B.P.: (BEFOREPRUNES)


Although they were identified as a San Fernando Valley band, The Electric Prunes were comprised of musicians from various cities and cultural backgrounds. Each Prune had their own unique entrée into the world of music and disparate journey to the Southland: Mark Tulin was born in Philadelphia, Mike Weakly hailed from St. Louis and James Lowe started life in the quiet coastal town of San Luis Obispo.


Mike “Quint” Weakley ( first Prunes drummer): “My parents were in love with music. I remember them taking me to jazz clubs in downtown Kansas City where [I grew up]. I was fed music more than I was fed food! My dad was a stockbroker, very successful. He bought me an all-white pearl [finish] Ludwig drum set. By the time I was12 years old I was getting pretty good. My first stage performance was when we went to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. My dad said, ‘Do you want to go hear The Gene Krupa Trio over at Porky’s Pig?’ We went there early, and Dad introduced me to Gene Krupa! That was like meeting a God.


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Jim & The Lords: Ken Williams, James Lowe, Mike Weakley, Mark Tulin


Gene said to me, ‘Michael, would you like to come up and play?’ I froze. I absolutely froze. My dad said, ‘Sure he will!’ [laughs] I’ll never forget it, Dad took over. Because he knew I could play. One thing leads to another and I got up on stage and it was my first performance. Gene let me play two or three songs, and said, ‘You’ve got a really


“I was 15 years old. Webecame the biggest band in four states. I was making up to $25,000 a yearwhen I was a kid.”


good backbeat, I think you’re going to make a really good drummer!’”


James Lowe (vocalist/auto harp): “My parents were into different types of music: my dad was into Perez Prado and Latin music; my mom listened to Hank Williams, she was from the south. I got turned on to music by people like Les Paul and Mary Ford. The first record I


remember buying was Little Richard’s ‘Long Tall Sally’ (1956). That and Jerry Lee Lewis had the greatest piano playing on it I had ever heard. And of course Elvis: everybody thought they could be a rock star like that. Gene Vincent, Mose Allison. Lightnin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters… I liked old blues stuff. Then later I got into Dick Dale & The Del-Tones, The Challengers – surf music, because I was born in California, and I was influenced by the music that was from California. I grew up in West Los Angeles. Then we moved out to the San Fernando Valley like a lot of migration of people from the inner city into the suburbs when they could afford to buy homes. I was about 15 or something when we moved out to the Valley.”


Mark Tulin (bassist): “The San Fernando Valley was always the ‘other side of the hill’: outside of Hollywood and outside the beach. The first two records I bought [were] ironically [Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez’s] ‘The Happy Organ’ and ‘The Battle Of New Orleans’ by Johnny Horton (both from ’59). The first band [I was into] would have been The Ventures, whose song (‘Walk Don’t Run’ from ’60) I learned to play right away – both parts. The Ventures were


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