John B. Sebastian (album)

Last updated

John B. Sebastian
Johnbsebastian.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJanuary 1970 (1970-01)
RecordedLate 1968
Genre Folk, rock
Length31:50
Label Reprise
Producer Paul A. Rothchild
John Sebastian chronology
John B. Sebastian
(1970)
John Sebastian Live
(1970)
Alternate cover
John B. Sebastian - MGM Edition Cover Art.jpg
MGM release

John B. Sebastian is the debut album by the American singer-songwriter John Sebastian, previously best known as the co-founder and primary singer-songwriter of the 1960s folk-rock band the Lovin' Spoonful. [1] The album, released in January 1970, includes several songs that would become staples of Sebastian's live performances during the early and mid-1970s. Most notably, the album included "She's a Lady", Sebastian's first solo single (released in December 1968 [2] ), and an alternate version of "I Had a Dream" which was used to open the soundtrack album of the 1970 documentary film Woodstock . John B. Sebastian also featured support performances by David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash several months before that trio agreed to work together as a performing unit. [3]

Contents

The album's release was marred by legal controversy, with two record companies, Reprise and MGM, claiming ownership of the recording and simultaneously distributing the album (with different cover artwork as illustrated, but essentially identical content) for several months in 1970. Reprise, with whom Sebastian signed as a solo artist in 1969, ultimately sued MGM, Sebastian's former distributor, for copyright infringement to settle the dispute, [4] with the MGM release of the album subsequently withdrawn from the market. John B. Sebastian would be the artist's most successful solo album, ultimately peaking at No. 20 on the U.S. Billboard pop albums chart.

History

1968: Going solo, recording and first single

John Sebastian co-founded the Lovin’ Spoonful in early 1965, following brief (and sometimes simultaneous) tenures with the Even Dozen Jug Band, [5] the Mugwumps, [6] and as a session musician for Elektra Records. He played on the label's 1964 sampler The Blues Project, [7] which also featured Bob Dylan. [8] Signed to the MGM-distributed label Kama Sutra Records, the Lovin' Spoonful enjoyed considerable success during 1965–67, scoring consecutive "top 10" chart hits with its first eight singles. By late 1967, however, the band's popularity had begun to wane, and in early 1968 Sebastian decided to leave the Spoonful to pursue a solo career. He quickly began writing the songs that would comprise John B. Sebastian and making arrangements for recording sessions. Ten new songs were ultimately included in the album, as well as a solo acoustic version of "You're a Big Boy Now," which Sebastian originally wrote and performed with the Lovin' Spoonful in 1966 in support of Francis Ford Coppola's film of the same name, and which also appears in the latter film's soundtrack album (Kama Sutra catalog no. KLP/KLPS 8058 [9] ).

Sebastian's choice to produce John B. Sebastian was an old friend from his days at Elektra Records, Paul A. Rothchild. Rothchild, previously a longtime Elektra staff producer, had by mid-1968 become well known from his work on the Doors' first three albums, Love's Da Capo , and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's landmark album East-West . John B. Sebastian would be one of Rothchild's first projects as an independent producer, but as both Rothchild and Sebastian maintained good relationships with Elektra founder Jac Holzman, most of the album's recording sessions would be convened at that label's Los Angeles studios. [10] The album was the first of three Sebastian solo projects Rothchild would produce; Holzman is acknowledged with a "special thanks" credit in John B. Sebastian's liner notes.

In selecting musicians to work with on the album, Sebastian likewise looked to friends from his pre-Lovin' Spoonful days as a New York City session man; he would later be quoted as saying "I wanted this opportunity to play with the same guys I'd been playing with when we were all broke ... Dallas Taylor, Steve Stills, Harvey Brooks, Paul Harris." [10] In particular, Harris' work as a keyboardist and arranger on John B. Sebastian would begin a three-year working relationship between Harris and Sebastian. Other notable musicians of the period, including David Crosby, Graham Nash, Danny Weis and Buzzy Linhart, would also contribute to the sessions.

Recording for John B. Sebastian was completed during the autumn of 1968. By December, Kama Sutra and MGM began planning the album's release, assigning it a catalog number (Kama Sutra no. KLP/KLPS 8069 [9] ) and commissioning album cover artwork. The album's first single, "She's a Lady" b/w "The Room Nobody Lives In," was also issued in December 1968 (Kama Sutra catalog no. KA-254 [2] ). The single's release was accompanied by photo advertisements in the music industry trade papers Billboard and Cashbox that called "She's a Lady" the first of "an incredible new series of songs now being written by one of the most creative composers of contemporary rock." [2] The single performed disappointingly despite the advertising campaign, peaking at No. 84 on the Billboard chart.

Sheet music copyright listings for the songs "I Had a Dream" and "Baby, Don't Ya Get Crazy" [11] suggest that those songs may have been considered for release as a second single from the album. However, while additional singles from John B. Sebastian would be issued following the album's eventual release in 1970, these songs were not among them, and no further singles from the album – nor any further John Sebastian material of any kind – would be issued on the Kama Sutra label.

1969: Release delays, label change and Woodstock

Two events took place in early 1969 that together would work to delay John B. Sebastian's release: the disbanding of the Lovin' Spoonful, and Kama Sutra Records' terminating its distribution agreement with MGM Records. Neither event was completely unexpected. The Lovin' Spoonful had struggled to maintain a presence on the pop charts after Sebastian left the band, and broke up after their last album Revelation: Revolution '69 (Kama Sutra catalog no. KLP/KLPS 8073 [9] ), fronted by drummer/vocalist Joe Butler, failed to chart. Kama Sutra's relationship with MGM began deteriorating in mid-1967, when Kama Sutra's owners founded a new label not affiliated with MGM, Buddah Records. [12] The Buddah label developed a strong identity in 1968 through its association with the bubblegum pop music genre, with new artists that might previously have been contracted to Kama Sutra/MGM now being routed to Buddah instead.

Following the above events, MGM Records contacted Sebastian and his manager, Bob Cavallo, to advise them that they now planned to release John B. Sebastian on the MGM label (catalog no. SE-4654 [13] ). They also made an unexpected request, asking Sebastian to rebrand his album as a Lovin’ Spoonful record. [14] MGM's rationale for the request was twofold: they claimed that the now-defunct Spoonful still owed the label an album under their contract, and thought a new Lovin' Spoonful album featuring Sebastian would be more marketable than a John Sebastian solo album. Having left the Spoonful a year before, Sebastian felt no obligation to cover their contractual commitments, and declined, telling MGM that rebranding his album as a group effort would be "incredibly dishonest" [14] to potential record buyers.

MGM agreed to go forward with releasing John B. Sebastian under Sebastian's name as originally planned, but their behavior disturbed Sebastian and Cavallo, particularly since Sebastian was contracted not to MGM, but to Kama Sutra. As Kama Sutra had suspended operations upon ending their MGM distribution arrangement (temporarily; the label would be re-established as a Buddah Records subsidiary in late 1969), Sebastian and Cavallo began considering options for a new contract with another label. They contacted Mo Ostin, the head of Warner Bros. Records' Reprise Records subsidiary, [10] and quickly reached agreement on a five-album commitment. As part of the deal, Ostin purchased Sebastian's Kama Sutra contract, ultimately receiving (after delays in delivery from MGM) the master tapes to John B. Sebastian in return. Sebastian would later state:

MGM was asking me for more Lovin' Spoonful albums, claiming that I owed them … At that point, Bob Cavallo went to Mo Ostin. They had a very good relationship, and it was Mo's feeling that MGM was asking me for something that wasn't theirs to ask. He said, "Look, I'll buy this contract out." That was really what happened. [10]

As Reprise readied John B. Sebastian for release, Sebastian's solo career received an unanticipated boost through his impromptu appearance at the Woodstock Festival in August 1969. Sebastian would later discuss the circumstances leading to his set at Woodstock in a 1996 interview:

... I went to Woodstock as a member of the audience. I did not show up there with a road manager and a couple of guitars. I showed up with a change of clothes and a toothbrush. It just so happened that because most of my friends were musicians I ended up backstage. [On August 16, the second day of the festival, following a rainstorm] the stage had filled up with water and it was impossible to put electric instruments onstage. At that time [festival master of ceremonies and co-organizer] Chip Monck said to me "Look, we need somebody who can go out there with an acoustic guitar and hold [the audience] while we go out and sweep the water off the stage and let it dry up and you're elected." So, I had to run and borrow a guitar from Timmy Hardin and go on … it was not anything I had planned for. It was just one of those nice accidents and it resulted in my career then taking another step forward. Now, I was the Summer Concert Guy. I played every summer concert there was. [14]

Reprise would subsequently commission new cover art for John B. Sebastian including photographs taken during Sebastian's Woodstock set, [15] and Reprise's sister label Cotillion/Atlantic Records would include two songs from the set also featured in John B. Sebastian, "I Had a Dream" and "Rainbows All Over Your Blues", in their soundtrack album of Michael Wadleigh's documentary film of the festival Woodstock (1970).

1970: Release and "bootlegging" controversy

Reprise ultimately issued John B. Sebastian in January 1970 (catalog no. RS 6379 [16] ), over a year after the album was recorded, and about a year after its originally scheduled release on the Kama Sutra label. The album would be Sebastian's most successful release as a solo artist, reaching No. 20 on the Billboard album chart. Despite the album's success, however, Sebastian would for years harbor frustration that the album did not reach the marketplace sooner:

... the important thing was losing that year and a half. Because music, especially our popular music, changes so fast that the shelf life on a style can be six months, and I was very aware of that. It was one of the first [albums] of the sort of singer-songwriter [genre] … but you couldn't realize it by the time the album came out, 'cause so many other guys with the same approach by then had gotten out there. [10]

A further cause of frustration – and potential public confusion – was MGM's releasing its own version of John B. Sebastian shortly after Reprise did (catalog no. SE-4654, the same number issued to the album by MGM in early 1969). MGM's version used the album's originally commissioned cover art, and contained similar liner notes to the Reprise version (with some inaccuracies; in particular, bassist Harvey Brooks's name is consistently misspelled as "Brooke" on the MGM cover). Warner/Reprise would quickly sue MGM for copyright infringement over their issuing a recording they no longer had contractual rights to; [4] MGM claimed in response that the Lovin' Spoonful's owing them an album, plus the marketing support they gave to the Kama Sutra single release of "She's a Lady," gave them the right to release John B. Sebastian despite the artist's no longer being associated with them. [10] The lawsuit was adjudicated in Warner/Reprise's favor in late 1970, but not before MGM released a second, unauthorized album taken from a July 1970 John Sebastian concert performance, John Sebastian Live (MGM catalog no. SE-4720, [13] released September 1970). Both MGM's version of John B. Sebastian and John Sebastian Live were pulled from the marketplace upon settlement of Warner/Reprise's suit; John Sebastian Live has never been reissued, but its release would inspire Sebastian, Paul Rothchild and Paul Harris to record a live album as Sebastian's second Reprise project (Cheapo-Cheapo Productions Presents Real Live John Sebastian, Reprise catalog no. MS 2036, [17] released March 1971).

Reception and reissues

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Christgau's Record Guide B [19]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [20]
MusicHound Rock 4/5 [21]

Writing for AllMusic, critic William Ruhlman would suggest that Sebastian stretched further in the style of his music on John B. Sebastian after leaving the Lovin' Spoonful, noting that "The songs continued Sebastian's trend toward a more personal writing style, many of them containing images of travel that corresponded to his peripatetic lifestyle... the album was an eclectic but low-key introduction to the solo career of a former group member whose band was known for more elaborate productions, and all the more effective for that." [18] Music critic Robert Christgau wrote "Sebastian is as on for this solo debut as he ever was for the Lovin' Spoonful, and when he's on, the hummability quotient of his songs is dizzying – a good half of these imprint themselves upon impact. But just like Spoonful albums used to, this drags in the second half, and I feel vaguely let down." [19]

John B. Sebastian was reissued on CD in 2006 by Collectors' Choice Music.

Track listing

All songs written by John Sebastian, who also provides lead vocals (except on "Fa-Fana-Fa," which is an instrumental) and accompanies himself on guitar, piano and/or harmonium. Musician credits are as per the liner notes to both Reprise's and MGM's releases of the album.

Side 1

  1. "Red-Eye Express" – 2:57
    • Musicians: Sebastian, Dallas Taylor, Harvey Brooks, Paul Harris, Danny Weis.
  2. "She's a Lady" – 1:45
    • Musicians: Sebastian, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Ray Neopolitan. Strings and wind instruments by Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Beutens and friends.
  3. "What She Thinks About" – 3:04
    • Musicians: Sebastian, Graham Nash, Buddy Emmons, Taylor, Harris. Horns by Burt Collins and friends.
  4. "Magical Connection" – 2:49
    • Musicians: Sebastian, Buzzy Linhart, Taylor, Neopolitan.
  5. "You're a Big Boy Now" – 2:49
    • Musicians: Sebastian.
  6. "Rainbows All Over Your Blues" – 2:27
    • Musicians: Sebastian, Emmons, Taylor, Neopolitan.

Side 2

  1. "How Have You Been" – 4:12
    • Musicians: Sebastian, Taylor, Brooks, Harris.
  2. "Baby, Don't Ya Get Crazy" – 3:00
    • Musicians: Sebastian, the Ikettes, Bruce Langhorne, Reinol Andino, Stills, Taylor, Brooks, Harris, Weis.
  3. "The Room Nobody Lives In" – 3:13
    • Musicians: Sebastian, Neopolitan.
  4. "Fa-Fana-Fa" – 2:48
    • Musicians: Sebastian, Linhart, Taylor, Brooks, Harris, with Jose Cuervo and Yesterday's Horns.
  5. "I Had a Dream" – 2:46
    • Musicians: Sebastian, Gayle Levant, Taylor, Harris, Neopolitan. Orchestral arrangement by Paul Harris.

Personnel

Production notes

Charts

YearChartPosition
1970Billboard Pop Albums20

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sebastian</span> American singer-songwriter and musician (born 1944)

John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who founded the rock band the Lovin' Spoonful in 1964 with Zal Yanovsky. During his time in the Lovin Spoonful, John would write and sing some of the band's biggest hits such as "Do You Believe in Magic", "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind", and "Daydream". Sebastian would leave the Spoonful in 1968 after the album Everything Playing. After leaving the Spoonful, Sebastian would focus on a solo career, releasing his first solo album in 1970 titled John B. Sebastian. Sebastian would continue on recording solo albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zal Yanovsky</span> Canadian musical artist (1944–2002)

Zalman Yanovsky was a Canadian folk-rock musician and restaurateur. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky and teacher Nechama Yanovsky, who died in 1958. He played lead guitar and sang for the Lovin' Spoonful, a rock band which he founded with John Sebastian in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lovin' Spoonful</span> American folk-rock band (1964–1968)

The Lovin' Spoonful is an American folk-rock band formed in Greenwich Village, New York City, in 1964. The band were among the most popular groups in the United States for a short period in the mid-1960s and their music and image influenced many of the contemporary rock acts of their era. Beginning in July 1965 with their debut single "Do You Believe in Magic", the band had seven consecutive singles reach the Top Ten of the U.S. charts in the eighteen months that followed, including the number-two hits "Daydream" and "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?" and the chart-topping "Summer in the City".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MGM Records</span> Defunct American record label

MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the 1970s. The company also released soundtrack albums of the music for some of their non-musical films as well, and on rare occasions, cast albums of off-Broadway musicals such as The Fantasticks and the 1954 revival of The Threepenny Opera. In one instance, MGM Records released the highly successful soundtrack album of a film made by another studio, Columbia Pictures's Born Free (1966).

Kama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur "Artie" Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions, a production house. The "Kama Sutra" is an ancient Sanskrit text.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddah Records</span> American record label

Buddah Records was an American record label founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding. Buddah handled a variety of music genres, including bubblegum pop, folk rock (Melanie), experimental music, and soul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul A. Rothchild</span> American music producer (1935-1995)

Paul Allen Rothchild was a prominent American record producer of the 1960s and 1970s, widely known for his historic work with the Doors, producing Janis Joplin's final album Pearl and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's first two albums.

<i>Do You Believe in Magic</i> (album) 1965 studio album by the Lovin Spoonful

Do You Believe in Magic is the debut album by the folk rock group the Lovin' Spoonful. It was released in the United States in November 1965, on the Kama Sutra label. Release in the United Kingdom followed in March 1966. The album features the hits "Do You Believe in Magic" and "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?".

<i>Hums of the Lovin Spoonful</i> Album by the Lovin Spoonful

Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful is the third studio album by the American folk rock band the Lovin' Spoonful. It was released in November 1966 by Kama Sutra Records. It peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.

<i>Everything Playing</i> 1967 studio album by the Lovin Spoonful

Everything Playing is the fourth studio album by the American folk-rock band the Lovin' Spoonful, released in December 1967.

<i>Youre a Big Boy Now</i> (album) 1967 soundtrack album by the Lovin Spoonful

You're a Big Boy Now is a soundtrack album by the Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1967, containing music from the Francis Ford Coppola film of the same name. Composed entirely by Spoonful member John Sebastian, it contains several songs performed by the band, as well as instrumental music from the film score.

<i>Whats Shakin</i> 1966 Elektra compilation album with various artists

What's Shakin' is a compilation album released by Elektra Records in May 1966. It features the earliest studio recordings by the Lovin' Spoonful and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, as well as the only released recordings by the ad hoc studio group Eric Clapton and the Powerhouse, until they were reissued years later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Boone</span> American Bass Guitarist (born 1943)

Steve Boone is an American bass guitarist and music producer, best-known as a member of the American folk-rock group the Lovin' Spoonful. Boone co-wrote two of the groups' biggest hits, "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" and "Summer in the City". Besides the Spoonful, Boone is also a record producer, he produced albums by several artists. He also was the owner of Blue Sea Studios, a recording studio that recorded albums by Little Feat, Robert Palmer and many other artists.

<i>The Best of the Lovin Spoonful</i> 1967 greatest hits album by the Lovin Spoonful

The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful is a 1967 compilation album by the Lovin' Spoonful featuring hits and other tracks from their first three albums. It charted the highest of the group's career, hitting number three on the Billboard Top LPs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Didn't Have to Be So Nice</span> 1965 song by the Lovin Spoonful

"You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" is a song by the American folk-rock band the Lovin' Spoonful. Written by John Sebastian and Steve Boone, it was issued on a non-album single in November 1965. The song was the Lovin' Spoonful's second-consecutive single to enter the top ten in the United States, peaking at number ten. It was later included on the band's second album, Daydream, released in March 1966.

<i>Revelation: Revolution 69</i> 1968 studio album by the Lovin Spoonful

Revelation: Revolution '69 is the fifth studio album by the Lovin' Spoonful, released in late 1968. Though credited to "The Lovin' Spoonful featuring Joe Butler", the album features only Butler, the band's drummer, playing with session musicians.

<i>John Sebastian Live</i> 1970 live album by John Sebastian

John Sebastian Live is a recording of a July 1970 concert performance by American singer/songwriter John Sebastian, released in September of that year by MGM Records.

<i>The Lovin Spoonful Greatest Hits</i> 2000 compilation album by the Lovin Spoonful

The Lovin' Spoonful Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the folk-rock band the Lovin' Spoonful. Released in 2000 on Buddha Records, the compilation marked the first digital remaster of the band's material taken from the original multi-track master tapes, which had been rediscovered after having been lost for decades. The album contains every Top 40 hit single enjoyed by the band in the United States including its only chart-topper, "Summer in the City." The original recordings were produced by Erik Jacobsen, and originally released on Kama Sutra Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nashville Cats</span> 1966 song by the Lovin Spoonful

"Nashville Cats" is a song by the American folk-rock band the Lovin' Spoonful. Written by John Sebastian, the song appeared on the band's 1966 album Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful, and it was also issued on a single released the same day as the album. The single peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, marking the seventh and final time the band reached the American Top Ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lovin' Spoonful discography</span>

The Lovin' Spoonful is an American folk-rock band which was originally active between 1964 and 1968. During their original tenure, they released five studio albums, two soundtrack albums, four compilation albums, and fourteen singles in the United States. Between October 1965 and January 1967, their first-seven singles reached the Top Ten in the United States on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart, and the magazine's 1966 end-of-year issue ranked the group as that year's third-best-performing singles artist, after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Though the Spoonful achieved success during the transition to the album era, they and their label remained focused on the singles market; the group's 1966 album Daydream was their only studio album to break the Top Ten of the Billboard Top LPs chart, and its performance was bested only by a 1967 compilation album, The Best of the Lovin' Spoonful, which RIAA certified for gold that year. The Spoonful saw diminished success in 1967, when only two of their singles entered the top twenty in the U.S. Following further chart disappointments, the group disbanded in 1968.

References

  1. Holzman, Jac and Gavan Daws (2000). Follow the Music – The Life and High Times of Elektra Records in the Great Years of American Pop Culture, FirstMedia, ISBN   0-9661221-1-9, p. 123-124.
  2. 1 2 3 Kama Sutra Records advertisement for "She's a Lady" in Billboard magazine, December 14, 1968, edition.
  3. Zimmer, Dave and Henry Diltz (1984), Crosby, Stills and Nash – The Biography, Da Capo Press, ISBN   978-0-306-80974-3, p. 79.
  4. 1 2 "WB Sues MGM for Bootlegging". Rolling Stone (55). Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.: 14 April 2, 1970.
  5. Holzman, Jac and Gavan Daws. Follow the Music – The Life and High Times of Elektra Records in the Great Years of American Pop Culture, p. 73.
  6. As referenced on Wikipedia's page regarding the band, and in the lyrics to the Mamas and the Papas' 1967 song "Creeque Alley."
  7. Holzman, Jac and Gavan Daws. Follow the Music – The Life and High Times of Elektra Records in the Great Years of American Pop Culture, p. 79.
  8. "Elektra Album Discography, Part 2: EKL-100/EKS-7100 Series (1956–1967)". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 "Kama Sutra Album Discography,". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Unterberger, Richie Liner Notes for John Sebastian's "John B. Sebastian"". RichieUnterberger.com. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  11. John B. Sebastian Anthology, Big 3 Publishing, catalog no. B3-649, issued 1970. This music folio is packaged using the MGM cover art for John B. Sebastian.
  12. "Hyde, Bob, The Kama Sutra/Buddah Records Story". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved February 7, 2010.
  13. 1 2 "MGM Album Discography, Part 10: SE-4601 to SE-4800 (1969–1972)". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
  14. 1 2 3 "James, Gary, Interview with John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful". ClassicBands.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
  15. As can be verified via footage of Sebastian's performance included in Woodstock: The Director’s Cut, Warner Home Video, ISBN   0-7907-2935-0, released 1994.
  16. "Reprise Album Discography, Part 3: R/RS-6200 to RS-6399 (1966–1970)". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
  17. "Reprise Album Discography, Part 5: F/FS-2001 to MS-2199 (1961–1974)". Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  18. 1 2 Ruhlman, William. "John B. Sebastian > Review". Allmusic . Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  19. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 12, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  20. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0195313734.
  21. Rucker, Leland (1996). "Lovin' Spoonful / John Sebastian" . In Graff, Gary (ed.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit, Michigan: Visible Ink Press. pp. 422–423. ISBN   0-7876-1037-2 via the Internet Archive.