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Do you believe in magic?  Well, Sundazed clearly does, as the label is set to offer the first three albums by The Lovin’ Spoonful in mono editions on both CD and 180-gram vinyl.

New York native John Sebastian fused pop and folk when he joined with Zal Yanovsky, Steve Boone and Joe Butler as The Lovin’ Spoonful.  The band quickly established a knack for “good time music” with its very first album, November 1965’s Do You Believe in Magic.   The Kama Sutra album yielded the hit title track (U.S. No. 9) and “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind” (No. 2), both penned by Sebastian.  Daydream followed just a few months later in March 1966, featuring another smash hit title track (No. 2) as well as “You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice” (No. 9), the latter co-written by Sebastian and Boone.  While Magic had featured only five original songs alongside an array of traditional tunes and covers, Daydream consisted of all originals written or co-written by Sebastian except for one.

The Spoonful followed Daydream with the soundtrack to What’s Up, Tiger Lily?, an unusual spy spoof from writer-director Woody Allen.  For Tiger Lily, Allen re-cut a Japanese spy film, dubbing new dialogue and in the process using the original movie to tell the story of the search for the world’s best egg salad recipe!  Sebastian and the band were tapped to provide the movie’s score.  The band returned in full force in November 1966 for Hums of the Lovin’ Spoonful.  This time out, the Spoonful diversified its style, offering up a stew of pop, folk, blues, country and jug band music.  The driving pop-rock of “Summer in the City” earned the group a No. 1 hit; “Rain on the Roof” and “Nashville Cats” also made the Billboard Top 10.  The songs also proved attractive to other artists, with Bobby Darin, Johnny and June Carter Cash, and Flatt and Scruggs all having successes with tracks from Hums.

Sundazed’s reissue series concludes there.  It’s an appropriate place to end, as Hums ended up as the final proper album by the original quartet.  Next up for the band was another soundtrack, You’re a Big Boy Now; then, in fall 1967 came Everything Playing.  By the time of its recording, Zal Yanovsky had left the band to be replaced by Jerry Yester.  By the following year’s Revelation: Revolution ’69, Sebastian had departed, too, with the group reduced to a trio and Joe Butler assuming the lead role.  Butler, Yester and Boone still tour as The Lovin’ Spoonful today.

All three mono reissues, available on both CD and 180-gram vinyl LP, will be available on June 30 from Sundazed!

The Lovin’ Spoonful, Do You Believe in Magic (Kama Sutra LP KLPS-8050, 1965 – reissued Sundazed, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Do You Believe in Magic
2. Blues in the Bottle
3. Sportin’ Life
4. My Gal
5. You Baby
6. Fishin’ Blues
7. Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?
8. Wild About My Lovin’
9. Other Side of This Life
10. Younger Girl
11. On the Road Again
12. Night Owl Blues

The Lovin’ Spoonful, Daydream (Kama Sutra LP KLPS-8051, 1966 – reissued Sundazed, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. )

1. Daydream
2. There She Is
3. It’s Not Time Now
4. Warm Baby
5. Day Blues
6. Let the Boy Rock and Roll
7. Jug Band Music
8. Didn’t Want to Have to Do It
9. You Didn’t Have to Be So Nice
10. Bald Headed Lena
11. Butchie’s Tune
12. Big Noise from Speonk

The Lovin’ Spoonful, Hums of The Lovin’ Spoonful (Kama Sutra LP KLPS-8054, 1966 – reissued Sundazed, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Lovin’ You
2. Bes’ Friends
3. Voodoo in My Basement
4. Darlin’ Companion
5. Henry Thomas
6. Full Measure
7. Rain on the Roof
8. Coconut Grove
9. Nashville Cats
10. 4 Eyes
11. Summer in the City