | Incense and Peppermints |
| Band | Strawberry Alarm Clock |
| Genre | Psychedelic rock |
| Year of release | 1967 |
| Album name | Incense and Peppermints |
| Album release date | October 1967 |
| Album rank on Billboard 200 | 11 |
| Single's rank on Billboard Hot 100 | 1 |
| Single's release date | May 1967 |
| Single's writers | John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert |
| Single's lead vocalist | Greg Munford |
| Single's length on Billboard Hot 100 | 16 weeks |
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What You'll Learn
Incense and Peppermints was released in 1967
"Incense and Peppermints" was released in 1967 by the American psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock. The song was officially credited as having been written by John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert, although it was based on an instrumental idea by band members Mark Weitz and Ed King. It was released as a single in May 1967 by Uni Records and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in November of that year. The song was also the title track of Strawberry Alarm Clock's debut album, "Incense and Peppermints", which was released in October 1967 and reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album charts during a 24-week run.
The song has a notable backstory, as the lead vocalist on the track, Greg Munford, was not actually a member of the band. Munford, a friend of the band, was only 16 years old at the time of recording and was initially brought in to sing harmonies. However, he ended up taking the lead when the band members did not like how they sounded on the song. The regular vocalists in the band provided background and harmony vocals. Despite the song's success, Munford never officially joined Strawberry Alarm Clock.
The song's lyrics, written by Carter, are a pastiche of counterculture references and drug-haze gibberish, including explicit references to incense and peppermints, which were used to cover the smell and breath odour of marijuana. The song's success was not limited to the United States, as it also charted in other countries and has endured as a memorable hit of 1967. Strawberry Alarm Clock performed "Incense and Peppermints" on the ABC-TV program "American Bandstand" in September 1967, contributing to the song's popularity and cultural impact.
The year 1967 was a significant one for psychedelic rock, and "Incense and Peppermints" is considered influential within the genre. The song built upon the psych-rock sounds of early Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, twisting their ideas into catchy and accessible pop perversions. This fusion of psychedelic and pop elements resonated with audiences and helped the song attain widespread recognition. The song's appearance in the 1970 film "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", performed during a party scene, further cemented its cultural significance.
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The song was written by John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert
"Incense and Peppermints" is a song officially credited as having been written by John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert. However, it was based on an instrumental idea by Strawberry Alarm Clock band members Mark Weitz and Ed King. Carter and Gilbert were a songwriting duo, and Carter was a member of another band called The Rainy Daze, which was also produced by Strawberry Alarm Clock's producer, Frank Slay.
During the recording sessions for "Incense and Peppermints," the band members were not considered a good fit for the lead vocal track, which Carter had written using a rhyming dictionary. As a result, the lead vocals were sung by Greg Munford, a friend of the band who was present at the recording session. The regular vocalists in the band provided background and harmony vocals.
Weitz and King were denied songwriting credits by Slay, despite their contributions to the song. Instead, Slay gave the credits to Carter and Gilbert, even though the latter did not participate in the song's writing. King went on to gain fame as a member of the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd.
"Incense and Peppermints" was initially released in April 1967 as the B-side of Thee Sixpence's fifth single, "The Birdman of Alkatrash." Local radio stations began playing "Incense and Peppermints" instead of the A-side, and the song gained popularity in and around Los Angeles. Uni Records picked up the record for national distribution, and the single was re-released in May 1967 with the sides reversed. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in November 1967.
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The lead vocals were performed by non-band member Greg Munford
"Incense and Peppermints" is a song by the American psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock, released in May 1967. It was the band's first and most famous single, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in November 1967.
The lead vocals for "Incense and Peppermints" were performed by Greg Munford, who was not a member of Strawberry Alarm Clock. Munford was just 16 years old at the time and was a friend of the band. He was also a singer for another group called Shapes of Sound, which was managed by the same person as Strawberry Alarm Clock—Bill Holmes.
According to Mark Weitz, a member of Strawberry Alarm Clock, the band members tried to sing the lead vocal for "Incense and Peppermints," but none of them sounded right. John S. Carter, who wrote the song, had used a rhyming dictionary, and the band members were not considered a good fit. Munford was present at the recording session and was asked to give the lead vocal a go. His voice was unique and sounded best, so they kept his vocal track for the final version.
Despite his crucial contribution to the song's success, Munford never became an official member of Strawberry Alarm Clock and never sang "Incense and Peppermints" onstage with the band. However, he did reunite with the band in 2004 for a PBS special on 1960s rock music, and he was also involved in a 2014 recording of a new version of "Incense and Peppermints" with all the original band members.
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The song was featured in the film 'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'
"Incense and Peppermints" is a song by the American psychedelic rock band Strawberry Alarm Clock. It was released in May 1967 and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in November of that year. The song was officially credited as having been written by John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert, although it was based on an instrumental idea by band members Mark Weitz and Ed King.
The song was featured in the 1997 film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. It is played during a scene where Austin Powers, the film's protagonist, is walking down the street and spots a group of hippies. The song also appears on the film's soundtrack, which features a mix of 1960s songs and original compositions by composer George S. Clinton.
The inclusion of "Incense and Peppermints" in the film helped to introduce the song to a new generation of listeners. The song's appearance in the film also reflected the film's setting in the 1960s and its incorporation of psychedelic and retro elements.
In addition to Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, "Incense and Peppermints" has also been featured in other films and television shows that are set or take place in the 1960s. For example, the song was included in the film Psych-Out, which was released in 1968 and starred Susan Strasberg and Dean Stockwell. The song was also featured in the television series Daisy Jones and the Six, which is set in the 1960s and 1970s and follows a fictional rock band.
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The album reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200
The song "Incense and Peppermints" was released in May 1967 and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week in November of that year. The song was written by John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert, with input from band members Mark Weitz and Ed King. However, it was sung by Greg Munford, a friend of the band, rather than any of the official band members. "Incense and Peppermints" was also the title of Strawberry Alarm Clock's debut album, which was released in October 1967 and reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 album charts during its 24-week run.
The album's success was driven largely by the hit single "Incense and Peppermints," which spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album also featured Steve Bartek on flute and included three other songs co-written by him and bass player George Bunnell: "The World's on Fire," "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow," and "Pretty Song from Psych-Out." The latter two songs, along with the title track, were featured in the 1968 film "Psych-Out," which starred a young Jack Nicholson.
Strawberry Alarm Clock underwent frequent lineup changes during this time, with Bartek and Bunnell joining the group after the "Incense" sessions. Despite their success, the band only released three more albums before splitting up in 1971, none of which cracked the charts. In addition to their musical endeavours, the band also appeared in two films: "Psych-Out" and "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" (1970), in which they performed their hit song during a party scene.
The song "Incense and Peppermints" has left a lasting legacy, with appearances in popular culture such as the film "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" and the TV series "Daisy Jones and the Six." The song's drug references and psychedelic sound have been noted by many, capturing the spirit of the times and solidifying its place in rock history.
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Frequently asked questions
1967.
It was both a single and the title track of Strawberry Alarm Clock's debut album.
The song is officially credited to John S. Carter and Tim Gilbert, although it was based on an instrumental idea by band members Mark Weitz and Ed King.
The lead vocals were performed by someone who was not a band member—this person was Greg Munford, a friend of the band, as the band members were not considered a good fit for the lead vocal track.
Yes, it was featured in the film "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery".
