ALBUMS: Their 16 Greatest Hits (1971); Golden Grass, The Grass Roots (1970);
MVC Ratings: 16 Greatest 4.0/$$$; Golden 3.5/$$$
This is a case where I knew the artist and bought a couple of greatest hits albums that I probably wouldn’t have ordinarily have bought. Well, maybe in my youth I might have pitched a few bucks for them.
I was always partial to Top 40 hit machines and man, Rob Grill and gang put together a string of hits that have squeezed out chart spaces alongside rock legends like the Beatles, Aretha Franklin and Rolling Stones.
I knew Grill while I worked in Florida, the 1990s. Rob and his wife, Nancy, were part of a neighborhood of young families in aptly named Lake County. We’d gather at someone’s house and grill out or whatever. After we moved to California we lot touch.
Even though I was having cookouts in the backyard, I didn’t know who Rob Grill was at these dinners until someone, after months, told me. I didn’t know Rob Grill from Adam but as soon as I started humming the Grass Roots songs, I was surprised at how many were rolling around in my head.
Fun fact: They started out the Grassroots (one word) then changed it to two. You can see it on the two album covers I have published with this story.
He never really talked about his music, maybe a little bit. I told him I had a cover version of Midnight Confessions by the Blake Babies that was interestingly odd. Rob kind of smiled and said something about whether he or the band got any residuals from that.
I remembered the Grass Roots from their songs, Midnight Confessions, Let’s Live for Today, Soon or Later. and Temptation Eyes. So while Grill helped sell millions of records worldwide, he had no trouble fitting in with his boat and fishing pole. That’s the reason Grill, a native Californian, came to wind up in Lake County: fishing, and Nancy, who was disc jockey in the Orlando area when they met.
Rob retired at a relatively early age, married Nancy and picked a county outside Orlando known for its fishing (maybe not in that order.)
Rob died following complications from a stroke in 2011. RIP Rob. He was reportedly listening to Live for Today on headphones as he died.
About the music? The well-honed British influenced pop, was their bread and butter and the Top 40 was where they focused.. But at times, you’ll hear some soul and jazz.. Midnight Confession, their biggest hit, had some swinging horns on it.
The Grass Roots have had singles on the Billboard 100 21 times. They have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide.
In their career, they achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles on the Billboard Hot 100 a total of 21 times.
Iconic band.