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Show One Trick Pouj The Lovin Spoonful reunite for film by Lynn Vail Mat re Chicago Tribune Writer THE QUAINTLY eccentric antique silver frame spectacles with the cobalt blue lenses John Sebastian once affected have long since given way to more conventional glasses. The hairs a bit shorter, the memories a bit longer ; it has been 15 years since his "Do You Believe in Magic, a goodtime tribute to the powers of rock and roll, turned the Lovin Spoonful into one of the mid-60- s overnight pop successes. A FEW YEARS, A few hits (Nashville Cats, Darlin Be Home Soon," Summer in the City) and a personnel change or two later, the quartets lovably lightweight musical chemistry dissolved, and the Spoonful itself soon followed suit. Since then, band Sebastian, who founded the folky, blues-base- d with lead guitarist Zal Yanovsky, has, among other things, pursued a solo career as a put out a couple of extremely albums, written music for Canadian cartoons, worked on the music and lyrics for a possible and Broadway production of Charlottes Web toured with Steve Martin and Sha Na Na. Yanovsky, who left the Spoonful in 1967 and broke up the guitar romance he and Sebastian carried on for years (he was replaced by Jerry Yester, but things were never quite the same), wound up in the restaurant business in Toronto. Drummer Joe Butler got into acting and singing in New York City and bass player Steve Boone ended up an engineer in Baltimore. RECENTLY THE FOUR one of whom had scarcely picked up his guitar in the last 10 years reunited for one more round of rock and roll at the request of singer Paul Simon, who needed a genuine '60s band to set the scene for a segment of his new k film, Pony. In the movie, Simon plays a singer who at one point performs at a 60s reunion concert, and, Sebastian explained, he was looking for a few recognizable groups from that period that were able to stand and talk and play and also get back wound up in the movie, but we did about 10 and had a great evening. It was hilarious. We were all sensitive to the fact that it could be really depressing, especially if we were terrible. But as it turned out, we as wed ever been. were just as good and as bad Very little had changed. Ive just had 10 years more practice on my guitar, which has made me a little more rock steady. And Zally, who hasnt played his guitar at all except for a passing gig with a visiting he was band, did wonderfully. Hes bigger now always the skinny one, but hes put on some weight, though hes in good shape and he has a full beard. AND JOE HAS silver hair these days but Steve looks almost unchanged, continued Sebastian, who at 36 looks not all that different from the way he did a decade ago. Nobody made any big effort to look like we used to. About the only thing I did was to put on a striped shirt and get out my old Les Paul guitar that Id retired. According to Sebastian, the bands Pony performance brought them a couple of offers from record companies, not as a nostalgia thing, but on a totally contemporary level. Actually, since most of the new bands today are drawing on the 1960s, he wouldnt have to make too many radical jumps to stay current at this point, and I feel a certain kinship with a lot of the new wave bands. When the Lovin Spoonful surfaced, he felt that all we wanted to do was to blow up everything that preceded us. STILL, DONT LOOK for the quartet to launch a comeback campaign just yet. The central spark of the Spoonful began with Zally and me, and he needs to be at his restaurant for aqpther year or so, Sebastian said. When he has the time and inclination to travel, we might do something together again. Hes still my favorite guitarist to play with. Weve both played with guys six times better, but theres just a chemistry there that we cant duplicate wity anybody else. And the years we spent in the Spoonful were great ones. Cgg together again fast. So I got in touch with the band the original one, the one with the chemistry and we rehearsed the rhythm section for a couple of days at my house near Woodstock, N.Y. Then we took a couple more days to rehearse with Zally, and after that, they shot the scene at the Concord Hotel in the Catskills. Sebastian, a somewhat biased observer, described the concert as a great show. Only one or two songs low-profi- One-Tric- John Sebastian gathered his old group the Lovin ' Spoonful together again recently to be in a movie, One Trick Pony. WILLIE AAMES NEARLY-SECRE- T P RON HOWARD'S HAPPIEST DAYS ARE STILL TO COME! FIRST k j4 i ANNIVERSARY! , 4 t Uf n V No. Ron Isn't ungrateful to "Happy Days." the super hit show ha was an important part of from the beginmrg (even before "The Foru" bacamq the show's star). t All along, though, Ron wen tap to be more than an actor He wanted Hit fentf wtout rote fwtco-te- r Fas worth) wn it form Jo produce andaeUTdirect and even write. His new myltimiilien dollar ClWlrtetew wort or indictee for the mercy telling of hit brother deal with NBC gfva turn that incredible opportunity. Wniuifui Ron's deepest regret was that the change came so suddenly, leaving him little time to give notice to his friends on "Happy Days." But . he had to make a quick decision, and the NBC otter was almost loo I X 17 good to be true I v. Ron hopes you'd be as kind to him In the future aayou've been In the . 4 . tAi past. He promises to work hard for you, to bring you the most -entertaining and eicHIng television shows he can create! I THE "NEW A RON HOWARD: Serious anfl determined. ' f . N i -- A f i . J U' jfcH-i- Non wtH mitt Henry Wtnhter AlMolmero Anton Tom Bosley They vt boon like family to him Auhy HERMIT BECOMES A TREMBLER ! M f A A A ' 4 c IMO by Tho Keeey Corporation Dial by NTT Spoctel Features Oesigned by Omne Goldsmith Willies quiet marriage to Vicki Averback was so quiet that many people will be surprised to learn they M be celebrating their ftrst anniversary Dec. 15th Vickis already gotten used to Willie s three dogs, two cats and two iguanas' Happy Anniversary! Peter Noone. who used to be the leader of Herman s Hermits, is now the founder of the Tremble'S On his recent tour, he met Cleveland Indians rookie sensation Joe Charboneau They made a fair trade a batting lesson for a singing lesson but then each of them decided not to change jobs Both the Indians and Epic Records breathed sgh of relief i WiMomt Marion Rots and a TOM PETERSON LEAVES CHEAP TRICK s' ! . SUPERSCENES Sr - Y i i Ei ' - r;fr i J V ' I.'.. VERSION V . . A .1' W r f-- d WM Rtc Nwlsan giving Joa Walsh of Tha (agWl tha ' nawaT Wa don't (on but toft) w On know that Chaap Trick s bassist is know, laavtng la go out on Ms own But tha group nail album stilt fsaturaa 11 four Robin Zandar. Bun C Carlo and Tom original asambwa-Rl- ek. (In Wa fbroanrb apfsaarsnoa. J f' yi V-- ' 0FTHATS:r INCREDIBLE! Dd you avar think yoti'd find . 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