For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs
The 60’s sounded like a concoction of different genres – soul, doo-wop, garage rock, folk, proto-punk, straight-ahead rock and, of course, psychedelic rock. The latter is probably the genre that comes to mind first for many of us. The style of music was almost secondary to the culture, which included mind-expanding drugs and movements like Woodstock. This was the playground and realm for many big acts, including Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, the Yardbirds, the Dead and a lesser-known band by the catchy, peculiar name of Strawberry Alarm Clock. They had a few songs on the radio, none bigger and more popular than “Incense and Peppermints”.
The first time I heard the song was 30 years after it hit the radio waves. The movie Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a mocking celebration of the 60’s – its spirit, fashion, vernacular and music. “Incense and Peppermints” is one of the soundtrack highlights, maybe only trumped by Quincy Jones “Soul Bossa Nova”. There’s a YouTube video of Strawberry Alarm Clock performing the song where something off is noticeable right away. Mark Weitz’s organ riff might’ve been the musical highlight of the track, but the drummer stole the spotlight. The drum kit was situated at the front of the stage with the guitarists, bassist and organist in the background. A few bars into the song we hear drummer Randy Seol delivering the first verse. It’s not the only time we heard a drummer sing by any stretch – Phil Collins, Don Henley and Roger Taylor all shared this somewhat unusual claim. But Seol’s setup created an unforgettable inverted poise for the song and the era.