Nine songs that sound like they came from better-known musical artists
By Jonathan Eig
THE IDES OF MARCH – “Vehicle” (1970)
The Ides of March’s first minor hit, “You Wouldn’t Listen” was a psychedelic, guitar-fueled love lament that was a bit jangly and featured some pretty harmonies. It’s mostly average mid-1960s fare. As the band tilted somewhat jazzier, with more reliance on horns, over the next few years, that original sound could still be heard at the root of their songs. Except one time. Except on their biggest hit (by a mile) – “Vehicle.”
Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears had grown big in the late sixties by mixing healthy doses of horns into their pop songs and Ides Of March followed suit. The horns carry the music from the opening moments. But what really makes “Vehicle” sound like Blood, Sweat & Tears (much more than like Chicago) is frontman Jim Peterik’s remarkable ability to mimic BS&T’s lead singer David Clayton-Thomas.
Clayton-Thomas’ deep bluesy baritone always teetered on the edge of being overly emotive. Peterik didn’t always sing like that (he covered CSN’s “Wooden Ships” on the same album as “Vehicle”) but when he did, everyone thought it was Blood Sweat & Tears.
ANDY KIM – “Rock Me Gently” (1974)
When you hear Michael Omartian’s electric piano start chiming in over a spry little bass line at the beginning of “Rock Me Gently,” you know you are in that early 70’s soft-rock seduction mode. You know the singer will have sideburns before you ever hear or see him. Sure enough, Andy Kim had the hair to sing this kind of song. It was Neil Diamond hair.
In 1974, for his only number-one hit, Kim also borrowed Neil’s voice. Kim didn’t always sing like that. His first hit, 1969’s “Baby I Love You” was higher and softer. If not all the way to the Beach Boys, it was in that general vicinity. There were signs of the Diamond influence back ’69. He could drift into that deeper, hyper-contrived soulfulness (whatever you do – do not listen to Kim’s mostly spoken version of “This Guy’s in Love With You.” You have been warned.)
But before ’74, Kim would not have been mistaken for Diamond. “Rock Me Gently” is a virtual carbon copy of multiple Diamond songs, and much of the rest of Andy Kim also strives for that particular Neilness – just not as effectively as “Rock Me Gently.”