Musicians become famous and then disappear without a trace all the time. It’s par the course for music industry fame. It’s hard enough to make it big with one song, but it’s even harder to maintain a presence both on the charts and in the collective memory of listeners. The following three bands found quite a bit of success in 1967, but then disappeared shortly after. What happened to them? Are they still around today? Let’s take a deep dive and find out, shall we?
Videos by American Songwriter
Strawberry Alarm Clock
Alright, I have to admit, the inclusion of Strawberry Alarm Clock on this list was self-indulgent on my part. This is one of my favorite old-school acid rock bands from the 1960s. And after they hit the charts hard with the 1967 song “Incense And Peppermints”, they more or less disappeared within the span of a couple of years. After that No. 1 hit, a few songs released in 1968 and one in 1969 made it to the charts. However, Strawberry Alarm Clock disappeared after that. What happened?
Sadly, there were quite a few lineup changes after SAC made it big with “Incense And Peppermints”. Their subsequent songs, like “Tomorrow” and “Sit With The Guru”, were only minor hits. There were disagreements over their manager’s handling of the group’s business and financial affairs, and several members left to form their own bands. After the manager in question was fired, he formed an alternate version of the band, which led to a straight-up court battle.
By 1971, the band was done. They had a short-lived reunion in 1974 and wouldn’t get back together until 1982. The band is technically together today, but several of the members have since passed on.
Blues Magoos
You might know this psychedelic rock group by their hit song “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet”. That song hit the airwaves in 1966 but didn’t become a charting hit until around February 1967, when it made it to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This delightful song is one of several proto-punk tunes from the era, but the band itself disappeared into obscurity soon after its release. None of their follow-up songs made it to the Top 40 again, and they disappeared from the charts (and audience consciousness) by 1969.
In reality, the band just struggled to capitalize on that major hit and broke up in 1970. Thankfully, though, they have since reunited and have been touring throughout the 2000s. And even though original member Ron Gilbert passed away in 2024, it appears the band is still together today.
The Parade
The year 1967 was the year of sunshine pop bands, and The Parade was one such band that disappeared without a trace. The Parade was best known for their song “Sunshine Girl”, which peaked at No. 20 on the Hot 100 in 1967.
After that song hit the charts, though, The Parade’s follow-up singles either failed to chart at all or didn’t make it to the Hot 100. It’s not clear what actually happened to this band. No official disbandment announcement was made, and they stopped making music by the time the 1970s came around. In 2008, a compilation album of the band’s recordings was released, but that was the last the world has heard from this group.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.