Representative Albums: "Sit Down...It's the Mojo Men," "Not Too Old to Start Cryin': The Lost 1966 Masters," "There Goes My Mind"
Representative Songs: "Sit Down, I Think I Love You," "Fire in My Heart," "Why Can't You Stay"
Biography
One of the earliest San Francisco rock bands, the Mojo Men had local hits on the Autumn label with "Dance With Me," "She's My Baby," and a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Off the Hook" in the mid-'60s. Their early sides displayed a raunchy but thin approach taken from the mold of British Invasion groups like the Stones and Them. In 1966, after female drummer Jan Errico joined from the San Francisco folk-rock group the Vejtables, they moved to Reprise and pursued folky psychedelic pop directions, and had a Top 40 hit with a Baroque arrangement of Buffalo Springfield's "Sit Down I Think I Love You" in 1967. In their later days, they developed more intricate arrangements and harmonies that reflected the influence of the Mamas & the Papas and Jefferson Airplane, although they weren't in the same league as those groups. Their many singles never fully displayed the band's considerable songwriting and vocal talents, and after changing their name to the Mojo and finally just Mojo, they disbanded in the late '60s. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
One of the first San Francisco psychedelic bands, the Mojo Men began as a British Invasion inspired group, even covering the Rolling Stones' "Off The Hook". But following the arrival of drummer Jan Ashton, the group developed more intricate arrangements and harmonies that reflected the psychedelic folk/rock influences of bands like Jefferson Airplane and the Mamas & the Papas. They were one of the premier bands that help shape the San Francisco Sound.
Their only Top 40 hit was their cover version of a Stephen Stills' song he wrote and sang for Buffalo Springfield. It was entitled "Sit Down, I Think I Love You", released in March 1967, and featured a new member, Jan Ericco/Ashton, a female vocalist/drummer who had defected from another San Francisco band, The Vejtables. According to The Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn, "Sit Down, I Think I Love You" was on the Top 40 for three weeks and peaked at number 36. Whitburn failed to include Jan Ericco's name with the other members.
