Les hommes de cerise

I’ve had this record for a few years now, and never could get into it. The other day I gave it a new listen and absolutely loved it! Go figure.

Released right smack in the Bubblegum craze of the late 60′s, The Cherry People only had a minor hit with “And Suddenly”. Unfortunately for these guys, it appears they were “Monkee-fied” for the purpose of this album: producer Ron Haffkine wanted a fluffy bubblegum sound vs their wishes for a more psychedelic album. The disagreements over sound and style ended up with the band being shut out of the recording studio, with session musicians playing on every track instead.

After the release of the album, The Cherry People immediately went back to their rock roots and toured with a new hard rock sound and original songs. The band split up in the mid 1970′s, when guitarist Punky Meadows joined Bux (later called Angel) and shortly after became a glam rock God. Zing!

Here are my favorite tracks:

The Cherry People – And Suddenly
The Cherry People – Imagination
The Cherry People – I’m the One Who Loves You
The Cherry People – Don’t Hang Up on me Girl