The Original Roots Music: ‘60s Hitmasters Sprout at the Sands

When Rob Grill graduated from Hollywood High School in 1963 he immediately landed a job doing session work at American Recording Studios. His session partners often included Cory Wells who would go on to form Three Dog Night and John Kay who would eventually lead Steppenwolf. Left behind by his buddies, Grill didn’t end up as the odd man out; in fact he would become the lead singer of The Grass Roots, a band that eventually would become bigger than his two buddys’ bands combined.
Don’t remember The Grass Roots? Just show up to their Saturday, February 19 show at the Leelanau Sands Casino Showroom and you will be singing along with every tune.
Here is an impressive fact: Since the start of rock and roll only nine bands have charted more hits on the Billboard charts than The Grass Roots. From 1967 to 1972 they dominated those charts with a string of 307 straight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, a record that stands today. During that run they had 14 hits and just as many members.

STRICTLY ORIGINAL
The Grass Roots have never been given the respect they deserve. Critics panned them as a group manufactured by record executives. Internal conflict among members had the group shuffling personnel through faster than Liz Taylor changed husbands. But through it all remained one constant -- lead singer Rob Grill.
Now 38 years later, Grill remains as the band’s only original member. He has one of rock’s most distinctive voices that helped make “Sooner or Later,” “Where Were You When I Needed You,” “Let’s Live For Today,” “Temptation Eyes,” and “Midnight Confessions” all major hits for the band.
While at American Recording Studios, Grill was approached by studio executives to join with other musicians to form The Grass Roots. At the time The Grass Roots were a pseudonym created by the songwriting team of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, who were hired to capitalize on the emerging folk-rock scene. The team of Sloan & Barri became one of the best of the ‘60s, writing hits like “Secret Agent Man” for Johnny Rivers, “Eve of Destruction” for Barry McQuire as well as hits for Herman’s Hermits, The Four Tops and Jan & Dean.
As a contracted songwriting team, Barri and Sloan, with the latter singing, released the song “Where Were You When I Needed You,” to a Los Angeles radio station. The song took off and there were calls for the band to perform. The problem was there was no band.
Grill at the time was in the band 13th Floor and was playing frat parties and paying his dues at local clubs when he and his band were asked to change their names and become The Grass Roots.

TRY ANYTHING
“It really was a brand new business back in those days,” said Grill. “Record executives were a lot more willing to try anything or anybody.”
Grill and his bandmates went into the studio and in 1967 released the single “Let’s Live For Today,” and the song immediately shot into the top 10 and started the band’s amazing string of hits and a record six years on the charts. Those years were a whirlwind for The Grass Roots, yet despite their hits and success, the band had numerous personnel changes with Grill hanging on.
“We were just kids back then and I am not sure we really knew what we had or what we were doing,” said Grill. “There was this pressure to produce.”
Now 61, Grill has a different outlook on performing.
“The show is so much better now. There really is less pressure and I have learned how to be an entertainer. There is balance to our show now,” said Grill. “I really don’t worry about whether it is going to last because I have had a wonderful ride.”
One thing that has helped make it fun is the fact that Grill’s current supporting cast has been with him since he reformed the Grass Roots 23 years ago. They do about 100 shows a year and for Grill that is plenty.
“I have learned to live out of a suitcase,” said Grill. “The travel does wear me down at times, but it would be pretty tough to bring everyone to my backyard.”

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
That backyard is a lake in central Florida, where Grill lives with his wife of 22 years. A radio personality, Grill’s wife Nancy was involved in organizing a concert that brought the newly formed Grass Roots to Florida. It was love at first sight and Grill packed his bags and moved from the West Coast to the East Coast.
The Grass Roots remain popular today. Grill says they have fans from 17 to 70 and draw large turnouts everywhere they go. Including one of their first shows back together in 1982, they performed in front of 600,000 people in Washington D.C. Grill and The Grass Roots have also participated in several nostalgia tours.
So what has Grill learned through all of it?
“Stick with the hits,” said Grill. “We have tried to do our lesser-known songs, but people want to hear the hits. I agree with them. When I went to an Elvis concert I wanted Elvis to sing his hits, not all those other songs.”
For Grill it is about keeping the fans happy.
“Sure I like looking out at the crowd and seeing the smiles,” said Grill. “It is also a wonderful feeling getting called back for encores.”

BACK ON THE BANDWAGON
But there was a time when it wasn’t so wonderful. After The Roots’ amazing run, the wheels began to fall off. In 1975 they broke up and Grill pursued a career in music promotion. He had no real plans to return to performing until his friends from Fleetwood Mac convinced him to reconsider.
“John McVie is a good friend and he encouraged me to do a solo album in 1980,” said Grill. “The album ‘Uprooted’ had contributions from Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham and restored my passion to perform.”
At the same time the ‘60s generation wasn’t connecting with the alternative sounds coming out of the ‘80s, and classic rock bands were making comebacks. Grill has no regrets about jumping back on the bandwagon.
“I really never was a 9-to-5 guy,” said Grill. “I am a singer and it is what I love to do.”
So don’t you tire of singing those same old songs?
“No way. How can you when the audience responds to them as strong today as when we released them,” said Grill. “I know Ricky Nelson sang the he would ‘rather drive a truck,’ if the audience only wants to hear the old songs. I don’t see it that way. It is all about entertaining, it is all about having fun.”
Of course it is all about “living for today,” something Grill has gotten good at. It was the motto of a generation that quickly was lost, but now seems to be found again:

“Let’s Live For Today” by The Grass Roots

“When I think of all the worries people seem to find
And how they’re in a hurry to complicate their mind
By chasing after money and dreams that can’t come true
I’m glad that we are different, we’ve better things to do
May others plan their future, I’m busy lovin’ you (1-2-3-4).”

For anyone interested in a night of hits and a return down memory lane, catch Rob Grill and The Grass Roots at the Leelanau Sands Casino in Peshawbestown this Saturday, Feb. 19. At $15 a ticket this is virtually a giveaway. Additional information and ticket purchases may be made online at www.casino2win.com or by calling the box office at 877-715-8946.
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