The Electric Prunes-I Had Too Much To Dream (+4)

[fingletoad]

i never ever tire of this song....we had a blast! thank you!

[flooperduck]

Best band name ever.

[5tangerines]

3 people had nothing to dream last night...

[paisleyization]

The orgional words were "too much to drink" and they were forced to change it, that's the story at the time.

[TheLadandLass]

@paisleyization

that is a true story

[Amhlair]

@paisleyization Maybe if people weren't doing drugs they might believe that. Anything from the time with brains and dreaming and mind was hallucinogen inspired, esp if it had sitar or backward tape loops (like this song). It was a great time.

[m1kewithaone]

i had the album, and i was still playing it for my friends in 1976! they were telling me, "no, he's saying too much to drink" , well what do they know. i told them just to go back and eat some more brownies. :D then we put on "rush" 2112.

[awb5050]

many times i'd get high and play and sing this song a million times--------brings the past present. Love it! Part of me.-Tony!

[m1kewithaone]

@awb5050 tony, i was only 10 and wasn't getting high yet. and yet even at that young age, i was getting high on the music of the '60s. wow, remember "gloria" she walked on up to my door, just about midnight, and i said g-l-o-rrrrrr-i. GLORIA ! oh, yah, man that was cool. and then the zombies "tell her no" and the troggs, "wild thing" yes, it's all coming back to me now....

[54markl]

The bumblebee intro of this song is one of the greatest intros of any Rock n Roll song. bring back guitar effects, it's so much better than anything today!

[sheddski]

I PLAYED THE HELL OUT THIS 45 YUP A 45 RECORD AND THIS WAS THE BEST SONG EVER TO ME THEN AND I WAS 9

[TheQ97]

@sheddski . . . ain't it great to hear w/o scratches and skips??? LOL!!!

[HEARTHEANGELSVOICES]

ANYONE KNOW THE EFFECTS PEDDLE USED IN THIS SONG?

[gpof1952]

@HEARTHEANGELSVOICES Vox Wah Wah Pedal

[zdiver66]

Mark Tulin and I got stock on a muddy dirt road going to Avalon (road was closed after we got stuck there) on that morning of Feb. 26, after 2 1/2 hours we got help from baywatch 2 harbors and catch a boat back to the mainland just to hear him say I'm going back to Avalon on the next boat I will see you later. god speed Mark

[54markl]

@zdiver66 Sounds like a King Arthur story.

[zdiver66]

@54markl I found out that he collapsed of a brain aneurysm while he was walking from the boat

[54markl]

@zdiver66 Oh, the poor man. And he was trying to do something good for the community too. He will be remembered, among other reasons for this wonderful song.

[54markl]

@zdiver66 Were the Electric Prunes a Catalina Island group?

[zdiver66]

@54markl No he was a volunteer at the Hyperbaric chamber at Catalina Island for a long time you can see his pics on facebook Mark Tulin page we just had a service for him last Saturday over at the island

[polesaremelting]

RIP Mr. Tulin. What an unbelievable jam. Great bass lines.

[blacflag]

RIP Mark Tulin

[1yawn2many]

RIP, Mark Tulin (November 21, 1948 - February 26, 2011)

[hamilton59840]

I dig this. :)

Very psychedelic and soooo groovy.  B-)

Thank you for posting this. :)

[theseether]

Great!

[MasterDavidGoodmen]

When I hear this song, I think about walking down the dark missing-railroad part of San Anselmo (where I lived, at the time), near Alder Avenue. Hardly any lights, warm night, spacey location, and spacey song.

I feel wonderful, every time I hear this! The Summer of Music was great!

[IGY5758]

He should have had a wah pedal on that autoharp.

[eyewarnedyou]

What a great song this and others like it was!! I was in Jr High back then and songs like this were the "Heartbeat" of the day! There were a number of "pre-psychodelic" songs like this that were untouched by comparison. Groups like the Yardbirds, Them, Electric Prunes, Love (7+7 is) Blues Magoos, Music Machine, Count Five, Amboy Dukes, Status Quo (Matchstick Men), Seeds, Animals (When I was Young) and many more were WAY ahead of their time.

[PeterMayer]

I play this song acoutically. It sleighed me as an 8 year old when it came out.

[wasthere1]

Thanks yes. The song was so powerful in it's ( sound inside the sound ). In it's ability to transform the moment it began to play on the radio. The intro pulls you into this otherness. Amboy Dukes Journey to the Center of the Mind had those kinds of licks layered into it as well. Too Much to Dream had a defining sound that made you feel alive in that moment and happy to be there.

[Hemulen40]

Da original title was ´ I had too much to drink last nite ´. But it didn´t get played , so record co. made Prunes change it . Hahaha... in a way such a prudish time , after all...

[ravenwolf1952]

one of the great songs of our am radio days,saw them in 09' sad sad' not there fault,were all to dam old now, soon all the dreams of the 60,s will vanish,

[bellacharo]

@ravenwolf1952 Dreams don't vanish. People just stop dreaming. Don't let that happen to you, my friend....

[silverdollar3]

magical years ? I did a gig with Uncle Sam from 8/66 to 4/69, so missed alot !

Yes, I like this !!!

[LeDoctoer]

Yes, those were special years. It was a time of great change, and conflict.  And the music of those years is a reflection of what was happening in the world and in society. Too Much to Dream is an unforgettable part of that history.

[ukanese]

Classic garage band rock! Still stands today. Great job Preston & co.

[raksana0]

one of the single best lines from a song ever (love all of it, but that line is classic)

too much to dream last night

love this song, and have to thank my brother for my good taste in music, the EP among them.....

[buckeyebuzzard7]

Brings back a wonderful time in my life, even as full of turmoil as it was. Great music with great memories.

[Uniquelyyours1]

Timeless, pure pleasure. Those were the best years for the best music.

[arhatyellow]

One of my life's soundtrack tunes. Thanks for posting this, and thanks prestonr for one of the seed songs of my youth in Colorado. I remember the boys lining up on one side of the gym, and the girls on the other, at an afterschool dance at LJH with this tune and maybe the whole album playing in the background. Way before I grew to love psychedelic tunes - it went straight to my soul, and stayed. Play on brother.

[gpof1952]

Just picked up a double cd Too Much To Dream The original Recordings:Reprise 1966-1967. A must for listening to what Rock & Roll was about. I was only 15 yrs. old back then and I feel very fortunate to have been there. Thanks to Preston and the rest of the Electric Prunes for being a part of it.

[JHallia]

This song is so psychedelic. amazing.

[doowopper1951]

@JHallia ++Several sources credit this as being the first psychedelic song. no matter, one of the best!

[crazyquiltmom]

I loved this song when I was a kid. Great to see the Electric Prunes & to hear this song!

I was thrilled when I recently found it on Amazon. Naturally, I had to download.

[ObamaKenyanIdiot]

What an amazing song. For the longest time I thought the title of this song was "I Had Too Much To Drink (Last Night)"

[unknown5555]

i went to krla radio and got your autograph in 1969 . i remember so clearly

[alatina99]

That is pretty cool to hear from Preston. Great song you did. Take Care.

[retardedjoe12]

my favourite band of all time i still play prunes everyday,do you know of the Lp called signs of the zodiac by the cosmic sounds, on the elctera label there is no listings on they back cover who was playing on it a lot o people have told me that it could be the prunes being the drummer you might know

[tralfazyech]

Great old song!

[3minutesingle]

Yeah,those were the days when you heard great tunes like this on AM radio 24/7. Thanks for posting.

[160srocker]

preston, awesome stuff man. Too much too dream was ahead of it's time...that is why I liked it sooo much. I was like 16 when this came out and it cemented my rock n roll background from that point on.

[Crazeyfor67]

Very clever lyrics. I've felt like that at times. Thanks for the post and the great memories Prestonr. Gary in Louisville, KY

[Sparky1002]

It wasn`t drugs that created the "nightmare" of later years, but rather it was the entrenched intolerance of those who would sooner jail anyone who uses recreational drugs as a "drug addict" to a gullible public that figures you can punish your way to a better world as law-makers start unecessary wars and steal trillions of that same gullible publics money.

[sallythewerewolf]

The greatest, bar none!

[chinesecresteddoll]

I was a teenager when this song was popular, and it delights me that it is still a great sounding song 40+ years later. I, too, think it's amazing and impressive that artists come on You Tube to talk about their work. Thanks, Preston!

[rockola63]

Preston, what was it like to work with Dave Hassinger, who also did engineering work for the Stones when they recorded at RCA Hollywood> Love Get Me to the World ontime also!

[espinello1]

Wow, this brings back memories. Weasel is a 2nd cousin of mine (interestingly, someone else posted on another video that he is also a 2nd cousin of his). My 12 y.o. was asking me about him and I stumbled across the video. I was about 10 in 1967, but I remember this song well. Thanks for posting!

[Cheval52]

This was one of my favorite songs and I want to thank you for sharing it

[cripbabe111]

this is without doubt, one of the top 5 greatest psychedelic garage tunes of all time!!!

thank you Preston and all the Prunes!! what an amazing time for music! I enjoy it every bit as much now as I did back then as a young psychedelic goddess!

[bellacharo]

I was in Jr. High then and had one of those portable record players next to my bed.

First thing I did when I woke up was to play the Prunes' Too Much To Dream single.

I did that for a long long time and it somehow help me get up in the mornings and go to school... This song has remained forever deep in my heart. Thanks Prunes!

[joel7349]

one of the earliest masterpieces that led ultimately to a little shindig in upstate NY named Woodstock

[designermite]

How true...I remember....

[ogeecheemac]

Congrats! What a classic.

[billolsson]

Sally is the best musicologist / artist / friend and fan / on the internet!!!

[trentk268]

Great song right at the start of top 40 radio colliding with psychedelic rock. One of my favorites.

[NcicHit]

One of the best songs of the 60's. I remember when I first heard on the radio. I really love the sound. Also have all the Prune LP's.

[SunshineSuperman0999]

dream? i use to think it was too much to drink last night. who else thought this?

[thePrisoner1000]

@SunshineSuperman0999

Yes. I think I was seven years old when this song came out.

[jimsarcade3]

This is a song that is part of the soundtrack from the movie,"The Men Who Stare at Goats". I hadn't heard it for a long time .

[dressers1]

brilliant 60's were the best for new music

[dougcondor]

This is one of my favorites; reminds me of just starting high school. I love it!!!!!

[evensout]

hadn't heard this song in years, and years

I'm zonked out, just catchin' some of these old acts, and one thing stands out--

everyone was skinny as hell back in the 60's

[mrnoiz23]

@evensout - LOL I thought the same thing - watched "Dr. No" last week and thought Jack Lord and Sean Connery must have been 26" back then.

[musictflo]

No high fructose corn syrup back in those days.

[PeteMacCan]

Great to see this old son.Came upon it after watchin K Rogers 1st Editin.Nice that Preston takes time to answer questions!Very nice indeed.

[videolung]

Thank you, Preston! I have always loved this song.

[london2z]

pass the LSD...

[MrViggie1]

Thanks for giving us one of the best 60's songs ever made, Preston. The Prunes were an awesome group with a great sound.

[choose9one]

Thanks, I'll have to try that.

[choose9one]

So...

How was the intro sound made? It sounds like heavy vibrato with a fuzz box and then a kick to the amp.

[eldudeny]

I remember seeing this when it was originally aired

Thanks for the memories Prestion

[juni0r75]

WOW! Thanks for posting Preston! It is so cool that you took the time out to comment. I have another question if you don't mind:I know that a lot of the music shows then had a policy of either lip-syncing or using a backing track with limited singing and instruments. Were you guys lip-syncing to the recorded version for this show? You are OBVIOUSLY playing, but I can't see if the guitars are amped up (the kino isn't very good). Too bad the colour videotape is gone! Looks like a great set!

[mnpd007]

This was one of the two songs my 60's band wanted to play, but couldn't... we couldn't reproduce the buzzing sound. Decades later, as a grandfather, I heard it was a whammy bar sped up and played backwards.

With our non-electronic brains, we'd never figured that out! I had a Fender Tele with Super Reverb amp and two pedals... a FuzzFace and a Cry Baby WahWah. And, that was a good as it got. Why all the fuzztone? It's all we had!

[wasthere1]

I would lay in bed with my transister radio under my pilow with the ear plug in listening to this. It is burned into my brain as a national anthem of the 60's. Hot and cool all at the same time they lit things up with this song. very fun....

[rootsdawta]

@wasthere1

you and me both! i remember being in the kitchen, doing chores, washing the dishes, listening to the sounds of the 60's! 93 KHJ!

[Beatleluver1234567]

@wasthere1 I'm 13 and I do that now with my portable CD player :) im glad to keep the tradition going! :D

I <3 The Electric Prunes!!!

[vacuumtubeTV]

Wow, Great Video !!!!

[bellacharo]

Magical is the right word to describe the years 1964-1969... and when I listen to music like this everything comes back. I love every second of it. We thought we were creating a new world but drugs came in and the rest is a nightmare.  It's been a nightmare ever since...

[vampyros1]

@bellacharo Wow, so sorry to hear about your plight since the 60's ... that's one long fall. But speak for yourself, because many of us loved the era, played w/recreational mindbenders, enjoyed it, and are just fine today. And you CAN'T divorce the era's creativity from the drug use 100%; it was integral in a significant way. Which isn't to say that everything great was fueled by it either. But it was the most creatively brilliant time for music ... period.

[durgaaa]

@bellacharo --drugs have always been around especially in the form of alcohol-- for centuries! -Nothing can take away from the magic of the 60s. Some of us tried different journeys and never had any problem with them. So don't bring down the 60s and say it turned to a nightmare. I will always hold the 60s as the best decade of my life. I know I speak for many in saying that. They live forever.

[bellacharo]

@durgaaa Hey man! No way I'd put down the 60s. Read my comment again.

I wrote "I love every second of lt". The "nightmare" part was written with tongue in cheek, making fun of people who equal the 60s to drugs. Maybe I was not clear enough. I meant that after the 60s everything went down the drain. And I'm sure you agree with me about that. The 60s were the happiest time of my life!

[7vitaman]

@durgaaa Ahh, how simple life was, hey? NO COMPUTERS!

[durgaaa]

@7vitaman - you're right. We HOLD the sixties. We don't wave at them and say "bye'bye" and proceed to mope and bitch about the state of music today ... no, we hold them close,, and the way it is done best is by MUSIC. The best thing about new technology is the chance to SEE and hear, at the same moment, our favorite music makers on YouTube ! ! ! We, who were teens in the sixties, HAVE our Golden Music which will last the rest of our lives ! We know this is something to celebrate to the max !

[7vitaman]

@durgaaa Well in hindsight and in light of the noise pollution of today; this is music. Still, it glamorized man, drugs use, and etc. So not all so good. I listen to it and it takes me back to a time when I didn't get spied on by 25 cameras an hour and have a chip that can let someone track me, implanted in my ATM card. MAN, we could even pray the Lord's prayer in the first minutes of the school day. Did anyone suffer from that? NO, but we sure have suffered since removing it

[durgaaa]

@7vitaman -- if you look into the basics of Buddhist philosophy, you will find that life is about suffering and moments of pleasure. I don't like Big Brother any more than you do, but I can surely do without any religious prayer in school - and luckily never was forced into that. Pledging allegiance to a flag rather than to kindness to strangers was bad enough. The reason for all the pollution is over population, quite simply.

[DAVWAVE]

@durgaaa  Good Buddha, you sound like a person who is educated beyond your intelligence.

[flamesounds]

@durgaaa We ARE the sixties.

[pchiare]

@bellacharo That's a fallacy, man. First off, the drugs were there before '64. And, really, how can you blame the drugs and not the people? Drugs (psychoactive substances) have been a part of human culture for as long as music itself. Drugs are not the problem, their misuse is.

[pchiare]

@bellacharo The truth is, you can blame it on the drugs all you want, it was the people who failed their own dream and not the drugs that destroyed it.

[tomlynntigard]

@bellacharo I listened to this first on my greymark "Crystal tuner" that I had made in electric shop, while my parents thought I was sleeping. You're right. magical.

[m1kewithaone]

@bellacharo ya, i often wonder what the beatles would have been like if they had not gotten caught up in the drugs. i mean it was all good, but what a change from " i wanna hold your hand" to strawberry fields forever.

[yamon98]

@m1kewithaone it was a change for the better

[txlinda129]

Maybe Shindig or Hullaballoo?

[gabrieldix64]

Really great example.

Thanks for posting.

[cinderiffic]

im having too much song to drink tonight besidses another substance lol

[gregjohnson1000]

Right up there with Astronomy Domine by Floyd. Great tune.

[paulfbest]

This song from 1967, really BLEW OUR MINDS. it was something unheard of, the sound, the lyrics,,all was bringing in a new *hip era*..things were changing year by year. By 1970, the magical 60's had faded, drugs came in.

lucky I was 11 in 1967 and so avoided heavy drugs. just a little weed in my late teens.

[cinderiffic]

what the hell ru talking about ???? drugs were being done in the early sixties !!!!!! i remmeber cuz i use to watch my big bro do em god bless he has passsed on cuz of those goddamn xanax & alcohol

[paulfbest]

southern california, i suspect you lived?

*eary 60's*,,like 1966?

what I meant drug sdid not sweep the country until late 60's..at least here in new orleans they were not avaliable until late 60's.

s cali always the 1st place.

my older bro also passed on, alcohol..sadly my best friend

[Heepster1]

I was 15 and my band played this song...what a great few years that was...nothing like it since...

[paulfbest]

lucky you to be IN A BAND!! how jealous everyone was of band members!!!...I hear often youth of today saying *how lucky you guys had it in the magical 60;'s*,,,man those were incredible times for sure..if you were at least a teen and had decent parents,,,mine were NOT cool at all.

[Heepster1]

It was the best of times...my band wasn't so good, but it didn't matter...there was a million of them just like us...that was MY song :-)

[paulfbest]

*it was the best of times*,,,glad to hear these words,,they were UNREAL, magical..and yes we would say *ohh man that band is crummy* very few bands got praise,,,but like you say JUST to BE ina band was super cool,,the chicks man!.

just to be up on stage.

ahh i was too young, and had crummy parents.

so i missed those good days.

take care

[mnpd007]

We thought we were good until we entered a Battle of the Bands contest at the state fairgrounds... then we saw some really GOOD bands. Still, we played. I was never so nervous, but in old age I wouldn't trade those memories!

[paulfbest]

yeah, i had crazy parents, so the good times were not as good as for most...some local kids though were pretty bad and got in trouble,,i had my petty crimes too,,,,but compared to today's world,,the 60's were the ultimate.

thanks for sharing your story.

[Dannoga]

Iremeber coming home in the winter , doing my homework the Mike Douglas show on, The match game on and this on AM radio in the background

[CJurasin]

Psychodelic to the MAX.....I remember when it came out!! Wow, it sure got our attention....the lyrics were unreal for their time!

[ePhilosopher9]

...at 25 O'Clock!

[suku0uutiset]

almost live :))

Great song but miserable video

[forestdweller958]

These guys did a lot of TV. Here's a version I'd never seen before. Nice post!