“Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow” was done by the group Stay from Spain. “Birds in my Tree” was covered by a Latin American group called the Buttons. It became the most requested song two weeks in a row. Well, the DJ (Johnny Fairchild, KIST Santa Barbara) who broke the record thought differently and started pushing the B-side. George Bunnell: At the outset “Incense” was the B-side and a novelty song, “The Birman Of Alkatrash,” was the A-side. Rock Cellar: What was the initial reaction to the song? Did people take to it immediately, or did it take a while before catching on? Mark Weitz and Ed King (who later co-wrote “Sweet Home Alabama”) ended up with no credit. So Frank sent in the copyright with only Carter and Gilbert. Frank said no way and to choose two names. Well Bill said he wanted everyone’s name, including his, on it. When it came time to publish the song, the producer, Frank Slay, told the band’s manager, Bill Holmes, to decide who besides John Carter and Tim Gilbert were to get credit. So he asked him to finish the body of lyrics. Then the producer mentioned that one of the writers in his stable had a working title “Incense and Peppermints” that he thought fit the music.
They went into the studio and recorded it that way. George Bunnell: Mark Weitz and Ed King originally wrote the music as an instrumental. Rock Cellar: Did you write the song with the intention that it would be a hit? When we got to “Incense and Peppermints” in the set, the audience exploded. The first night of the first tour was at Constitution Hall in D.C. George Bunnell: We did two tours with the Beach Boys and The Buffalo Springfield and we played in large venues. Rock Cellar: What was your greatest moment performing this song? In the years since it has come to define a certain aspect of the era, but nothing we foresaw. We had no idea it would have the life it has. It had a somewhat of a slow start until CBS decided to run with it on all their rock radio stations across the country. George Bunnell: We knew it was spreading like wildfire. Rock Cellar: Were you able to recognize the impact your song was having at the time of its success, and did you imagine it would span the test of time like it has? We released a total of five albums, but only the first one charted. 85 Cashbox.įive more singles were released after that but none charted. Seventh single, “Good Morning Starshine,” No. Sixth single, “Miss Attraction,” didn’t chart. 56 Cashbox.įourth single, “Barefoot In Baltimore,” No. Our second single, “Tomorrow,” made it to number 23 on Billboard and number 14 on Cashbox. Our first album Incense and Peppermints made it to #11 on The Billboard Album chart. 1 slot on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox. The why? element is obviously because of the magnitude of our first hit reaching the No. Sometimes we’ve just let it go by, but given a fighting chance we may beg to differ. George Bunnell: We fully understand the tag “One-Hit Wonder” as it applies to our band. Rock Cellar: Do you consider your band to be a “one-hit wonder”? Why or why not? Whatever your definition of “one-hit wonder,” there’s a nuance to the term that often goes overlooked and underappreciated, and it’s with that in mind that we present this new column. But the truth is, thousands of artists, both old and new, would give their left arm to have that one big hit. Even if the artist had other hits, that one single still seems to be the most widely known by the general public.įrom the artist’s standpoint, there can certainly be a stigma associated with the phrase “one-hit wonder,” especially when many have had successful careers highlighting other charting singles, albums, tours, have produced or written notable songs for other artists, and have cultivated a devoted fan base around the world that helps them remain in the public eye. Many people define it as an artist or band best remembered for one “signature” song that achieves mainstream popularity, especially one that stands the test of time, or a track that landed at precisely the right time and made an undeniable impact that is felt decades later. What determines if a song is a “one-hit wonder”? This is a subject that’s become somewhat difficult to define, as there doesn’t seem to be one clear answer. 1 single, 1967’s “Incense and Peppermints.”
In our newest One-Hit Wonder … Or Not? entry, bassist George Bunnell of The Strawberry Alarm Clock discusses his band’s career and whether he and his band mates consider themselves a “one-hit wonder” regarding their No.
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