James Lowe, the lead singer of psychedelic rock outfit The Electric Prunes, has died aged 82.
The musician’s family shared the news on social media Thursday (May 22), writing that he had died “peacefully of natural causes” and was surrounded “by music” and his family.
“It is with heavy and electric hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved dad,” his children, Lisa, Cameron and Skylar, wrote. “Dad leaves behind a legacy of sound, love, and boundless creativity. At the center of it all WaS our amazing mom, Pamela – his guiding star, enduring muse, and wife of 62 years.
“We know how deeply he cherished this community, and we feel that love too. In his words – Rock On! And we will.”
The psychedelic pioneer formed The Electric Prunes in Los Angeles in the mid-sixties, beginning as a surf rock band named The Sanctions. They found fame with hits including ‘I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)’ and ‘Get Me to the World On Time’, with the former serving as the opening track on the cult psych-garage compilation ‘Nuggets’ in 1972.
RIP to my cousin James Lowe, lead singer of the 60s band “The Electric Prunes.”
You were a talented singer and producer. The whole family was very proud of you. pic.twitter.com/QI0yjOwpK9
— Mike Bara (@MikeBara333) May 29, 2025
The Electric Prunes released four albums before breaking up in 1970, and Lowe departed the group in 1968. They went on to reform in 1999 with him back at the helm, and they had been active ever since. Their most recent album was 2014’s ‘WaS’.
More recently, Lowe reflected on ‘I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)’ reaching Number 11 on the charts in the US, telling Psychedelic Scene it had come as a total surprise in an interview last year.
“We recorded it in ‘66, and we had put out one other record called ‘Ain’t It Hard’, and it didn’t do anything. So, when we put out ‘Too Much to Dream’, we just expected the same thing,” he said.
“Nothing will come of it. And then things started happening with it that kind of lit the fire, you know, so what did it feel like? It felt like … I’ve often said this, when we heard it on the radio the first time, we stopped the car and everybody got out and started punching each other. It felt good.”
Lowe is survived by his wife, Pamela, and his children Lisa, Cameron, and Skylar.
