“You didn't have to be so nice
I would have liked you anyway…”

Lovin’ Spoonful – “You Didn’t Have to be So Nice”

At the height of the British Invasion, it wasn’t easy to be a viable artist from the U.S.  It was a time when many folk-influenced musicians, such as the Mamas and the Papas and The Byrds, started turning to the pop sounds that were dominating the charts.  Amazingly enough, two rockers from Long Island and two folk artists from Greenwich Village came together to form the Lovin’ Spoonful and create some of the most cherished folk-rock music of the era.  In the span of just a couple of years, the Lovin’ Spoonful churned out ten singles, eight of which would go into the Top-10, all of which would stay in the pop culture conscious for decades to come.

The idea for the Lovin’ Spoonful came when folk rockers John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky caught The Beatles performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.  Together, they began performing in various combos that would show off the edgy side of folk music.  They were, for a while, a part of the folk group, The Mugwumps.  As the Mugwumps split off, forming new groups including the Mamas and the Papas, Sebastian and Yanovsky started looking for a continuation of what they had already established.  By 1965 the Lovin’ Spoonful had come together with the addition of Joe Butler and Steve Boone.  

Immediately, the quartet set foot in the studio, releasing “Do You Believe in Magic?” By the end of the year, their debut single went to #9 on the charts, signaling the possibility that the folk-rock formula could really work.  The following year, the Lovin’ Spoonful released a string of hits with the Top-10 charting “You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice,” and “Daydream” and “Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?,” both of which went to #2.  The Lovin’ Spoonful surprised many in the summer of ’66 with the hard-rocking “Summer in the City.”  The song, which included samples from the street and thunderous percussion, created an authentic city setting, making it a quick inner-city anthem and helping it to become their first #1 single.  That very same year, the Lovin’ Spoonful did a soundtrack for the Japanese spy film spoof, What’s Up, Tiger Lily?  The Woody Allen film, which opened with the theme song, “Pow!,” performed by the Lovin’ Spoonful, also included an appearance of the band, giving them some much needed face time in a day and age without MTV.  1966 closed with another Top-10 single, “Rain on the Roof.”

The Lovin’ Spoonful were unexpected pin-ups.  Their natural and folksy nature was appealing to a public that was used to musicians being dressed in costume, rather than in what they’d wear on a normal day.  This unpretentiousness, along with their relaxed ‘Manhattan mop-tops’ helped them find more hits the following year.  “Nashville Cats” and the lushly laid out “Darling Be Home Soon” went to #8 and #15 respectively.  1967 saw the beginning of the end for the Lovin’ Spoonful.  Shortly after completing the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola’s film, You’re a Big Boy Now, Yanovsky was arrested for possession of marijuana.  Fearing being banned from the U.S., he complied with police and named his dealer.  With this turmoil, and backlash from a certain portion of their fan base, band members started looking to other outlets for musical expression.  By the end of 1968, finding a lack of success with the various incarnations that had taken place over the year, the band officially dissolved.  Shortly afterward, a greatest hits compilation was released, but that was pretty much it for the band.

Solo efforts from the band found some success, most notably Sebastian’s success with “Welcome Back,” the theme song for Welcome Back, Kotter.  Sebastian continues to record and tour, both solo and with other artists.  Riding on the success he’s found with theme songs and soundtracks, Sebastian’s work includes The Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake, among others.  The entire band got back together, briefly in 1980, for a cameo in the Paul Simon film, One Trick Pony.  Without Sebastian, the Lovin’ Spoonful reformed for a tour and continue to perform together live, drawing crowds and reliving their past hits.  In 2000, the Lovin’ Spoonful was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, creating a new interest in their music among those looking to have a chilled out, feel-good time.