The Love Generation

If you were writing an episode of The Simpsons that called for a stereotypical 1960's hippie band singing about peace and love, you might easily come up with a group called the "Love Generation" singing a hit song called "Groovy Summertime", and laugh about it all day. You might even think about putting out a fake "Love Generation" album in the tradition of the Rutles and Spinal Tap, ripping off chords from early Beatles records or the Mamas and the Pappas along the way.

Yet here is the genuine article. I searched high and low for some clue that this record is someone's idea of a practical joke, but it appears they were serious when they made this thing. It's even on Liberty Records, a respectable label best know for giving us The Ventures. You might expect something like this to show up on one of those shoddy me-too record labels like Oscar Records, or perhaps the half-serious Buddah. But the folks at Liberty should have known better.

With song titles like "The Love In Me", "Meet Me At The Love-In", and "A Touch Of Love" (are you seeing a theme here?), it's hard to imagine even the most die-hard peacenik listening to this album without vomiting his organic brown rice all over the record player. In the title song, "Groovy Summertime", these guys leave nothing to chance, using the "g" word an amazing three times in the first four lines of the song: It's a groovy day, you're a groovy girl, throw your cares away, it's a groovy world. I can't wait until the weather warms up so I can pop this baby into the cassette player of my VW Beetle and head for San Francisco!

Seriously, they suck. "Groovy Summertime" lends fresh meaning to the word "derivative". YOU HAVE DONE THE WORLD A SERVICE, by making this available to Musicologists of the Future (who may not quite appreciate it for what it is). Superb! (06-11-2002)

Alice Ramirez (alice@chem.ucla.edu) says:
Oh man, I mean, like, Groovy!! I am taken back to the good old days when I had flowers in my hair and love beads around my neck, lying in the grass under a sky with elephant clouds gazing through through my prism lens glasses at Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds at a luv-in, passing a jug of wine and a joint then rolling over and having a casual romp teeshirt. Oh yeah! Those were the days, my friend, we thought they'd never end...bla bla bla. (11-21-2001)

Jonathan Palmer (jonathan@bugmusic.com) says:
This really chases the clouds away! Huzzah! (08-03-2001)

Groganlove says:
On when the sun goes Down you can actually hear the exact places where they virtually ripped out the chords from "California dreaming" ....rip off artists.... (07-25-2001)

The Lone Beatnik (cujoe76@yahoo.com) says:
The only thing missing here is Scooby Doo, Mammy Partridge, and some annoying screeching Brady kids. Ok, groovy groovy groovy: get over it. (06-17-2001)

Billy says:
John & Tom Bahler also went on to do background vocals for... The Partridge Family in the early 70's! (05-21-2001)

ong (ong95@aol.com) says:
Aw, c'mon guys, the Love Generation was NO JOKE-they were talented musicians! Two of the members, brothers John & Tom Bahler, went on to have distinguished careers in the music industry, starting as backup singers for Bell Records, and later penning such hits as "Julie Do Ya Love Me" by Bobby Sherman, "Living in a House Divided" by Cher, and "She's Out of My Life" by Michael Jackson. They were credited as either backup singers or musicians on songs by such diverse artists as George Benson, Gram Parsons, Lee Ritenour, and BJ Thomas. Tom Bahler was also heavily involved with "We Are The World";listed as Associate Producer, Solo Vocal Choreographer, and one of the Vocal Choir Arrangers (along with Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson.) Not bad for such a "groovy" band! (08-01-2000)

Vynyl Junkie (SASdj@Yahoo.com) says:
And I thought 'Reach Out of the Darkness' had the 'groovy' market cornered! These guys have Friend & Lover beat hands down. The opening organ sounds dangerously similar to the intro of the Scooby Doo theme. Rhino needs to issue a "Groovy" album featuring such classics as: "Groovy Summertime", "Reach Out of the Darkness", "Groovin'", "Groovy Kind of Love", "Wild Thing", "59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", and anything else that features the "g" word! That would be like, groovy man! (07-12-2000)

barry (barrygoubler@hotmail.com) says:
I think Homer has this album filed between THESE THINGS I BELIEVE, and THE BEST OF RAY STEVENS FEATURING THE STREAK. (05-24-2000)

Darren Hacker (hackerhut@earthlink.net) says:
I thought this might might have been a joke as well..until I found 2 more albums from them! I can't recall the titles off hand, but I'm positive they were both from "The Love Generation". YARKS! (05-13-2000)

User says:
I keep getting an error message "Access denied..etc." when I try to listen to the clips. (05-03-2000)

Penn Plaza says:
This opus might explain some of the post-Vietnam freakouts! (04-17-2000)

Guest says:
Groovy Woovy....cept I do think Ned Flanders might appreciate this more than Homers crew! But I want one!...where did you find it?????? (04-09-2000)

SueBri says:
Hey is that Woody Allen learing at the blonde on the cover??? (04-09-2000)

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