The River Is Wide- The Grass Roots- 1969

[MarkDawsonBass]

Rob sings the chorus on this tune. Warren Entner sang the verses.  Great, great song!!!

[suziQ27]

still have a few of their 45's...

wow, who would have ever thought, those were the good ol' days ~

happy New Year, everybody.

[paddyboyobrien]

One of the most under rated groups ever...they were great!!!!

[nanlisa]

I just loved their songs!

[skontch1]

spectacular song, great pics..i strongly suggest everyone check out sodapop's channel..real good stuff

[hotgrneyz]

Some of the greatest music ever...they were/are legendary!

[soxbearshwks]

R.I.P. Rob grill

[manthony1956]

@57highland-when I left radio, we had printed sheets w/all music to be played. All commercials were in the computer, I knew soon it would be 100% computer control, letting you know when your voice breaks are, with countdowns on air-time left. Shows can now be programmed days ahead with general commentary. The segue is terrible, but computers are cheaper and more predictable than DJs. I have found there is continued resistance to "canned" broadcasts. If only "Pirate Radio" could still be.

[manthony1956]

@57highland-If you do a show on NPR your playlist is your responsibility. They often have the time slots available weekly, but you will need to find sponsors. On popular stations there is less worry that music will overshadow commercials. Some song are repeated as often as one in twelve. Advertisers are looking for women of child bearing age. They are the greatest purchasing power group. This often hurts oldies and classic rock stations because most the listeners do not fit this group.

[57highland]

@manthony1956 The music is so beautiful and the strategy behind the programming of it is so cold and calculated. WBBF gave even the borderline songs a chance. It seemed to be the best of both worlds, somehow: 'BBF was the #1 station in the area and its DJ's really seemed to have some latitude. One morning, Ferdinand J played "Funk #49" and said "I gotta hear that again!" and he played it again! Hard to believe, now, that DJ's had such freedom.

[BigBob5909]

One of the best groups of the 1960's! Why have they been snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Sixteen Top 40 hits. There are groups and individual artists with far fewer hits enshrined in the R&R HOF.

[suziQ27]

I think I want to be young again, go back in time~but only for a week.

great song, great memories.

[teresadoyle]

Love this video and this song, Grass Roots were awesome!!!!

[killjoytjp]

I'm glad I grew up with music like this.

[cforssi]

Marsha Brady was HOT! Laurie Partridge was too. The Grass Roots were one the best bands to come out of the USA, They still sound good 45 years later.

[ringo244]

Lead singer Rob Grill dies of a stroke at age 67.Rock on Rob

[killjoytjp]

Rest in peace, Rob 7-11-11

[larrydh57]

R O B R I P

[Bigrich104]

@larrydh57 Rick Coonce RIP (died in February).

[BigBob5909]

The Grass Roots deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. R.I.P. Rob Grill.

[rayrobin05]

sad day

[SconeMason]

If you play in a band and you play a Grass Roots song, audiences love it. On more than one occasion I've seen Temptation Eyes burn the house down. It's a power pop delight.

[09bnunez]

R.I.P.ROB GILL DIED 7/11/11..PEACE BE WITH YOU!

[09bnunez]

the grassroots had a few hits during their run,,,, what hits did the critics have?

[shmuli9]

I think Barry Williams ("Greg Brady") sings quite well (so does Maureen McCormick), but I like the Grass Roots better...

[mjpsails]

really brings me back... like time travel ?????

[jimpster2007]

melinda love should have been a hit as well

[michaelsmorrison]

River Of Dreams

The river won’t stop

It keeps me wide awake

The river only gives

It gives my dreams to me

and what it takes away

leaves me in ecstasy

M.S. Morrison

[Multi1628]

THE GRASS ROOTS WERE CHART BUSTERS IN TWO DECADES & VERY POPULAR, BUT IT SEEMS AS THOUGH (DESERVEDLY) THEY ARE EVEN MORE APPRECIATED NOW! THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS GREAT 1969 SONG WITH A GREAT IT'S GREAT ARRANGEMENT. DO LOVE THE GRASS ROOTS, ESPECIALLY LET'S LIVE FOR TODAY, THINGS I SHOULD HAVE SAID, YOU & LOVE ARE THE SAME, COME ON & SAY IT, & THE RUNWAY, BUT... 1967, MIRA 232, THE FORUM O.W.N. THIS SONG ON 7" SINGLE. THE FORUM'S ALBUM IS WAY COOL AS WELL. DAVEDJ

[johnnypoker46]

This is not bad, although the 1967 version of the song by the Forum is far and away the best.

I enjoy the Grass Roots music, but mostly their '60s material.

[krism48]

Loved the song, it's so-o-o good to hear it again!! And love the pictures that are with it! Seemed like they came straight from my 'memory book'! :-)

[skyline2343]

Great video and song! Right out of my youth! Wish there was a time machine....

[gerkins1]

These guys came and partied with me in 1973. We had a great time.

[recordman64]

The Grass Roots were the Rodney Dangerfield of late '60s/early 70's pop-rock...they got no respect!!

[montanamombo]

Love the bass...

[rocheleanne]

I have been a follower of the Grass roots for 34 years and I know they did a song i believe it was called Rock Candy. does anyone know that song? Or do i have the name wrong?

[bloodrock333]

@rocheleanne ROCK Candy,BY "MONTROSE" Sammy Hagar,Ronnie Montrose wrote that song.

[rocheleanne]

@rocheleanne It was called Rock Sugar but thanks for the reply.

[recordman64]

@rocheleanne: Are you thinking of "Rock Sugar" by Rob Grill? It was a 1979 solo single by him on Mercury, with backing vocals by Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.

[11spike7]

Good string and horn arrangements in this song!

[hersheybarblues]

Boy, does this song have feeling..that music and those pictures! The Piggly Wiggly photo reminds me of vacations of yesteryear. My folks would shop at the Piggly Wiggly in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. I checked out Google, and it's no longer there.

[hersheybarblues]

Boy, this song has feeling..hot music and those pictures! The shot of the Piggly Wiggly reminds me of our vacations. My folks would shop at the Grand Rapids, Minnesota Piggly Wiggly.  I'm going to check Google and see if it's still there.

[140mets]

As a kid I was known as the King of the 45's. This was the first song I ever purchased. Makes you think how fast life flies by.

[theheff66]

I like this version of the song from 1969. The original by Forum from 1967(#45) is very different, but also good.

[mikeletz]

The Grass Roots had so many great songs in a short period of time. Rob Grill and his version of the Grass Roots are still going strong today after 44 years!!!!!!

[oceanbound222]

I have not heard this song in decades. Still sounds fresh and fabulous

[maddadram1]

No question...The Forum's version of this song is the best of all.

[1groovyguy]

Yet another great song from the 'More Golden Grass' LP.....one of my all-time favorites.

Did anyone else have this record?

[68enxy]

A couple years before the Grassroots recorded this, a group called Forum did. Forum hit #45, the Grassroots version got up to #31

[gabbydeb]

I loved the Grass Roots when I was a teenager and I still do. The river is wide is still one of my very favorites along with Two Divided By Love! They had hit after hit after hit

[Snowlady58]

This is my absolute favorite Grass Roots song...I never get tired of listening to it.

[yandrsupreme]

I see many mentioning Rob Grill, you realize that Warren Entner is singing lead on this song.

[tumble4m3]

Relax, Warren is singing the verse, Rob is singing the chorus. Everybody gets to be right. :)

[FashonbugWA]

I saw them 5 years ago..or at least Rob anyway. He still sounds good..a bit rougher perhaps, but good just the same! I always liked the band.

[sussexcounty]

I saw the Grass Roots late night. They were awesome!

[57highland]

Sodapop, you're right. "Temptation Eyes" and "Million Years" both should have been higher than #15. "Midnight Confession" got robbed; it should have been #1. "Bella Linda" was better than #28. And THIS song was sure better than #31. There was so much good music in that stretch (68-72) that some of it was bound to get short-changed. And saying that Marcia Brady was the most beautiful girl on TV is overlooking Laurie Partridge.

[Bigrich104]

@57highland This song was actually Top 5 smash in NYC, a place where presumable GR hits were less well received. I always thought TGRs were a middle American supergroup but not so much in the LA - NYC media axis.

[57highland]

@Bigrich104 Thanks for the info. I've learned from reading comments that a song can chart much higher in one part of the country than another. I thought that the chart position shown in "The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits" was an accurate reflection of how well a song did nationally. But I know of a song which didn't crack the national Top 40 (according to the aforementioned book) but went to #27 in the SF Bay Area.

[Bigrich104]

@57highland Cashbox Magazine is now online and they have all historical charts. TGRs did much better in most cases on that chart than they did on BB. Many of their hits charted much higher there, more inline with what I thought they did when released. The Rick Coonce Wikipedia entry also has a BB vs. CB chart positions. I sent an email to get what the differences were between the two chart's calculations.

[manthony1956]

@57highland I agree, all these groups were robbed by the music industry. I guess you had to have an edge to be at the top. Spent five years on-air DJing and learned to follow the system if you want to keep your job. You pushed who they said when they said to to despite the listener requests. Quite sad. i hope today's artist are getting a better break on the internet.

[57highland]

@manthony1956 I was never a DJ but I've heard a lot of stories similar to yours. There's a lot more manipulation than we realize. One commentor told me that the reason that "oldies" stations play only a fraction of the oldies in existence is that they don't wan't the musical part of the show to be so good that it overshadows the commercials. The music content of an oldies format has to be good, but not TOO good, because then the listeners lose focus on the commercials, so he said.

[brown4810]

I agree as well. Grassroots were one of the best and they didn't get the respect they deserved. Let's Live For Today still one of my all time fav. songs! brownie

[anitashelby]

What a Great Song!!! 5*s Thanks Jon & 74sodapop...Anita...

[1Phoebus]

This wasx a very good production number...how it came out of a southern "sod buster" like Billy Joe Admire I don't know. He was the most ego centric , selfless, arrogant b-----d I had ever met up till then, and I don't think I have met another like him!(Paramount Recording Studios '69)

[B52sguy]

Man, you really hit the nail on the head with your commentary 74 sodapop. This is the same reason "The Association" and the Guess Who to formulate the sound that is just so distinctive of 1968-, well, I guess the present. I mean, C'mon, how many people listen to Smokey Robinson, or the Four Tops anymore, except in some large, cities. Really. Check it out.

As a side note, I always liked Jan Brady best, but I like blondes.

JF

[B52sguy]

This is one song that has stayed in my head for 40 years. We played it all the time in 1969 or 70. Just a hauntingly good song. Just great!. Hi Anita Marie if you should be watching. Remember our first game of strip poker with Patty and Larry?

JF

[Rusfi16]

Bout time this song got posted.

My favorite song off thier Golden Grass LP.

Wish I still had it,

[silverbird58]

sounds like warren

[ptmlgmk]

Thanks for posting these great songs. Brings back so many good memories. The good ole days. To bad the kids today cant appreciate or experience the wonderful times during this era of great music and great times.

[slightofffist]

Thank you for sharing this song with the rest of us.

[jsbach15]

My favorite Grass Roots song, set to a wonderfully nostalgic video piece. Thanks for the memories!

10+ stars!

[angusthethird]

What's goin' on with Rob Grill?

[ElunedDdedwydd]

I loved all their songs and have played them all these years, never tire of hearing them. This is one of their very best, love it very much. Thanks for sharing the great pictures.

[marksmail2]

totally love this.  Thanks for posting.

[jate2002]

Love The Grass Roots, love 3 Dog night. I could listen to these to bands all the time. This was such a fun time. I know the Vietnam war was goingon and my little brother was there, but we had a lot of fun before he went, miss the days. He came home ok, but still never the same. Thanks for posting this the song is awesome.

[chant121]

epic story mate appreciate it

[pkappel006]

my nephew was there from 68 to 70. I turned 18 in 70, born 6/6/1952. he came back all medded up and actually divorced my sister when her baby girl was born, wow, what a mess. how can we forget the grass roots!!!! rob grill is still doing solo runes here and there across america...........god bless to all the vets who died and are still living..........PKman

[skilski2003]

Did P.F. Sloan write this song? Does anyone know? Many thanks.

[artlongjr]

This song was done earlier by the Forum and Bobby Rydell. I have copies of both those artists, I have to check to see who wrote it.

The Forum version may be on Youtube.

[skilski2003]

This song = beauty. Warren and Rob so great together. Wish they'd get together one more time. "Let the river get wide", but come back together. Get well Rob.

[jessesgirl1956]

I thought it was Warren singing the lead vocals, Someone told me that it was Phil Sloan. I knew that couldn't be right. Thank You for clearing this up for me!

[linco515]

God Bless America and all who sail her.

[tacako1930]

One of my favourites song !! They are great group .

[jessesgirl1956]

is this Warren Entner singing this?

[chj1950]

Warren singing first lead, Rob singing middle choruses

[teddibearsworld]

First of all, YES..I had a crush on Marcia! Second...after "Wait A Million Years", this is my favorite Grass Roots song. They were a great group, and they had some great tunes, and produced a lot of memories.

[marksmail2]

A great song...great sound quality. Thanks for posting.

[languagedancer]

I've always loved this one....reminds me so mush of Be My Baby....that Phil Spector sound....these guys, the Beach boys....god what innocent times I was blessed to grow up in....the Grass Roots were an AMAZING band

[ran6658]

Love this song. It's always nice to find a new video posted. I agree with your notation about the Grass Roots. I've loved them since the late 60's. Rob has an awesome voice. They definitely have not received the respect they deserve. Thanks for posting. Hope you add some more.