Musical Interlude: The Rascals, "Sky Trane"

Felix Cavaliere's homage to John Coltrane, from the 1971 LP Peaceful World

The post-pop version of the Rascals, from 1971: vocalist Felix Cavaliere and drummer Dino Danelli, most notably, backed up by studio aces like Buzz Feiten on electric guitar and Chuck Rainey on bass. Felix as conductor on the gospel train, with musical inspiration courtesy of John Coltrane, whose inspiration was G~d. There’s a lot of Coltrane influence to be found in the more sophisticated examples of rock, r&b, and fusion from the 1970s; this is one of the less well-known examples. From the double LP Peaceful World, a gorgeous choice for a springtime morning- as is this all-timer, from a few years earlier:

The classic Young Rascals sound from the late 1960s, when they were getting all of their smash hits. Chef’s kiss.

This ‘60s teevee show video is a lip-synch to the record, of course, although the musicians seem to be holding it down really tight. Felix and the band could have pulled this off live, easily. If you’re lip-synching to your own vocal, is it cheating?

Never mind the lip-synch; this is a karaoke singalong song. Grab that phantom mike, and hit those big notes…….

I can’t quit now- Youtube AI, that blind pig, came up with an acorn that I can’t resist.

This one adds springs to your step whether your dancing shoes are on or off. Just give the guys 52 seconds to get started.

The original version of “Tighten Up”, by Archie Bell and the Drells, also had a “Part 2”: