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At the suggestion of manager Lenny Poncher and Hassinger, The Electric Prunes agreed to record a [[concept album]] that integrated [[Gregorian music]] into [[psychedelic pop]], with the belief it would launch them into commercial success.<ref name=al>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mass-in-f-minor-mw0000655076|title=Mass in F Minor - Review|author=Campbell, Al|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref> Poncher recruited [[David Axelrod (musician)|David Axelrod]], a formally classically trained musician, to compose all of the material for the project. The result, ''[[Mass in F Minor]]'', was a complex arrangement of religious-based rock, which was sung entirely in Greek and [[Latin]]. Although the band did record the songs "Kyrie Eleison", "Gloria", and "Credo", the intricate orchestration proved to be too difficult and time-consuming for the group. As a consequence, Hassinger enlisted the Canadian group [[The Collectors (Canadian band)|The Collectors]], among other [[session musician]]s, in completing the album, although Lowe, Tulin, and Weakley did contribute to every track.<ref name=minor/> ''Mass in F Minor'' was released in January 1968 and reached number 135 on the Billboard 200.<ref name=al/> An eerie version of the opening track, "Kyrie Eleison", became somewhat of an [[underground music|underground]] favorite when it appeared in the [[soundtrack]] for the [[counterculture]] film, ''[[Easy Rider]]''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RcIGH6MNxIkC&q=the+electric+prunes+mass+in+f+minor&pg=PA76|title=''Too Much to Dream: A Psychedelic American Boyhood''|author=Bebergal, Peter|page=76|publisher=Soft Skull Press|year=2011|isbn=9781593763824}}</ref> The Electric Prunes performed with the new songs in concert just once, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, which Tulin described: "From the outset the performance was a disaster. We missed the intro on the first song and it never got any better. Amp speakers blew, charts fell off music stands and everyone was, in general, in a complete state of confusion. Ended up each song turned into one long jam. I think we were, at times, all in the same key. I made my way over to the four celli and four French horns and told them to 'jam in E.' Somehow we would hit a break and James would manage a vocal".<ref name=minor>{{cite web|url=http://www.richieunterberger.com/fminor.html|title=LINER NOTES FOR THE ELECTRIC PRUNES' MASS IN F MINOR|author=Unterberger, Richie|website=Richieunterberger.com|access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref> As a result of financial and musical issues, Weakley and Lowe left the group in early 1968. Tulin and Williams finished a tour with a line-up that also included [[Kenny Loggins]] and Jeremy Stuart, but by mid-1968 they too departed the group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electricprunes.com|title=The Electric Prunes - Part six|website=Electricprunes.com|access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>
Nonetheless, Hassinger still owned the rights to The Electric Prunes's name, and was encouraged by the success of ''Mass in F Minor'', which prompted him to assemble a new line-up. He was steered toward the Colorado group, Climax, by Rich Fifield. Fifield had worked in fellow Colorado band, Hardwater (previously the [[surf rock]] band [[The Astronauts (band)|The Astronauts]]), which was managed by Poncher, and produced an album with Axelrod. The new Electric Prunes line-up included Climax members Richard Whetstone (vocals, guitar), John Herron (organ), and Mark Kincaid (guitar) with Brett Wade (bass guitar), who was recommended by The Collectors.<ref name=climax>{{cite web|url=http://www.damprock.com/climax.htm|title=How musicians in a Colorado band named Climax morphs into The Electric Prunes|website=Damprock.com|access-date=June 22, 2015}}</ref> With the group restructured, Axelrod, again, composed all the material for their next album, in the same vein as the previous effort, and centered it around the Jewish prayer, [[Kol Nidre]]. The album, titled ''[[Release of an Oath]]'', utilized several session musicians including [[Howard Roberts]], [[Carol Kaye]], and [[Earl Palmer]], and saw Whetstone as the only band member to contribute to the recordings. Although the album was considered more cohesive and progressive than its predecessor, it failed to chart upon its release in November 1968.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/electric-prunes-the-release-of-an-oath-just-good-old-rock-and-roll/|title=The Electric Prunes Release of an Oath|website=Popmatters.com|author=Nishimoto, Dan|date=11 July 2007 |access-date=June 22, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/release-of-an-oath-mw0000448692|title=Release of an Oath - Review|website=[[AllMusic]]|author=Mason, Stewart|access-date=June 22, 2015}}</ref> Afterwards, Axelrod returned to his past position at [[Capitol Records]], and The Electric Prunes toured as a supporting act for bands such as [[Steppenwolf (band)|Steppenwolf]], [[Canned Heat]], and [[Buffalo Springfield|New Buffalo Springfield]].<ref name=seven>{{cite web |url=http://www.electricprunes.com|title=The Electric Prunes - Part seven|website=Electricprunes.com|access-date=June 22, 2015}}</ref>
===The "New Improved" Electric Prunes===
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