Take it from a guy named Michael, songs with my name in the title are often worth a listen. So now we move from yesterday’s “Message to Michael” to another song with my name in the title, a nice little slice of sunshine pop called “Don’t Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael,” by a quintet going by the name of the Peppermint Rainbow.
You may remember the Peppermint Rainbow from their earlier and higher-charting hit, “Will You Be Staying After Sunday.,” a previous classic song of the day. That song was about a girl wondering if her weekend fling would stick around or just vamoose when the work week began. “Don’t Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael,” has a similar theme, this one pleading with the name-checked lover to only wake her up if he intends to stick around after their little fling. Ah, the days of free love! Both tunes are married to incessantly cheery melodies accompanied by bright vocal harmonies. The songs sound upbeat, even if the lyrical content is less than.
“Don’t Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael,” was written and produced by Paul Leka, who also co-wrote “Green Tambourine” for the Lemon Pipers and “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” for Steam. Released in June of 1969, the single peaked at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100, #50 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #22 on Billboard’s Easy Listening chart.
The Peppermint Rainbow consisted of sisters Bonnie and Patty Lamdin on vocals, accompanied by Doug Lewis on guitar, Anton Corey on bass, and Skip Harris on drums. The Baltimore-based group, originally called the New York Times, got together in 1967 and were discovered by none other than “Mama” Cass Elliott.
After releasing a handful of records and touring with the likes of Sly and the Family Stone, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Tiny Tim (really), the band broke up in 1970. Bonnie Lamdin eventually became CEO of Baltimore’s St. Agnes Hospital; her sister Patty became a magistrate in Baltimore’s juvenile court system.
And here’s today’s daily bonus video of the day, the Peppermint Rainbow lip synching “Don’t Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael” on a syndicated November 1969 television special called Now and Then, hosted by Marilyn King of the then-popular King Sisters. (That’s Bonnie Lamdin on lead vocals.) They sound a lot like Spanky and Our Gang, don’t they?
