RIP John Carter, 65, wrote "Incense & Peppermints"

[Wayback]

He co-wrote the 1967 # 1 song "Incense and Peppermints" by the Strawberry Alarm Clock: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZnukBRUSio
Later at Capitol Records, he scouted and developed talent, working with Bob Seger, Steve Miller, Sammy Hagar.  He is credited with relaunching the career of Tina Turner with the album Private Dancer.
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John S. Carter, 65, a music producer, songwriter and manager who co-wrote the lyrics to the 1967 hit "Incense and Peppermints" by the Strawberry Alarm Clock, died of cancer May 10 at his home in Palm Springs, publicist Jessica Erskine said.
Carter was an English major at the University of Colorado when he began writing for a school band called Rainy Daze. He wrote the song "Acapulco Gold" (1967), which reached # 70 on Billboard's Hot 100 list.  That success led Carter to a job writing lyrics for an instrumental track by a group called Thee Sixpence, later rechristened Strawberry Alarm Clock. With partner Tim Gilbert, Carter strung together what he described as "meaningless nouns" that sort of rhymed ("Good sense, innocence, cripplin' mankind/Dead kings, many things I can't define…"), resulting in a landmark hit for the psychedelic pop group.
Carter went on to a successful recording industry career, first as a radio promotion executive for Atlantic Records in San Francisco and later at Capitol Records.  At Capitol, he scouted and developed talent, working with artists such as Bob Seger, Steve Miller and Sammy Hagar. He is credited with relaunching the career of Tina Turner with the album "Private Dancer," which included "What's Love Got to Do With It."   The son of an oil wildcatter, he was born in East St. Louis, IL, on June 14, 1945.