The Lovin' Spoonful
Lovin' Spoonful is an American folk rock band famous in the mid to late 1960s. Formed in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, it known for several hits, including "Summer in the City", "Do You Believe In Magic", "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?", and "Daydream". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2006, the group was inducted into the Vocal Groups Hall of Fame.
The band has its roots in the folk music scene based in Greenwich Village, lower Manhattan in the early 1960s. John B. Sebastian, son of classical remix artist John Sebastian, grew up in the Village and continued exposure to music and musicians, including some involved in the American folk music renaissance from the 1950s to the early 1960s. Sebastian founded Spoonful with guitarist Zal Yanovsky from a group bohemian folk played at local cafes and small clubs called The Mugwumps, two other members of which, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, later formed half of Mamas & Papas. The formation of Lovin' Spoonful during this period was later described in the lyrics of Mamas & the Papas' song of 1967's top 10 hit, "Creeque Alley".
The band worked with producer Erik Jacobsen to release their first single on July 20, 1965, "Do You Believe in Magic", written by Sebastian. Additionally, they've written their own material (apart from some covers, mostly on their first album), including "Younger Girl" (missed the Hot 100), a hit by The Critters in the middle of the year. 1966. Lovin' Spoonful is one of the most successful pop/rock groups when it comes to jug and folk band roots, and nearly half of the songs on their first album are modernized versions of the music. blues standard. Their popularity revived interest in the form, and many subsequent jug bands cited them as an inspiration. The rest of their albums are mostly original songs, but their original band makes repeated appearances, especially on the lesser-known "Daydream" and "Money" (which only peaked at number 48). , in 1968).
