Groovin' (The Young Rascals album)

History

This was the last album on which the band was billed as "The Young Rascals"; their next album, Once Upon a Dream, would be credited to simply "The Rascals". The album began the Rascals' first forays into the psychedelic genre that they would explore further on Once Upon a Dream.

Eight of Groovin's eleven songs were issued by Atlantic Records as single A- or B-sides. The three songs specific to the album are "Find Somebody", "I Don't Love You Anymore", and the Rascals' cover of "A Place in the Sun". "If You Knew", upon its initial release as the "B" side of the single "(I've Been) Lonely Too Long", was jointly credited to all the Rascals' members; the writing credit was changed upon the album's release. Atlantic Records was at first reluctant to release the title song as a single, but its popularity was such that Italian and Spanish versions were released on different sides of a subsequent single.

Flutist Hubert Laws is featured in a sessions role on the album's final track, "It's Love".

Booker T. & the MG's took a cover of "Groovin'" to the charts later in 1967 and the song "You Better Run" was later covered by Pat Benatar and was a hit for her in 1980.

Cover design

The front cover design was conceived (but not illustrated) by the Young Rascals' drummer Dino Danelli. Affixed to the front cover was one of two stickers indicating: "THIS LP HAS THE BIG HIT", followed by either "How Can I Be Sure" (as shown in the cover photo on the right) or "A Girl Like You" as both tracks climbed into the Top 10.

Reception

Writing for Allmusic, critic Bruce Eder wrote the album moved into the psychedelic genre while retaining a "soulful core". He called the album "their best of their entire history... but "Groovin'" was only one small strong point on the album of the same name."

Track listing

All songs are written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, except where otherwise indicated.

Side One

1. "A Girl Like You" – 2:51 - Lead Vocals: Felix
2. "Find Somebody" – 3:48 - Lead Vocals: Eddie
3. "I'm So Happy Now" (Gene Cornish) – 2:50 - Lead Vocals: Gene
4. "Sueño" – 2:48 - Lead Vocals: Felix (also written by Cavaliere and Brigati but attributed incorrectly to another writer on some labels)
5. "How Can I Be Sure" – 2:56 - Lead Vocals: Eddie

Side Two

1. "Groovin'" – 2:33 - Lead Vocals: Felix
2. "If You Knew" – 3:04 - Lead Vocals: Eddie & Felix
3. "I Don't Love You Anymore" (Cornish) – 3:09 - Lead Vocals: Gene
4. "You Better Run" – 2:28 - Lead Vocals: Felix
5. "A Place in the Sun" (Ronald Miller, Brian Wells) – 4:52 - Lead Vocals: Eddie
6. "It's Love" – 3:15 - Lead Vocals - Felix

Certifications

US-Gold (500,000 copies sold).

The Rascals

Additional musicians

Singles