Ain't It Hard / Little Olive (1966.05)

Reviewed by Franco Micale on July 8, 2024

The debut single by The Electric Prunes is actually a cover of a song by a group called The Gypsy Trips, who are so obscure that 1) I’ve never heard of them, and 2) they don’t even have a Wikipedia page. I actually find this really interesting, because from the get go, this shows that The Prunes were REALLY tuned into the underground rock scene from the beginning, and seemed to have more knowledge about the music scene around them then many of their garage rock peers.

That said, if I had to choose between the two, I would probably say that I prefer the original version by The Gypsy Trips, having a much more slower, trippier, and Dylan-esque vibe to it which feels fairly ahead of its time for a 1965 song (imagine Highway 61 Revisited with psychedelic production). The Prunes version is no slouch either though, tightening up the song into more of a beefy Stones-esque stomper with a groovy rhythm, surprisingly funky guitar lines, and a deep echoic production that gives the song a vast feeling of depth. While the idiocratic elements that would make up The Prunes best material aren’t quite up and center, this song nevertheless still showcases a band with potential to develop themselves into something stronger. Overall, a single thumb up.

On the flipside, we have the first original Electric Prunes song, Little Olive, written by James Lowe. This one isn’t too much to write home about, but it’s pretty fun. With a slower, bluesier tempo, jangling guitars and a wailing harmonica, this track gives vibes of a seedy bar within the outskirts of town. The lyrics are fairly typical 60s rock fair, it being about a girl named Little Olive who’s a “bell bottomed trip” that’s “bluer then the sky above” because she “strolls the street and waits to meet the guy who save her soul”, but despite “all the things she gives the boys”, they all “shy away from her love”. She also seems to like “scented rings and veils and things”. Wow, cool lyrics. Other then that, theres not much else to pick apart, but the vibe is enjoyable enough for the song to warrant a single thumb up.

Rating: One Thumb Up