The Mojo Men Explained

The Mojo Men
Alias:Sly and the Mojo Men, The Mojo, Mojo
Origin:San Francisco, California, United States
Years Active:1965–1969
Label:Autumn, Warner Bros/Reprise, GRT Records
Associated Acts:Sly Stone, The Vejtables
Past Members:Jim Alaimo
Paul Curcio
Don Metchick
Bob Carhart
Dennis DeCarr (Dennis Potokar)
Jan Errico
Sly Stone

The Mojo Men was an American rock band based in San Francisco.[1] Formed in 1965, the group underwent several name and personnel changes until their 1969 breakup. Their highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 single was a cover of Buffalo Springfield's "Sit Down, I Think I Love You", which peaked at number 36 in 1967.

History

Singer/bassist Jim Alaimo, guitarist Paul Curcio, drummer Dennis DeCarr (Potokar), and keyboardist Don Metchick were bandmates in Florida who moved to San Francisco in 1964 to form a new band.[2] There they met Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone, then a record producer at Autumn Records for acts such as The Beau Brummels and The Vejtables. Stewart and the band recorded a few songs under the name Sly and the Mojo Men but Stewart, unsatisfied with the results, chose not to release them.[3] [4] He continued working with the band as a songwriter and producer on "Dance with Me" (1965), the Mojo Men's first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and "She's My Baby" (1966).[5]

DeCarr (Potokar) left the group in 1966 and was replaced by drummer/vocalist Jan Errico, formerly of the Vejtables.[6] The Mojo Men then moved from Autumn to Reprise Records, where the band's earlier British Invasion-influenced garage rock style evolved into pop/folk rock.[7] In 1967, the band released a Baroque cover version of Buffalo Springfield's "Sit Down, I Think I Love You". Written by Stephen Stills and arranged by Van Dyke Parks, the song became the Mojo Men's first and only top 40 single. Metchick left the band in 1968, and the remaining trio shortened their name to The Mojo, and then just Mojo, before they released their lone studio album, Mojo Magic, on GRT Records.[8] The group disbanded in 1969.

"Sit Down, I Think I Love You" was included on the seminal 1972 garage rock compilation album.[9] Sundazed Records released three Mojo Men compilation albums between 1995 and 2003, and in 2008 Big Beat Records released the compilation Not Too Old to Start Cryin': The Lost 1966 Masters. The band's single "She's My Baby" was sampled on Kanye West's "Hell of a Life", a song from his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.[10]

Curcio founded the Music America Studios in Rochester, New York, and produced Kill 'Em All, Metallica's debut studio album (1983). He died on September 10, 2018, at age 74.[11]

Discography

Compilation albums

YearAlbum details
1995Whys Ain't Supposed To Be
1995Sit Down... It's The Mojo Men
  • Label: Sundazed
2003There Goes My Mind
  • Label: Sundazed
2008Not Too Old to Start Cryin': The Lost 1966 Masters

Singles

YearSongPeak chart positions
U.S. Billboard[12] U.S. CashboxCAN
[13]
1965"Off the Hook"
"Dance with Me"
6198[14] 23
1966"She's My Baby"
1967"Sit Down, I Think I Love You"
3639[15] 26
"Me About You"
8393[16] 70
1968"What Ever Happened To Happy"
"New York City"
"Should I Cry"
"Don't Be Cruel"
1969"I Can't Let Go"
"Candle to Burn"
"Everyday Love"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ABC . Koco News . September 10, 2012 . Vince Gill headlines opening of NW Classen's Hudson Performance Hall . https://web.archive.org/web/20220811045827/https://www.koco.com/article/vince-gill-headlines-opening-of-nw-classen-s-hudson-performance-hall/4289984 . August 11, 2022 . May 8, 2024 . KOCO . en.
  2. Book: Joynson , Vernon . Fuzz, Acid and Flowers: A Comprehensive Guide to American Garage, Psychedelic and Hippie Rock (1964–75). 4th. Borderline Productions. 210. Glasgow. 1997 . 978-1-899855-06-3.
  3. Book: Fong-Torres , Ben . Not Fade Away: A Backstage Pass to 20 Years of Rock & Roll. Backbeat Books. 23. San Francisco. 1999. 978-0879305901. registration.
  4. Book: Whitburn , Joel . The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. 4th . Billboard Books. 292. New York. 1989. 978-0823075270.
  5. Book: Larkin , Colin . The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music. 1st. Virgin Books. 312. London. 1998. 978-0753501498.
  6. Web site: Unterberger. Richie. The Mojo Men – Biography. AllMusic. July 14, 2012.
  7. Web site: Unterberger. Richie. 'Sit Down...It's the Mojo Men' – Overview. AllMusic. July 14, 2012.
  8. Uncredited, Profile of The Mojo; Bad Cat Records. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  9. Web site: O'Connor. Rob. 25 Garage Rock Heroes. Yahoo! Music. July 9, 2009. July 17, 2012.
  10. News: Harvilla. Rob. Download All The Songs Sampled On Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The Village Voice. November 18, 2010. July 17, 2012.
  11. Web site: Paul Curcio, Producer of Metallica's 'Kill 'Em All' Debut, Dies at 74. Reyes-Kulkarni. Saby. September 27, 2018. June 18, 2021. Billboard.
  12. Web site: The Mojo Men – 'Billboard' Singles. AllMusic. July 14, 2012.
  13. Peak chart positions for singles in Canada:
    • "Dance with Me": Top Singles . . 4 . 16 . December 13, 1965 . July 15, 2017.
    • "Sit Down, I Think I Love You": Top Singles . . 7 . 6 . April 8, 1967 . July 15, 2017.
    • "Me About You": Top Singles . . 7 . 16 . June 17, 1967 . July 15, 2017.
  14. Cash Box Top 100 11/06/65 . Cashbox Magazine, Inc.. July 14, 2012.
  15. Cash Box Top 100 04/08/67. Cashbox Magazine, Inc.. July 14, 2012.
  16. Cash Box Top 100 06/10/67. Cashbox Magazine, Inc.. July 14, 2012.