[Harp-L] Re: My Boy Lollipop

[BassHarp <bassharp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had long wondered who played the harmonica lines in another "top 40" 
recording by The Young Rascals - "Groovin'" (1967). I even checked with 
Tommy Morgan who had done such great lines on The Beach Boys'  "Good 
Vibrations", Elvis' "Guitarman", The Carpenters' "Rainy Days and 
Mondays", Linda Ronstadt's "Skylark", and so many others, to see if it 
might have been him. His response: "I wish!"

So I decided to write to The Young Rascals' webmaster with my question, 
and his response was: "Gene Cornish (guitar & vocals) played harmonica 
on Groovin' - both in the studio and live on stage." I never found any 
reference on their many pages of web coverage that Gene played harmonica 
on any other of their hit recordings. It is not even listed on their 
official website.

Interesting sidelight - how did they get their name?

Quote:
Schoolboy stage suits, with knickers, prompted the name "The Young 
Rascals." Member Eddie Brigati came to the first rehearsal wearing it as 
a goof, joking around, and we said, 'What a great idea!' The group's 
growing ambition was reflected in the (name) change from "The Young 
Rascals" to simply "The Rascals." The word "young" had originally been 
inserted before the band's name for legal reasons -- it seems there was 
a group named Johnny Puleo & The Harmonica Rascals who claimed a 
proprietary interest. "We were embarrassed about that, 'cause we were 
trying to be a soul band," said Cornish. "It wasn't The Silver Rascals 
or The Rockin' Rascals -- it was The Young Rascals! And we had to live 
with it. By the time we got to Groovin',' we said, 'Well, enough of 
this. We are The Rascals.'"

Danny

--
BassHarp
PO Box 5061
Hudson, FL 34674-5061
http://www.bassharp.com/bh_itin.htm