I hate to admit that I knew barely nothing about him until a few years ago.

As an avid fan of all things Billy Corgan, I was confused when I saw the smilin’ old fella in this video. Who was he?

After some reading (and some serious Youtubing), found out he was Mark Tulin, bassist for classic psychedelic band The Electric Prunes. He also collaborated with The Smashing Pumpkins on their current mammoth project, in the songs ‘Astral planes’ and ‘Widow wake my mind’.

But there was another side, a more humane side described by Billy Corgan as someone who treated people as equals (even the young drummer of the band) and who helped out in the hours of need (including during the clean up after Hurricane Katrina and in the Catalina Island Conservancy).

Can’t say anything better than what has been written by those closest to him (see the memorial at Kerry Brown’s blog).

What we can do is leave you with a sweet little song to remember a great bassist. His amazing bass skills are a true legacy.

EDIT: Forgot that he also played in that one time band, Backwards Clock Society, with Billy Corgan and Kerry Brown. Here’s my personal favourite from that show.