Singer/songwriter John Sebastian celebrated his 79th birthday on Friday. Sebastian grew up in Greenwich Village in a musical family. He is saturated in American music — a multi instrumentalist whose best instrument may well be harmonica. I can pick out his distinctive harmonica sound as an uncredited session player on tracks by Tim Hardin, Tom Rush, and other mainstays of the ’60’s folk scene.
Sebastian was the front man and songwriter who wrote the hits for the Lovin’ Spoonful in the last half of the 1960’s. Despite their limitations I was crazy about them. With its blues and jug band references as well as its good-time feeling, the band’s music sent me deeper into American popular music. I thought I would take a brief look back at the band mostly with a few deep cuts to start my engine purring this morning.
I saw the band play at the old Minneapolis Auditorium the week that Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful was released in late 1966 and then saw Sebastian playing with David Grisman in December 2009 at the Cedar Cultural Center on a snowy night in Minneapolis. Sebastian and Grisman were appearing together on the first stop of a short tour in support of their 2007 disc Satisfied.
I found myself entering the Cedar with Sebastian as he emerged from a restaurant next door. I shook hands with Sebastian and asked if he remembered coming through town in late 1966 to play with the Spoonful right after the release of Hums. “Not yet,” he said, giving a suitably ’60’s answer to a ’60’s question.
During the show Sebastian discussed his career, beginning with his upbringing in Greenwich Village. He recalled going to see Mississippi John Hurt perform in the Village and trying to figure out the fingering he used on guitar. He also invoked Sleepy John Estes, but Hurt seemed to be his musical hero. He said he met up with Grisman as a freshman at NYU in 1962. Sebastian and Grisman first teamed up to join the Even Dozen Jug Band with others including Maria D’Amato (who later married Geoff Muldaur) at the tail end of the folk boom.
Sebastian had lost his singing voice, but he croaked musically. I was struck by the pure tone he elicited from the guitar and the lyrical style he brought to his playing on it. He coaxes an even more lush sound from the harmonica. He is one talented musician (as is Grisman).
What’s Shakin’ was a sampler released with songs by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Tom Rush, Al Kooper, and Eric Clapton with Stevie Winwood on Elektra in May 1966. It had three covers and one original by the Spoonful that I believe are the band’s first recordings. “Don’t Bank On It Baby” was the Sebastian original. It is derivative of Chuck Berry, but it’s not bad. Sebastian wails away on the harmonica in the background.
Do You Believe in Magic was the title of the Spoonful’s first album and their first hit on Kama Sutra. Who was Brownie McGhee and what the heck was “Sportin’ Life” all about? That was for Sebastian to know and for me to find out.
Instrumentals weren’t what I had come for on their debut album, but I found “Night Owl Blues” irresistible. That is unmistakably Sebastian on the harmonica. The Nite Owl on MacDougal Street was one of the Spoonful’s Greenwich Village haunts.
Daydream was the title of the Spoonful’s follow-up album and the single of the title song was a big hit. You can tell that Paul McCartney was listening at this point. “Good Day Sunshine” takes off from “Daydream.” But I am passing the hits by here. Give a listen to Sebastian on “Day Blues.” He seems to have picked up a lick or two from Brownie McGhee.
I thought the Spoonful came into their own on Daydream. “It’s Not Time Now” explored the other side of Sebastian’s romanticism.
The Spoonful peaked with Hums that November. I think the concert led off with “Jug Band Music,” from the album. The album led off with “Lovin’ You.”
Alison Krauss produced Beyond the City for the Cox Family in 1995. I’m sure she asked them to cover the old Spoonful song. Listen up! It still sounds pretty, pretty good.
“Darlin’ Companion” is also from Hums.
The Spoonful were briefly hot enough that they were asked to contribute the music to soundtracks for Woody Allen’s What’s Up Tiger Lily? (1966) and Francis Ford Coppola’s You’re a Big Boy Now (also 1966). “Darlin’ Be Home Soon” was the best of the soundtrack songs.
Paul Simon called on the Spoonful for an appearance as an oldies act in his One-Trick Pony (1980). I loved the movie. I was pretty excited to see the band together again with Sebastian on autoharp, Zal Yanovsky on guitar, Steve Boone on bass, and Joe Butler on drums.
Sebastian revisited the Spoonful songbook with guitarist Arlen Roth in 2021. My high school classmate Charlie Alden played a killer version of the Spoonful’s “Didn’t Want to Have to Do It” (from Daydream). Here it is with Roth’s daughter Lexie on the vocal parts.
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