The Lovin' Spoonful
Encyclopedia
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American
pop rock
band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian
said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt
and Chuck Berry
," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name "Lovin' Spoonful" from a line in Hurt's song, "Coffee Blues".
that spanned from the 1950s to the early '60s
. Sebastian was joined in the Spoonful by guitarist Zal Yanovsky
from a bohemian
folk
group called The Mugwumps
, playing local coffee houses and small clubs (two other members, Cass Elliot
and Denny Doherty
, would later form half of the Mamas & the Papas
). Drummer-vocalist Joe Butler and bassist Steve Boone
rounded out the group.
The group first recorded four tracks for Elektra Records
in early 1965, but elected to sign with Kama Sutra Records
that same year. The Elektra tracks were released on the 1966 various artists compilation LP What's Shakin'
after the band's success on Kama Sutra.
, the band released their first single, the Sebastian-penned "Do You Believe in Magic
", in August 1965
. The Lovin' Spoonful played all the instruments on their records, with the exceptions of the orchestral instruments heard on their soundtrack album You're A Big Boy Now and some later singles. Additionally, aside from a few covers (mostly on their first album) they wrote all their own material, including "Younger Girl
" (which missed the Hot 100), which was hit for The Critters
in mid-1966.
"Do You Believe In Magic" became a Top Ten hit in the US, and the band followed it up with a series of hit singles and albums throughout 1965 and 1966, all produced by Jacobsen. The Lovin' Spoonful became known for such folk-flavored pop hits as "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice
", which reached #10, and "Daydream", which went to #2, on the Hot 100." Other hits included "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind" (another #2 hit) and their only song to reach #1 on the Hot 100, "Summer in the City
" (13–27 August 1966). Later that year, the #10 hit "Rain On The Roof" and the #8 hit "Nashville Cats" completed the group's first seven consecutive Hot 100 hits to reach that chart's top 10. The only other 1960s act to achieve that feat is Gary Lewis & The Playboys
.
Arguably the most successful pop/rock group to have jug band
roots, nearly half the songs on their first album were modernized versions of jug band
standards. Their popularity revived interest in the form, and many subsequent jug bands cite them as an inspiration. The rest of their albums featured mostly original songs, but their jug band roots showed up again and again, particularly in "Daydream" and the lesser-known "Money" (which only reached #48, in 1968), featuring a typewriter as percussion.
Lovin' Spoonful members termed their approach "good-time music". In the liner notes of "Do You Believe in Magic", Zal Yanovsky said he "became a convert to Reddy Kilowatt
because it's loud, and people dance to it, and it's loud". Soon-to-be-members of the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead
were part of the West Coast acoustic folk music scene when The Lovin' Spoonful came to town while on tour. They credited The Lovin' Spoonful concert as a fateful experience, after which they decided to leave the folk scene and "go electric."
At the peak of its success the band was originally selected to perform on the television show that became The Monkees
, and also gained an added bit of publicity when Butler replaced Jim Rado in the role of Claude for a sold-out four-month run with the Broadway production of the rock musical Hair
. The Lovin' Spoonful's song "Pow!" was used as the opening theme of Woody Allen
's first feature film, What's Up, Tiger Lily. John Sebastian composed the music for Francis Ford Coppola
's second film, You're a Big Boy Now
, and The Lovin' Spoonful played the music for the soundtrack, which included yet another hit, "Darlin' Be Home Soon". Both films were released in 1966.
to produce the single "Six O'Clock", which would hit #18 US.
Yanovsky left the band after the soundtrack album You're a Big Boy Now was released in May 1967, primarily due to a drug bust in San Francisco, in which he was arrested for possession of marijuana and pressured by police to name his supplier. As a Canadian
citizen and fearing he would be barred from re-entering the U.S., he complied. He would later open a restaurant in Canada, the immensely popular Chez Piggy in Kingston, Ontario. The restaurant is now owned and run by his daughter.
Yanovsky's replacement was Jerry Yester
, formerly of the Modern Folk Quartet
. Around this time, perhaps coincidentally, the band's sound became more pop-oriented.
This new line up of The Lovin' Spoonful would record two moderately successful Wissert-produced singles ("She Is Still A Mystery" and "Money"), as well as the 1967 album Everything Playing. Sebastian then left the group by early 1968 to go solo.
With commercial success waning, The Lovin' Spoonful lasted only until early 1969. They split up following the release of their album Revelation: Revolution '69.
film One Trick Pony, which was released in 1980.
In 1991, after a long awaited settlement with their record company, Butler and Boone decided to start up The Lovin' Spoonful again with Jerry Yester
. They were joined by Jerry's brother, Jim Yester (vocals and guitar), formerly of The Association
, and drummer John Marrella. Sebastian and Yanovsky declined to participate. After a two month rehearsal in the Berkshire Mountains, the group started touring, with Butler now handling most of the lead-singing chores. Jim Yester left this new grouping by the end of 1992 and was replaced by Jerry's daughter, Lena Yester (vocals and keyboards), who joined in early 1993. Mike Arturi replaced Marrella on drums in 1996, and Phil Smith joined on guitar in 2000, replacing Lena Yester.
The original four members of the Lovin' Spoonful were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
on March 6, 2000. All four original members appeared at the ceremony and performed "Do You Believe In Magic".
Yanovsky died in 2002. Sebastian has stated that he no longer wishes to perform with the remaining members of the group because of personal differences.
The current group, still led by Butler and Boone, continues to perform.
called the "Coffee Blues." John Sebastian credits Fritz Richmond
for suggesting the name. The song "Coffee Blues" is a tribute to Maxwell House
Coffee, which he describes, "rapping" in the beginning of the song, as being two or three times any other brand, ergo, he only needs one spoonful to make him feel alright, what he describes as "my lovin' spoonful" in the song.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band of the 1960s, named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 2000. When asked about his band, leader John Sebastian
John Sebastian
John Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
said it sounded like a combination of "Mississippi John Hurt
Mississippi John Hurt
John Smith Hurt, better known as Mississippi John Hurt was an American country blues singer and guitarist.Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine...
and Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
," prompting his friend, Fritz Richmond, to suggest the name "Lovin' Spoonful" from a line in Hurt's song, "Coffee Blues".
Formation and early years (1964-1965)
The band had its roots in the folk music scene based in the Greenwich Village section of lower Manhattan during the early 1960s. Sebastian, who grew up in contact with music and musicians, was the son of a much-recorded and highly technically accomplished classical harmonica player. He had reached maturity toward the end of the American folk music revivalAmerican folk music revival
The American folk music revival was a phenomenon in the United States that began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, and performers like Josh White, Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Richard Dyer-Bennett, Oscar Brand, Jean Ritchie, John Jacob...
that spanned from the 1950s to the early '60s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
. Sebastian was joined in the Spoonful by guitarist Zal Yanovsky
Zal Yanovsky
Zalman "Zal" Yanovsky was a Canadian rock musician. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky. He played lead guitar and sang for the Lovin' Spoonful, a rock band which he founded with John Sebastian in 1964...
from a bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
group called The Mugwumps
The Mugwumps
The Mugwumps were a 1960s rock band. The Mugwumps made some recordings in the mid-60s, but the short-lived New York group, formed in 1964, is principally remembered for what its members did after they split up....
, playing local coffee houses and small clubs (two other members, Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot , born Ellen Naomi Cohen and also known as Mama Cass, was an American singer and member of The Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, she released five solo albums. Elliot was found dead in her room in London, England, from an apparent heart attack after two weeks of sold-out...
and Denny Doherty
Denny Doherty
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty was a Canadian singer and songwriter. He was most widely known as a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas & the Papas.-Early career:...
, would later form half of the Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were a Canadian/American vocal group of the 1960s . The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968 with a short reunion in 1971, releasing five albums and 11 Top 40 hit singles...
). Drummer-vocalist Joe Butler and bassist Steve Boone
Steve Boone
Steve Boone is the bass guitarist for the rock band, The Lovin' Spoonful.After the Lovin' Spoonful stopped touring in 1968, Boone went to work producing an album for Mercury Records by the Oxpetals. Soon after finishing the album Boone bought a 56 ft sailboat 'Cygnus' and moved onto it in the...
rounded out the group.
The group first recorded four tracks for Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in early 1965, but elected to sign with Kama Sutra Records
Kama Sutra Records
Kama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur "Artie" Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions, a production house. The word "Kama Sutra" is a Sanskrit terminology....
that same year. The Elektra tracks were released on the 1966 various artists compilation LP What's Shakin'
What's Shakin'
-Side One:# "Good Time Music" – The Lovin' Spoonful# "Almost Grown" – The Lovin' Spoonful# "Spoonful" – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band# "Off the Wall" – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band...
after the band's success on Kama Sutra.
Pop success (1965-1966)
Working with producer Erik JacobsenErik Jacobsen
Erik Jacobsen is an American record producer, best known for his work in the 1960s with Tim Hardin, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Charlatans and Norman Greenbaum, and later with Tazmanian Devils and Chris Isaak....
, the band released their first single, the Sebastian-penned "Do You Believe in Magic
Do You Believe in Magic (song)
-Track listings:-Release history:-Chart performance:...
", in August 1965
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
. The Lovin' Spoonful played all the instruments on their records, with the exceptions of the orchestral instruments heard on their soundtrack album You're A Big Boy Now and some later singles. Additionally, aside from a few covers (mostly on their first album) they wrote all their own material, including "Younger Girl
Younger Girl
"Younger Girl" is a song written by John Sebastian and originally recorded by his band, The Lovin' Spoonful, for their 1965 debut album Do You Believe in Magic. American pop group, The Critters, covered the song and released it as a single in 1966. It reached number 38 on the UK Singles Chart....
" (which missed the Hot 100), which was hit for The Critters
The Critters
The Critters were a successful American pop group with several hits in the 1960s.The group formed in New Jersey in 1964 when singer-guitarist Don Ciccone and saxophonist Bob Podstawski joined local group the Vibratones, comprising Jim Ryan , Ken Gorka , Jack Decker , and Chris Darway...
in mid-1966.
"Do You Believe In Magic" became a Top Ten hit in the US, and the band followed it up with a series of hit singles and albums throughout 1965 and 1966, all produced by Jacobsen. The Lovin' Spoonful became known for such folk-flavored pop hits as "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice
You Didn't Have to Be So Nice
"You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" is the second single released by The Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1965. The song was featured on their 1966 album Daydream...
", which reached #10, and "Daydream", which went to #2, on the Hot 100." Other hits included "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind" (another #2 hit) and their only song to reach #1 on the Hot 100, "Summer in the City
Summer in the City
"Summer in the City" is the title of a song recorded by The Lovin' Spoonful, written by Mark Sebastian and Steve Boone. It came from their album Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1966...
" (13–27 August 1966). Later that year, the #10 hit "Rain On The Roof" and the #8 hit "Nashville Cats" completed the group's first seven consecutive Hot 100 hits to reach that chart's top 10. The only other 1960s act to achieve that feat is Gary Lewis & The Playboys
Gary Lewis & the Playboys
Gary Lewis & the Playboys were a 1960s rock group fronted by Gary Lewis, son of comedian Jerry Lewis. They are best known for their 1965 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "This Diamond Ring."-Original members:* Gary Lewis - Drums and vocals...
.
Arguably the most successful pop/rock group to have jug band
Jug band
A Jug band is a band employing a jug player and a mix of traditional and home-made instruments. These home-made instruments are ordinary objects adapted to or modified for making of sound, like the washtub bass, washboard, spoons, stovepipe and comb & tissue paper...
roots, nearly half the songs on their first album were modernized versions of jug band
Jug band
A Jug band is a band employing a jug player and a mix of traditional and home-made instruments. These home-made instruments are ordinary objects adapted to or modified for making of sound, like the washtub bass, washboard, spoons, stovepipe and comb & tissue paper...
standards. Their popularity revived interest in the form, and many subsequent jug bands cite them as an inspiration. The rest of their albums featured mostly original songs, but their jug band roots showed up again and again, particularly in "Daydream" and the lesser-known "Money" (which only reached #48, in 1968), featuring a typewriter as percussion.
Lovin' Spoonful members termed their approach "good-time music". In the liner notes of "Do You Believe in Magic", Zal Yanovsky said he "became a convert to Reddy Kilowatt
Reddy Kilowatt
Reddy Kilowatt is a cartoon character that acted as corporate spokesman for electricity generation in the United States for some six decades.-Description:...
because it's loud, and people dance to it, and it's loud". Soon-to-be-members of the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
were part of the West Coast acoustic folk music scene when The Lovin' Spoonful came to town while on tour. They credited The Lovin' Spoonful concert as a fateful experience, after which they decided to leave the folk scene and "go electric."
At the peak of its success the band was originally selected to perform on the television show that became The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, and also gained an added bit of publicity when Butler replaced Jim Rado in the role of Claude for a sold-out four-month run with the Broadway production of the rock musical Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
. The Lovin' Spoonful's song "Pow!" was used as the opening theme of Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's first feature film, What's Up, Tiger Lily. John Sebastian composed the music for Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
's second film, You're a Big Boy Now
You're a Big Boy Now
You're a Big Boy Now is a 1966 film with Peter Kastner, Elizabeth Hartman, Geraldine Page, Julie Harris and Karen Black, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola based on a 1963 novel, also titled You're a Big Boy Now, by David Benedictus....
, and The Lovin' Spoonful played the music for the soundtrack, which included yet another hit, "Darlin' Be Home Soon". Both films were released in 1966.
Personnel changes (1967)
In early 1967, the band broke with their producer Erik Jacobsen, turning to Joe WissertJoe Wissert
Joe Wissert is an American record producer. His credits include albums by artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Helen Reddy, The J. Geils Band, Gordon Lightfoot, Boz Scaggs, The Sinceros and The Turtles....
to produce the single "Six O'Clock", which would hit #18 US.
Yanovsky left the band after the soundtrack album You're a Big Boy Now was released in May 1967, primarily due to a drug bust in San Francisco, in which he was arrested for possession of marijuana and pressured by police to name his supplier. As a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
citizen and fearing he would be barred from re-entering the U.S., he complied. He would later open a restaurant in Canada, the immensely popular Chez Piggy in Kingston, Ontario. The restaurant is now owned and run by his daughter.
Yanovsky's replacement was Jerry Yester
Jerry Yester
Jerry Yester is an American folk rock musician, record producer, and arranger.Growing up in Burbank, California, Yester formed a duo with brother Jim Yester, the Yester Brothers, and starting playing folk clubs in Los Angeles in 1960...
, formerly of the Modern Folk Quartet
Modern Folk Quartet
The Modern Folk Quartet recorded two albums of folk revival music in the early 1960s, with an emphasis on group harmonies, and have subsequently re-formed more than once and made further recordings....
. Around this time, perhaps coincidentally, the band's sound became more pop-oriented.
This new line up of The Lovin' Spoonful would record two moderately successful Wissert-produced singles ("She Is Still A Mystery" and "Money"), as well as the 1967 album Everything Playing. Sebastian then left the group by early 1968 to go solo.
The final years (1968-1969)
The group was now officially a trio, and drummer Butler (who had previously sung lead on a few album tracks) became the group's new lead vocalist. Up to this point Sebastian had written (or co-written) and sung every one of The Lovin' Spoonful's hits; the band now turned to outside writers for their singles, and used a variety of outside producers. The band's last two Hot 100 entries ("Never Going Back" and "Me About You") were sung by Butler, and written by professional songsmiths. In addition, "Never Going Back" only featured Yester and Butler's playing—the other musical parts were played by session musicians, a first for the group.With commercial success waning, The Lovin' Spoonful lasted only until early 1969. They split up following the release of their album Revelation: Revolution '69.
Reunions, revivals, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (1980-present)
The original group (Sebastian, Yanovsky, Butler and Boone) reunited briefly in 1979 for a show at the Concord Hotel in the Catskills for an appearance in the Paul SimonPaul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
film One Trick Pony, which was released in 1980.
In 1991, after a long awaited settlement with their record company, Butler and Boone decided to start up The Lovin' Spoonful again with Jerry Yester
Jerry Yester
Jerry Yester is an American folk rock musician, record producer, and arranger.Growing up in Burbank, California, Yester formed a duo with brother Jim Yester, the Yester Brothers, and starting playing folk clubs in Los Angeles in 1960...
. They were joined by Jerry's brother, Jim Yester (vocals and guitar), formerly of The Association
The Association
The Association is a pop music band from California in the folk rock or soft rock genre. During the 1960s, they had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts and were the lead-off band at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival...
, and drummer John Marrella. Sebastian and Yanovsky declined to participate. After a two month rehearsal in the Berkshire Mountains, the group started touring, with Butler now handling most of the lead-singing chores. Jim Yester left this new grouping by the end of 1992 and was replaced by Jerry's daughter, Lena Yester (vocals and keyboards), who joined in early 1993. Mike Arturi replaced Marrella on drums in 1996, and Phil Smith joined on guitar in 2000, replacing Lena Yester.
The original four members of the Lovin' Spoonful were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
on March 6, 2000. All four original members appeared at the ceremony and performed "Do You Believe In Magic".
Yanovsky died in 2002. Sebastian has stated that he no longer wishes to perform with the remaining members of the group because of personal differences.
The current group, still led by Butler and Boone, continues to perform.
Name
The band's name was inspired by some lines in a song of Mississippi John HurtMississippi John Hurt
John Smith Hurt, better known as Mississippi John Hurt was an American country blues singer and guitarist.Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself how to play the guitar around age nine...
called the "Coffee Blues." John Sebastian credits Fritz Richmond
Fritz Richmond
John B. "Fritz" Richmond was an American musician and recording engineer. Fritz Richmond was considered the foremost washtub bassist in the world, and was also the most successful professional jug player....
for suggesting the name. The song "Coffee Blues" is a tribute to Maxwell House
Maxwell House
Maxwell House is a brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Foods. Introduced in 1892, it is named in honor of the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. For many years until the late 1980s it was the largest-selling coffee in the U.S. and is currently second behind...
Coffee, which he describes, "rapping" in the beginning of the song, as being two or three times any other brand, ergo, he only needs one spoonful to make him feel alright, what he describes as "my lovin' spoonful" in the song.
Original U.S. singles
| Release Year | Titles | U.S. 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... |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | "Do You Believe In Magic Do You Believe in Magic (song) -Track listings:-Release history:-Chart performance:... " |
|
| 1965 | "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice You Didn't Have to Be So Nice "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" is the second single released by The Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1965. The song was featured on their 1966 album Daydream... " |
|
| 1966 | "Daydream" | |
| 1966 | "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?" | |
| 1966 | "Summer in the City Summer in the City "Summer in the City" is the title of a song recorded by The Lovin' Spoonful, written by Mark Sebastian and Steve Boone. It came from their album Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful and it reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1966... " |
|
| 1966 | "Rain on the Roof" | |
| 1966 | "Nashville Cats" | |
| 1966 | "Full Measure" | |
| 1967 | "Darlin' Be Home Soon" | |
| 1967 | "Six O'Clock" | |
| 1967 | "As Long As You're Here" | |
| 1967 | "You're A Big Boy Now" | |
| 1967 | "She Is Still A Mystery" | |
| 1968 | "Money" | |
| 1968 | "Never Goin' Back" | |
| 1968 | "('Til I) Run With You" | |
| 1969 | "Me About You" | |
| 1970 | "Younger Generation" |
Original U.S. albums (Kama Sutra)
| Release Year | Label/Catalog # | Album Title | Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Kama Sutra KLP/KLPS-8050 | Do You Believe in Magic Do You Believe in Magic (album) Do You Believe in Magic is the debut album by the folk rock group The Lovin' Spoonful. It was released in November 1965, on the Kama Sutra label. The album features the hits "Do You Believe in Magic" and "Did You Ever Have to Make up Your Mind?" Do You Believe in Magic is the debut album by the... |
|
| 1966 | Kama Sutra KLP/KLPS-8051 | Daydream | |
| 1966 | Kama Sutra KLP/KLPS-8053 | What's Up Tiger Lily? (soundtrack) | |
| 1966 | Kama Sutra KLP/KLPS-8054 | Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful is the third album by the folk/rock band The Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1966. It peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.- History :... |
|
| 1967 | Kama Sutra KLP/KLPS-8056 | The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful is a best of album of The Lovin' Spoonful hits featuring tracks from their first three albums. Despite being a "best of", this album charted the highest of the band's career, hitting number three on the Billboard chart.... |
|
| 1967 | Kama Sutra KLP/KLPS-8058 | You're A Big Boy Now (soundtrack) You're a Big Boy Now (album) You're a Big Boy Now is a soundtrack album by The Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1967. It contains some songs from the Francis Ford Coppola movie of the same name. Both "You're a Big Boy Now" and "Darling Be Home Soon" were released as singles... |
|
| 1967 | Kama Sutra KLP/KLPS-8061 | Everything Playing Everything Playing -History:Everything Playing was the first album featuring guitarist Jerry Yester and the last commercial album as a quartet; principal songwriter and lead singer John Sebastian would leave the group in June 1968 for a solo career... |
|
| 1968 | Kama Sutra KLP/KLPS-8064 | The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful, Vol. 2 | |
| 1969 | Kama Sutra KLPS-8073 | Revelation: Revolution '69 |
Compilation albums
- What's Shakin'What's Shakin'-Side One:# "Good Time Music" – The Lovin' Spoonful# "Almost Grown" – The Lovin' Spoonful# "Spoonful" – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band# "Off the Wall" – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band...
(1966 - Elektra EUK 250) - The Best of The Lovin' SpoonfulThe Best of the Lovin' SpoonfulThe Best of the Lovin' Spoonful is a best of album of The Lovin' Spoonful hits featuring tracks from their first three albums. Despite being a "best of", this album charted the highest of the band's career, hitting number three on the Billboard chart....
(1967-Kama Sutra Label) - The Best Of The Lovin' Spoonful Volume 2 (1968-Kama Sutra Label)
- The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful (1969 - Deluxe Label)
- John Sebastian Song Book Vol.1 (1970-Kama Sutra Label)
- The Very Best of the Lovin' SpoonfulThe Very Best of the Lovin' SpoonfulThe Very Best of the Lovin' Spoonful is a compilation album of The Lovin' Spoonful hits spanning their career through the 1960s and the 1970s released in 1970....
(1970 - Kama Sutra Label) - Once Upon a Time... (1971 - Kama Sutra Label)
- More Golden Spoonful (1974)
- The Best...Lovin' Spoonful (1976 - Kama Sutra Label)
- Daydream/What's Up Tiger Lily (double LP) (1977 - Kama Sutra Label)
- File (1977 - Pye Label)
- So Nice (1979 - 51 West Label)
- The Great Years (1979 - Mode Label)
- Pop History (1972 - Polydor Label)
- Greatest Hits (1981 - Kama Sutra Label, Quality Records in Canada)
- The Best in the West (1983 - Buddah Label)
- The Lovin' Spoonful's Greatest Hits (1985 - Buddah Label #252-2741 Rare German Pressing)
- The EP Collection (1988 - See for Miles Label)
- Do You Believe in Magic/Everything Playing (1988 - That's Original Label)
- Collection Lovin' Spoonful (20 Hits) (1988 - Castle Label)
- All the Best of the Lovin' Spoonful (1988 - Pair Label)
- Greatest Hits (1988 - Hollywood Label)
- 20 Greatest Hits (1989 - Big Time Label)
- AnthologyThe Lovin' Spoonful AnthologyThe Lovin' Spoonful Anthology is a compilation album by the folk rock group The Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1990.The Lovin' Spoonful Anthology focuses mainly on The Lovin' Spoonful's 1965-1966 releases with a few obscure tracks such as "Pow!" from their What's Up, Tiger Lily? soundtrack and "Good...
(1990 - Rhino Label) - Summer in the City - 19 Great Songs (1991 - Huub Label)
- A Spoonful of Soundtracks (1991 - Repertoire Label)
- In the Movies (1991 - Sequel Label)
- Believe in Magic/Everything Playing (1992 - Castle Label)
- The Best... Lovin' Spoonful (1994 - Kama Sutra Label)
- The Lovin' Spoonful (1995 - Rhino Label)
- Do You Believe in Magic/Hums (1995 - Kama Sutra Label)
- The Very Best of the Lovin' Spoonful (1996 - Music Club Label)
- Do You Believe in Magic & Other Hits (1997 - Rhino Flashback Label)
- Summer in the City (1997 - Collectables Label)
- Greatest Hits (1998 - Delta Label)
- The Very Best of the Lovin' Spoonful (1998 - Camden Label)
- Best 28 (1998 - BMG / RCA Label)
- Collector's Edition, Volume 1 (1999 - Platinum Disc Label)
- Collector's Edition, Volume 2 (1999 - Platinum Disc Label)
- Collector's Edition, Volume 3 (1999 - Platinum Disc Label)
- Collector's Edition, Volume 1-3 (1999 - Platinum Disc Label)
- Lovin' Spoonful (2000 - Platinum Disc Label)
- French 60s EP Collection (2000 - Magic Label)
- Greatest Hits (2000 - Buddha Label)
- The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful (2001 - Paradiso Label)
- Platinum & Gold Collection (2003 - Buddah Label)
- The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful (2004 - BMG International Label)
- Very Best of the Lovin' Spoonful (2004 - BMG International Label)
- Lovin' You (2005 - BCI Music Label)
- Singles A's and B's (2006 - Repertoire Label)