Dear John – the Sebastian Collection Now I know a little about the Everly Brothers, a little about Gordon Lightfoot, and even less about a whole host of other great singer/songwriters. But I don’t know a lot about John Sebastian other than he played guitar and harmonica for Tim Hardin and Fred Neil back in the mid-60s; he was featured strongly in Creeque Alley, John Phillips’ ode to California Dreaming; he made good time music a reality with the Lovin’ Spoonful; he provided the opening (acoustic) act at Woodstock when everyone’s electrics were flooded out; he inspired no less than John and June to pay homage to him; he allowed the Everly Brothers into his lounge to close off their RCA debut with long-time collaborator Paul Rothschild; oh and he gave John Travolta a pretty big kick up the ladder by writing a very simple theme tune called ‘Welcome Back’ in the mid-70s. But what I do know about John Sebastian is that he is just about one of the most talented musicians, songwriters, and performers of a generation. And this collection is the living proof. I’ve been doing this job for a few years now but have Fred Neil, partly under the only just achieved my ambition of starting a tutelage of producer Paul compilation with a ‘Finale’. I Rothschild. Here are a went to see this film in Baker couple of versions of classic Street back when I was a rock songs, one is a demo student at West London recording of a Chuck Berry College and loved the song, the other a Fred Neil frenetic atmosphere of original from the Brill student life in America. The Building in 1962. finale is a fitting opener to this compilation as it sums up the Lovin’ Spoonful era in a nutshell. John & Zal(ly) Yanovsky formed the Lovin’ Spoonful John started out his career at The Night Owl Cafe in playing harmonica and guitar Greenwich Village after their on sessions by the late first attempt at a super great(s) Tim Hardin and…….. group, The Mugwumps with Cass Elliott and Denny Doherty, had failed. One of the earliest Spoonful John’s songs were featured recordings was ‘Good Time in a couple of movies – the Music’, first released on the aforesaid You’re A Big Boy Elektra LP, What’s Shakin’, Now and Woody Allen’s zany and also featured on the Rhino What’s Up Tiger Lily. Fishin' compilation ‘Anthology’. I Blues was probably the spoke with Bill Inglot about standout track but more of this in Hollywood in 1992 and that later…………. he agreed that this was the best Spoonful compilation at that time (he produced it!) The first official Spoonful If Roger Miller’s signature album was ‘Do You Believe In song is King Of The Road, Magic’ which featured an John Sebastian’s is surely incredible version of John’s Daydream. The CD re-issue Sportin’ Life as well as a tip of features a full-length version the hat to Fred Neil’s Other of Night Owl Blues with Side Of This Life. It was some stunning guitar from produced by Erik Jacobsen Zal Yanowsky and equally who went on to work with stunning harmonica from Chris Isaak. John Sebastian. Hums of The Lovin’ Spoonful ……John’s first solo album was probably the highpoint of John B Sebastian which the group’s career featuring featured Crosby, Stills & as it did Darlin Companion, Nash as well as Buddy Rain On The Roof, Nashville Emmons. The songs were Cats and Summer In The City. great too including Red-Eye John now admits that those Express, She’s A Lady and a “Yellow Sun records” did really beautiful re-work of You’re A come from Memphis after all! Big Boy Now. Everything Playing featured a One of the highest accolades far more serious looking to John’s song-writing was Spoonful and although it still Johnny Cash & June Carter’s included some Sebastian version of Darlin Companion classics it was his swan song performed as part of their with the band. Sadly MGM legendary concert at San who owned Kama Sutra Quentin Prison in 1969. records thought they also owned John Sebastian and illegally released……… My DJ hero, the late …..and although the session great Roger Scott notes to Don’s road weary featured John’s song, condemnation of the plastic Stories We Could Tell Vegas punters slate John on as an intro to his electric guitar, surely that wonderful interview harmonica belongs to the with the Everlys on master? Well that’s what we Radio One’s Saturday all thought back in 1972! Sequence………... …..and to celebrate the re- Warner Bros executive Mo launch of Reprise Records in Ostin eventually wrestled 1970 Gordon Lightfoot invited John’s contract away from John to play along on a few MGM onto Reprise and re- tracks of his Sit Down Young issued his solo debut which, Stranger album. He was in good like the Everlys’ album, had company as the album was been produced by an old produced by Lenny Waronker friend, Paul Rothschild. and also featured Ry Cooder, Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks and Nick De Caro………….. The reverse cover of the repackaged album MGM continued to irritate featured John during with an unauthorised live his most iconoclastic album so John neatly put performance yet, the them in their place with this Woodstock Festival classic concert which where he performed a remains one of the all-time show-stopping acoustic great live recordings. I saved version of Younger this version of Darling Be Generation. Home Soon especially! ….and to prove that Reprise Amid rumours that John, Phil was a pretty safe place to be Everly and Lowell George during the early 70s they were planning their own allowed John to release his super-group we Everly fans most ambitious work yet, the were finally treated to John 17 minute The Four Of Us & Phil singing their version which took up the whole of of Stories We Could Tell. Side 2 of the album. It’s Tarzana Kid also featured a featured here as 4 separate very young, post-Parsons, segues. Emmylou Harris. Just as the guys at Reprise were These two CDs cover just over 10 years in the career beginning to lose faith in John’s of John B Sebastian, from teenage session musician bankability he came up with a TV through to fully-fledged singer/song-writer par theme song that saw both he and excellence. I’ve dedicated the collection to my best the rising star John Travolta hit (girl)friend Laura Williams who first introduced me to the top of the ratings. It had only the Tarzana Kid back in 1977 and who has shared my intended to be a demo recording devotion to all things Sebastian ever since. but before long John had beefed it up……………… Back in the early 70s when my own teenage friends were growing up, getting married and even having kids, John Sebastian was a very important part of our lives. I always regretted being the one not to buy Cheapo Cheapo Productions Presents Real Live John …...and Welcome Back Sebastian but then again I had the Stories We Could became the title track of his Tell album. It was worth the 34 year wait to get the final album for Reprise. John wonderfully re-mastered CD version and it sounds as had high hopes for A Song a wonderful now as it did way back then, we don’t get Day In Nashville and what the crackles and hisses and we don’t have to take it better way to end this off and turn it over after Nashville Cats! compilation than the haunting Let This Be Our Time To Get I’ve always wanted John to perform in my lounge, Along. now I’ve got the next best thing. CD1: The Spoonful Years CD2: The Solo Years 1. The Finale – You’re A Big Boy Now OST 1. Stories They Could Tell – The Saturday Sequence 2. Airmobile (demo) – Tim Hardin 2. The Pony Many – Gordon Lightfoot 3. Candy Man – Fred Neil 3. Saturday Clothes – Gordon Lightfoot 4. Creeque Alley – The Mamas & The Papas 4. I’m Tired Of Singing My Song In Las Vegas – Don Everly 5. Good Time Music – Anthology 5. Red-Eye Express 6. Do You Believe In Magic 6. You’re A Big Boy Now (re-recording) 7. Sportin’ Life (original version) 7. Fa-Fana-Fa 8. Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind? 8. The Four Of Us – On The Road 9. Younger Girl (demo version) 9. The Four Of Us – Dominique 10. Other Side Of This Life (instrumental version) 10. The Four Of Us – New Orleans 11. Jug Band Music 11. The Two Of Us - Red Wing Colorado 12. Didn’t Want To Have To Do It 12. Real Live Intro 13. You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice 13. Fishin’ Blues (live) 14. Daydream (demo version) 14. Younger Girl (live) 15. Night Owl Blues (complete version) 15. Did You Ever Have To make Up Your Mind (live) 16. Pow – What’s Up Tiger Lily OST 16. Darlin Be Home Soon (live) 17. You’re A Big Boy Now (OST version) 17. Sitting In Limbo 18. Lonely (Amy’s Theme) 18. Friends Again 19. Lovin’ You 19. Dixie Chicken 20. Rain On The Roof 20. Stories We Could Tell (with Phil Everly) 21. Nashville Cats 21. Singing The Blues 22. Summer In The City 22.