James Lowe, the lead singer and founding member of the psychedelic rock band the Electric Prunes, died May 22 at age 82 from natural causes. His family announced his death on the band’s social media pages, stating he passed away peacefully surrounded by family and music.
Lowe formed the Electric Prunes in Los Angeles in 1965, evolving from an earlier garage band called the Sanctions. The group included bassist Mark Tulin, guitarist Ken Williams, and drummer Michael Weakley. Their breakthrough came with the 1966 single “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night),” which reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The band’s name originated from a joke, as Lowe recalled in interviews. When asked what was purple and went buzz buzz, the answer was an electric prune. Despite initial resistance from bandmates and their producer Dave Hassinger, Warner Bros. Records embraced the unusual moniker when the group signed to their Reprise imprint.
Born March 5, 1943, in San Luis Obispo, California, Lowe grew up in Los Angeles and spent time in Hawaii as a teenager. He was influenced by surf guitarist Dick Dale, whom he frequently watched perform at Newport Beach’s Rendezvous Ballroom. The Electric Prunes’ sound incorporated innovative elements including backwards guitars, fuzz guitar, and wah-wah pedals, with manufacturers of the Fox wah-wah pedal using the band in advertising campaigns.
Following their initial hit, the Electric Prunes released “Get Me to the World on Time,” which peaked at No. 27 on the charts. Their self-titled debut album reached No. 113 on the Billboard 200. The band released two albums in 1967: “The Electric Prunes” and “Underground.” Their song “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” later became the opening track on the influential 1972 compilation “Nuggets”, which helped define the garage rock and psychedelic movements.
The band’s ambitious 1968 album “Mass in F Minor,” produced by David Axelrod, combined psychedelic pop with Gregorian music. One track from this album, “Kyrie Eleison,” was featured in the 1969 film “Easy Rider” and later became popular with hip-hop producers including MF Doom and Madlib, who sampled the music for their own work.
Lowe left the Electric Prunes in 1968, discouraged by financial difficulties and musical disagreements. He transitioned to working behind the recording console as an engineer and producer, contributing to significant albums including all three records by Todd Rundgren’s band Nazz and the first two albums by Sparks, initially known as Halfnelson. After the music industry proved challenging, Lowe eventually moved into television production and commercial filmmaking.
In the late 1990s, renewed interest in the Electric Prunes led to a reunion of the original members. Lowe reformed the group and they released their comeback album “Artifact” in 2001, followed by “California” in 2004, “Feedback” in 2006, and “WaS” in 2014. The reunited band continued performing live, with Lowe maintaining an active performance schedule until his death.
David Katznelson, a Warner Bros. Records A&R executive who helped revive interest in the Electric Prunes in the 1990s, praised Lowe’s innovative approach to music production. He noted that Lowe was instrumental in pioneering the use of backwards guitars and effects pedals that became hallmarks of the psychedelic sound.
The Electric Prunes’ influence extended far beyond their brief commercial success. Their experimental approach to recording and willingness to incorporate new technology helped establish the foundation for psychedelic rock. The band’s work appeared on numerous compilation albums over the decades, introducing their music to new generations of listeners.
Lowe’s family described him as “an elder statesman of rock ‘n’ roll — not just a witness to music history, but one of its architects.” His children Lisa, Cameron, and Skylar emphasized his creative force and his 62-year marriage to wife Pamela, whom they called his guiding star and enduring muse. The family noted that he passed away surrounded by the sounds of his favorite music, with his heart giving “one final electric beat.”
In recent years, Lowe had embraced the nostalgia surrounding his band’s legacy, performing at tribute shows and giving interviews for rock podcasts. He participated in a “Nuggets” tribute show in Los Angeles in 2023, where the Electric Prunes performed their signature song to an enthusiastic audience.
At the time of his death, Lowe was the last surviving original member of the Electric Prunes. Bassist Mark Tulin died in 2011, while the other founding members had previously passed away. Lowe continued to lead the band through various lineup changes while maintaining their distinctive sound and legacy in the psychedelic rock genre.
