Background
Sloan and Barri had written the song "Where Were You When I Needed You" for the Hermans Hermits film Hold On! The Hermits chose not to release the song as the follow-up single to the Sloan and Barri song, "A Must to Avoid". Sloan and Barri persuaded their boss, Dunhill Records head Lou Adler, to let them record a single version of the song in 1965. The demo was sent to several radio stations in the Los Angeles area and received a favorable review. However, Dunhill insisted that they find a "real group" to tour as the Grass Roots, since they were too valuable to Dunhill as songwriters for the label to allow them to perform live concerts or make TV appearances. [3]
Sloan and Barri chose a San Francisco band to become the Grass Roots. The band consisted of lead singer/lead guitarist Fulton, rhythm guitarist Denny Ellis, bassist David Stensen and drummer Larson. [3] The band quickly had no shortage of live performances, as they became a resident band at the Los Angeles club "The Trip" and made frequent appearances at San Francisco's Avalon Ballroom. [3] They also supported the Dunhill artists the Mamas and the Papas, Johnny Rivers and Barry McGuire on their TV performances. However, with the exception of Fulton's vocals and Larson on drums, they did not appear on the Grass Roots records, which featured Sloan and various session musicians. [4]
The band's single version of Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man" (issued under the name "Mr. Jones") only reached the lower reaches of the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 121 in late 1965. A new single of "Where Were You When I Needed You", with Fulton's voice replacing Sloan's as the lead vocal, was finally released in June 1966 and reached the Top 40, peaking at No. 28. But that success was too late for the band members, who were frustrated by Dunhill's reluctance to let them record as a band. Although much of the first album had already been recorded at that time, the band (except for Larson) decided to return to San Francisco in early 1966. [4]
After the band quit, Sloan once again took over as lead singer of the Grass Roots sessions, as he had been on the original demos. Sloan stated that Dunhill policy at the time required albums to include "other people's hits" that "they were trying to get into stores", which is why the album does not only feature Sloan and Barri originals. [4] Because there was no longer a band for TV appearances or live concerts, Sloan and Barri were never able to continue the success of "Where Were You When I Needed You". [4] The twelve track vinyl album featured four songs sung by Fulton (including the aforementioned version of "Where Were You When I Needed You"), six songs sung by Sloan, one song sung by Barri ("You Didn't Have To Be So Nice"), and one as a duet between Sloan and Barri ("I Am a Rock"). It failed to chart. [4]
Fulton later was guitarist and vocalist in Tower of Power on their albums East Bay Grease (1970), Bump City (1972), Direct (1981) and Power (1987). [3] Larson played with Gene Clark, The Merry-Go-Round, The Turtles and Lee Michaels before returning to the Grass Roots in 1971. Ellis and Stensen joined a San Francisco group named The Serpent Power led by Beat poet David Meltzer and his wife Tina. They released a self-titled album in 1967. [5]
In 1994, the original CD version of the album was released on Varèse Sarabande. It included six bonus tracks. Five were sung by Fulton and one titled "Tip of My Tongue" by Sloan. [4] This CD version of the album included a total of ten songs sung by Sloan and eight songs sung by Fulton. In 2005, an English CD reissue on Rev-Ola Records included all of the previous tracks plus two more bonus tracks. They were the second and third vocal versions of "Where Were You When I Needed You" sung by Fulton first and then by the most famous Grass Roots lead singer Rob Grill. [6]
Philip Gary "Flip" Sloan, known professionally as P. F. Sloan, was an American singer and songwriter. During the mid-1960s, he wrote, performed, and produced many Billboard Top 20 hits for artists such as Barry McGuire, the Searchers, Jan and Dean, Herman's Hermits, Johnny Rivers, the Grass Roots, the Turtles, and the Mamas and the Papas.
The Grass Roots is an American rock band that charted frequently between 1965 and 1975. The band was originally the creation of Lou Adler and songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri. In their career, they achieved two gold albums and two gold singles, and charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100 a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they achieved Top 10 three times, Top 20 six times and Top 40 14 times. They have sold over 20 million records worldwide.
All Over the Place is the debut studio album by American pop rock band the Bangles. Released in 1984 by Columbia Records, the sound is lively and shows more Bangles collaboration and fewer keyboard overdubs than were used later on their more commercially successful albums. Although the album was not a major commercial success – peaking at #80 on the Billboard 200 albums chart – and did not produce a hit, it sold respectably, mostly through steady airplay on college stations. It also gave them the chance to perform as an opening act for Cyndi Lauper and Huey Lewis and the News, and brought the group to the attention of Prince, who would write "Manic Monday", their first hit.
Erik Michael Coonce was the drummer for American rock band The Grass Roots from 1966 to 1972.
"Secret Agent Man" is a song written by P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri. The most famous recording of the song was made by Johnny Rivers for the opening titles of the American broadcast of the British spy series Danger Man, which aired in the U.S. as Secret Agent from 1964 to 1966. Rivers's version peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Canadian RPM chart, one of the biggest hits of his career. Numerous covers and adaptations have been recorded since then with the song becoming both a rock standard and one of Johnny Rivers's signature songs.
Steve Barri is an American songwriter and record producer.
Joel Larson is an American rock drummer and percussionist who is known as a founding member of The Merry-Go-Round and for being associated with The Turtles and The Grass Roots.
Robert Frank Grill was an American musician and songwriter, best known as lead singer and bassist of the rock and roll group The Grass Roots. Though not a founding member, Grill was the longest-serving member of the band prior to his death in 2011.
"Don't Pull Your Love" is a song written by Brian Potter and Dennis Lambert which became a top ten hit single in 1971 for Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds.
Hold On! by Herman's Hermits is the band's fourth album in the U.S. It was not released in the United Kingdom but an EP was released by EMI/Columbia featuring 6 tracks.
The Robbs were an American 1960s pop and rock band from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. They are best known for being the house band on Dick Clark's mid-1960s show Where The Action Is. They are also known for placing the most singles on Billboard magazine's "Bubbling Under" chart without ever once crossing over into the Billboard Hot 100.
Let's Live for Today is the second studio album by the American rock band the Grass Roots, released in July 1967 by Dunhill Records. A new group was brought in for this album which included Creed Bratton, Rick Coonce, Warren Entner and Rob Grill. It features their first top-ten hit by the same name, "Let's Live for Today". The bulk of the compositions are by group creators Sloan and Barri, but the new group was allowed to compose four songs and was given some input in the studio instrumentation. The other A and B side singles released were "Depressed Feeling", "Things I Should Have Said" b/w "Tip of My Tongue", and "Wake Up, Wake Up" b/w "No Exit". The album charted at No. 75.
"Midnight Confessions" is a song written by Lou T. Josie and originally performed by the Ever-Green Blues. American rock band The Grass Roots later made it famous when they released it as a single in 1968. Though never released on any of the group's studio albums, it was on their first compilation album, Golden Grass, and has since been included on many of their other compilations.
"Let's Live for Today" is a song written by David "Shel" Shapiro and Italian lyricist Mogol, with additional English lyrics provided by Michael Julien. It was first recorded, with Italian lyrics, under the title of "Piangi con me" by the English band the Rokes in 1966. Later, when "Piangi con me" was to be released in the United Kingdom, publisher Dick James Music requested that staff writer Julien compose English lyrics for the song. Julien composed new lyrics, rather than translating from the Italian, and it was his input that transformed "Piangi con me" into "Let's Live for Today".
Their 16 Greatest Hits is the third compilation album by the American rock band the Grass Roots. It was originally released by Dunhill Records in September 1971 shortly after the success of "Sooner or Later" earlier that year. The album also included many other hit singles that were released from 1966 to 1971. The album was released on both stereo LP & tape as well as in Quadraphonic Sound on both LP & tape. This album was the only Quadraphonic album released by The Grass Roots.
More Golden Grass is the second compilation album by the American rock band the Grass Roots, released in September 1970 by Dunhill Records. It includes the No. 15 charting single "Temptation Eyes", the No. 61 charting single "Come On And Say It", and the No. 35 charting single "Baby Hold On". The album charted at No. 152.
Feelings is the third studio album by the American rock band the Grass Roots, released in February 1968 by Dunhill Records. It contained many songs composed by the group's members and studio performances of the musician's instrumentation. The album was intended to take the group into a heavier psychedelic direction with their music. The A and B side singles released from the album were "Melody For You" b/w "Hey Friend", "Feelings" b/w "Here's Where You Belong", "Who Will You Be Tomorrow", "Hot Bright Lights", "All Good Things Come to an End" and "You and Love Are the Same". Midway during this run "Midnight Confessions" was released as an A side and became the group's highest charting single.
Lovin' Things is the fourth album by American rock group the Grass Roots. The album was originally released by Dunhill Records in 1969. The album charted at No. 73. It contained only two songs composed by the group. The album was intended to take the group into a soulful direction that was being rewarded by charting singles. The A- and B-side singles released were "Lovin' Things", "The River Is Wide", "(You Gotta) Live for Love" and "Fly Me to Havana". At the end of this run, "I'd Wait a Million Years" was released as an A side and became the group's next charting single, appearing on their next album, Leaving It All Behind.
Golden Grass is the first greatest hits album by the American rock band the Grass Roots, released in November 1968 by Dunhill Records. The LP's release in the fall of 1968 followed the success of the group's highest-charting single, "Midnight Confessions". It featured a song written by Carole King and Toni Stern titled "Lady Pleasure", which was previously unreleased by the group, as well as a new single, "Bella Linda", which was originally written by the Italian songwriting duo of Lucio Battisti and Mogol. The Grass Roots' version of the song, which was given English lyrics by Barry Gross and Steve Barri, charted at No. 28. Golden Grass is the highest charting Grass Roots album at #25, and was certified gold by the RIAA in 1970.
Move Along is the sixth studio album by the American rock group the Grass Roots. The album was released in 1972 and charted at No. 86. It was the last of the group's albums to chart on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. The album marked the departures of longtime drummer Rick Coonce and keyboardist Dennis Provisor from the group, though Provisor still contributed to the album both as a performer (uncredited) and as a composer. The A- and B-side singles released were "Two Divided by Love", "Glory Bound" b/w "Only One", "The Runway" b/w "Move Along", and "Anyway the Wind Blows" b/w "Monday Love". Later, the song "Someone to Love" was released as the B side to the song "Love Is What You Make It", which appeared on the band's following album, Alotta Mileage.
[2] 