Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful

by The Lovin' Spoonful

Overview

Having released two previous albums and a soundtrack, along with a stream of singles, over the previous 12 and a half months, the Lovin' Spoonful assembled their third regular studio LP, Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful, for release around Thanksgiving 1966. It contained the group's chart-topping single from the previous June, "Summer in the City," along with September's Top Ten hit "Rain on the Roof" (curiously titled "You and Me and Rain on the Roof" on the LP). Released simultaneously with the album and included on it were the two songs from the next single, "Nashville Cats," which became the band's seventh consecutive Top Ten entry, and "Full Measure," a B-side featuring drummer Joe Butler on lead vocals that scraped into the singles chart. Those were the money songs, although Bobby Darin discovered the leadoff track, "Lovin' You," and quickly covered it for a Top 40 hit, and the moody "Coconut Grove," a tribute to Fred Neil, would become a permanent part of Spoonful leader John Sebastian's repertoire in his solo career. An emphasis on the parts of the album is a way of describing it as more a loose collection of disparate tracks than a unified effort, despite Sebastian's hand in all the compositions and his lead vocals on most of them. This was by necessity, but also by design, since Sebastian and co. went into the studio trying to sound completely different each time. They often succeeded: Except for the vocal similarity, the rock band playing "Summer in the City" and the caustic, autobiographical "4 Eyes" doesn't sound much like the country unit picking its way through "Lovin' You" and "Nashville Cats." Sebastian may have been an obvious New Yorker (those "yellow Sun records" were from Memphis, not Nashville), but that didn't keep him from expressing his musical passions effectively. The 2003 Buddah CD reissue added six demos, instrumental tracks, and alternate versions of songs from the album. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	02/18/2003
Label:	Buddha Records
UPC:	0744659973222

Tracks

1. Lovin' You
2. Bes' Friends
3. Voodoo in My Basement
4. Darlin' Companion
5. Henry Thomas
6. Full Measure
7. Rain on the Roof
8. Coconut Groove
9. Nashville Cats
10. 4 Eyes
11. Summer in the City
12. Darlin' Companion
13. Rain on the Roof
14. 4 Eyes
15. Full Measure
16. Voodoo in My Basement
17. Darlin' Companion

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Lovin' Spoonful   Primary Artist
Henry Diltz   Clarinet
Larry Hankin   Jew's-Harp

Technical Credits

John Hudson   Product Manager
Jerry Leiber   Composer
Mike Stoller   Composer
Henry Diltz   Photography,Photo Courtesy
Yoshiro Nagato   Liner Notes
Zal Yanovsky   Composer
Erik Jacobsen   Producer,Original Recording Producer
John Sebastian   Composer
Mark Sebastian   Composer
Don Paulsen   Photo Courtesy
Ric Zannitto   Photo Courtesy
Clark Besch   Photo Courtesy
Jayme Pieruzzi   Mastering
Sue Raffman   Project Coordinator
Betty Ann Rizzo   Project Coordinator
Steve Besch   Photo Courtesy
Jeff Smith   Reissue Design,Reissue Art Director
Laura Dorson   Project Coordinator
Steve Boone   Composer
Bob Irwin   Mastering,Reissue Producer
J. Sebastian   Composer
Jeremy Holiday   Project Coordinator
E. Weiss   Composer
Dennis Diken   Liner Notes
Rob Santos   Reissue Producer