- published: 29 Jan 2013
- views: 1335276
"Groovin'" is a single released in 1967 by The Young Rascals that became a number-one hit and one of the group's signature songs.
Written by group members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati and with a lead vocal from Cavaliere, it is indeed a slow, relaxed groove, based on Cavaliere's newfound interest in Afro-Cuban music. Instrumentation included a conga, harmonica, and an effective, Cuban-based bass guitar line from ace session musician Chuck Rainey. The result was fairly different from the Rascals' white soul origins, enough so that Atlantic Records head Jerry Wexler did not want to release "Groovin'". Cavaliere credits disc jockey Murray the K with intervening to encourage Atlantic to release the song. “To tell you the truth, they didn’t originally like the record because it had no drum on it,” admits Cavaliere. “We had just cut it, and he came in the studio to say hello. After he heard the song, he said, ‘Man, this is a smash.’ So, when he (later) heard that Atlantic didn’t want to put it out, he went to see (Atlantic executive) Jerry Wexler and said, ‘Are you crazy? This is a friggin’ #1 record.’ He was right, because it eventually became #1 for five straight weeks.”
Groovin´ on a Sunday afternoon
Really couldn´t get away too soon
I can´t imagine anything that´s better
The world is ours whenever we´re together
There ain´t a place I´d like to be instead of
Movin´ down a crowded avenue
Doing anything we like to do
There´s always lots of things that we can see
You can be anyone we like to be
All those happy people we could meet
Just groovin´ on a Sunday afternoon
Really, couldn´t get away too soon
We´ll keep on spending sunny days this way
We´re gonna talk and laugh our time away
I feel it coming closer day by day
Life would be ecstasy, you and me endlessly
Groovin´ on a Sunday afternoon
Really couldn´t get away to soon
No, No, No, No
Groovin´