Infamous for ushering in the bubblegum pop era, the Lemon Pipers formed in 1966 out of the ashes of two Oxford, Ohio garage outfits. While the newly christened Lemon Pipers preferred a rougher hewn guitar psychedelia, producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz groomed them for pop stardom within controlled studio confines. Signed by Buddah records in 1967 and working on material from songwriters Paul Leka and Shelley Pinz, the band exploded onto the pop charts with "Green Tambourine," a classic confection that hit number one in February 1968 on the strength of its childlike melody and Beatlesque production. They never replicated its success, but did manage to represent their edgier roots with epic, psych meltdowns deep onto the second sides of each of their albums. The Pipers broke up in 1969.