The Youngbloods could not be considered a major '60s band, but they were capable of offering some mighty pleasurable folk-rock in the late '60s, and produced a few great tunes along the way. One of the better groups to emerge from the East Coast in the mid-'60s, they would temper their blues and jug band influences with gentle California psychedelia, particularly after they moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. For most listeners, they're identified almost exclusively with their Top Ten hit "Get Together," but they managed several respectable albums as well, all under the leadership of singer/songwriter
Jesse Colin Young.
Young got his start on the folk circuits of Boston and New York, and had already cut a couple of solo albums before forming
the Youngbloods.
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The Youngbloods could not be considered a major '60s band, but they were capable of offering some mighty pleasurable folk-rock in the late '60s, and produced a few great tunes along the way. One of the better groups to emerge from the East Coast in the mid-'60s, they would temper their blues and jug band influences with gentle California psychedelia, particularly after they moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. For most listeners, they're identified almost exclusively with their Top Ten hit "Get Together," but they managed several respectable albums as well, all under the leadership of singer/songwriter
Jesse Colin Young.
Young got his start on the folk circuits of Boston and New York, and had already cut a couple of solo albums before forming
the Youngbloods.
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John Sebastian was one of the supporting musicians on
Young's second LP, and comparisons between the two -- and between
the Youngbloods and
the Lovin' Spoonful -- are inevitable. Both groups offered good-timey folk-rock with much stronger jug band influences than West Coast rivals like
the Byrds, though
the Youngbloods made greater use of electric keyboards than
the Spoonful, courtesy of the enigmatically named Lowell "Banana" Levinger.
The Youngbloods didn't craft nearly as many brilliant singles as
the Lovin' Spoonful, but (unlike
the Spoonful) endured well into the hippie/psychedelic era.
While
Young was always the focal point of the band, their first two albums also had songwriting contributions from guitarist Jerry Corbitt. Produced by Felix Pappalardi (who also worked with
Cream), these records ({^The Youngbloods} and Earth Music) were engaging and mature, if inconsistent, folk-rock. Corbitt's "Grizzly Bear" was a small hit, as was "Get Together," a Dino Valenti song that had previously been recorded by
Jefferson Airplane.
The Youngbloods' slow, soulful interpretation of "Get Together" was definitive, but it wouldn't reach the Top Ten until it was re-released in 1969, after the song had been used in a television public service ad.
By that time, Corbitt had left, and
the Youngbloods, reduced to a trio, were living in Marin County, CA. 1969's Elephant Mountain was produced by, of all people, Charlie Daniels. Reflecting the mellowing influence of San Francisco psychedelia, it was their best effort, featuring some of
Young's best songs. They released a few more albums in the early '70s (some live), but on these the mellow California rock sound that had served them well on Elephant Mountain had begun to turn limpid and wimpy. The group broke up in 1972, and
Jesse Colin Young had a long and moderately successful career as a solo singer/songwriter. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
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