the Lovin’ Spoonful

the Lovin’ Spoonful, American folk rock band with a string of hits in the mid 1960s. The original members were John Sebastian (b. March 17, 1944, New York, New York, U.S.), Zal Yanovsky (b. December 19, 1944, Toronto, Ontario, Canada—d. December 13, 2002, Kingston, Ontario), Steve Boone (b. September 23, 1943, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, U.S.), and Joe Butler (b. September 16, 1941, Glen Cove, New York, U.S.). Later members included Jerry Yester (b. January 9, 1943, Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.).

Formed in 1965 in New York City’s Greenwich Village, the Lovin’ Spoonful crafted a “good-time” sound and cartoonish image. Their version of folk rock—combining skilled musicianship, zaniness, and blues and jug-band influences (related to the skiffle music that played an important role in the development of British rock and roll)—produced seven Top Ten singles. The first, “Do You Believe in Magic?” (1965), celebrated music’s liberating power, as did “Nashville Cats” (1966). Other hits included gentle ruminations on romance—“You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice” (1965), “Daydream” (1966), and “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?” (1966)—and the uncharacteristically boisterous “Summer in the City” (1966). Chief songwriter Sebastian (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, and Autoharp) and Yanovsky (lead guitar) came from a folk background; Boone (bass) and Butler (drums) had played rock and roll. Before disbanding in 1969, they recorded five albums plus two movie soundtracks. Yanovsky left the band in 1967 after controversy resulted from an arrest for possession of marijuana; Sebastian followed in 1968, distinguishing himself as a soloist with his engaging performance at Woodstock and the chart-topping single “Welcome Back” (1976), the theme song of the television series Welcome Back, Kotter. The Lovin’ Spoonful, minus Yanovsky and Sebastian, reunited in the 1990s to play live and in 1999 released Live at the Hotel Seville. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.