The Electric Prunes, the influential psychedelic rock band, has lost its original vocalist and one of its founding members, James Lowe, who died last Thursday, May 29 at age 82. His family has communicated the news: “Dad leaves a legacy of sound, love and creativity without limits.”
Born in San Luis Obispo, California, although raised in Los Angeles, Lowe formed the Electric Prunes in 1965 with Mark Tulin (bassist), Ken Williams (guitarist) and Michael Weakley (drums) in 1965, from an anterior garage band, the sanctions. Electric Prunes were known for their innovative sound, which merged psychedelia and sound experimentation and is considered an electronic rock pioneer. Although the Electric Prunes only obtained two successes in the Billboard Hot 100, ‘I had a lot of Dream (Last Night)’ and ‘Get Me To The World On Time’, its influence is widely recognized in the American underground. His theme ‘Kyrie Eleison’ was used in the soundtrack of the 1969 ‘Easy Rider’ film.
The Electric Prunes, discouraged by obstacles in the music industry, dissolved in 1968 after publishing two albums, ‘I had a lot of Dream (Last Night)’ (1967) and ‘Underground’ (1967). However, his agent Dave Hassinger, who possessed the rights of the group’s name, amended the Electric Prunes with new members. This reconfiguration was published two innovative albums, ‘Mass in f minor’ (1968) and ‘Release of an Oath’ (1968).
After leaving Electric Prunes, Lowe became a sound engineer and worked with artists such as Todd Rundgren or Sparks. In 1999, the original Electric Prunes formation met to play and register new albums. Currently, the group was still active. Mark Tulin died in 2011.
