The Story Behind ‘Vehicle’ by the Ides of March
For Jim Peterik, trying to win back his girlfriend led him to write one of the biggest hits of the jazz rock era.
Peterik was the guitarist and lead singer of the Ides of March. Peterik wrote “Vehicle,” the 1970 monster hit famous for its powerful horns and soulful sound. Peterik says that the song’s inspiration came from his attempt to impress his girlfriend, Karen.
Peterik planned to earn enough money to buy a new sports car. In the meantime, he had to bide his time, driving Karen to school in his humble 1964 Plymouth Valiant.
“One day in a fit of frustration, I heard myself blurt out to her “You know, all I am to you is your “vehicle.” Just then the light bulb popped up on top of my head and I thought about all the guys like me who don’t mind being taken for a ride by a beautiful girl. I said “See you later” and started writing the song.”
In the liner notes of the band’s debut album, Vehicle, Peterik explained that the band’s vision changed over time.
“We started as a British Invasion wannabe band, really, kind of Curtis Mayfield-meets-the-Hollies.
“We loved that sound, but as the band wore on, we started wanting to do songs with brass, like the James Brown stuff and Arthur Conley’s ‘Sweet Soul Music.’ We got a trumpet, and that was…
