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They Believed in Magic
The Lovin’ Spoonful was a singles chart champion in 1966
“Do You Believe in Magic?” was an appropriate title for the debut record released in 1965 by The Lovin’ Spoonful.
A Top Ten single, it was the beginning of a magical ride on the pop charts for the four-person band. In 1966, The Lovin’ Spoonful rose to third place in the U.S. singles market, behind only The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
It all began with two members of an earlier group who teamed up to start a new band. Cass Elliot introduced John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky to each other at her February 9, 1964 watch party in New York — the night The Beatles made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Everyone was blown away by the Fab Four. Sebastian and Yanovsky hit it off and agreed to join with Elliot in her group, The Mugwumps.
When The Mugwumps dissolved in late 1964, Sebastian, who sang and played guitar, harmonica, piano and autoharp, and Yanovsky, who sang and played guitar, decided to form their own group. They envisioned it as a blend of jug band music and British-influenced rock. They recruited bass player Steve Boone; later, after a previous drummer didn’t work out, drummer Joe Butler joined them.
The Lovin’ Spoonful was born. The band’s name was a reference to some of the lyrics of…
