Cover photo from their album, "Just Colour"
The Lollipop Shoppe
AKA:  The Weeds
Portland, Oregon
1966 ~ 1969

Members
 

Sunny Alderette  ~
Bob Atkins ~ Bass
Ed Bowen ~ Guitar
Ron Buzzell ~ Guitar
Fred Cole ~ Vocals
Darwin Davis ~ Drums
Scott Devitt ~
Carl Fortina ~ Accordian*
Ed Grabner ~
Russ King ~ Drums
Steve Koski ~ Guitar
Tim Rockson ~ Drums
John The Greek ~ Piano, Organ*
Dennis Wynn ~ Bass

In Memory of

Allen "Ron" Buzzell
d:  1993

UNI Recording Artists
*  Featured Artists on Recordings
 

Listen to The Lollipop Shoppe at Artist Direct
 

Fred Cole later performed in Dead Moon and was currently with Pierced Arrows

Led by singer Fred Cole, who had formerly been in the Northwest punk band the Weeds, the Lollipop Shoppe's sole album (from 1968) ranks as one of the better psych-punk LPs, and also as one of the better one-shot rock records of the late '60s. Featuring Cole's choked, bitter phrasing, the group staked out the middle ground between the Seeds (who shared the same manager) and Love, with a bit of fellow L.A. psych-punkers the Music Machine thrown in. If comparisons must be made, they were definitely closer in tone to Love than the Seeds, with a mixture of raunch and reflection in the spirit of Arthur Lee. Cole was one of the few psychedelic performers to make a contribution during the punk era, surfacing in the Portland punk band the Rats in the late '70s.

Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

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The Lollipop Shoppe:  They were originally known as The Weeds and featured Fred Cole as singer.  After The Weeds signed to Uni Records (a now-defunct subsidiary of MCA), their new manager, 'Lord' Tim Hudson, insisted they change their name to The Lollipop Shoppe to fit in with the current trend of bubblegum music.  Hardly bubblegum, they played a mix of garage rock and psychedelia. The album and its single, "You Must Be a Witch," are regarded as period classics and still prized by collectors, though neither made the charts. The band opened for stars such as Janis Joplin and The Doors, and appeared in the biker movie "Angels from Hell".

Sky Skyler, January 2009

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Upon Ed Bowen's temporary departure, Steve Koski (the Warloks, Notary Sojack) played lead guitar.

In the summer of '69, still under the name The Weeds , they pared down to a three- man band with Fred Cole on bass, Ed Bowen back on lead and Darwin Davis (Aventine Circus) on drums.

Karen Shepard, August 2012

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Last Update:   13 August 2014
Credits:  Mike Wallace, Sky Skyler, Karen Shepard