David Peel & The Lower East Side

The Profile

David Peel & The Lower East Side are a New York City street-music outfit led by David Peel, emerging from the late-1960s counterculture. They issued Have a Marijuana (1968) and The American Revolution (1970) on Elektra, and The Pope Smokes Dope (1972), produced by John Lennon and Yoko Ono for Apple Records.

New York-based countercultural group led by David Peel; known for pro-marijuana anthems, lo-fi street performances, and proto-punk attitude. Released Have a Marijuana (1968) and The American Revolution (1970) on Elektra; The Pope Smokes Dope (1972) was produced by John Lennon and Yoko Ono for Apple Records.

Two ecstatic DeBaser reviews celebrate David Peel & The Lower East Side’s raw, street-born sound and countercultural stance. They spotlight Have a Marijuana (1968) and The American Revolution (1970), recorded with lo-fi grit and anti-authoritarian humor. Reviewers link the band’s attitude to proto-punk energy and note John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s later involvement on The Pope Smokes Dope (1972). Expect pacifism, legalization chants, tambourines, harmonicas, and plenty of sarcasm.