THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
Mojo Men Become Mojo and Get Their Mojo Back
Mojo — “Candle to Burn”
San Francisco’s Mojo Men certainly displayed some fluidity. They were great when they were all men. They were even better when singer/drummer Jan Errico joined from the Vejtables, and they thus eventually dropped the “Men” to become simply “Mojo.”
“Candle to Burn” is the enchanting leadoff track of the Mojo Men’s/Mojo’s first and only album — ‘69’s Mojo Magic (and a single). But as Jud Cost’s liner notes on the Mojo Men comp Sit Down . . . It’s The Mojo Men state, the album was “[s]addled with one of the most hideous album covers in music history — colored blossoms layered over a group mug shot [and it] sank without a trace.”
The group folded soon after. A shame because, in my estimation, Mojo Magic was one of the most glorious sunshine pop albums ever released.
sfscene tells us:
By mid-’68 san francisco’s ‘ mojo men’ were in a quandary as their record label (reprise..) was dithering over an album release after the band had laid down more than enough tracks to do so…with female drummer jan (ashton) errico fed up being a ‘mojo man’ they went about a name change to plain ‘mojo’ and signed to a new label ‘grt’…. along with the name change came a complete about turn in their musical direction leaving behind all the trappings of their earlier raw earthy garage/pop leanings they ventured into a sunshine/pop direction with layered vocals and string arrangements…its a pleasant enough sounding record but for me this track is a standout which also saw a single release ‘candle to burn/make you at home’….it promptly went no where and the group folded…if your into sunshine pop and spanky and our gang/mamas & papas type music do check the album out.
See my website at bracefortheobscure60srock.com.
