Formed in Oxford, Ohio in 1966, the Lemon Pipers were a bubblegum pop / rock band best known for their number 1 hit “Green Tambourine.” Founded by guitarist Bill Bartlett, bassist Bob ‘Dude’ Dudek, and drummer Bill E. Albaugh, the members had played in different bands around Oxford and came together to form a new group. They competed in an Ohio Battle of the Bands contest and lost out to James Gang (Joe Walsh’s first band). After recruiting vocalist Dale ‘Ivan’ Browne and replacing Dudek with bassist Steve Walmsley, the Lemon Pipers signed to Buddah Records and released the single “Turn Around and Take a Look”, which had been written by guitarist Bartlett. The band’s original vision of being a serious rock band came to an end when the single only reached number 132. Buddah Records asked songwriter / producer Paul Leka and his songwriting partner Shelley Pinz for a song that could be a hit for the Lemon Pipers. The song they wrote was “Green Tambourine,” which the band was reluctant to record. Their more serious rock ambitions did not include recording bubblegum pop like their labelmates the Ohio Express and 1910 Fruitgum Company. However, the band did record the song, and it went to the top of the Billboard charts in 1967, hitting the Top 10 in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. The label had them record another cover, “Rice is Nice,” which landed in the Top 50 in several countries the following year including the US. Their next single, “Jelly Jungle (of Orange Marmalad),” was another chart hit but did better in Canada and Australia than it did in their home country. The group’s next few singles failed to chart and after two albums in 1968 – Green Tambourine and Jungle Marmalade – the Lemon Pipers split in 1969.
