Song Lyric Sunday: Taking You Anywhere

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For the second week running Jim has set us the task for Song Lyric Sunday of finding some music from a genre that I thought would probably mean much more to Americans than it does to us on this side of the pond. That assignment is to play something that features the ‘Chicago Sound’, though as you can see here in Jim’s post Doing It Chicago Style he defines that as just about anything to do with Chicago, so maybe I needn’t have worried about being able to play! I set out thinking that this would probably be something to do with the band Chicago Transit Authority, later shortened to simply Chicago after the threat of legal action by…yes…you guessed it…the actual real life Chicago Transit Authority. But having failed to find a page on Wikipedia entitled ‘Chicago Sound,’ apart from one relating to an album by someone I’d never heard of, I did eventually find a page that told me what this was – though it has many facets.

The standard definition is indeed the form of brass-based rock that Chicago began with, until they morphed into a middle of the road outfit. Did that mean I was only going to be able to play 25 Or 6 To 4, or possibly their overlong reworking of the Spencer Davis Group classic I’m A Man? I figured others would be playing these, and I like to try to find something different. Having perused the Wikipedia page that detailed a whole swathe of musical styles associated with that city, my memory kindly threw out a song from my teenage years which was a sort of hit here and which I’d enjoyed back then. So here is my song for this week:

And here are the lyrics:

Hey, well
I’m the friendly stranger in the black Sedan
Won’t you hop inside my car?
I got pictures, got candy
I’m a lovable man
And I can take you to the nearest star

I’m your vehicle, baby
I’ll take you anywhere you want to go
I’m your vehicle, woman
by now I’m sure you know

That I love ya (love ya)
I need ya (need ya)
I want ya
Got to have you, child
Great God in Heaven, you know I love you

Well, if you wants to be a movie star
I can-a take you to Hollywood
But if you want to stay just like you are
You know, I think you really should

I’m your vehicle, baby
I’ll take you anywhere you want to go
I’m your vehicle, woman
by now I’m sure you know

That I love ya (love ya)
I need ya (need ya)
I want ya
Got to have you, child
Great God in Heaven, you know I love you
Oh, you know I do

Well, I’m the friendly stranger in the black Sedan
Won’t you hop inside my car?
I got pictures, candy
I’m a lovable man
And I can take you to the nearest star

I’m your vehicle, babe
I’ll take you anywhere you want to go
I’m your vehicle, woman
by now I’m sure you know

That I love ya (love ya)
I need ya (need ya)
I want ya
I got to have you
Great God in Heaven, you know I love you

And I’m your vehicle, babe, alright
You know I love ya (love ya)
I need ya (need ya)
I want ya
Got to have you, child
Great God in Heaven, you know I love you

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: James M. Peterik

Vehicle lyrics © Concord Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing

It’s just as well that the song repeats the fact that the guy loves the woman he is singing to, as the beginning sounds suspiciously like a kiddy fiddler on the prowl! The Ides Of March were from Chicago, and originally formed as a four piece in October 1964, going by the name of The Shon-Dels, later changing their name and adding in the brass section. This gave them their jazz-rock sound, which reached its high point in March 1970 when they released Vehicle – recorded in Chicago – as their third single. It reached #2 in the US, #3 in Canada, and #31 here in the UK. It stood out as something a little different from other chart fodder of the time, and I’ve always liked it. And it definitely qualifies them in the UK as a classic one hit wonder! It was also the title track of their debut album, released later in 1970, which got to #55 in the US and #38 in Canada but didn’t make the UK chart. The band released four albums up to 1973 before they went on an extended hiatus, returning in 1990 and are still together. Four of the original members have stayed the course throughout, including guitarist and keyboard player Jim Peterik, who wrote this song. He tells the story of it:

At the time, I was madly in love with this girl named Karen. I had a souped-up 1964 Plymouth Valiant, and she was always asking for rides. I drove her to modeling school every week. I was hoping flames would ignite—but they didn’t. I came home one day, dejected, and thought: all I am is her vehicle. And I thought: Wow! Vehicle! I came up with this song, taught it to the band, and the next thing I knew, we were recording it.

And to round that story off, Jim and Karen did eventually marry.

He used his time in the hiatus well, forming another band of whom you may have heard, an outfit called Survivor. They were very successful with hit singles and albums, but are probably mostly remembered for one song in particular, which Jim co-wrote. You’re expecting me to play it, now that I’ve mentioned it, aren’t you? Oh, go on then, have a bonus song on me:

Another example of the ‘Chicago Sound?’ Of course: it wasn’t all about horns!

That’s all for today. I’ll see you again for Tuesday Tunes 🎶

39 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday: Taking You Anywhere”

  1. Pingback: October Passed Me By | Take It Easy

  2. Oh such a good song! I had not known who sang it, but I remember it from a long time ago.
    The other song, Eye of the Tiger is a favorite, too. The singer Jimi Jamison followed me on Twitter until sadly he passed away.

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    • I’ve always liked it too. It wasn’t such a big hit here but something about it appealed to me. I don’t think Jimi was in Survivor at the time of this, though, was he? Shame that he passed quite young. It’s nice when your favourites follow you on Twitter, isn’t it. My collection is pretty small, and most of them are Brits who probably wouldn’t be known to you – some folk bands and classical crossover singers. I can only think of two Americans: Chris Barron, of the Spin Doctors, and a lovely country singer-songwriter called Sarah Darling.

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  6. Other than the fact that Eye of the Tiger got played into the ground during it’s heyday, I like the tune. I always will associate it with the movie Rocky. It was a pleasure to listen to The Ides of March again as it must be two decades since I’ve listened to that song. The video was cool too. One of the cars reminded me of my first car—a pumpkin orange Chevy sofa.

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  7. I remember this one, and I quite like it. Can’t say I overly liked the Chicago sound, it was all a bit brassy and jagged in that slightly irritating too jazzy way, if that makes sense? A little bit of Chicago went a long way.

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  9. Good choice, Clive! For Manitoba’s 1970 centennial the government actually held a star-filled one day music festival in the Winnipeg Stadium. Only, the morning of we had a huge thunderstorm and the place would have been destroyed had 50,000 young people been allowed onto the football field. So after hours of worrying what to do with 50,000 kids and bands like Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin and a buhch of others, they moved the festivsl inside the Winnipeg arena and held an indoor concert. People were soaking wet by this time and in lousy spirits. I don’t remember who the opening act was, but they got booed off the stage. They were just boring. My memory eays The Strawberry Alarm Clock. Second up were The Ides of March, and with their big brassy sound they were exactly what we needed. They started with Vehicle, because everyone knew it and could sing along, and that’s what we did. They had the arena rocking, which improved things for most of the bands who followed. Two big bands still disappointed, Iron Butterfly and Led Zeppelin! But Janis Joplin with Full Tilt Boogie brought the house down.
    Back to The Ides of March, having played Vehicle to start their show, they saved the following song for their encore. It wasn’t as big, it wasn’t as brassy, and but it got them 3 standing ovations. You may know it by Crosby, Stills, and Nash: (not the best ever version of that song, but the day it was pure magic!

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    • Great memories! Happy to have brought them back for you. I still prefer the CSN original of this, from an album I’ve loved since I got it when first released, but this was an interesting blend with Jethro Tull. A clever mix.

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    • Thanks, Keith, I’ve always liked it too. I never really took to Chicago’s cover of I’m A Man – I thought they over-extended a song that had been great in its original version.

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