John Sebastian - Welcome Back

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John Benson Sebastian Jr. (born March 17, 1944, in Greenwich Village, New York City) is an American songwriter and harmonica player. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Sebastian's father, John Benson Sebastian Sr., was a noted classical harmonica player and his mother was a radio script writer. He is the godson of Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz of I Love Lucy). He grew up surrounded by music and musicians, including Burl Ives and Woody Guthrie and hearing such players as Leadbelly and Mississippi John Hurt in his own neighborhood.

One of his first recording gigs was playing guitar and harmonica for Billy Faier's 1964 album The Beast of Billy Faier. He also recorded with Fred Neil on the Bleecker & MacDougal album and Tom Rush's self-titled album in 1965. He came up through the Even Dozen Jug Band and The Mugwumps, which split to form the Lovin' Spoonful and The Mamas & the Papas. Sebastian was joined by Zal Yanovsky, Steve Boone and Joe Butler in the Spoonful, which was named after The Coffee Blues, a Mississippi John Hurt song. Sebastian also played autoharp on occasion.

The Lovin' Spoonful became part of the American response to the British Invasion and was noted for such folk-flavored hits as "Jug Band Music," "Do You Believe in Magic," "Summer in the City," "Daydream," "Nashville Cats," "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind," "Six O'Clock," "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice," and "Younger Girl." The band, however, began to implode after a 1967 marijuana bust in San Francisco involving Yanovsky, a Canadian citizen. Facing deportation, he gave up the name of his dealer, which caused a fan backlash and internal strife. Neither John Sebastian nor Joe Butler was involved in the matter; neither was even in San Francisco at the time. Yanovsky subsequently left the band and was replaced by Jerry Yester.

Sebastian left the Lovin' Spoonful in 1968 although he and the original band reunited briefly to appear in the film One Trick Pony starring Paul Simon and Blair Brown. In December 1968, a musical he composed the music and lyrics for, Jimmy Shine, opened on Broadway with Dustin Hoffman in the title role.
He embarked on a moderately successful solo career after leaving the Lovin' Spoonful in 1968. Sebastian was popular among the rock festival circuits. He had a memorable, albeit unscheduled appearance at Woodstock, appearing after Country Joe McDonald's set, playing songs such as "I Had A Dream," "Rainbows All Over Your Blues," "Darling Be Home Soon" and "Younger Generation," which he dedicated to a newborn baby at the festival. Documentary remarks by festival organizers revealed that Sebastian was under the influence of marijuana at the time, hence his spontaneity and casual, unplanned set. "By the time I got to Woodstock I remained a pot smoker, but there was a natural high there," says Sebastian. "In an interview it is the easy thing to say 'yeah, I was really high,' but it was actually a very small part of the event. In fact, I had a small part of some pill that someone gave me before I went onstage, but it wasn't a real acid feeling." Sebastian also returned for Woodstock '94, playing harmonica for Crosby, Stills and Nash. Sebastian released his eponymous LP John B. Sebastian in 1970, which featured him accompanied by various L.A. Musicians.

In 1976, Sebastian had a number one single with "Welcome Back," the theme song to the Welcome Back, Kotter television show.[2] His only top 40 solo hit, it found new life decades later when a sample from it became the hook for rapper Mase's 2004 hit "Welcome Back." More recently, he played with John Sebastian and the J-Band, a jug band including Fritz Richmond from the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Yank Rachell, an original jug-band leader, and Geoff Muldaur.

SOURCE: Wikipedia

Category:

Education

Tags:

• pop
• rock

[MJRookieRook]

Childhood memories ♥

Gosh I love the fact that I was raised with such great television shows as well as music ♥

[John1948SevenC]

@MJRookieRook I loved the show too. Vinnie was just like I wanted to be in high school. I'm talking about his coolness and rebellious streak not his academics.

[MJRookieRook]

@John1948SevenC Hahaha really? Why, no one can deny John Travolta's greatness, but my favorite was always Boom Boom. I kind of get the feeling that this show is a bit underrated. It needs to be known more especially today. I think that so much, like whenever I see All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons and Good Times on TV Land or wherever. I think Welcome Back Kotter should be brought back to TV. When I was younger, I remember it being in Nick at Nite but it sure would be great to see ♥

[zisi48]

RIP from Epstein's mother. Missing you

[Klopecs]

R.I.P JAUN EPSTEIN!

[MJRookieRook]

@rodmanbull Ahh thanks ♥

[rodmanbull]

@MJRookieRook I agree with you

[IMamazone]

@Crashty100 Way to epic <3

[Crashty100]

epic