The Lovin' Spoonful

A well-known 60's band originally consisting of Steve Boone, Joe Butler, John Sebastian, and Zal Yanovsky. Originally formed in early 1965 in Long Island, NY. In 1967 Zal Yanovksy left the group and was replaced by Jerry Yester. The band slowly disintegrated from 1968 to 1969 with John Sebastian leaving for a solo career.

The band had a number of well-known singles such as "Do You Believe in Magic", "Daydream", "Darlin Be Home Soon","You Didn't Have to be So Nice", "Nashville Cats" and "Summer in the City". In addition to that they also wrote and performed two soundtrack albums for two directors very early in their careers, Woody Allen "Whats Up Tigerlily" and Francis Ford Coppola "You're a Big Boy Now." They released a total of five albums via Kama Sutra Records.

They toured relentlessly throughout their career as a band, playing often on college campuses, a rare practice at the time.

A long, bitter dispute with their record company was finally settled in 1991 and they've begun touring again as well as writing new material.

It is important to note however that the version of the Lovin' Spoonful currently touring is the version that made their last album, without John Sebastian.

The band currently consists of Jerry Yester, Steve Boone and Joe Butler. While this version of the band made a couple of decent tracks (check out the bonus tracks on the last album the band did with Sebastian, Everybody Playing, which on the CD version includes a few post-Sebastian tracks) they don't sound like the Lovin' Spoonful and you should be aware of that if you go and see them. Yester in particular is talented (he produced records for Tim Buckley among others), but Sebastian was the group for all intents and purposes.

John Sebastian currently plays occasional gigs doing jug band, ragtime, bluegrass and simillar types of music.

For information on tours by the current Spoonful line-up visit www.lovinspoonful.com