As often happens, one thing leads to another, one song played triggers the memory of another.  In this case, I played How Can I Be Sure by the Young Rascals (who, I just learned from rg, later dropped the ‘Young’ and became just the Rascals) and Roger commented that he always loved this song, Groovin’.  Well, since I aim to please, and since I haven’t played it here before, and since I always liked it … well, you get the picture.

Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati of The Rascals wrote this song after they realized that because of their work schedule, they could see their girlfriends only on Sunday afternoons.  Says Cavaliere …

“I met this young girl and I just fell head over heels in love. I was so gone that this joyous, wonderful emotion came into the music. Groovin’ was part of that experience. If you look at the story line, it’s very simple: we’re groovin’ on a Sunday afternoon because Friday and Saturdays are when musicians work. The simplicity of it is that Sundays you could be with your loved one. And the beauty of is this joyous bliss that at that time I equated with a person, but that’s the beauty of music – when it’s an example of what you do it lasts forever. You’re in love forever because of that moment in time that you captured, and that’s what was happening with Groovin’.”

The record company executives who worked on Groovin’ didn’t particularly like the song, but as they listened to the playback, influential New York DJ Murray the K overheard it and pronounced it a #1 record. Unbeknownst to the group, Murray went to Atlantic Records president Jerry Wexler and demanded it be released. As the program manager and top DJ on the first FM rock station (WOR-FM), Murray the K had this kind of clout, and also the rare ability to connect with listeners and recognize what songs would become hits. The Rascals, who started out as The Young Rascals, were playing at The Gordion Knot club on York Avenue when Murray picked them as his “house band” – the group that backed him up at personal appearances. It was that relationship (based on Murray’s gut sense that the band had genuine potential) that drove his partisan support.

This song hit #1 in the U.S. and Canada, and #8 in the UK.  

Groovin’
The Young Rascals

Groovin’ on a Sunday afternoon
Really couldn’t get away too soon
I can’t imagine anything that’s better
The world is ours whenever we’re together
There ain’t a place I’d like to be instead of

Movin’ down a crowded avenue
Doin’ anything we like to do
There’s always lots of things that we can see
You can be anyone we like to be
All those happy people we could meet

Just groovin’ on a Sunday afternoon
Really couldn’t get away too soon
No, no, no, no

We’ll keep on spending sunny days this way
We’re gonna talk and laugh our time away
I feel it coming closer day by day
Life would be ecstasy, you and me endlessly

Groovin’ on a Sunday afternoon
Really couldn’t get away too soon
No, no, no, no
Groovin’, uh huh…
Groovin’

Writer(s): Brigati Edward J, Cavaliere Felix