Monday January 24, 2022 “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice” Lovin Spoonful
This week we are going to take a look at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees from the year 2000. And why, you’re probably asking yourself, would we do that? Well, the inductees that year were a darned interesting and varied group of musicians/groups and because it was the year that one of my favorite bands, the Lovin’ Spoonful’ was inducted.
So let’s get right to it.
Between mid-1965 and the end of 1967, the Lovin Spoonful was astonishingly successful, issuing one classic hit single after another, including "Do You Believe in Magic," "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice," "Daydream," "Summer in the City," "Rain on the Roof," "Nashville Cats," and "Six O'Clock." You may recall that during this period, the charts were being overwhelmed by the Beatles and all of their British buddies, pushing the US groups out of the picture…but not the Lovin Spoonful.
Even with those successes and all of those hits, the Lovin Spoonful would split apart purportedly over a drug bust of two of the band members but more likely it had to do with losing their ‘good time spirit’ when John Sebastian left the group to pursue a solo career.
Lovin’ Spoonful founder, multi-instrumentalist and principal lead singer and songwriter, John Seabastian had already done some recording prior to forming the Lovin Spoonful as he was a frequent studio harmonica player on albums by people like Bob Dylan, Tom Rush, Fred Neil and The Doors.
Sebastian was also good friends with Crosby, Stills and Nash and they offered him a gig in their foundling band singing and playing drums, which he turned down. Could have been Crosby, Stills, Nash and Sebastian but John was looking to create a solo career. In hindsight, maybe not the best career decision.
I read recently that Bobby Darin, who hadn’t been in the top forty charts for three years in 1965, was offered two unreleased, at that moment, Spoonful songs; “Do You Believe in Magic” and “Summer in the City” both of which he rejected. “Do You Believe in Magic” was the top ten hit that introduced us to the Spoonful and “Summer in the City” was a number one hit in, of course , the summer of 1966 for Sebastian and friends.
Today’s video comes from the 1965-1966 TV series known as Hullabaloo which every week featured a variety of artists performing their latest hits, almost live.
Stay safe and well…and John Sebastian recently released an album which revisits Lovin Spoonful songs with mostly instrumentals and guest vocals but he sings a poignant rendition of “Darling Be Home Soon” which is worth a listen.