Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years 1965 to 1968 and was a major influence on punk rock. Rhino Records reissued an expanded version of the set in 1998, with 118 tracks in total. I’m profiling and rating each of these 118 tracks, working backwards.
Track 22: Sit Down, I Think I Love You by The Mojo Men
Release Date: 1967
From: San Francisco
Rating: 8/10
SIT DOWN, I THINK I LOVE YOU – The Mojo Men [2:18]
(Stephen Stills)
Personnel/JIM ALAIMO: vocals, bass * JAN ERRICO: vocals, drums * PAUL CURCIO: guitar * DON METCHICK: keyboards [+ unknown studio musicians]
Arranged by VAN DYKE PARKS
Produced by LENNY WARONKER for DONAHUE-MITCHELL PRODUCTIONS
Recorded in Hollywood, CA
Reprise single #0539 (1/67); Pop #36
The Mojo Men were from Florida but formed in San Francisco. They first recorded with Sly Stewart, who would go on to success with Sly & the Family Stone, sharing billing as Sly and the Mojo Men. Stewart chose not to release these recordings but continued to produce the group.
‘Sit Down, I Think I Love You’ was written by Stephen Stills and featured on the first Buffalo Springfield album. As this site’s readers probably know, Buffalo Springfield was a short-lived country/folk/rock group featuring Stills, Neil Young, and Poco’s Richie Furay.
‘Sit Down, I Think I Love You’ was a good candidate for a cover. The Buffalo Springfield version is delivered in a cheesy country-rock style that does it no favours.
When the Mojo Men recorded ‘Sit Down’ in 1967, they’d moved to Reprise Records. Van Dyke Parks provided the baroque arrangement for the song, with harpsichord and accordion. It was the band’s only top 40
The group’s vocals fit the song well but are less central to the record’s appeal than Stills’ songwriting and Parks’ arrangement. Their other Nuggets track, She’s My Baby, better showcases their talents.
The Mojo Men became Mojo, recording a single album in 1968. Guitarist Paul Curcio later founded a studio in Rochester, New York. His clients included Metallica – he produced their debut album Kill ‘Em All.
Read More
17 Comments
Leave a Reply
Read about the discographies of musical acts from the 1960s to the present day. Browse this site's review archives or enjoy these random selections:
I add new blog posts to this website every week. Browse the archives or enjoy these random selections:
Subscribe
Subscribe to receive new posts from Aphoristic Album Reviews.
Sometimes I think the titles are better than the songs. Although the title is laughable, I didn’t realize what song this was until I started listening. Definitely familiar to me but not by either The Mojos and Sly or Buffalo Springfield.
You’re right, what a strange title! I mean, if she has to sit down when the dude tells her he loves the lady, I guess he’s in trouble! 🙂
🙂
Brace yourself, I think i love you…
????
Emoji malfunction!????
Whose emojis malfunctioned – yours or mine?
Mine did, I think. It least on my end they showed up as question marks rather than as silly smiley faces. In any case not exactly essential!
Oh yeah, I think I switched emojis off to make my site marginally faster, which probably wasn’t worthwhile.
It took me a while to remember the BS version….that doesn’t look good…Buffalo Springfield version…thats better. Yea this one I don’t really like that much….I’ll take the Springfield version of this one.
I like She’s My Baby much more. Love the distortion on the guitar on that one.
It is a weird choice for the original Nuggets album over ‘She’s My Baby’. ‘She’s My Baby’ is much more garage rock.
I agree…they picked the wrong song.
Frankly, while I’ve listened to Buffalo Springfield’s first album, I didn’t recall that song. The Mojo Men did a decent job with “Sit Down I Think I Love You”. That said, I’m with you “She’s My Baby” is a bit more exciting.
The second Buffalo Springfield album is the one with most of their classics I reckon. Mr Soul! Broken Arrow! Expecting to Fly! Bluebird! Rock n Roll Woman!
I love this song!
Did you already know it?
Yes, I’m so old I remember hearing it on the radio when it came out.