Description
The Electric Prunes – Mass In F Minor – Highlighter Yellow Vinyl Records
Mass in F Minor by The Electric Prunes, released in January 1968, is one of the most unusual and ambitious albums of the psychedelic era. Known initially for their 1966 garage-psych hit “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night),” the band took a dramatic stylistic turn with this third studio album: a psychedelic rock Mass, sung entirely in Latin, blending Catholic liturgical texts with swirling guitars, orchestration, and studio experimentation.
The project was composed, arranged, and largely orchestrated by David Axelrod, a noted producer and composer with a background in jazz, classical, and experimental music. While the album was released under The Electric Prunes’ name, it was largely a studio creation, as the complexity of the material—especially the choral and orchestral arrangements—was beyond the technical abilities of the original band members. As a result, session musicians and Axelrod himself played major roles in the recording process, and the original Prunes lineup began to fragment during the making of the album.
Mass in F Minor combines Baroque choral music, fuzz-drenched psychedelia, bluesy guitar solos, Gregorian-style chant, and dramatic orchestration. The album opens with “Kyrie Eleison”, which became the most well-known track—largely because of its inclusion in the 1969 film Easy Rider. This track, with its phased guitars, soaring choral lines, and droning organ, captures the uneasy fusion of the sacred and the psychedelic that defines the album. Other tracks like “Gloria,” “Credo,” and “Sanctus” follow the structure of a traditional Catholic Mass, but are reimagined through the lens of late 1960s counterculture.
What makes Mass in F Minor so fascinating is its tension: between high and low culture, spirituality and rebellion, classical tradition and rock experimentation. The Latin lyrics—unchanged from the traditional Mass—are juxtaposed with swirling guitar feedback and acid-rock arrangements, creating a sense of dislocation that mirrored the era’s cultural upheaval.
The album received mixed reactions upon release. Some admired its ambition and originality, while others found it disjointed or overly pretentious. However, over time it has achieved cult status, especially among fans of psychedelic and experimental music. It also marked a turning point in David Axelrod’s career—he would go on to produce and compose a series of influential solo albums that further explored orchestral-funk and spiritual themes.
Because the album was so difficult to perform live, and due to the increasing disintegration of the original band, Mass in F Minor was effectively the end of The Electric Prunes as a functional group. The name would continue on for one more Axelrod-led project, Release of an Oath (1968), performed almost entirely by session musicians.
Mass in F Minor stands as one of the boldest experiments in psychedelic rock history—a collision of faith, formality, and fuzz that remains utterly singular. It’s an album that shouldn’t work, but somehow captures the restless, searching spirit of the late ’60s, making it a true artifact of its time—and an enduring curiosity for adventurous listeners.
1968 Psychedelic Concept Record Arranged By David Axelrod
• Cut from the Original Analog Master tapes by Kevin Gray
• All Analog Process (AAA)
•‘Kyrie Eleison’ featured in the movie and soundtrack for Easy Rider
• High Quality Vinyl Release
• Limited Color Vinyl Edition. (Transparent Highlighter Yellow)
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Kyrie Eleison
Gloria
Credo
Sanctus
Benedictus
Agnus Dei
