Idolator

Time for yet another installment of the Coulda-Shoulda-Woulda Files, where we blow the dust off of a forgotten favorite and give its lack of chart success a once-over.

Artist: The Lollipop Shoppe
Album: "You Must Be A Witch," 1968
What happened: Formed in 1965, these garage rockers initially dubbed themselves The Weeds, but their manager, British DJ Lord Tim Hudson, mandated the band's name change to the Lollipop Shoppe in 1967. The band released "Witch" as its debut single in 1968; the song and the Shoppe's full-length, Just Colour, both had a lackluster performance on the charts. The Lollipop Shoppe hung up its "Closed" sign in 1969, and Fred Cole, who handled vocal duties, went on to be in the recently retired Dead Moon.
Why it should have been a hit: The Lollipop Shoppe's psyched-out sludge wasn't really in tune with their candy-sweet name, unless you're thinking of a lollipop that was dropped on the ground and left out in the sun for a few days. "You Must Be A Witch," which was collected on the first Nuggets box, is pure fire, thanks to Cole's scorching vocal performance and guitars that sound as if they've been freshly dredged from a toxic swamp.

The Lollipop Shoppe - You Must Be A Witch [MP3, link expired]