Post by Todd LucasPost by SavoyBGMost likely, unless it was the same guy with a
nickname or something.
Definitely not the case, since Jan's a girl. She also sang lead for
both The Vejtables and Mojo Men on various songs.
Post by SavoyBGThe Mojo Men recorded for the Autumn Label,
where Sly produced records by the Beau
Brummels. He may also have produced the
Mojo Men, not sure.
I'd have to look it up but I think that's probably correct. The
Vejtables also recorded for Autumn. Jan Errico wrote the top side to
one of their singles, "I Still Love You".
Todd
The Mojo Men's version of "Sit Down I Think I Love" has a slicker arrangement
and production than what Sly was (capable of) doing at the time.
The Beau Brummels best stuff was great: simple, melodic Beatle-y guitar-driven
pop. Not to knock Sly, but the Beau Brummels success have had as much to do
with the band's singing, playing and songwriting as with what Sylvester Stewart
did with them in the studio. Pretty straight ahead stuff.
I always thought Sly's deal with the BBs was that he was a Bay Area based go
getter/scenemaker who knew studio basics (and a lot of stuff). He was a radio
Dj during this time and the Bay Area based Beau Brummels were discovered by
another SF Dj, Tom Donohue....who used Sylvester Stewart as his staff producer
for the little record company he owned, Autumn Records.
Sly records the Beaus locally and lightning strikes. They wind up with a couple
of classic "American response to the Brit Invasion" type hit singles.
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The Mojo Men's hit had the pre-psychedelic-but-slick arrangement and production
which (ironically) a San Francisco group had to go to LA to get in those days.
I always think that it was Ted Templeman who was involved with this record, but
when "Sit Down" was a hit, Ted was probably still hanging out in Santa Cruz
working on what would eventually be the Harper's Bizarre sound. He hadn't gone
on to become a slick LA producer yet.
It was Van Dyke Parks who did the hit single arrangement of "Sit Down I Think I
Love You." For a quick check on how much Parks' arrangement added to the 'hit
factor' on that record, just check out the original by Buffalo Springfield.
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As far as Jan, iirc there have been a few threads here over the years about her
being the lead singer on the Mojo Men's big hit.
10-15 years after "Sit Down" was a hit, I used to run into Jan working some of
the same cover band clubs which my band worked in the San Jose area. She played
drums and sang in a group. A trio or quartet that seemed like they managed to
stay together for ages. While the rest of us were running around town playing a
week here, 2 weeks there, Jan's band would do 6 months in the same club...
Can't remember the group's name, but I'd occasionally go see them -all the
bands went to see each other back then, great club scene here in the 70s/80s.
Though we weren't friends, Jan was always friendly the few times I chatted with
her during their breaks.
Her group did a Carpenters medley during their early soft ('dinner') set. Jan
had/has a great voice, singing in lower keys (like Karen Carpenter) and she
sounded great on it. Most cover bands wouldn't normally do Carpenters stuff in
the late 70s. The Carpenters were too middle of the road, non-danceable...and
their hits days were behind them by that point. But Jan's band did as it was a
vocal showcase for her.
They *may* have done a version of "Sit Down I Think I Love You" but I never
heard it.
Steve