On this date in 1966, the song “Pushin’ Too Hard” by Los Angeles garage-psych band The Seeds peaked at #36 on the US charts. The song was originally released in November of 1965, but didn’t do much. After the release of the band’s self-titled album in July 1966, an LA DJ started playing the song extensively and it stayed on the charts for 11 weeks, helping to bring psychedelic rock to the masses.
“Pushin’ Too Hard“, was originally titled “You’re Pushing Too Hard“, written by vocalist Sky Saxon and produced by Saxon with Marcus Tybalt. It was released as a single in 1965, re-issued the following year,
Sky Saxon wrote “Pushin’ Too Hard” while sitting in the front seat of a car waiting for his girlfriend to finish grocery shopping at a supermarket. The lyrics can be interpreted as the protagonist warning his girlfriend against controlling him, or as a rant against society as a whole. The song contains two chords which alternate throughout, as well as instrumental breaks featuring an electric piano solo—played by Daryl Hooper—and a guitar solo played by Jan Savage.
The song became the signature tune for the group and a template for their musical style – so much so that Creem magazine later wrote, not disapprovingly, that “the Seeds, of course, managed to work ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ into every song they ever did.” It was included on the influential “Nuggets” compilation in the 1970s, and earned a reputation as a protopunk garage rock classic. The song also featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s exhibit showcasing “The 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll”. The Seeds performed “Pushin’ Too Hard” during a 1968 episode of the television sitcom The Mothers-in-Law. Saxon revisited the song on his 2008 solo album “The King of Garage Rock”.
The Fat Angel Sings 