Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals Talks about Early Influences, Takes Fan Questions
The American rock band The Rascals originated in Garfield, New Jersey in 1965. At the start of their career, they called themselves The Young Rascals, but their manager wanted them to be at a higher level than other bands of that generation. He created a publicity stunt titled “The Rascals are coming!” and brought the group to their first contract with Atlantic Records.
The Rascals Are Coming: The Debuts Their First Single
Their debut single “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” was performed live on national television in 1966. This song then reached number 23 in Canada. The band also released a cover of “Good Lovin”, originally made by Lemme B. Good and The Olympics. Their own version was a huge hit in both the US and Canada making it to number 1 on the charts. After this success, they released their debut album titled The Young Rascals, which reached number 15 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and number 10 on Cashbox and went certified gold by the RIAA.
The band’s sophomore album titled Collections 1967 peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and number 8 in Canada. Personal experiences inspired the band which began writing new music and put out three singles in 1967 which are titled “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long”, “How Can I Be Sure”, and “Groovin.” Their hit single, “Groovin”, was their second single that reached number 1, and many called it their best creation.
A Small Change
The Young Rascals officially changed their name to The Rascals in 1968 and put out their first single “A Beautiful Morning” as a statement for the new title which also peaked at number 3. In 1968 their single “People Got to Be Free” became number 1 in the US and Canada. They went on to create four more albums titled Freedom Suit and See in 1969, both Search and Nearness and Peaceful World in 1971, and The Island of Real in 1972. In 1997, The Rascals were inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
FULL INTERVIEW HERE
