This article, printed in 1982, has inaccuracies.

The Young Rascals
Groovin'
No. 1 in 1967

Reprinted from "The Top Ten 1956-Present" by Bob Gilbert and Gary Theroux - 1982

The mid-sixties was a golden age for blue-eyed soul - heartfelt R & B performances by such acts as Tom Jones, the Box Tops, Mitch Ryder, and the Vanilla Fudge. In 1966, the Young Rascals added their name to that list with an explosive million-seller - the number one hit, "Good Lovin'." After that, most of their material was written by one or both of their lead singers, Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere (who also played keyboards). Felix generally wrote the music and Eddie the lyrics. Rounding out the lineup were Gene Cornish (guitar) and Dino Danelli (drums). Following "Good Lovin'" was "You Better Run," and in March 1967, "I've Been Lonely To long." By that time, the young Rascals were headliners, constantly on the road, making innumerable TV and concert appearances. While on tour, they were known to relieve boredom by dropping water bombs out of hotel windows, or splashing around in the fancy fountains in front of them. Occasionally, they got a day off to spend with girlfriends, and, more often than not, that day happened to be a Sunday. The idea of spending Sunday afternoon "Groovin'" with a lady inspired Eddie and Felix to write "Groovin'" in the spring of 1967.

The song marked a change of direction for the band, which had previously built its sound around the lead of Felix's organ. "On our new single there isn't any organ," said Gene at the time. "There is no guitar and there are no regular drums. There's a bass, a harpsichord, a piano, a conga drum, tambourine, vibes, a harmonica, a vocal, and birds." "Groovin'," a reflective, sinuous record, was perhaps their most infectious creation. It's essential lightness was effectively blanched by the somber tone of Felix's voice. On the track, he tried his best to sound like his idol, Ray Charles. "Groovin'" broke in late April 1967, and spent four weeks at number one in May. In all, it clung to the charts for three months, becoming the Young Rascals' second million-seller. In September of that year, the song was covered by Booker T. and the MG's, who made the top thirty with their instrumental version.

The Young Rascals had three more hits in 1967: "A Girl Like You," "How Can I Be Sure" (remade in 1972 by David Cassidy), and "It's Wonderful." Then, in 1968, they dropped the "Young" from their name, as the various members had all left their teenage years. As the Rascals, they hit with "A Beautiful Morning" and "People Got to Be Free" in 1968. The latter tune came from their LP Freedom Suite, which sowed the seeds of the group's demise. As the band evolved, they moved away from basic R & B, drifted into a kind of cocktail jazz, and eventually wound up trying to go psychedelic. Although "People Got to Be Free" was a number one-record, their fans objected to the Rascals' flower power stance - Nehru jackets, love beads, and all. In 1969, there was a string of lesser hits: "A Ray of Hope," "Heaven," "See," and "Carry Me Back." That last song - ironically, a plea to return to their R & B roots - came too late to save the Rascals. In 1971, Eddie and Gene quit; the other two tried to regroup on Columbia with two new members. After two ill-fated LPs, they too gave up in 1972. Cornish and Danelli resurfaced in a band called Bulldog, and later, Fotomaker. Brigati, in 1976, tried to put out a new version of "Groovin'," but it was unsuccessful. Felix, though, had a mild solo hit: "Only a Lonely Heart Sees," in 1980.

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