The Grass Roots
Encyclopedia
The Grass Roots is an American rock
band that charted between 1966 and 1975 as the brainchild of songwriting
duo P. F. Sloan
and Steve Barri
.
In their career, The Grass Roots achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they achieved top ten 3 times, top twenty 3 times and top forty 8 times. They have sold over twenty million records worldwide.
Early member Rob Grill
and a newer lineup of The Grass Roots continued to play many live shows each year. The band released a new live album chronicling their fourteen Top 40 Billboard hits titled Live Gold in 2008.
songwriter and producer duo of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri
. Sloan and Barri had written several songs in an attempt by their record company, Dunhill Records
(owned by Lou Adler
) to cash in on the budding folk rock
movement. One of these songs was "Where Were You When I Needed You," which was recorded by Sloan and Barri and a now forgotten line-up of studio musicians. Sloan provided the lead vocals and played guitar
. The song was released under "The Grass Roots" name and sent, as a demo
, to several radio station
s of the San Francisco Bay area
.
When moderate interest in this new band arose, Sloan and Barri went to look for a group that could incorporate The Grass Roots name. They found one in a San Francisco group named "The Bedouins" and cut a new version with that band's lead vocalist
, Willie Fulton. In late 1965, the Grass Roots got their first official airplay on Southern California
radio stations, such as KGB
(AM
) in San Diego and KHJ
in Los Angeles
with a version of the Bob Dylan
song, "Mr. Jones (Ballad of a Thin Man)
". For some months, The Bedouins were the first "real" Grass Roots — but the partnership with Sloan and Barri broke up when the band demanded more space for their own more blues rock-oriented material (which their producers were not willing to give them). Willie Fulton, Denny Ellis, and David Stensen went back to San Francisco, with drummer Joel Larson
the only one who remained (he was to become a member of a later Grass Roots line-up as well). In the meantime, the second version of "Where Were You When I Needed You" peaked in the top 40 in mid-1966; an album of the same name
sold poorly, probably because there were no Grass Roots anymore to promote it at the time of its release.
Still looking for a group to record their material and promote it with live dates, in 1966 Sloan and Barri offered Wisconsin-based band The Robbs
(for whom they produced some early material) a chance to assume the identity of The Grass Roots, but the group declined.
Coincidentally, the L.A.-based band Love
at one point in 1965 also used the name "The Grass Roots". However, this group had no other connection to Sloan and Barri, and immediately changed their band name to Love once they became aware of the existence of Barri and Sloan's Grass Roots.
). This band consisted of Creed Bratton
, Rick Coonce
, Warren Entner
, and Kenny Fukomoto and had formed only a year earlier before submitting a demo tape to Dunhill Records
. Rob Grill
was recruited into the band when Fukomoto was suddenly drafted into the army. The band was offered the choice to go with their own name or choose to adopt a name that had already been heard of nationwide.
In the beginning, they were one of many U.S. guitar pop
/rock
bands, but with the help of Barri and their other producers, they developed a unique sound for which they drew as heavily on British
beat
as on soul music
, rhythm and blues
and folk rock
. Many of their recordings featured a brass section, which was a novelty in those days among American rock bands, with groups like Chicago
just developing.
The bulk of the band's material continued to be written by Dunhill Records staff (not only Sloan and Barri). The Grass Roots also recorded songs written by the group's musician
s, which appeared on their albums and the B-sides of many hit singles.
As The Grass Roots, they had their first Top 10 hit in the summer of 1967 with "Let's Live for Today
", an English-language cover version
of "Piangi con me", a 1966 hit for the Anglo-italian quartet The Rokes. "Let's Live For Today" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. With Rob Grill
as lead singer, they recorded a third version of "Where Were You When I Needed You." The band continued in a similar hit-making vein for the next five years (1967–1972).
The Grass Roots played at the Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival on Sunday, June 11, 1967, in the "summer of love" as "Let's Live For Today" was at #15 and climbing. This music festival is important because it occurred just days before the Monterey Pop Festival
but did not have a movie to document it for the ages (see List of electronic music festivals). On Sunday, October 27, 1968, they played at the San Francisco Pop Festival
as their hit "Midnight Confessions" was peaking at #5 and then played at the Los Angeles Pop Festival
and Miami Pop Festival
in December 1968.
In 1969, Creed Bratton left and was replaced by Dennis Provisor
on keyboards and vocals, plus rotating lead guitarists Terry Furlong and Brian Naughton to form a quintet — the first of many line-up changes that the band was to be subject to.
The Grass Roots with their new members played at Newport Pop Festival
1969 at Devonshire Downs, which was a racetrack at the time but now is part of the North Campus for California State University, Northridge
. The group played on Sunday, June 22, 1969, a week before their hit "I'd Wait A Million Years" reached the Hot 100. In Canada, they played at the Vancouver Pop Festival
at the Paradise Valley Resort in British Columbia in August 1969 (see List of electronic music festivals).
In 1971, both of the band's alternating lead guitarists, Terry Furlong and Brian Naughton left, leaving the remaining the group a quartet for their latest album, Their 16 Greatest Hits, and the single, "Sooner or Later." However, drummer Rick Coonce and keyboardist Dennis Provisor left the following year (although Provisor was featured on the band's 1972 Move Along album) and were replaced by Reed Kailing, Virgil Weber and original member Joel Larson. The singer/songwriter/guitarist duo of Warren Entner (later a successful heavy metal
manager with groups such as Rage Against the Machine
and Quiet Riot
) and Rob Grill remained the point of focus in all these years.
The group's songs during 1967-1972 include "Let's Live For Today (U.S. #8)" and "Things I Should Have Said" (U.S. #23) (1967); "Midnight Confessions
" (U.S. #5, their biggest hit) (1968); "Bella Linda" (U.S. #28), "Lovin' Things" (a cover of a UK hit by Marmalade
the previous year) (U.S. #49), "The River Is Wide" (U.S. #31), "I'd Wait A Million Years" (U.S. #15), and "Heaven Knows" (U.S. #24) (1969); "Walking Through The Country" (U.S. #44), and "Baby Hold On" (U.S. #35) (1970); "Temptation Eyes" (#15), "Sooner Or Later" (U.S. #9), and "Two Divided By Love" (U.S. #16) (1971); "Glory Bound" (U.S. #34) and "The Runway" (U.S. #39) (1972).
, with the band having disbanded the previous autumn. The 1978 14 Greats album by Gusto Records featured Rob Grill, but none of the other original members, and consisted of 1978 versions of their hits.
Rob Grill remained in the music business and launched a solo career in 1979 (assisted on his solo album by several members of Fleetwood Mac
). When interest in bands of the 1960s began to rise again in the 1980s, Grill reformed The Grass Roots and toured the United States and Japan. He continued to lead the band into the current millennium as The Grass Roots sole owner and made special appearances with the band until his death.
In 1982, The Grass Roots performed an Independence Day
concert on the National Mall
in Washington, D.C.
, attracting a large crowd and setting a record for attendance at an outdoor concert. However, in April 1983, James G. Watt
, President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Interior
, banned Independence Day concerts on the Mall by such groups. Watt said that "rock band
s" that had performed on the Mall on Independence Day in 1981 and 1982 had encouraged drug use and alcoholism and had attracted "the wrong element", who would mug
people and families attending any similar events in the future. During the ensuing uproar, Rob Grill stated that he felt "highly insulted" by Watt's remarks, which he called "nothing but un-American".
Since 2005, Creed Bratton can be seen as "Creed Bratton
", Quality Assurance Officer, in the American NBC television situation comedy The Office. He continues to write songs and has released several solo albums, including Chasin' the Ball, The '80s, Coarsegold, Creed Bratton, and Bounce Back.
In 2006, former manager Marty Angelo
published a book entitled, Once Life Matters: A New Beginning which has numerous stories about his life on the road with Rob Grill and The Grass Roots back in the early 1970s.
Former drummer Rick Coonce died on February 25, 2011, and Rob Grill died on July 11, 2011.
During of summers of 2010 and 2011, The Grass Roots had heavy touring schedules throughout the U.S. both on their own and as part of the Happy Together: 25th Anniversary Tour, along with Flo & Eddie of The Turtles
, Mark Lindsay
, The Buckinghams
, and Monkees member Micky Dolenz
(2010 only). The 2011 Grass Roots line-up featured lead vocalist and bass player Mark Dawson, with Dusty Hanvey on lead guitar, Larry Nelson on keyboards and Joe Dougherty on drums.
++Gold Record - RIAA Certification
+++Composed by Italian
superstar Lucio Battisti
)
++Gold Record - RIAA Certification
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band that charted between 1966 and 1975 as the brainchild of songwriting
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
duo P. F. Sloan
P. F. Sloan
P.F. Sloan is an American pop-rock singer and songwriter. He was very successful during the mid-1960s, writing, performing and producing Billboard top 20 hits for artists such as Barry McGuire, Jan & Dean, Herman's Hermits, Johnny Rivers, The Grass Roots and the Mamas and the Papas...
and Steve Barri
Steve Barri
Steve Barri is an American songwriter and record producer.Early in his career Barri was a staff writer with Dunhill Records. He frequently collaborated with P.F. Sloan, and the partners were responsible for the success of The Grass Roots and contributed largely to the band's first album...
.
In their career, The Grass Roots achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they achieved top ten 3 times, top twenty 3 times and top forty 8 times. They have sold over twenty million records worldwide.
Early member Rob Grill
Rob Grill
Robert Frank "Rob" Grill was an American lead singer, songwriter and bass guitarist of the rock and roll band, The Grass Roots.-Career:Rob was a native of Hollywood, California where he attended Hollywood High School...
and a newer lineup of The Grass Roots continued to play many live shows each year. The band released a new live album chronicling their fourteen Top 40 Billboard hits titled Live Gold in 2008.
The founding years
The name "Grass Roots" originated in late 1965 as the name of a band project by the Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
songwriter and producer duo of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri
Steve Barri
Steve Barri is an American songwriter and record producer.Early in his career Barri was a staff writer with Dunhill Records. He frequently collaborated with P.F. Sloan, and the partners were responsible for the success of The Grass Roots and contributed largely to the band's first album...
. Sloan and Barri had written several songs in an attempt by their record company, Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
(owned by Lou Adler
Lou Adler
Lou Adler is an American record producer, manager, and director.-Life and career:Adler was born in Chicago, Illinois in December 1933, and raised in East Los Angeles. In 1964, Adler founded and co-owned Dunhill Records. He was President of the label as well as the chief record producer from 1964...
) to cash in on the budding folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
movement. One of these songs was "Where Were You When I Needed You," which was recorded by Sloan and Barri and a now forgotten line-up of studio musicians. Sloan provided the lead vocals and played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
. The song was released under "The Grass Roots" name and sent, as a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
, to several radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s of the San Francisco Bay area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
.
When moderate interest in this new band arose, Sloan and Barri went to look for a group that could incorporate The Grass Roots name. They found one in a San Francisco group named "The Bedouins" and cut a new version with that band's lead vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Willie Fulton. In late 1965, the Grass Roots got their first official airplay on Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
radio stations, such as KGB
KLSD
KLSD is a sports station based in San Diego, California. The sports programming began on November 12, 2007. Previously, KLSD's format was progressive talk radio....
(AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
) in San Diego and KHJ
KHJ (AM)
KHJ Radio in Los Angeles, California broadcasts Spanish-language entertainment programming as La Ranchera. It was also one of America's most formidable Top 40 radio stations in the 1960s and 1970s as 93 KHJ before changing its format in 1980....
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with a version of the Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song, "Mr. Jones (Ballad of a Thin Man)
Ballad of a Thin Man
"Ballad of a Thin Man" is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan, released on the album Highway 61 Revisited in 1965.-Meaning:"Ballad of a Thin Man" comments on a conventional "Mr. Jones", who walks into a room of intentionally bizarre circus freaks and doesn't "know what's happening".The...
". For some months, The Bedouins were the first "real" Grass Roots — but the partnership with Sloan and Barri broke up when the band demanded more space for their own more blues rock-oriented material (which their producers were not willing to give them). Willie Fulton, Denny Ellis, and David Stensen went back to San Francisco, with drummer Joel Larson
Joel Larson
Joel Larson is a rock drummer and percussionist from California. He was born on April 29, 1947 at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. He lived near Lincoln Park until he was 12 years old. He took up drumming at the age of 12 and moved near Avalon Park until he was 17. During these five years he...
the only one who remained (he was to become a member of a later Grass Roots line-up as well). In the meantime, the second version of "Where Were You When I Needed You" peaked in the top 40 in mid-1966; an album of the same name
Where Were You When I Needed You
Where Were You When I Needed You was the first album released by The Grass Roots. Most of the album is performed by the duo of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, although some of the album features a San Francisco band, including lead singer Willie "Bill" Fulton...
sold poorly, probably because there were no Grass Roots anymore to promote it at the time of its release.
Still looking for a group to record their material and promote it with live dates, in 1966 Sloan and Barri offered Wisconsin-based band The Robbs
The Robbs
The Robbs were an American 1960s pop/rock band from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. They are best known for being the house band on Dick Clark's mid-1960s show Where The Action Is...
(for whom they produced some early material) a chance to assume the identity of The Grass Roots, but the group declined.
Coincidentally, the L.A.-based band Love
Love (band)
Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
at one point in 1965 also used the name "The Grass Roots". However, this group had no other connection to Sloan and Barri, and immediately changed their band name to Love once they became aware of the existence of Barri and Sloan's Grass Roots.
The years of success
The group's third — and by far most successful — incarnation was finally found in a Los Angeles band, called The 13th Floor (not to be confused with the 13th Floor Elevators13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators were an American rock band from Austin, Texas formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland, which existed from 1965 to 1969...
). This band consisted of Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton is an American actor and musician, a former member of The Grass Roots...
, Rick Coonce
Rick Coonce
Erik Michael Coonce , better known as Rick Coonce, was the drummer for The Grass Roots, a successful rock group that received heavy airplay on the radio from 1967 to 1972. Due to renewed interest in classic bands, The Grass Roots and Coonce's driving drum beats are popular even into the new...
, Warren Entner
Warren Entner
Warren Entner was an American singer, songwriter, organist and guitarist for the rock and roll band, The Grass Roots...
, and Kenny Fukomoto and had formed only a year earlier before submitting a demo tape to Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
. Rob Grill
Rob Grill
Robert Frank "Rob" Grill was an American lead singer, songwriter and bass guitarist of the rock and roll band, The Grass Roots.-Career:Rob was a native of Hollywood, California where he attended Hollywood High School...
was recruited into the band when Fukomoto was suddenly drafted into the army. The band was offered the choice to go with their own name or choose to adopt a name that had already been heard of nationwide.
In the beginning, they were one of many U.S. guitar pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
/rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
bands, but with the help of Barri and their other producers, they developed a unique sound for which they drew as heavily on British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
beat
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
as on soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
and folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
. Many of their recordings featured a brass section, which was a novelty in those days among American rock bands, with groups like Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
just developing.
The bulk of the band's material continued to be written by Dunhill Records staff (not only Sloan and Barri). The Grass Roots also recorded songs written by the group's musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s, which appeared on their albums and the B-sides of many hit singles.
As The Grass Roots, they had their first Top 10 hit in the summer of 1967 with "Let's Live for Today
Let's Live for Today (song)
"Let's Live for Today" is a song written by David Shapiro, Ivan Mogull, and Michael Julian, and initially recorded by the English band the Rokes in 1966. The song was later popularized by the American rock band The Grass Roots, who released it as a single on May 13, 1967...
", an English-language cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Piangi con me", a 1966 hit for the Anglo-italian quartet The Rokes. "Let's Live For Today" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. With Rob Grill
Rob Grill
Robert Frank "Rob" Grill was an American lead singer, songwriter and bass guitarist of the rock and roll band, The Grass Roots.-Career:Rob was a native of Hollywood, California where he attended Hollywood High School...
as lead singer, they recorded a third version of "Where Were You When I Needed You." The band continued in a similar hit-making vein for the next five years (1967–1972).
The Grass Roots played at the Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival on Sunday, June 11, 1967, in the "summer of love" as "Let's Live For Today" was at #15 and climbing. This music festival is important because it occurred just days before the Monterey Pop Festival
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
but did not have a movie to document it for the ages (see List of electronic music festivals). On Sunday, October 27, 1968, they played at the San Francisco Pop Festival
San Francisco Pop Festival
The San Francisco Pop Festival was held at Alameda County Fairgrounds. The dates of the festival were Saturday October 26 & Sunday October 27, 1968...
as their hit "Midnight Confessions" was peaking at #5 and then played at the Los Angeles Pop Festival
Los Angeles Pop Festival
The Los Angeles Pop Festival was held at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in California. The dates of the festival were December 22 and 23, 1968. It was also called a "Christmas Happening"...
and Miami Pop Festival
Miami Pop Festival
The Miami Pop Festival was the name of two different music festivals that took place in 1968 at Gulfstream Park, a horse racing track in Hallandale, Florida , just north of Miami....
in December 1968.
In 1969, Creed Bratton left and was replaced by Dennis Provisor
Dennis Provisor
Dennis Provisor is an accomplished musician and songwriter who began at a very early age. He recorded on several different labels, including 20th Century Fox and Valiant, under the name of Denny Provisor. He released some soulful singles as a solo artist. He later joined the groups The Hook, Blue...
on keyboards and vocals, plus rotating lead guitarists Terry Furlong and Brian Naughton to form a quintet — the first of many line-up changes that the band was to be subject to.
The Grass Roots with their new members played at Newport Pop Festival
Newport Pop Festival
The Newport Pop Festival, held in Costa Mesa, California, August 3–4, 1968, was the first music concert ever to have more than 100,000 paid attendees....
1969 at Devonshire Downs, which was a racetrack at the time but now is part of the North Campus for California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
. The group played on Sunday, June 22, 1969, a week before their hit "I'd Wait A Million Years" reached the Hot 100. In Canada, they played at the Vancouver Pop Festival
Vancouver Pop Festival
The Vancouver Pop Festival was held at Paradise Valley Resort in Squamish, BC Canada. The dates of the festival were August 22, 23 and 24, 1969. It was produced by Candi Promotions...
at the Paradise Valley Resort in British Columbia in August 1969 (see List of electronic music festivals).
In 1971, both of the band's alternating lead guitarists, Terry Furlong and Brian Naughton left, leaving the remaining the group a quartet for their latest album, Their 16 Greatest Hits, and the single, "Sooner or Later." However, drummer Rick Coonce and keyboardist Dennis Provisor left the following year (although Provisor was featured on the band's 1972 Move Along album) and were replaced by Reed Kailing, Virgil Weber and original member Joel Larson. The singer/songwriter/guitarist duo of Warren Entner (later a successful heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
manager with groups such as Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
and Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot
Quiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet...
) and Rob Grill remained the point of focus in all these years.
The group's songs during 1967-1972 include "Let's Live For Today (U.S. #8)" and "Things I Should Have Said" (U.S. #23) (1967); "Midnight Confessions
Midnight Confessions
"Midnight Confessions" is a song written by Lou T. Josie and originally performed by the Evergreen Blues Band. It was later made famous by American rock band The Grass Roots, who released the song as a single in 1968...
" (U.S. #5, their biggest hit) (1968); "Bella Linda" (U.S. #28), "Lovin' Things" (a cover of a UK hit by Marmalade
Marmalade (band)
Marmalade were a successful Scottish pop rock group, from the east end of Glasgow, originally formed in 1961 as "The Gaylords", later "Dean Ford and The Gaylords". In 1966, they changed the group name to 'The Marmalade'. The most successful period for the band, in terms of UK chart success, was...
the previous year) (U.S. #49), "The River Is Wide" (U.S. #31), "I'd Wait A Million Years" (U.S. #15), and "Heaven Knows" (U.S. #24) (1969); "Walking Through The Country" (U.S. #44), and "Baby Hold On" (U.S. #35) (1970); "Temptation Eyes" (#15), "Sooner Or Later" (U.S. #9), and "Two Divided By Love" (U.S. #16) (1971); "Glory Bound" (U.S. #34) and "The Runway" (U.S. #39) (1972).
The final years and oldies tours
Follow-up singles sold disappointingly or failed to chart. The 1976 single "Out In The Open" became their swan songSwan song
"Swan song" is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan is completely silent during its lifetime until the moment just before death, when it sings one beautiful song...
, with the band having disbanded the previous autumn. The 1978 14 Greats album by Gusto Records featured Rob Grill, but none of the other original members, and consisted of 1978 versions of their hits.
Rob Grill remained in the music business and launched a solo career in 1979 (assisted on his solo album by several members of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
). When interest in bands of the 1960s began to rise again in the 1980s, Grill reformed The Grass Roots and toured the United States and Japan. He continued to lead the band into the current millennium as The Grass Roots sole owner and made special appearances with the band until his death.
In 1982, The Grass Roots performed an Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
concert on the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, attracting a large crowd and setting a record for attendance at an outdoor concert. However, in April 1983, James G. Watt
James G. Watt
James Gaius Watt served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior for President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1983.-Early life and career:...
, President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of the Interior
The Secretary of the Interior may refer to:* The United States Secretary of the Interior* The Secretario de Gobernación Secretary of the Interior...
, banned Independence Day concerts on the Mall by such groups. Watt said that "rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
s" that had performed on the Mall on Independence Day in 1981 and 1982 had encouraged drug use and alcoholism and had attracted "the wrong element", who would mug
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
people and families attending any similar events in the future. During the ensuing uproar, Rob Grill stated that he felt "highly insulted" by Watt's remarks, which he called "nothing but un-American".
Since 2005, Creed Bratton can be seen as "Creed Bratton
Creed Bratton (character)
Creed Rowland Bratton a.k.a. "William Charles Schneider" is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. Confusion may arise from the fact that the character is played by and partially based on the musician of the same name, Creed Bratton...
", Quality Assurance Officer, in the American NBC television situation comedy The Office. He continues to write songs and has released several solo albums, including Chasin' the Ball, The '80s, Coarsegold, Creed Bratton, and Bounce Back.
In 2006, former manager Marty Angelo
Marty Angelo
Marty Angelo worked in the entertainment business from 1965 to 1980 as a television producer , record promoter, restaurant/nightclub owner and personal manager for rock 'n' roll bands ....
published a book entitled, Once Life Matters: A New Beginning which has numerous stories about his life on the road with Rob Grill and The Grass Roots back in the early 1970s.
Former drummer Rick Coonce died on February 25, 2011, and Rob Grill died on July 11, 2011.
During of summers of 2010 and 2011, The Grass Roots had heavy touring schedules throughout the U.S. both on their own and as part of the Happy Together: 25th Anniversary Tour, along with Flo & Eddie of The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
, Mark Lindsay
Mark Lindsay
Mark Lindsay is an American musician, best known as the singer for the group Paul Revere & the Raiders.-Biography:Lindsay was born in Eugene, Oregon and was the second of eight children...
, The Buckinghams
The Buckinghams
The Buckinghams are an American Sunshine Pop band from Chicago, Illinois. They formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top selling acts of 1967. The band dissolved in 1970 but reformed in 1980 and continue to tour throughout the United States....
, and Monkees member Micky Dolenz
Micky Dolenz
George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
(2010 only). The 2011 Grass Roots line-up featured lead vocalist and bass player Mark Dawson, with Dusty Hanvey on lead guitar, Larry Nelson on keyboards and Joe Dougherty on drums.
Current members
- Mark Dawson – lead vocals, bass (2008–present)
- Dusty Hanvey – lead guitar (1985–1998, 2006–present)
- Larry Nelson - keyboards (1985–present)
- Joe Dougherty - drums (1985–present)
Former members
- Steve BarriSteve BarriSteve Barri is an American songwriter and record producer.Early in his career Barri was a staff writer with Dunhill Records. He frequently collaborated with P.F. Sloan, and the partners were responsible for the success of The Grass Roots and contributed largely to the band's first album...
- various instruments (1966) - Creed BrattonCreed BrattonCreed Bratton is an American actor and musician, a former member of The Grass Roots...
- lead guitar, lead vocals, songwriter (1967–1969) - Brian Carlyss- bass guitar (1979)
- Rick CoonceRick CoonceErik Michael Coonce , better known as Rick Coonce, was the drummer for The Grass Roots, a successful rock group that received heavy airplay on the radio from 1967 to 1972. Due to renewed interest in classic bands, The Grass Roots and Coonce's driving drum beats are popular even into the new...
- drums, songwriter (1967–1971) - Alan Deane - lead guitar (1976–1977)
- Denny Ellis - rhythm guitar (1966)
- Warren EntnerWarren EntnerWarren Entner was an American singer, songwriter, organist and guitarist for the rock and roll band, The Grass Roots...
- lead vocals, rhythm guitar, songwriter (1967–1974) - Willie Fulton - lead guitar, vocals (1966)
- Terry Furlong - lead guitar (1969–1971)
- Ralph Gilmore - drums (1982–1984)
- Rob GrillRob GrillRobert Frank "Rob" Grill was an American lead singer, songwriter and bass guitarist of the rock and roll band, The Grass Roots.-Career:Rob was a native of Hollywood, California where he attended Hollywood High School...
- lead vocals, bass guitar, songwriter (1967–1977, 1982–2011) - Scott Hoyt - lead vocals, lead guitar (1978–1979)
- Charles Judge - keyboards (1982–1984)
- Reed Kailing - lead guitar, songwriter (1972–1974)
- Reggie KnightonReggie KnightonReggie Knighton is a singer, songwriter and lead guitarist from Biloxi, Mississippi who relocated to Los Angeles, California at an early age and grew up there.-Beginnings:...
- lead guitar (1974–1975) - Joel LarsonJoel LarsonJoel Larson is a rock drummer and percussionist from California. He was born on April 29, 1947 at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco. He lived near Lincoln Park until he was 12 years old. He took up drumming at the age of 12 and moved near Avalon Park until he was 17. During these five years he...
- drums (1966, 1972–1978) - Reagan McKinley - drums (1979)
- Chris Merrell - Lead Guitar (1998–2006)
- Mark Miller - lead guitar/lead vocals (1972–78)
- Randy Ruff - organ, piano, lead vocals (1977-1978)
- Lonnie Price - lead vocals, keyboards (1976–1979)
- Brian Naughton - lead guitar (1969–71)
- David Nudge - gass guitar (1978)
- Terry Oubre - lead guitar (1982–1984)
- Dennis ProvisorDennis ProvisorDennis Provisor is an accomplished musician and songwriter who began at a very early age. He recorded on several different labels, including 20th Century Fox and Valiant, under the name of Denny Provisor. He released some soulful singles as a solo artist. He later joined the groups The Hook, Blue...
- lead vocals, keyboards, songwriter (1969–1971, 1974–1977) - P.F. Sloan - lead vocals, various instruments (1966)
- David Stensen - bass guitar (1966)
- Gene Wall - keyboards (1978)
- Virgil Weber - keyboards (1972–1974)
Singles
| Release date | Title | Flip side | Record label | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Cashbox | UK | |||||
| 1966 | Mr. Jones (Ballad of a Thin Man) Ballad of a Thin Man "Ballad of a Thin Man" is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan, released on the album Highway 61 Revisited in 1965.-Meaning:"Ballad of a Thin Man" comments on a conventional "Mr. Jones", who walks into a room of intentionally bizarre circus freaks and doesn't "know what's happening".The... |
You're A Lonely Girl | Dunhill | 121 | |||
| Where Were You When I Needed You | These Are Bad Times | Dunhill | 28 | 33 | |||
| Only When You're Lonely | This Is What I Was Made For | Dunhill | 96 | 77 | |||
| 1967 | Tip Of My Tongue | Look Out Girl | Dunhill | ||||
| Let's Live for Today Let's Live for Today (song) "Let's Live for Today" is a song written by David Shapiro, Ivan Mogull, and Michael Julian, and initially recorded by the English band the Rokes in 1966. The song was later popularized by the American rock band The Grass Roots, who released it as a single on May 13, 1967... |
Depressed Feeling | Dunhill | 8 | 5 | |||
| Things I Should Have Said | Tip Of My Tongue | Dunhill | 23 | 36 | |||
| Wake Up, Wake Up | No Exit | Dunhill | 68 | 61 | |||
| 1968 | Melody For You | Hey Friend | Dunhill | 123 | |||
| Feelings | Here's Where You Belong | Dunhill | |||||
| Midnight Confessions Midnight Confessions "Midnight Confessions" is a song written by Lou T. Josie and originally performed by the Evergreen Blues Band. It was later made famous by American rock band The Grass Roots, who released the song as a single in 1968... ++ |
Who Will You Be Tomorrow | Dunhill | 5 | 5 | |||
| 1969 | Bella Linda+++ First pressings mistitled as "Della Linda" |
Hot Bright Lights | Dunhill | 28 | 20 | ||
| Melody For You | All Good Things Come To An End | Dunhill | |||||
| Lovin' Things | You And Love Are The Same | Dunhill | 49 | 35 | |||
| River Is Wide, The | (You Gotta) Live For Love | Dunhill | 31 | 16 | |||
| I'd Wait A Million Years | Fly Me To Havana | Dunhill | 15 | 12 | |||
| Heaven Knows | Don't Remind Me | Dunhill | 24 | 13 | |||
| 1970 | Walking Through The Country | Truck Drivin' Man | Dunhill | 44 | 30 | ||
| Baby Hold On | Get It Together | Dunhill | 35 | 25 | |||
| Come On And Say It | Something's Comin' Over Me | Dunhill | 61 | 39 | |||
| Temptation Eyes | Keepin' Me Down | Dunhill | 15 | 16 | |||
| 1971 | Sooner Or Later | I Can Turn Off The Rain | Dunhill | 9 | 12 | ||
| Two Divided By Love | Let It Go | Dunhill | 16 | 8 | |||
| 1972 | Glory Bound | Only One | Dunhill | 34 | 22 | ||
| Runway, The | Move Along | Dunhill | 39 | 29 | |||
| Anyway The Wind Blows | Monday Love | Dunhill | 107 | ||||
| 1973 | Love Is What You Make It | Someone To Love | Dunhill | 55 | 32 | ||
| Where There's Smoke There's Fire | Look But Don't Touch | Dunhill | 88 | ||||
| We Can't Dance To Your Music | Look But Don't Touch | Dunhill | 97 | ||||
| Stealin' Love (In The Night) | We Almost Made It Together | Dunhill | |||||
| 1975 | Mamacita | Last Time Around, The | Haven | 71 | 84 | ||
| Naked Man | Nothing Good Comes Easy | Haven | |||||
| 1976 | Out In The Open | Optical Illusion | Haven | ||||
| 1982 | Here Comes That Feeling Again | Temptation Eye | MCA | ||||
| She Don't Know Me She Don't Know Me "She Don't Know Me" is the second single from American rock band Bon Jovi's debut album, Bon Jovi. It was written by Mark Avsec and charted at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100.... |
Keep On Burning | MCA | |||||
| Powers Of The Night | Powers Of The Night | MCA | |||||
++Gold Record - RIAA Certification
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
+++Composed by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
superstar Lucio Battisti
Lucio Battisti
Lucio Battisti was an Italian singer-songwriter . He is considered to be one of the best-known and most influential musicians and authors in Italian pop/rock music history....
)
Albums
| Release date | Title | Record label | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Cashbox | UK | ||||
| 1966 | Where Were You When I Needed You Where Were You When I Needed You Where Were You When I Needed You was the first album released by The Grass Roots. Most of the album is performed by the duo of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, although some of the album features a San Francisco band, including lead singer Willie "Bill" Fulton... |
Dunhill | ||||
| 1967 | Let's Live for Today Let's Live for Today Let's Live for Today is the second studio album by The Grass Roots. Released in 1967, it features their first top-ten hit by the same name, "Let's Live for Today".-Track listing:All songs written by P.F... |
Dunhill | 75 | |||
| 1968 | Feelings | Dunhill | ||||
| Golden Grass ++ | Dunhill | 25 | ||||
| 1969 | Lovin' Things | Dunhill | 73 | |||
| Leavin' It All Behind | Dunhill | 36 | ||||
| 1970 | More Golden Grass | Dunhill | 152 | |||
| 1971 | Their 16 Greatest Hits Their 16 Greatest Hits Their 16 Greatest Hits is a greatest hits collection by American pop group The Grass Roots. The album was originally released by Dunhill Records in September 1971, shortly after the success of "Sooner or Later" earlier in the year... ++ |
Dunhill | 58 | |||
| 1972 | Move Along | Dunhill | 86 | |||
| 1973 | Alotta' Mileage | Dunhill | 222 | |||
| 1975 | Self Titled | Haven | ||||
| 1976 | The ABC Collection | ABC | ||||
| 1978 | 14 Greatest | Gusto | ||||
| 1982 | Powers Of The Night | MCA | ||||
| 2000 | Live At Last | RFG | ||||
| 2001 | Symphonic Hits | Cleopatra | ||||
| 2008 | Live Gold | RFG | ||||
++Gold Record - RIAA Certification
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
Pop culture
- The name Grass Roots was used sporadically by Arthur LeeArthur Lee (musician)Arthur Lee was the frontman, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist of the Los Angeles rock band Love, best known for the critically acclaimed 1967 album, Forever Changes.-Early years:...
of LoveLove (band)Love was an American rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were led by singer/songwriter Arthur Lee and lead guitarist Johnny Echols...
, in the Los Angeles area. Dunhill Records secured the legal use of the name by releasing a record, which Lee never did. - The song "Let's Live For Today" has the identical Italian melody and virtually the same arrangement that was used in an earlier song called "Be Mine Again"; although this song includes the "One, Two, Three, Four" and "Sha-La-La-La-La" as in The Grass Roots hit, the lyrics are otherwise different. The version by the Dutch band The Skope that was released in 1966 is included on the Pebbles, Volume 15Pebbles, Volume 15Pebbles, Volume 15 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. It is the first of 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled The Netherlands 1965-1968. Pebbles, Volume 23 and Pebbles, Volume 25 also feature music by Dutch bands...
LP. - The band was seen in the Doris DayDoris DayDoris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
film With Six You Get EggrollWith Six You Get EggrollWith Six You Get Eggroll is a family comedy, starring Doris Day and Brian Keith. Other cast members include George Carlin, Jamie Farr, William Christopher, Barbara Hershey, Alice Ghostley and Pat Carroll....
. They play the song "Feelings" at a crowded dance party. - The Grass Roots have appeared on over 50 national television shows including, The Tonight ShowThe Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, The Today Show, Ed SullivanThe Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
, Andy WilliamsAndy WilliamsHoward Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
, Sonny & CherThe Sonny & Cher Comedy HourThe Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour is an American variety show based on the married couple of American pop-singer Cher and her husband, Sonny Bono. The show ran on CBS in the United States, when it premiered in August 1971...
, Good Morning AmericaGood Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
Hit-Makers, MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, and a record sixteen times on Dick Clark’s American BandstandAmerican BandstandAmerican Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. - The 1975 Self Titled LP is seen in the film FM. The back cover appears in a long DJ broadcast room scene with characters played by Cleavon LittleCleavon LittleCleavon Jake Little was an American film and theatre actor.Little was widely known for his lead role as Sheriff Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles. He also was the irreverent Dr...
and Martin MullMartin MullMartin Mull is an American actor who has starred in his own television sitcom and acted in prominent films. He is also a comedian, painter, and recording artist...
. - The band is mentioned by John CandyJohn CandyJohn Franklin Candy was a Canadian actor and comedian. He rose to fame as a member of the Toronto branch of The Second City and its related Second City Television series, and through his appearances in comedy films such as Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle...
's character in the film Uncle BuckUncle BuckUncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffman, and Macaulay Culkin, and co-stars Jay Underwood and Laurie Metcalf.-Plot:Bob Russell Uncle Buck is a 1989 John Hughes comedy film starring John Candy, Amy Madigan, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby...
. He comments about the music while navigating a teenage party looking for his missing niece. - Guitarist Creed BrattonCreed BrattonCreed Bratton is an American actor and musician, a former member of The Grass Roots...
plays a character also named Creed BrattonCreed Bratton (character)Creed Rowland Bratton a.k.a. "William Charles Schneider" is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. Confusion may arise from the fact that the character is played by and partially based on the musician of the same name, Creed Bratton...
, a fictional version of himself, in the US version of the television show The OfficeThe Office (US TV series)The Office is an American comedy television series broadcast by NBC. An adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name, it depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company...
. In a scene that never aired from the episode "Booze CruiseBooze Cruise (The Office episode)"Booze Cruise" is the eleventh episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office—the show's seventeenth episode overall. Written by Greg Daniels and directed by Ken Kwapis, the episode first aired in the United States on January 5, 2006 on NBC...
", Bratton's boss, Michael, borrowed the guitar from a cruise shipCruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
's band and poorly plays a version of "Smoke on the WaterSmoke on the Water"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...
" by Deep PurpleDeep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
. Bratton then takes the guitar from Michael and proceeds to surprise the rest of the passengers with his excellent playing. The scene then cuts to a confessional, where Bratton talks of his time with The Grass Roots, complete with pictures of the actual band and references to actual tours. In another deleted scene from the episode "Product Recall", a fictional Scranton Times writer notices Bratton was a member of The Grass Roots. He also sang one of his own songs titled "Spinnin' N Reelin'" in the episode "A Benihana ChristmasA Benihana Christmas"A Benihana Christmas" is the tenth and eleventh episode of the third season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the thirty-eighth episode overall. It was written by Jennifer Celotta and directed by Harold Ramis...
". - The band was mentioned frequently on the nationally syndicated Don and Mike radio show. Don GeronimoDon GeronimoMichael Sorce , better known by his stage name Don Geronimo, is an American radio personality formerly featured on the nationally syndicated radio talk show Don and Mike Show...
sat in with the band several times at performances in the Washington DC area. - The Grass Roots version of the Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
song, "Ballad Of A Thin ManBallad of a Thin Man"Ballad of a Thin Man" is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan, released on the album Highway 61 Revisited in 1965.-Meaning:"Ballad of a Thin Man" comments on a conventional "Mr. Jones", who walks into a room of intentionally bizarre circus freaks and doesn't "know what's happening".The...
", was featured in the 1987 Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
film Good Morning, VietnamGood Morning, VietnamGood Morning, Vietnam is a 1987 American comedy-drama film set in Saigon during the Vietnam War, based on the career of Adrian Cronauer, a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio Service , who proves hugely popular with the troops serving in South Vietnam, but infuriates his superiors with what they call...
. - The Grass Roots song "Midnight Confessions" was featured in the 1997 film Jackie BrownJackie Brown (film)Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
. - The Grass Roots song "Let's Live For Today" was used in a 2008 TV commercial to promote the Volkswagen RoutanVolkswagen RoutanThe Volkswagen Routan is a seven-seat minivan and rebadged variant of the Chrysler RT platform, with revised styling, content features, and suspension tuning from the fifth-generation Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country....
.
External links
- The-GrassRoots.com — official site
- [ The Grass Roots at AllMusic.com]
- CreedBratton.com
- RickCoonce.com
- WarrenEntner.com
- TerryFurlong.com
- RobGrill.com
- ReedKailing.com
- Joel-Larson.com
- DennisProvisor.com
- Gunga Dave Stensen
- Marty Angelo.com former manager
- Scott Sechman
- BrianCarlyss.com
- (http://www.ourstage.com/profile/marksmiller)