The LOVIN' SPOONFUL Band History part 2 |

This part 2 of the LOVIN' SPOONFUL'S history covers their last 4 albums and the infamous drug bust that tarnished the band's counter culture image and hastened their demise. This video offers album reviews and song snippets of their hits and some obscure album and film score tracks, including Francis Ford Coppola's You're a Big Boy Now. Albums reviews include Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful, Everything Playing, Revelation: Revolution '69, and the soundtrack to You're a Big Boy Now.
Sources: Erik Jacobsen interview by Lewis Shiner:
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Hotter Than A Matchhead: Life on the Run with The Lovin' Spoonful:
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Do You Believe in Magic?: The Story Of The Lovin' Spoonful
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[@tomgebarowski8156]

John Sebastian was a great songwriter, knew how to put in lots of hooks and have catchy beats in his tunes.

[@MarkMikelVideos]

I got to meet and play with John Sebastion in the summer of '19. I told him that every little second of Summer In The City was a hook. He was pleased because no one ever told him that before. It's true though. Great informative videos. Thank you!

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Yes, that song is a masterpiece with not one second wasted! Thanks for sharing your meeting with John!

[@colinduff2922]

I think HUMS OF THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL was a great album. The band was very successful here in Australia....although they never toured here. HUMS was the first LP I bought in stereo. Every track was different & good.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Welcome from Australia! Hums is probably their best and it doesn't get nearly enough attention. Thanks for watching.

[@arthurhenderson2188]

There are certain parallels between the writing of Sebastian and Ray Davies, both lyrically and musically. I don't think one ever copied the other but perhaps at times they were operating on the same wavelength. Some examples: Daydream/Sunny Afternoon, Summer In The City/Waterloo Sunset, Boredom/Sitting In My Hotel, Money/The Moneygoround. Even Six O'Clock could've been written by Davies.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

That's a great observation, I never looked at the two in parallel but the comparisons you make seem obvious to me now! At some point I will be doing a Kinks band history, which will be fun. they recorded so much music! Thanks for the comment.

[@idanwillenchik3050]

Ray Davies has written very English songs.Sebastian's music is very American but he may be the American equivalent of Davies.Both have a very tongue in cheek approach but the Kinks were clearly more verstaile.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

@@idanwillenchik3050 That's a very good point. I will eventually be doing an extensive look at the Kinks, which is a bit daunting for me, but it will be worth it!

[@ConglomerationCat]

@@popgoesthe60s52 we support you over a 100% on this....

[@lamper2]

@@popgoesthe60s52 THAT might have to be a 3 part!

[@dmichaelelkins1]

Despite having several timeless hits, this band doesn’t get the attention they deserve. Thanks for reminding us of them as well as The Association. How about The Turtles? The Grass Roots? Paul Revere and The Raiders? The Byrds? The Mamas and The Papas?

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Those are all coming! My goal is to give attention to these bands and some of their excellent deep cuts that are virtually ignored. Thanks for the comment!

[@Borella309]

Agree totally - but we also need a serious look at The (Young) Rascals!!! (P.S. Again - thanks Matt - absolutely enjoying your presentations!).

[@kevmac1230]

@@Borella309 put me down for the Beau Brummels.Highly underated.

[@smileysmilefan7879]

Spanky & our gang too!

[@kathiec1333]

@@Borella309 Agreed!!

[@shannonwittman950]

*Very good history on this iconic 1960's "good time" band! As others have mentioned in the comments, please do the histories of such notable but downplayed groups as Paul Revere & The Raiders and The Grass Roots. Would also be interesting to know the backgrounds of early pop-rock one-hits wonders such as "98.6" by Keith. *The thing I always noticed about the Lovin' Spoonful is that they were (are) listen-able. Any track can be playing in the background and one begins to notice that its infectious spirit sort of sneaks up. This proved especially true in an era when a good tempo / beat defined most top-40 hits. Yet, songs like "Younger Girl," "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind" and "Rain On The Roof" could easily hold their own in market share. *I've read that the band took their name, not from an allusion to heroin (a popular rumor in the 1960's), but from a song by Mississippi John Hurt called "Coffee Blues," where the nomenclature is repeated several times throughout.

[@jasontheoldmillennial7197]

I watched some footage of the band playing on television and I found the guitar player to be very distracting during the songs. It was kind of obnoxious and I’m not surprised he got fired. I’m surprised the band tried to go on after Jon Sebastian left. It doesn’t sound like The Lovin Spoonful without his vocals. Great job with the video. A lot of interesting information I didn’t know about.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Yes, Zal is certainly a bit much at times. It's nice to be professional on TV at least some of the time! Thank for the nice compliment - more to come!

[@kenpeters3082]

Unfortunately John Lennon also would deliberately ruin some of the Beatles videos shot mid-career. Rock bands had "issues" with lip-synching, and so goofed off now and then.

[@StephenPate]

Zal was a comedian. The inside joke is they are lip-syncing the videos and he's mocking that. It's his way of acting out. As the narrator said it did drive the band crazy after a while. At that point he was on the fence - he liked being in the group - past tense - and inner feelings about John dating his girlfriend would be hard to stomach. I had that happen to me at 16 - some friend! Many decades later my brother-in-law started bedding my girlfriend - I ditched them both. Loyalty is important.

[@kabbey30]

Don't kid yourself, that guitar player was Zal Yanovsky. He was a big reason why the band was so popular. Zal was only a distraction to John Sebastian. This can happen when you have 2 or more brilliant musicians in a band. They wanted the band to go opposite directions.

[@MplsTodd]

Thanks for preparing this overview. In my opinion, this band deserves more recognition because of the number and breadth of their hits from ‘65-‘68. John Sebastian was on fire in the mid ‘60s as a writer! Darling Be Home Soon remains one of my all time favorite songs, along with Six ‘O’clock, Nashville Cats, Rain on the Roof, Summer in the City & more. The one thing that holds the Spoonful back could be, as great as their hits are, my listens of their albums made me think there is a fair amount of filler material. In contrast, I think albums by The Byrds (with exception of irritating songs like CTA 102 or Mind Gardens) have consistently good songs throughout. But, thanks to your overview, I’m going to give the Spoonfuls albums another listen and hope to identify a few more great tunes.

[@ConglomerationCat]

It's also worth noting that in 1968, a limited edition pressing on Kama Sutra issued a double album titled "24 Karat Hits" is also a fantastic compilation as well.

[@kenpeters3082]

I had that double album. It came out right after "Everything Playing". It had all the hits and was a superb collection. It might have only been sold through "record clubs" but not sure.

[@ConglomerationCat]

@@kenpeters3082 Yeah, I'm not sure either... it's been in my family since I was 4 and I'm pushing 50. Such a great collection! I was always thrown how the pitch shifted during the beginming of Summer In The City. Don't know if other pressings have this flaw.

[@geneobrien8907]

I remember the Zal incident, it may be difficult for people today to understand what it meant for Zal to give up the name of his dealer but within the counterculture it was a mortal sin. What saved the Spoonful from losing record sales was that they were primarily an AM radio band, had their music been played exclusively on FM radio, they would have been blacklisted. Unlike most Top 40 bands, the Spoonful were beloved by the counterculture, Sebastian, who became an icon within the culture, had to deal with the fallout from the incident and his association with Zal was affecting his personal relationships within the movement. While their record sales weren't significantly affected by Zally's betrayal, he paid a personal price for it, within the band and within the counterculture.

[@tantraman10]

Some of my favorite Spoonful songs involved Joe Butler singing lead, "Full Measure", "You Baby"," Butchie's Tune" and " John Stewart's "Never Going Back." I KNOW it was primarily a showcase for Sebastian, whom I love, but Butler's leads were smooth, different vocal tone, that for me, added to the texture of the band!!

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Yes, for sure. Joe's support vocal in "Didn't Want To Have To Do It" I always held in high regard. His rock songs on that last album are also quite good. Too bad he wasn't more of a composer. Thanks for the comment!

[@moorlock2003]

I agree. Joe Butler sang excellent lead. "Full Measure" got radio play in Los Angeles, whereas "Nashville...." wasn't heard at all.

[@rmelin13231]

'Butchie's Tune' and 'Didn't Want to Have to Do it' - both I could listen to ad nauseum. But then, that's true of most of the Spoonful's music.

[@johnscar6754]

@@moorlock2003 'Full Measure' also got air play in the SF Bay Area in the winter of 66-67. Because Christmas is mentioned, this recording is on my compiled Christmas list of rock and pop songs which I play every season and so I get reminded of Joe Butler's talent every year to this day. Beautiful song.

[@timothyflyte9443]

One thing some may not know , some cds reissues have bonus tracks, and there is a dvd out with John S hosting talking about the band and showing clips from tv performances. Also a note they are live on the dvd the big TNT show. Great video . Great Channel.

[@hollywoodjoe123]

Matt Williamson - - I watched and listened to both Part 1 and Part 2 of the LOVIN' SPOONFUL documentary that you posted here at KZbin . . . . . . And I want to thank you so very much for such great research on the band thank you , Joe Nania - - A.K.A. "Hollywood" Joe

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I appreciate the support - thank you, Joe!

[@davidwysocki1004]

Part 2 was just as great and as informative as Part 1. Really interesting backstory on one of my favorite 60s bands that I grew up with.

[@davidwysocki1004]

And once again, Matt Williamson's narrative and presentation were fabulous!

[@KingHarvestHSC]

I really did like their music as a 12 year old. My record buying budget (from parents) had to be carefully used as, of course, there was lots to buy in the mid-60s. I did get the 2 Greatest Hits LPs in 1967 and still treasure them today. Those two LPs have a very solid set of songs.

[@BlinDefender]

Enjoying your channel. I'm in my 60's. The Lovin' Spoonful's first two albums have been in my regular listening rotation recently. I have over 1,100 records and jump around quite a bit; but I always seem to find my way back to these two.

[@rogercorbett3601]

As soon as they hit me in the UK in late 65 with Do you believe in magicI was hooked, have all their albums, so many superb songs,Magic always my favourite, must have played it thousands of times, approaching 74 now, they will always be my favourite American band.

[@shyman99]

You have the channel I have always wanted to start myself. Since that will probably never happen due to other obligations, allow me to share my perspective of this material in a condensed form: "Summer In The City" is one of the top 10 best singles of the 60s. Thanks for calling out "Coconut Grove" as it is a masterpiece. Zal's antics were initially humorous but got on my nerves over time (where did you get the "Darling" video as I would love to see the whole thing?). Joe's voice was weak but he delivered on "Old Folks" and of course, "Only Pretty". That final album was rough but I always liked the song, "Me About You". They did the best version with the powerful ending.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Yes, their catalog is solid from start to finish. I got that video as a part of a 1 hour documentary on the band which is on KZbin. They only showed a part of that video. Start your channel! My obligations are great but the channel give me purpose. Try it and take your time honing your skills. I was surprised what I accomplished in one year.

[@shyman99]

@@popgoesthe60s52 - I''m enjoying your channel so much that you have taken away even more of my free time :) Thanks for the encouragement. I'll probably have to retire to be able to dedicate the time I need to invest to make it something I would be proud to share.

[@tomboyle7068]

Poirot Love Song Tom Burke & Jaime Winstone kzbin.info/www/bejne/rKnPpamcisaVqbc

[@orbyfan]

After John left, the three remaining members reportedly played on "Never Going Back," which was released in the summer of 1968, and reached #2 in Vancouver (if nowhere else), with "Forever," the Steve Boone instrumental from "Everything Playing," as the B-side. The reason Joe Butler's name is featured on "Revelation: Revolution '69" is because he seems to have been the only member left by the time it was recorded. I have an early Canadian pressing of the album, which has "Till I Run with You" as the title printed on the label. The song "Revelation: Revolution '69" was the B-side of "Till I Run with You" in the fall of '68. If you wonder why Steve Boone didn't sing lead on songs, listen to "Priscilla Millionaira" from "Everything Playing." John did the cover painting for that album.

[@ATOMIKAGE]

Hi Matt...I always look forward to your analysis on all the music and bands that have been forgotten. I love the Spoonful and you reminded me to go back and spin a few of my old vinyls from the sixties. They still hold up well indeed, as was most of the music of that timeframe. Thanks for your time and passion for great music....Philip C.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you sir! More to come.

[@radiowaynetx]

Note that "Coconut Grove" on the Hums album uses the tune of one of the instrumentals on "What's Up Tiger Lilly"

[@nathananthony7517]

I am so glad I found your channel. I knew very little about Lovin' Spoonful. Thank you for your 2 videos. I learned a lot!

[@orionridge]

I guess it isn't really Spoonful history but was a little surprised that you didn't mention John Sebastian doing the theme song for "Welcome Back Kotter". Although it wasn't the Spoonful per se, it still had that John Sebastian feel that is associated with much of their music. It was a hit for John outside of the TV series.

[@idanwillenchik3050]

They had seven consecutiive US top 10 hits in the on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the 1960's.The only other act to achieve this in that decade was Gary Lewis and the Playboys.

[@barnabyaprobert5159]

Not even the Beatles? Are you sure?

[@dinofrangiamore]

Excellent history, thanks Matt!

[@chrismiles8822]

If there is one band that captures the spirit of the legendary '60s, it is the great Lovin' Spoonful. ♥️ Almost too short a career, like the Mama's and the Papas, their recordings will never become dated.

[@markeggins890]

Very handy you have all the LPs! Really dig that you don't just cover the 'hits' and do a lot of research...

[@spellerlittlewing]

Excellent show

[@murther4906]

This was great - so many gaps were filled in. I had no idea that they continued post-John Sebastian. Definitely did not know their version of "Me About You" - which was recorded to perfection by The Turtles in 1967. Thanks for an excellent overview.

[@xandrinecohoe5191]

I think summer in the city might be their best work. Some might disagree and think it's over played but no. It's pretty fresh. That piano slaps.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I love the street scape sounds best. Put me right there!

[@pgroove163]

growing up in a tenement in nyc that was my theme song lol.. I sang that thing everywhere...

[@willemvandeursen3105]

It comes closer to hard rock than mellow pop. Fortunately it was a big hit! No matter how sensational you turn out as a band, it's no guarantee you'll have a solid hit. But yes, with those urban sound effects the song couldn't go amiss, it's so atmospheric. But I saw too many fantastic 60's pop records bubbling under the hot one hundred that I thought: "O come on, what's WRONG with you pop swingers and hot DJ's!"

[@guarddave]

Excellent...Part 2!

[@allthisforasong1200]

Coconut Grove is a cool song; I especially like the version by Roger Nichols & The Small Circle of Friends. Great job as always - looking forward to the next project!

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I didn't know about that version. I'll have to check it out. Plenty more videos coming so stay tuned!

[@lucysaltgirl]

Also love his version of Didn't Want to Have to Do It. One of my favorite songwriters with one of my favorite 60s pop albums

[@allthisforasong1200]

@@lucysaltgirl Agreed. Every music fan needs to own that album.

[@yazmon4515]

You did not mention my favorite Spoonful tune, which was the B side of Nashville Cats. It got the radio play in L.A. (and in other cities as well). In fact the song, Full Measure was a fairly big hit in L.A. and I never even heard Nashville Cats on the radio, though I heard it because I bought the 45. When I moved east I heard Nashville Cats on the radio, but had to introduce people to Full Measure.

[@rickdrais9737]

Thanks for these mini-docs. I grew up listening to both my own and my older brother's vinyl collections, and the Spoonful's "Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful", "What's Up Tiger Lily" and an early version of "The Anthology" were particular favorites. Keep doing the good work...

[@milestrotter6844]

Absolutely love this! I can't get enough of this series, wish there was a part three. Everything playing is my favorite album by them(besides Hums), it has its obvious imperfections, but besides that its a phenomenal album, try a little bit by John is worth mentioning its a spectacular song one and its of my favorites by him, alongside Old Folks by Joe its easily one if his best songs. (besides Coconut Grove, Warm Baby, didn't want to have to do it, and obvious other hits). This album deserves more recognition, it truly is a fantastic album.

[@MichaelMacer]

Thanks for this. Really enjoyable.

[@bernardomedina5943]

Great video! Great band! Thank you! ❤

[@leesanna7835]

P.G., Great job, your reviews are stellar, I'm so glad I came across your channel and subscribed, now I'll be binge watching and catching up on all your uploads, thank you, Buddy 🙏

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you - more to come!

[@RoyFive]

Thanks, Matt. Enjoyed this very much! Keep up the great work.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you, Guy - plenty more to come.

[@lyndarosborough869]

Thank you again for all you do ! So great !

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you for the support, Lynda.

[@ABDOSPIANO]

Great job as usual M

[@brianjameson8261]

Just excellent, thanks so much...a perfect presentation of the band with no pretention or bull-dust!!!

[@rah7868]

Interesting how a tune here and there seem to have a Beatles feel on many of the 60's groups. Easy to forget how many different groups had multiple hits. It was a great time to be a teenager during those times.

[@murdockreviews]

Very interesting and entertainingly presented! Great channel. "She's still a mystery" is one of my favourite tracks by the band.

[@Gizmowerks]

Thanks for getting me up to speed on my new favorite band.

[@ijeff2005]

Very much enjoyed your two part series on The Lovin' Spoonful. I'm another one of those admirers that never explored their music beyond the 'hits'. This is a good starting point and have already begun working backwards from "Revelation". Wow. If they would have released anything this bad as their starting point they never would have made it! Some of it is cringe worthy. The rest is merely mediocre. They even managed to take a decent song like "Me About You" (a song originally heard on The Turtles Happy Together album over 2 years earlier) and turn it into a sappy lounge ballad. It also doesn't help that they have no one that could replace John Sebastian. The nice thing about listening to their albums backwards is I'm pretty sure I''ll get the worst over with first!

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Very true, "Revelation' is a challenge to get through and they obviously were a shell of their former selves by this point. Thanks for the comment!

[@Yankeededandy62]

Wonderful job telling the story of the band. I love the no nonsense straight presentation with the song snippets and your own insight added. Loved it (and of course the Spoonful)

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Plenty more to come after all this Beatles stuff dies down. Only problem is, it never dies down!

[@bobburroughs6241]

Great memories Matt - a fascinating look back.

[@marcyfan-tz4wj]

magnificent band who despite their many hits are underrated. thanks for providing me with facts i didn't know.

[@ABDOSPIANO]

Great Job as usual Matt! I think these guys were seriously underrated despite their success Their stuff was just gorgeous and their synergy as a quartet was an exception rather than the rule Thanks again PS There is no Spoonful without Zal😂😂

[@hughgabbard5116]

Once again, great coverage. Thanks you for incredible research. I have subscribed.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you, Hugh!

[@Unixilandia]

Excellent videos Matt. Very informative, & made me want to view more of them. Best wishes!

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you - more to come!

[@tomgebarowski8156]

Really great analysis of yet another often overlooked great 60's bands!

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you, Tom!

[@AlvaradoPinup]

Great info as usual and thank you again! Not sure if this was mentioned or if needed to be included, but I believe John Sebastian also wrote and performed the theme song for Welcome Back Kotter.

[@scottmeli]

Matt, this is an outstanding video history of The Lovin’ Spoonful. There isn’t much info available on their short (but very productive) career, so this video is a treat. I saw John Sebastian in 1984, he did a solo show of The Spoonful’s hits but couldn’t do “Summer In The City”...he told the crowd, “it just doesn’t sound the same with the pneumatic drills...” The crowd loved him and he sat with us during his break between shows...a real good guy indeed! (Thanks again.)

[@popgoesthe60s52]

That is cool, I've never seen him live. They are a great band that seldom gets talked about in the same breath as the Doors, Byrds, or Jefferson Airplane, but are very worthy of inclusion. Thanks for the comment, Scott!

[@jeffreywaddell8180]

Darling come home soon. Really sounds like something that could have been done now. Such a strong song.

[@kelvingolden252]

This is the best thing on you tube , love hearing about how groups evolve and then searching out the history of past members, keep up the great work , and thank you

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you, Kelvin - more to come!

[@kelvingolden252]

@@popgoesthe60s52 would you ever consider doing pop goes the 70's , I would love you talking about Sparks, thanks for everything you've done so far

[@jesserussell7242]

I love 11 spoonful they were a great band I first heard them on the radio on 97.1 kiss FM it’s it’s such a really good music music that I don’t make any more. The love and spoonfulHas such really good music I love the styles that were combined One compilation CD I have is a great one from 2004 so it’s the greatest hits it’s a great city compilation with 26 of the songs and I think all of them are great especially do you believe in magic, you didn’t have to be so nice what a day for a bit daydream and one of my favorite songs is summer in the city city I love summer in the city because when you think the song is over it’s actually not because he hear these brakes with the starts and stops Although I wish that on the greatest hits album the song was a lot longer with no fade out I’d love to hear the non-fade out version of it but it’s still a great group to listen to.

[@DodgeDartSongs]

I’ve been a fan since the early 80s. Sebastian’s songs and the way he expresses himself…it’s almost like listening to myself. He and the Spoonful have been a big influence on me as a musician.

[@JDKingStratslinger]

Never had Revolution '69. The Spoonful without Sebastian and Zally was like The Beatles without John and Ringo.

[@billdufour1630]

Interesting photo of the band after Zal was fired with him deep in the background and out of focus. In a year or so, the five-piece Pink Floyd would have a similar photo with Syd in the background and out of focus. Girl Beautiful Girl is a great lost classic by the Spoonful, of course, you never hear it when Summer In The City can be played for the millionth time...

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Yes, _Girl, Beautiful Girl_ is such a great song. It's a shame it - and some of their other deep cuts - are virtually unknown.

[@Richb144]

Thank you! Great!

[@cardboardheadguy7814]

Let say they didn’t rat out the drug dealer. They Could of done Monterey. Also Hums Is A Great Record. I remember seeing a photo seeing Paul McCartney hold a copy of hums. So You Know it a great record. Great Video

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Agreed - Monterey would have been perfect for them. It's too bad it went that way.

[@fernandomezagaldos4240]

Great History,Excelente Trabajo!!

[@keithshaw2416]

thanks for reminding us to Comment Below! Always a great job!

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you, Keith!

[@happyjackhappyjack8481]

Great video about Spoonful, I have really enjoyed just like vids about Peter and Gordon, The Association or The Merry Go Round. I hope there will be any vids about The Grass Roots or Paul Revere And The Raiders if possible in the future, two of my most favourite 1960´s american groups. Good job, perfect channel.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you! I have a very long list of bands to review but I can safely say both the Grass Roots and Paul Revere & the Raiders are on the list!

[@happyjackhappyjack8481]

@@popgoesthe60s52 Perfect, can´t wait for next videos about the 1960´s bands. I also appreciate that your most favourite band of all time are the Beatles as I can see from your previous vids, the same for me, the Beatles are No. 1 for me also, no doubt :o) OK, good luck, Matt, in making new vids.

[@lisamader5270]

This was great!

[@williamcolmer4184]

One of the great bands of their times & sebastion a great tunesmith,right up with guy clark,Jimmy buffet,jj walker etc.the list goes on but just right in mix

[@keithphilo6255]

As a teenager in the UK at the time I thought that the Spoonful were amazing. As for the album Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful I think it's fantastic, every track is worth playing over again. Bald Headed Lena, Nashville Cats et al, but for Joe Butlers vocals on Full Measure complete this fab body of work. And despite being a huge Dylan fan, Daydream is my ALL TIME favourite song. Thanks for all the info.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I appreciate the comments, Keith.

[@rdwwdr3520]

Really interesting and well researched. You speak with authority almost like you were there and it's great to listen to. Would love to have one of these deep dives into Paul Revere and the Raiders. I vote against The Turtles (who I love) only because there is already a very very deep dive, album by album kind of documentary available on DVD (might be somewhere online as well who knows) with Flo and Eddie narrating and that's good enough.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you. I do plan a Paul Revere & the Raiders video series, so stay tuned!

[@rogerparis]

Great reviewer.

[@mbuchart2927]

Great group. One of my top 5. I recently read Steve Boone's book (written with Tony Moss): Hotter Than a Match Head: Life on the Run With the Lovin' Spoonful (2014). Great book! I read a lot of rock biographies and this one was better than most. Boone played bass, keyboards, and contributed to song-writing in The Spoonful. But Boone's adventures after the group's breakup are as good a story as his band years. It's really is an adventure story.

[@ministerofdarkness]

Fantastic review! Big fan of the Revelation LP. Surprised you didn’t mention that John Sebastian was asked to be in Crosby, Stills & Nash. Thanks for all the great videos.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I should've mentioned the CSN connection, that's a good bit a trivia. Thank you for commenting!

[@bruceink9]

Thanks again, Matt. I know you can't mention every little detail or tidbit, but I will say here that Jerry Yester was, of course, the brother of Jim Yester of the Association.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Yes, indeed. I'm a big fan of Jerry and I plan a MFQ video at some point so stay tuned.

[@nomehdrider]

"...you'll never get that time back" I actually laughed out loud. You mentioned The Monkeys in part one, would you consider doing a review of their music? It was very popular at the time, and Mickey Dolenz had a great voice imv. Great content

[@popgoesthe60s52]

The Monkees will get the full Pop Goes the 60s treatment!

[@nomehdrider]

@@popgoesthe60s52 really looking forward to it! I remember having the discussion in the fifth grade with a young lady about how much better The Beatles were, she didn't buy it-and she was cute so....

[@ThePattyo7]

thank's for doing this. good job.the Spoonful was my all time favorite band in the 60s I still have ALL their albums from the day. some are kinda wore out from being played to death but the scratchy sound is ok with me

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I'm glad you like the videos! Thank you for commenting.

[@drewaldrich711]

excellent videos! it's baffling how the Spoonful's legacy has been treated so cheaply. Where's the massive box set? where's the essential documentary? etc etc etc...

[@popgoesthe60s52]

They had huge influences on the Beatles, and many other acts, so yeah - they certainly get overlooked.

[@p1n3mont]

Hey, Pop! Great job on a much-needed overview of the Sponful's career and music, but you're killin' me! Drop the needle on, "Lonely (Amy's Theme)" and see if you don't agree you left out a classic! As a kid, while others were eating up the Beatles and Beach Boys, these were my guys. As a 16-year-old I was so concerned about their career I'd pound the table, certain they'd released the wrong cut as a single ('Money" after "Nashville Cats" - a disaster, as one example)

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Hey Nat! My apologies for not including Amy's Theme. Often times I try to include the strongest material but occasionally I miss a good one. Glad there are Spoonful fans out there! I contacted John Sebastian for an interview recently so hopefully that will come to fruition.

[@dunebats5357]

Enjoyed this. Re-discovered this group some years ago, after thinking they were just soft gum music. It's good to be wrong. I find the intermittent quick zooms distracting.

[@TheViewFrom2A]

Yet another excellent episode...Wow! Ok, here's my request for a future episode....Van Dyke Parks ... cheers.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I will be touching on Parks in my Beach Boys episode. His name comes up with a lot of bands! He has an interesting story so he may make a good episode.

[@TheViewFrom2A]

@@popgoesthe60s52 I think his story is right up your alley...I'll keep my fingers crossed but I look forward to your future shows.

[@lonedrone]

Excellent videos! I know the band's history and there's really nothing of importance not covered here (given the format). They had a glorious (but sadly short) run which really ended when Zally left. Worth mentioning is that Zal and John (the real magic axis within the band) remained close. And Roy Halee, their engineer who basically co-produced with Jacobsen and went on to work with Simon & Garfunkel.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thanks for the input. I try not to get too carried away with my topics... every video could be twice as long but I try to prune them to give them flow, hit the highlights, and offer new commentary. More to come!

[@lonedrone]

@@popgoesthe60s52 I think you're getting the balance exactly right. Will stay tuned!

[@stevej532]

Fantastic retrospective on an underrated band. Matt Williamson is a treasure.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thank you for the kind words, Steve.

[@willemvandeursen3105]

It should also be noted that Sebastian played the (electric) Autoharp. Around 1965 he wasn't the only one - Gary Lewis & Playboys, Pinkerton's Asasorted Colours - but the instrument went out of fashion very quick again. Like the Mellotron; this orchestral vacuum cleaner. Magical!

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Yes, that autoharp was synonymous with folk rock, which quickly gave way to psychedelia. Thanks for the comment, Willem!

[@willemvandeursen3105]

@@popgoesthe60s52 additional: Even Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin played it! (I just found out). It's not the same as a mouth harp. I suppose that one is more twangy. :--))

[@georgeescaped6035]

Saw John Sebastian opening for Steve Martin in Oakland CA a long time ago, good show for both, a wild and crazy time!

[@JFTM1]

Very good, I would have liked a bit of summing up at the end, and perhaps some information about what happened to the band members afterwards. A shame John Sebastian never reached the heights he did with the band.

[@paulgoldstein2569]

What was not mentioned is that The Lovin' Spoonful were ironically the second act ever to hit the U.S. Top 10 with their first seven singles, after Gary Lewis And The Playboys. Yet today, they are overlooked. But I think the main reason that their U.S. hits got smaller in 1967 is the fact that Psychedelia exploded or got to it's peak that year, which out-fashioned almost all of the great sounds of the mid sixties, and Jimi Hendrix had by then become God. This really cut into The Lovin' Spoonful's career, which was a shame, as they were still a great band, or at least while John Sebastian was still there. It was at this time that they shifted away from their Jug Band influence towards a more Psychedelic sound, maybe in a bid to keep up with the times.

[@rocksinger45]

Hi Again ~ Not mentioned here was the influence that John's brother Mark had on the song Summer in the City ~ He also has a writers credit on that song ~ Mark use to go to a Sushi Bar in W.LA where my wife worked and I was lucky enough to have lunch with him on a few occasions ~ Great guy ~ One more thing that I remember was that Paul Simon got the Spoonies to reform for his movie One Trick Pony ~ Really enjoy how you jog my memory because I use to hang out on Fairfax as a teenager back in the 60s ~ Loved the Free Press Book Store but I can't remember the protest regarding the Spoonies although I do remember that Sky Saxon turned in his dealer just to stay out of Jail ~ Pot was a big-time felony back then ~ Thanks again really enjoyed this episode ~

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I would have liked to mention Mike more but I guess I couldn't fit it in. Very cool that you've met him - what a pleasure. I didn't know that about Sky Saxon! Was he still in the Seeds when he was busted?

[@rocksinger45]

@@popgoesthe60s52 His name is Mark one of our discussion was about how he was going to sue the publishers of the song Summer in the City because he was a minor when he signed the contract ~ It is true regarding Sky Saxon ~ I remember that clearly also ~ OMT ~ I worked at Tower Records on the Sunset Strip back in 1971 Sky would come in high on whatever and dance around by the speakers wildly until the manager 86 him ~ Once again you jogged my memory of my days gone by ~ Thanks ~ One storyline you might want to do a show about would be about bands like the Dave Clark 5 & Paul Revere & the Raiders who's named sakes use to pay there band members like sidemen and keep all the money ~

[@craigcavaliere6744]

I enjoyed your videos on The Lovin Spoonful. I hadn't listened to them in probably 20 years, so I was listening on one of the streaming services. Good stuff. Then I found out the bass player lives one town over from me here in Florida. Because I was listening to the Spoonful, the Young Rascals came up on the list. I don't know if you like them or not, but if you do, there's a band I'd love to see you do a series on. Talk about a great string of albums.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Yes, I love the Rascals and I do plan a series on them as well so stay tuned!

[@ice9snowflake187]

I'd love to see a rundown on Country Joe and the Fish, sometime!

[@terrytheman3317]

3 of their BEST songs are Coconut Grove, Didn't wanna have to do it....and Darlin' Be home Soon

[@sugadelicsavagesoul8623]

Great video, I absolutely adore the Lovin' Spoonful, however I would challenge the comment about "when a drummer takes over you know they're washed up" with Genesis when Phil Collins took over and they became Top 40 favorites. Not my favorite Genesis era by any means, but I guess it's possible to still succeed.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I agree with the Genesis parallel but that is a unique exception! Thanks for the insightful comment.

[@christopher9152]

@@popgoesthe60s52 I'm not sure Don Henley entirely "took over," but he increasingly asserted himself as a songwriter and bandleader over the course of the Eagles' career.

[@paulvellner7405]

Exactly what I thought when he made that comment.

[@Ronjohn73]

Fantastic video on one of the greatest bands of all time. However I do feel they did have a masterpiece album - "Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful." It was incredibly diverse, fun, had a plethora of amazing songs and a number 1 hit to boot! That's my 2 cents.

[@MuzacMark1960]

Really cool to see the original band do a cameo in 1980 one truck pony

[@petergrattan3509]

...love it.

[@bruceclay3207]

Thanks

[@peterjohnson1761]

They did so many good songs. I’ve got my own playlist that I play every now & then. It includes all the big hits , but, “ coconut drive “ , “ six o’ clock & “ jug band music “ is on it too . Oh and “ Darling be home soon “ too. Have you heard the live “ Slade version ?

[@popgoesthe60s52]

I have not heard the Sade version. I'll have to check that out! Thank you Peter.

[@peterjohnson1761]

@@popgoesthe60s52 it’s Slade , not Sade .. you know , Nobby Holder and the glam band from the 70 ‘ s ..only real rockers when live .

[@wyliesmith4244]

Sign me up for the Matt Williamson fan club! I love that you have all those Ber Jansch albums on display, but they do highlight the problem of US versus British releases. I bought the Vanguard Jansch album and was then confused when I saw other (British) albums with some of the same tunes. Working in a record store starting in '72, I found a large audience for the Britisdh Beatles and Stones albums as they had different - and usually more - tracks pressed on better vinyl. Speaking of sound, the Spoonful's master tapes were lost a long time ago, so the sound on CDs was mediocre at best until Buddah/RCA reissued the first four with bonus tracks and excellent liner notes. And I agree with those who say that Sebastian's writing had lost its spark by the end of the sixties. Songs like 'Jug Band Music' and 'Pow' ("I ran out the door flambeaux") had superb lyrics with great visual images and zany rhyme schemes. So, yeah, if Zal did not like "Darlin' Be Home Soon," I concur as the images make the sentiment a bit, uh, sentimental. And I'll add my vote to those who think "Hums" is a amasterpiece, particularly as it has a multitude of styles that all come out sounding like the one and only Spoonful.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Hey Wylie! I hope to do a Bert Jansch video at some point but I may do the Pentangle first. Very big faves of mine. I'm glad you enjoyed the Spoonful videos!

[@wyliesmith4244]

@@popgoesthe60s52 Well I am psyched to see the Pentangle history! While I never saw the real Pentangle, I have seen four of the five live (not Terry Cox) either solo or in some combination. Good luck dealing with their interweaving careers.

[@walterjanaro42]

With my hazy memory of being a five year old, I am pretty sure that my very first "favorite song" was "Summer In The City". Pretty amazing that these guys tallied up SEVEN legit (read pre-streaming era) top 10 consecutive hits in less than a year and a half!

[@wanderer299a]

Love your vlogs. How about country Joe and the fish?

[@jltrem]

One of my favorite Spoonful tracks, the instrumental "Lonely (Amy's Theme)".

[@spyderlogan4992]

The Lovin' Spoonful was smack dab in my teenage years. Hit single after hit single on my AM Radio(WEAM, Northern Virginia). And thanks for mentioning the 'underground' 'What's Shakin'' album...what a great LP. Zal's antics on the Ed Sullivan show during 'Darling, Be Home Soon'? He ruins the entire heartfelt performance by mugging for the camera. They are what makes, still, 1966 as the best, for me, the greatest year of 60's music.

[@popgoesthe60s52]

Thanks for watching spyder!