Didn't Want To Have To Do It- The Lovin Spoonful- 1966

[MrBadgerFan]

Love to hear Zal's guitar work on this song. Absolutely beautiful.

[flowerdoodle]

I think Schubert or someone said that all good music was sad. Or maybe he said that "all music was sad." Sometimes you just want a sad, sweet, wistful song to help you wallow in your emotions. This song is so breezy and light, so pretty. It has sooo much mood. So impassioned in an honest way, not phoney

[vibronicz]

j rawls sample



[slimes69]

umm' yeah, Ralfi's version is more soulful and much much better. This one is ok but something about it is almost "flat" and dull. Listen to both and decide for yourself. Ralfi is a better vocalist as well, by far....

[luvtotruck]

This should have ran up the charts. Like a great Association groove. Still fuckin awsome

[mrbigkell]

Timeless but more special in a time when a guy was in his teens and realizing that she was really beautiful. Where did she go???

[DJAzteca5150]

ralfi pagan has a great version but this one is great to

[mortyfromc]

I've been randomly clicking on Lovin' Spoonful tracks all morning and remembering my youthful years with fondness. This is such a beautiful song. Why is it that the sad songs are usually the most beautiful?

[oldermusiclover]

to the person who wanted my old lp. i'm having some surgury fri, but

will try to look on my closet shelf, and if i still have it wil post you.

[flowerdoodle]

whos the hot girl in this vid? 

[IsaacBassMaster]

broke up with My girlfriend today, funny thing is, she dumped me, an dI still love this song, the note is the flat 5 of the G Ma7 making it a note that andy Partridge uses alot in his band XTC a beautiful song, with great production making Sebastians vocals sound fantastic, and the overdubbed guitar licks and pulls are truly beautiful, a wonderful find

[flowerdoodle]

@IsaacBassMaster Great song indeed. Refreshing to hear someone discuss music in an intelligent way. XTC is tops too in my book. How are things looking since the breakup?

[IsaacBassMaster]

@flowerdoodle haha thanks, the its fine now haha :) whats your favourite XTC song then?

[flowerdoodle]

@IsaacBassMaster Oh my---favorite XTC song?......Theres a few. How about albums? I love Black Sea (Tower of London, Respectable Street, Burning w optimism's Flame, etc) Skylarking (Summers Cauldron, Another Satellite, Mermaid Smiled), Nonesuch (Humble Daisy). English Settlements good.....I even really enjoy the Dukes of Stratosphere (XTC's alter ego, psych 60's band). if you havent heard that stuff, RUN don't walk and get yourself the 2 albums. Your Beatle covers sound tremendous! You write?

[IsaacBassMaster]

@flowerdoodle I love the dukes! Vanishing Girl, 25 o'clock, and collideascope - this one because its soo much like Im Only Sleeping the beatles song, and thanks about the covers, they seem lousy to me now though haha, check out my Beatles tribute band on facebook, we're called The WannaBeatles, and I really like Love on a farmboys wages :) My drummer and I, have started writing :D its so much harder than I thought though, haha Im going to keep trying

[11casper17]

real good song ....one person got their heart broken and hit the dislike button

[Stacela]

They sang it just as good as the Rotary Connection

[harponercam]

FOUND IT! It's on youtube- Thanks feliniesque!

[harponercam]

It's the same oldtime park bench nobody's found there was a tree put there for shading that they cut down.." anybody know the title of this Lovin Spoonful song on their double album Greatest hits? Really bugging me! Is it here? "On every sunny Sunday morning all golden aged and sittin in comes out to putter in the sunshine and shuffle through his Decca bin It's a sad, sad feeling to still be around...." didn't wanna have to ask... this song is a good memory I had

[felliniesque2000]

@harponercam

"Old Folks" It's on the EVERYTHING PLAYING album.

[txncgirl1]

.....but you did.....:=(

[Pajhal09]

John Sebastian is the business. Love this version. Also the Cass Elliot version well worth checking out. Yeah, it captures the 60's atmosphere. Classic....

[OlRetro]

The video also fits well with the audio, helping to capture that bygone era in America. I do a humble tribute version of "Jug Band Music" that's really fun to play. Regards, '62 Mathew St. (Total Retro Rock)

[brookdalebill]

Great song!

The "demo" version on the Greatest Hits is cool too.

It's a little slower and simpler.

It's also a half step lower in pitch.

Great guitar playing by Zal!

[tulsarockfan69]

Incredibly versatile songwriter and performer capable of perfectly expressing a wide range of emotions, flat brilliant! Thanks for posting!

[flowerdoodle]

The singers from this eras sang with emotion but didn't "overdo" it and made it seem "believable". I don't "believe" most singers today-plus their melodies usually suck! I like Sebastians tender, natural, sincere tone and style--I like the stylized restraint that singers from this era employed..

[CharmingBullet]

/watch?v=T5IIj_XDKbY  a good cover of this song

[blacktigerwu]

This song is so beautiful , it actually makes you feel what he's feeling and that equals great music...real music

[musicdragon75]

I like how light he is with this song, but the emotion is still there. All parts of this song shine through, from the background vocals to the instruments. It has elements of different genres too. Just a grand arrangement.

[pgh45rpms]

Released as a 45, the b-side to "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind", this was part of the Spoonful's "Daydream" lp. Also recorded in the mid-60's by the Duprees. John's father was also a talented classical musician who played the harmonica.

[mrclean73]

I love this one very much!

[BarneyUSMC]

Great song, one of my favorite Spoonful tunes.

I guess most of us have been down that

road a time or two in our lives. Thanks

for sharing.

S/F Barney

[Vindrag]

I discvoered this track yesterday! Cant wait to buy the whole album =)

[OlRetro]

Yep, 1966...it's a beautiful, heartbreaking killer tune, no doubt. First bands, first double dates in the lead guitarist's midnight blue '67 Mustang, playing this album thru a Borg-Warner 8-track and Jensen 6 x 9 speakers...the cutting edge of 60's high tech-haha. Thanks for this-a nice video, too! Regards, '62 Mathew St. (Total Retro Rock)

[Patfaki]

I think that this was the very first song that Sebastian wrote. Tim Hardin 're-did' it with his equally gorgeous sounding and moving 'It'll Never Happen Again'.

I love Zal's guitar with its reverb He was such a great crazy character and one heck of a guitar player..

[flowerdoodle]

@Patfaki Zal's playing was dope for sure. He has what a ton of other flashy, learned, Berkely guitarists dont; like George harrison, too--They have a simple, unique style and sound--their is creativity and complementary work going on--theyre serving the melody and song instaed of attempting to "steal the show" and show what their pedal can do or how many scales theyve learned.

[pkappel006]

wow, 1966, was in the 8th grade, now I'm 58 and still lov'in this special tune. To me, this should have been an A side tune not a B side..............I believe I paid about a dollar for this 45 back in may of 66. Or else it was about 85 to 90 cents. Will play this tune forever and ever, since the Spoonful in my opinion were the group of the mid 60's.

[jmua04]

Love that Autoharp. 

[PixieDust19962]

I haven't experienced true love for another person in my personal life yet, but I know that when I do go through a breakup, this song will get me through it. Not bad taste for a 13 year old.

[MsJune54]

I forgot to say GREAT pictures, brings back alot of memories from the 60's, thanks!!

[MsJune54]

I LOVE this song, thanks so much for posting it!!!

[oldermusiclover]

will always remember my late oldest bro. when i hear a Spoonfull or Mamas

An Pappas songs. He bought me my first lp iever owned

[00RockyAngel00]

Great song, I really like the still photos, too, especially the old TV room withe the black walls at 0:45.

[00RockyAngel00]

@00RockyAngel00 edit: "with"

[oldermusiclover]

@00RockyAngel00 i have an old lp with colored photos if

you would like them or it. free of charge

[paste1952]

My all time favorite Lovin' Spoonful song and it was a "B" side! The "A" side was "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind" which was a good song also.

Check out Rotary Connection's version of this song. It is very good.

[toddwindyhill]

John & Co. were just so right for the times......was able to see the group live at BC when I was there.........GREAT concert for a good date!!!!

[PaulaJayne]

I lloved this song when is was going thruatragic 3yr. relationship...that ended quickly because i wasnot

[briarhillgirl]

this song was sung to me on a guitar by my long ago lover...rip

[lebarosky]

@briarhillgirl : it is one of the burdens of our humanity that we feel nostalgia ... the mixed pain and joy of recalling a beautiful past is one of the gifts of our limited days, and yet that core of pain we feel makes us long, if wrongly, for immortality ...

[lonelyboy510323]

whaaat?!?! i thought ralphi pagan was the original of this song. this is not bad though

[RadioReporter01]

@lonelyboy510323

Who?

[lonelyboy510323]

ralphi pagan- I didn't wanna have to do it...look it up its pretty nice.

[RadioReporter01]

@lonelyboy510323

I did. Nice song but I was around for this version and it can't compare

[luizcarlosbaixo]

A composição é belíssima, traduz uma época maravilhosa. Good times.

[Defjukie101]

Thank god for good music...

[Loesser67]

John Sebastian is one of the genius songwriters of the sixties, right alongside

Lennon, McCartney, and Bacharach - one of the best of the best.

[jmua04]

@Loesser67

Left out Brian Wilson & HDH but other than that--perfect list. 

[jlmusicfan57]

This is a nice arrangement of a beautiful song. I've been reading some of the other comments about other musicians who recorded this song - Ralfi Pagan, Cass Elliott singing lead with this same group, and another version by Julie Driscoll. I still remember one other version which I heard once in my life some 30 years ago on a late night R & B station. For the life of me, I can't remember who sang it. But it was a gorgeous rendition, not available here. Thanks for sharing this the original!

[jlmusicfan57]

As I commented originally, I heard this song once around 1979-80. It was a beautiful arrangement, and thought it one of the most gorgeous songs that I had ever heard in my life up to that point. This particular arrangement had more of a R & B sound. But as I said, I heard it so many years ago, late night on an R & B radio station. I would still give anything to have heard it more than once!

[harrietcow]

What a gorgeous song this is. John Sebastian's composition and vocals are just stellar.

[fishcough1]

Yo La Tengo's "I'm On My Way," from their new album, Popular Songs, totally loots from this song. I hope JB is getting a songwriter credit. He's probably too nice to ever sue 'em!

[noahf67]

I'll bet Steve Lawrence could have done a fine job of this one back in his AC album days.

[MIKECNW]

What were they?

[captainsoul1953]

Daydream is a top album..every bit as good as anything from the same period..66/67...inc the Beatles...not talking about innovation or suchlike..just pure musical enjoyment

Jim

[captainsoul1953]

There was a cover version in the UK by a female singer in 66 which i really liked...any Spoonful buffs with info on this record?

Jim

[written12]

Yes, there was. And it's a beauty. You're thinking of Julie Driscoll, who did jazzy things with Brian Auger. Either before or after-I forget- she was known as Julie Tippett.

It's a real moody version, with a horn section. In fact, until I chanced upon this, I figured it must have been a Burt Bacharach song, having only heard the Julie Driscoll version.

Anyway, kudos, decades later, to John Sebastian.

By the way, his song "6 o'clock" comes to mind as another sweet song tinged with mystery.

[captainsoul1953]

written12

is it available anywhere?

Jim

[written12]

It is. Sorry that I don't know the names of the albums- sorry, CDs- it appears on.

I heard it on some album that Rhapsody Music Service has in its collection. I downloaded that one song.

But I did browsed the other night at Amazon's Julie Driscoll CDs- and I did see the track on a few albums. The only thing, is that some versions by her might be different than the '66 version you and I are talking about.

But it's out there.

[captainsoul1953]

Found it as a download from amazon..posted it as a video response

Jim

[dogkelp]

Confusing a song with Bacharach is one of the best compliments its writer can ever receive. He thanks you, I'll bet. :)

[pkappel006]

This was a B song that should have been an A song............on the AM dial back in may of 66, never was played & was a big mistake, this tune was right on, so beautiful and such

[lonedrone]

wfreeze - this implies that you personally know JS or have some sort of connection. Or are you quoting from another source?

I'm researching the possibility of a Spoonful biography so I really want to know where your info came from.

[MIKECNW]

Anyone know if this song is one of those songs that's was written as a result of John having a fallout with a girl friend or is their no real background to the song?

[fasima]

Ralfi isn't even close to this or the Mama Cass version

[airride187]

RALFI DOES IT BETTER

[fntime]

I like this version better, but, ralfi's

version is also great!

[WALNUTS52]

This cut deserves more play..

[ThemanfromZambodia]

Would love to know why type of amplifier Zal used on this cut. Awesome tremelo.

[britt8550]

Don't know if he uses a Fender '63 Vibroverb but that amp sounds REALLY close to this sound.

[conmaesta]

fender super reverb. I've had a couple of those, Early tubes 66. 67.

[rewindbttn]

Great bittersweet song. I too heard it on Sirius recently.

[gump7734]

Heard this today on Tom Petty's Buried Treasures. Killer.

[WALNUTS52]

This one of those over looked gems from back in the 60's.John Sebastian wrote a lot about love back then...look at the video of him at Woodstock doing Darlin' Be Home Soon...talented dude in the day..

[OR6345789]

This has to be the great one by the Spoonful...saw John Sebastian at the Isl e of Wight in the late 70s...changed my life and my outlook.....MickJayShropshire

[Justice080888]

This song is so beautiful and sad. Does anyone know who it was written about/for?

[noahf67]

This was released as a single b/w "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind". So which side was the "A", anyway?

[68enxy]

"Didn't want to have to do it" was the "B" side.

This song could have been a top 10 on it's own!

[chintzgirl]

My all time favorite Spoonful song.  Thanks for posting

[troutboy3]

One of the best tunes by anyone......

[Loofafa]

My favourite Spoonful tune by a long way. Wonderfully sweet and sad at the same time

A perfect heartfelt pop tune and how's about that last note? good grief

[jb92034]

Last note -- awesome ! wonderful song

[jb92034]

Ive liked this song for a long while -my vynil is worn down -thanks for sharing ! Saw the Spoons in concert -- damn good musicians -wonderful tunes

[ras977]

jb, saw them twice. they were awesome. Sebastian is now touring with David Grisham.

[jb92034]

I saw them At Texas A&M University when I wa s in High school 65 0r 66. My buds and I had a band together back then and we  were informed we were gonna open for them! But it didnt happen...... we were sooooo disappointed.--some great music -so proud I got to see them close up

[WALNUTS52]

Long lost Spoonful classic...haven't heard it in years

[BBallBryan23]

You're right 74sodapop...who CAN'T relate to this? That's what makes it such a good song, the fact that everyone can relate to the simple topic of breaking up like that.

[BBallBryan23]

I know JohnLennon100, I am a diehard Beatles fan, but I'll admit this is just a very smooth and tranquile piece of music. It's simply a beautiful song by an underrated band!

[kteck]

Gorgeous song!

[74sodapop]

Very special.For us who have been broken up with and having breaking up,it's a tearjerker.Sebastian is a unique writer,Very unique.

[JohnLennon100]

cheesy .... compared to any of the Beatles' songs this is nothing ... I'm sorry .... there's no real imagination in the arrangements, the melody doesn't go anywhere interesting(it's boring), the chords are pretencious and cheesy ... musically there's nothing outstanding or special in it. Maybe lyricly ... but still the music it's still the driving force ...

[timjmoran]

Sorry,"Lennon"-you are welcome to your "opinion"-but in this case it happens to be WRONG!This is a beautiful,heartfelt tune,

possibly John Sebastian's finest moment as a singer.and if you are going to use big

words,perhaps ya oughta work on yer Spelling!Kinda dilutes the effect.And comparing ANYbody to the Beatles is stupid-ANYone would come up short.

[blackmore4]

I don't think this "comes up short" to the Beatles at all. It easily matches the genius of anything on "Rubber Soul". Of course the Spoonful never made an album as consistently brilliant as any in the Beatles canon but the fab 4 did have 2 genii in the composition stakes. Also, Sebastian was one of the few 60's composers that both Lennon and McCartney name-checked as an "equal".

[blackmore4]

No-one can compete with the cultural effect of the Beatles artistry or with the consistency with which they applied their brilliance throughout the 60's but for a brief period, as a songwriter, Sebastian was their easily their match and as a lyricist, in my opinion, decidedly superior.

[timjmoran]

Ya Know, MR Blackmore..you are right..This IS

a beautiful tune in its own right-Sebastian has one of THE most heartfelt,loveliest

voices of all the 60's vocalists..and I'll stand by PART of my original comment that comparing anyone to the Beatles is silly..in fact,this is part of what galls me about the comments on this site- the whole" my fave

band is better than yer fave band.." pointless,really.But THANKS for the cogent musical ananlysis below-nice!

[blackmore4]

Zal Yanovsky would partly agree with your assessment of the arrangement. He felt that he overplayed... but nothing can take away from the song itself. Your use of the term "cheesy" comes straight from the 70's rock-media-rule-book; that nothing outside of the blues/country/R&B frame should be considered relevant. Broadway jazz chords a particular no-no. Thankfully since the internet, the monopoly that this ridiculous rock-press induced mindset held for nearly 3 decades is in tatters.

[blackmore4]

JohnLennon100 may disagree. The man himself would applaud.

[mad1097]

it' their best

[blackmore4]

Absolute genius songwriting and performance. It's not just John Sebastian's beautiful "...the end" vocal that invokes 74sodapop's tears. After he hits that beautiful Db note over the Gmaj7 chord, we have to endure Joe Butler's gorgeous vibrato echoing "...the end" with an equally devastating A note (which makes the chord an intolerably emotional Gmaj7/9/add Db!!). But then it gets worse (better)...

[74sodapop]

Marvelous critique.Sebastian is so overlooked.What a marvelous songwriter.Welcome Back from 76 is another classic.

[lion36ify]

@blackmore4 nice analysis. I just knew John Sebastian was a wonderful songwriter and man, by all appearances. Back in the days when it was good to be nice.

[blackmore4]

They change chord to an A6 and Zal Yanovsky has to sing yet another ruinously final "...the end" with the (6th) Fsharp note. Simultaneously, the decaying John Db and Joe A, which were unbearably emotive on the previous chord, now sound sensibly resolved in the A6; as if attempting to finally draw a line over the lyric's rueful subject. But oh no. Zal's Fsharp lingers to keep the memory eternally wistful.

[blackmore4]

Meanwhile, 74sodapop, myself and (day)dreamers the world over are left softly lamenting for infinity.

[penipong]

cool

[eydie57]

nice song. i've never heard it, but i like it.