Lovin' Things

Lovin' Things
Studio album by The Grass Roots
Released	March 1969
Recorded	1968-1969
Genre	Rock
Label	Dunhill
Producer	Steve Barri
The Grass Roots chronology
Golden Grass (1968) Lovin' Things (1969) Leaving It All Behind (1969)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Lovin' Things is the fourth album by the American Rock group The Grass Roots. The album was originally released by Dunhill Records in 1969. The album charted at #73. It contained only two songs composed by the group. The album was intended to take the group into a soulful direction that was being rewarded by charting singles. The A and B side singles released were "Lovin' Things", "The River Is Wide", "(You Gotta) Live For Love" and "Fly Me To Havana". At the end of this run "I'd Wait A Million Years" was released as an A side and became the group's next charting single, appearing on their next album titled Leaving It All Behind.^[2]

Songs

The songs featured unique horn punctuated touches by arranger Jimmie Haskell. The songs were written by outside composers with only two from the group songwriting team of Entner and Grill. Dunhill Records executives decided that since "Midnight Confessions" previously performed so well in the charts, they would take the group output in the same direction with the strong use of horns and wind instruments. A new soulful direction first surfaced on this album and continued strongly on their next album titled Leaving It All Behind. This strategy proved wise as the group continued to move forward with multiple hit records until 1973. This is the last album with guitarist Creed Bratton who left the group early in 1969. It is also the last album by the group to feature songs written by P.F. Sloan.^[2]

Artwork, packaging

The original release of Lovin' Things is on Dunhill ABC as mono or stereo. The front cover designed by Philip Schwartz.

Track listing

All songs produced by Steve Barri.^[2]

Side one^[2]

1. "Lovin' Things" (Schroeck, Loring) – 2:40
2. "The River Is Wide" (Knight, Admire) – 2:30
3. "(You Gotta) Live For Love" (Entner, Grill) – 2:10
4. "City Women" (Sloan) – 2:54
5. "What Love Is Made Of" (Simone) – 2:50
6. "Pain" (Mann) – 2:45

Side two^[2]

1. "I Get So Excited" (Gordon, Grant) – 2:40
2. "The Days Of Pearly Spencer" (MacWilliams) – 2:30
3. "Baby, You Do It So Well" (Sloan, Barri) – 2:40
4. "I Can't Help But Wonder, Elisabeth" (Sloan) – 4:05
5. "Fly Me To Havana" (Entner, Grill) – 3:50

Personnel

• Rob Grill – vocals, bass, composer
• Warren Entner – guitar, organ, vocals, composer
• Rick Coonce – drums, percussion
• Steve Barri – producer, composer
• Phil Kaye – engineer
• Chuck Britz – engineer
• P. F. Sloan – composer
• Creed Bratton – guitar, vocals
• Jimmie Haskell – arrangements
• Sid Feller – arrangements
• Session musicians – various instruments

References

1. Allmusic review
2. "The Grassroots official website". The-grassroots.com. Retrieved 2014-11-23.