The Grass Roots – Mr Jones (A Ballad of a Thin Man)

The Grass Roots need no introduction. They had a steady, nearly unbroken run of charting singles from 1966 to 1973. Their biggest hits, such as “Midnight Confessions” (#5 on the charts) and “Let’s Live for Today” (#8) are staples of oldies radio. Their greatest hits collections still sell well to this day.

What isn’t widely known is that the Grass Roots weren’t a band in the traditional sense, but a creation, a studio project designed to cash in on the folk rock boom of 1965. The songs were written by record company staff, not the band members themselves – who, understandably, felt constricted by the lack of artistic control afforded them.

Is their music any less worthy because it was written and performed, in most cases, by professional songwriters and faceless session players? Do the ends justify the means? In this case, maybe, because the Grass Roots released some outstanding music. That much is undeniable.

The Grass Roots began as a recording alias, used by professional songwriters P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri, who worked for Dunhill Records. The pair had written and recorded a song, “Where Were You When I Needed You“, with Sloan on lead vocals, backed by session musicians. They shopped the song around to various radio stations, and received positive feedback. Accordingly, the decision was made to find an actual band.

They found their band in the Bedouins, a San Francisco four-piece that had evolved from surf instrumentals into bluesier territory, influenced by the Rolling Stones. The Bedouins had made a name for themselves by winning a battle-of-the-bands contest at the San Mateo Teenage Fair. The band consisted of Willie “Bill” Fulton on lead guitar and lead vocals, Denny Ellis on rhythm guitar, David Stenson (or Stensen) on bass, and Joel Larson on drums. Apparently, one of the reasons the Bedouins were chosen is that Fulton’s voice bore a strong resemblance to that of P.F. Sloan.

Problems between the band and the record label arose almost immediately. Dunhill Records wanted to use Fulton’s lead vocals, and back Fulton on record with session musicians. Understandably, this did not go over well with the rest of the band.

It’s unclear how many of the band members actually appeared on Grass Roots records; most sources agree that only Fulton and Larson appeared on any of the tracks, but according to the San Francisco Nuggets liner notes, the entire band appeared on the debut single, “Mr Jones (A Ballad of a Thin Man)“.

The band went along with this charade for a time, and even got a residency at The Trip, a Los Angeles club. They also backed other Dunhill artists, such as the Mamas and the Papas and Barry McGuire.

Ultimately, the Bedouins-as-Grass-Roots wouldn’t last long. “Mr Jones” stalled at #121 on the charts, and the band realized that Dunhill would be unlikely to allow them to record as a band. The Bedouins broke their contract, and returned to San Francisco, changing their name to the Unquenchable Thirst (sans Larson, who remained in L.A.)

The lack of an actual band did not deter Dunhill Records, who released “Where Were You When I Needed You”, with Fulton’s lead vocal, in June of 1966. It was a hit, reaching #28. An album of the same name followed in October; it failed to chart. By the spring of 1967, Dunhill had found a new set of Grass Roots.

And the Bedouins? The Unquenchable Thirst lineup didn’t last long, and the musicians soon went their separate ways. They would all remain in the music industry, with varying degrees of success. Fulton ended up in Tower of Power, and would appear on the band’s first two albums. Ellis and Stenson joined the Serpent Power. Larson probably had the most noteworthy career post-Grass Roots, playing with Gene Clark, the Merry-Go-Round, and then rejoining the Grass Roots in 1971.

The Grass Roots exist today, and are still popular on the oldies circuit, but none of the members from the band’s hitmaking days still play with them.

The Song: Mr Jones (A Ballad of a Thin Man)

Written by Bob Dylan

Recorded in Hollywood, CA (1965)

Released as Dunhill single #4013 (September 1965); also included on the album Where Were You When I Needed You, Dunhill #50011 (August 1966)

#121 on Billboard Hot 100

Personnel:

Bill Fulton – lead vocals, lead guitar

Denny Ellis – rhythm guitar, backing vocals

David Stenson (or Stensen) – bass

Joel Larson – drums

with:

Unknown – organ, harpsichord, piano, possibly guitar, bass, and drums

Produced by Lou Adler with Sloan-Barri

Note #1: It’s possible that, of the four Grass Roots, only Fulton and Larson appeared on this track.

This version of the Bob Dylan tune suffers in one very big way – it cuts a number of the verses out, which totally ruins the song, because “Ballad of a Thin Man” is at its heart a story, and all of the verses are important in telling that story. I understand why this change was made – Dylan’s original clocks in at six minutes – but maybe the tune just wasn’t cut out to be a single, y’know? It’s not all bad, though – Fulton’s got a good voice, although he can’t hope to match Bob’s vinegar.

Rating: B-

Listen to the song here.