Talking To John Sebastian About His New Album (we’re on it!)
Catching up with John Sebastian
Shortly before Christmas we caught up with our friend John Sebastian to talk about his new album “John Sebastian and Arlen Roth Explore the Spoonful Songbook”.
Before his successful solo career, John had created an amazing body of work with his band the Lovin’ Spoonful in the 60s. Now, almost 60 years later, he and guitarist Arlen Roth re-recorded some of the Spoonful’s biggest hits in an organic, loving fashion.
He invited us to sing backing vocals on several of the songs which we recorded in our studio in the UK and sent across to him in Woodstock, New York. His producer Chris Andersen put it all together on this new record, and we invite you all to have a listen.
It was a great pleasure to be involved in this record, and we were so pleased to hear it’s been doing well!
If you are interested in picking up a copy, here are some of the links were you can get it from:
- Amazon UK
- Amazon US
- WHSmith (UK)
- Target (US)
- Spotify
- Or check your other, regular music stores & vendors.
Hear John & Arlen talk about the album:
Lovin’ You:
Four Eyes:
Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?:
We will be back next Friday with another post and until then send big hugs,
Mona & Lisa
Ladies these few songs are a nice collaboration.
I think you have made John’s day.
Maybe you should count your lucky stars as well.
If you haven’t seen J.S. interviewed for being inducted into the
Musicians Hall of Fame – here it is. Two parts – 42 minutes.
Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbslfw8x8Dw
John is just a good guy and a cool dude. It’s obvious the way you speak with each other how much respect and affection you have for each other. Really nice to see and hear. And he’s very smart to have Mona and Lisa on his album of originals. Made me go get the album…
Oh…my…god! I grew up in the 60s; a teen in the 70s. So I grew up with his music. We even sang “Daydream”, I think, in school choir! Bringing back all these memories. I’ve always loved the Spoonful. And Maria Muldaur! I haven’t thought of her in decades. So much fun. I will now log out and go buy the CD.
Love the interview and John is such a lovely man, full of warmth and humanity. We all need more people in the world like him.
Will be buying ‘Explore The Spoonful Songbook’ soon as.
A great testimony to you both Mona & Lisa that John regards you both so highly to include you on the album. Congrats!
The “Explore The Spoonful Songbook” arrived tonight just as I was about to do my evening workout on the bike. So instead of the MLT Jukebox I usually put on, I popped in the John Sebastian CD. Eyes closed, what a wonderful experience. The album is delightful throughout, and the bluesy melodic guitar work, and that “finger pickin” John talked about is magic! Song after song there is that awesome guitar work. It is a brilliant instrumental album too as some of the songs like his big hits Daydream, and Do You Believe In Magic are just that, and what a superb instrumental version to the classics to enjoy.
John said he was saving his Ace for last, and Mona and Lisa “Aced” it indeed. MLT complements John’s vocals wonderfully adding the perfect backdrop of amazing flourish and rainbow to the songs. I can just imagine John when he recorded those songs, was greatly anticipating MLTs magic, and boy did Mona and Lisa deliver, and you could hear how happy he was with the outcome in John’s voice when he praises them in the interview. It’s a great album, I highly recommend it.
BTW, my favourite track If had to choose only one would be “Four Eyes”. Those marvelous MLT vocals, and awesome guitar sounds! Everything is just superb.
I just love the relationship you have with John! You can see the respect and friendship and love between you! Such a special thing to have! I hope you guys can get together again real soon!
A very enjoyable interview with John S. Looks like he is having a renaissance in his “mature” days. He made a great decision by having MLT on his new record.
What a lovely guy John is! and what a delightful and interesting interview. It’s clear to see how much he likes you and holds you in high regard. I’ll definitively be coming back to this. It’s so rare to see this caliber of musicians talking so candidly and lovingly. Mona and Lisa have us spoiled!
Thank you!
Just watched your interview. I really enjoy John’s music from The Lovin Spoonful, and this new album really does those songs justice. And he really seems like a down to earth likable guy in this interview which makes me like him all the more. Plus your harmonies and vocals on some of the tracks is like the icing on the cake. Great album, and great interview!
What a treat to listen to John and the two of you just chatting for a whole half hour. Makes me feel like part of your extended family, which is what this club is all about, Wow, I can’t thank you enough. Luv ya!
John has me covinced that Rudy blends into the melody on bass in your songs like Sir Paul. I think Rudy may have been too modest to describe it that way.
What a great interview! John sounds like a great guy. I like that they all played in the same room while recording. I prefer to do it that way too. Music is too over produced anymore. It’s too polished up. Woodstock isn’t all that far from me actually, maybe 45 minutes or so northwest of me. Although the Woodstock festival wasn’t IN Woodstock, it was in Bethal,N.Y. which is south of Woodstock. A long time ago I won an original Woodstock ticket on a local radio station. Here’s a photo of it:
What a wonderful interview. Great insight from all of you on making the record. I just finished listening to the vinyl again. Great as ever!
Two beaming fans interviewing one of their idols turns into three musicians talking shop. Thanks for sharing this. I like hearing about the studio tricks from the past for changing the tempo of a song.
John’s face lights up when he speaks of his granddaughter’s upcoming visit. Kinda the same when he started questioning Lisa and Mona about their fingerpicking, and when he talked about Rudi. How kool is that?
(read with your best Siri voice)
Fun fact: Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park.
So you already knew somebody from the Catskills.
JP
Mona and Lisa:
All the years of granting interviews trained you well. You did an outstanding job interviewing John. You had a very relaxed approach with great questions. It is easy to see that you are John are good friends!
Well done!
Wow thank you so much for this great interview with John Mona and Lisa! Always loved the Lovin Spoonful thru out the years, and the music was always good, don’t think they ever put out a bad record in my opinion. And wow you both did such a great job interviewing John and such great questions. That is so awesome to me because in today’s world the reporters ask some crazy questions and some are very weird and awkward to me but you both were on track and kept it positive and fun. I am going today to get this new album by John and love it so far from what I heard. He is the most underrated performer to me, he has done so much for the music in the 60’s and help shape it for what it is. Wow again you both deliver the goods and me and Maddie received the song lyrics to Song Bird and it is framed in my game room with the family photo’s and my good ness thank you so much for autographing it for us. Keep it coming we love you here in Pittsburgh pa
Love Bill and Maddie Isenberg Huge fans from Pittsburgh PA USA
Hey, what an awesome interview! Great job interviewing him, I’m sure it’s not easy coming up with the questions on the spot as the conversation goes on like that, but great questions and interesting. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Kudos to you for John considering you both the “ace” on his record with your backing vocals! What a great complement to you both and Papa Rudi too!
Loved his account of the experience doing the “Waiting for the Waiter” video in the “300 years old” bar.
Well, just ordered it, my first John Sebastien album, can’t wait to get it, and listen to his groovy music with your backing vocals! John is such a warm and lovable guy in the interview, what a great musical legend to have as a friend and admirer of your work! Thanks so much for this! ???? ???? ???? ❤
I think MLT should come to the US and do a few shows with John Sebastian. I’ll bet after 2022 the pandemic with become endemic and we can breathe a little easier. Hope springs eternal!
WOW, what a surprise to have these collaborations to listen to today, a delightful surprise!! Honestly, anything you provide for us to hear that you are doing on your own whether its originals, covers, or collaborations, I think I can saw with certainty that those of us in the MLT Club love to hear it all. Like everyone else, Im so anxious to get the new album coming soon from you, and I just know its gonna be awesome. This was very cool to hear this conversation with you guys and John, and I never take for granted that we are listening to a living legend. So many times after someone is gone, we regret we didn’t dig deeper and listen closer when we had the chance. Thanks for sharing all this with us!! Can’t wait until next friday!!!
Thank you so much for sharing this conversation with us! The warmth and genuine affection you and John reciprocate is apparent and very touching! I thoroughly enjoy this album, have always loved “Nashville Cats” (this version being my new favorite) and now add “Four Eyes” to my favorite Spoonful songs. The MLT touch makes this album truly special!
This album has a 4 star review on page 90 of the February 2022 issue of Mojo magazine (UK mag. Neil Young on cover). The review concludes by saying:
“Sebastian’s voice is weathered, but it suits his bluesier side, the Twins are winningly upbeat and Roth is a jaw-dropping guitarist. Outstanding music that functions as a high dosage anti-depressant”
Mona and Lisa, it was a thrill just listening to the great John Sebastian, Allen Roth and throw you in singing backup, man what a lot of fun. I am so glad you are collaborating with some of the best of the 60’s. These are songs that I was playing back then because he was always top 10 on the billboards. Great songs, great people, how could you go wrong!!!! Stay Groovy!!
I just played these bonus songs and it was wonderful and it got me to thinking about which Spoonful songs are..or were…my favorites 50+ years ago….I always liked Do You Believe In Magic in which I think was their very first big hit…..then I remember Summer In The City and Nashville Cats…..and a slew of others that were just considered as “album tracks” and supposedly not good enough to be single releases….which of course is a bunch of hooey…when you listen repeatedly to an entire album you’re gonna find Gems in the album tracks that are actually better than the record label puts out as singles…the record label wants “instant” hits that’ll go up and down the charts and quick sales….they leave the Gem finding up to you the record buyer to discover after the recording company made their quick buck…….and it goes without saying but I’ll say it anyway you’re backing tracks on John and Arlen’s album is superb…you girls are so talented it’s unreal and speaking of talent your Papa Rudi stands every bit as tall as the Beatles George Martin…and you can’t get much better than that !
Great interview! Nice bonus songs.
I absolutely enjoyed this interview…in fact it really didn’t feel like an interview…it was more like friends just getting together and one tells a story and holds the rest of spellbound…to this day I still have many if not all Lovin Spoonful albums…you know the old 33 1/3 rpm…I was always impressed with that crazy Canadian Zally’s guitar playing and John kind of confirmed that in the interview how Zal would just go off on the spur of the moment and sound great doing it….I always enjoy what you guys bring us club members on Fridays and I gotta tell you this interview with John Sebastian is a chart topper….it was fabulous and Thank You all ????❤️
Thanks for sharing the interview with us. I could tell the familiar respect you have for John. And he is really impressed with you guys. Groovy. I got the album several months ago. I really like it because if truth be known, my right ventricle is rock and my left is country. And the album has some of both. John’s music is the kind you hum or try to sing as your driving down the road. Sort of like your own. Stay groovy, Peace be.
Great interview and great music! Very well done Mona and Lisa and John!
Very cool!
I’m not a huge fan of interviews, but this held my interest. I was a good interview, where we can see a bit of John’s personality, as well as finding out what he’s been up to.
Stay Groovy!
Well ladies,
John Sebastian’s cup runneth over.
it must help keep John young if he doesn’t have to make up his mind.
Nice harmonies!
Clever as always
Hello Ladies,
Wow! You and to be on pins and needles and pinching yourselves while talking with The John Sebastian! And to be asked to be included on his album had to be a dream come true!
The snipets you were so kind to share sound wonderfully fascinating!. Mona and Lisa, you sounded great on the album!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Best for 2022 and always
Rick
Thanks so much for sharing.
Made me smile 🙂
Nice to hear John is a Papa Rudi fan as well!
“For we’ve been told that young and old
Will learn from each other”
Always nice to listen to you and seeing you. Of course, I also played “Summer in the City” …
This sounds like a great album. I ordered it straight away – all the better for some upbeat Mona and Lisa singing!!
John is so comfortable with his life and his musical contributions and fellow artists. Mona and Lisa’s excellent relationship comes through beautifully considering how relaxed John was responding to them. I also thought that his compliments on the twin’s contributions and Rudy Wagner’s recording were both accurate and generous … wonderful artistic acclaim for our gals …
Great interview! Mr. Sebastian is so down to earth, just like you two are. Really love every song on this album. You can tell is was a labour of love. Thank you and Mr. S. for sharing. 🙂
I thoroughly enjoyed that interview, John is so grounded, laid back, true to his soul, down to earth, he has maintained his musical spirit all through his career, never lost sight of it, and you both asked awesome questions for him to answer with, overall, A Quite Groovy Experience listening to 2 sets of legends, one from the past and you both that are current and for future generations to enjoy , you all offer something magical and your collaborative efforts from John guesting on “Orange” and in return, you both on his project with Arlen. Kudos for doing what you all have done, glad this interview occured, and Thankyou for sharing a wonderful insight and entertaining interview with John, and I know at some point indeed another in person meetup will transpire …????☮???? I’ve got this CD on my Spotify Playlist, most awesome stuff !!