Bloggerhythms

The recent passing of Rob Grill, the former lead singer of The Grass Roots, got me to thinking about how many great American pop-rock bands there were in the mid to late 60s. To any baby boomer glued to the radio during the golden age of Top 40 these hitmakers were a big part of your listening experience. Most of these artists had the usual shelf life of two to four years on the charts and, while many continued to tour and record, most took to the oldies circuit to survive (if they survived at all). So, as a tribute to Grill let’s take a look at some of these groups who haven't had a hit in over forty years and are mostly unknown outside of their generation. We’ll start with Grill's own band. The Grass Roots were a quartet that didn't have a permanent horn section but most of their best singles featured horns. Early hits such as "Where Were You When I Needed You" and "Let's Live for Today," were produced with just the standard guitars, bass, ...

Ben Vaughn is not a household name but I have a feeling it's OK with him because the grin on his face never seems to fade. It's probably because he has had a successful career as a producer (count the legendary Arthur Alexander among his credits) while writing music for TV shows (He's responsible for the original music for Third Rock from the Sun and That 70s Show ) and still touring and maintaining a recording career. Retro-rocker Vaughn began recording in the late 80s when he acquired a cult following in Philadelphia and his native South Jersey. Now residing in California he still returns home frequently to play in front of audiences who know him well. He is quite entertaining live. While most of his earlier CDs have been worthwhile, the best way to experience Vaughn is through the three discs he released in succession over the last five years, Vaughn Sings Vaughn, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 (VSV). His latest band, Ben Vaughn's Desert Classic, is a tightly knit un...