Strawberry Alarm Clock: Bubblegum Pop or Serious Rock?

I'd say serious. For bubblegum I think of Ohio Express, 1910 Fruitgum Company and groups of that ilk.

 

I took them as serious at the time, and still do now, of course I'm biased.

 

Who care. Just enjoy the music.

 

"bubblegum pop or serious rock" -- I'm not a fan of the idea of there being a distinction there.

 

The SAC like The Lemon Pipers often get pegged as bubblegum due to their hits and the song title names which reflect this image. Listen to the deep cuts by both these bands and then ask yourself are they really bubblegum? I have nothing against bubblegum as I like some of it myself but I consider these two bands to be more pop/psych/garage. Plus that 60s go go jazz sound that the SAC used mostly on their first album makes them a bit more sophisticated.

 

Yeah, I tend to go with a pretty narrow definition of "bubblegum" as well, which in fact is how it was originally defined back in the day (and the groups you cite were the primary exemplars of it).

The definition has expanded somewhat over the years, and I think some accuracy has been lost in the process. Cowsills bubblegum? No way. Lemonpipers? Not if you knew the full scope of their work (including the awe-inspiring "Through With You").

Even The Archies are borderline to me. They're more an extension of girl-group pop (with of course, some of the same people behind them).

 

I happen to really like most bubblegum music, so if a snooty critic calls an act by that name it may make me want to check them out! Here's a great book on the subject that I highly recommend...I don't think SAC was in there, if my memory is correct.

 

This is off-topic but I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your "Dr. Tongue" avatar. John Candy will always be one of the greats.

 

That is exactly how it hits me, too.

 

He certainly was - he is still missed by many.
I'm glad you enjoy it - and would you like some more . . . pancakes??!!

 

If you’re on a bill with the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Country Joe & The Fish, you’re probably not “bubblegum”.

 

I was probably 13 or 14 when "Incense...." hit the AM airwaves. At that age, I don't think I could have given you an answer. It just seemed pretty "far out". Even today, I can't say if it was "serious" or fluff. It was of its time and a lot of fun. It wasn't until recently that a thread here on SH about great bass lines turned me on to another great SAC song, "Tomorrow". I rarely go a day without this melody going through my head:

 

I agree completely. I think Greg Munford (the non-member who sang lead on "Incense") had a strong voice and could have been that guy if he'd accepted the offer to join the band. Sadly, he did not, and the guy who sang lead on most of their stuff (Randy Seol) had a voice that was competent but bland.

 

I feel they were real, timely, and certainly not bubble gum rock.
Loved I&P, but there was so much more... In fact, I need to dig deeper in their catalog.

 

Like The Electric Prunes and The Peanut Butter Conspiracy, they are well produced and had a couple of decent albums in them, but when all is said and done, are best when heard in small doses.

 

Everyone seems to know "Incense and Peppermint", but I think "Tomorrow" was an even better song, though a lesser hit.

Strawberries seemed to figure a lot in the counter-culture of the late 1960s. There was a film called "Strawberry Statement" about some kind of protest movement. We had the SAC and an early Jimmy Webb project called the Strawberry Children, and I believe the fruit also got a mention in a certain Beatles song. A local high school band renamed themselves at one stage to "The Strawberry Haze", probably in deference to Jimi Hendrix. For some reason strawberries seemed to be the fruit of choice of the in crowd, and I'm not sure why. Maybe they just looked good against a paisley backdrop.

 

Categories, categories...



Just enjoy the music.

 

"Serious Rock" is such a terrible description of anything that it makes me want to root for Bubblegum Pop.

 

I've loved the band for many years, and still remember how excited I was coming across the compilation 'Strawberries Mean Love' while visiting Tower Records in Boston back in the late 90's. Like some of you have mentioned, I don't have a problem with Bubblegum either - but that being said, I don't consider SAC a Bubblegum band. More Sunshine Pop or Pop Psych to my ears.
I would love if a complete Super Deluxe SAC box set would see the light of day at some point... all the albums remastered, demos and early Thee Sixpence tracks.

I can dream, right?

 

Got to meet some members to sign my PSYCH-OUT LP years ago and demand they put the song into their set list.
It's easily one of the greatest psychedelic song of the era (and a very good exploitation film)...

 

No $hit!

 

Great psych song,pretty far from sunshine pop.
Strawberry Alarm Clock - Black Butter, Present

 

Music doesn't have to be rock to be serious.
Music doesn't have to be serious to be rock.
Music doesn't have to be rock or serious to be good.

 

Choosing a band name and song titles (“Sit With the Guru”? “Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow”?) that didn’t reek of clueless bandwagon-jumping might’ve helped too.

 

Some great music has come out of bandwagon jumping, of course.