James Lowe, lead singer of the ’60s band The Electric Prunes, died May 22 at the age of 82, according to a statement posted by his family on the band’s social media pages.
The post says Lowe “passed away peacefully of natural causes,” sharing that he “leaves behind a legacy of sound, love, and boundless creativity.”
Formed in 1965, The Electric Prunes were a psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles that had two popular songs: “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night,” which peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and “Get Me To The World on Time,” which went to #27.
“I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” was also prominently featured in the 1972 compilation album Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968, put together by future Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye.
The original band split up in 1970. Lowe went on to have a career behind the scenes as a producer, working with Todd Rundgren and others. The original members of The Electric Prunes reformed in the ’90s and released several albums, their first being 2001’s Artifact. They released their last album, WaS, in 2014.
Kaye took to Instagram to pay tribute to Lowe, sharing a picture of them together.
“Rest in Dreaming James Lowe,” he wrote. “So glad I got to see you sing the classic which opened Nuggets, complete with finger cymbals, at the Glendale Wild Honey golden jubilee show. May your Prunes always electrify.”
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