A Traffic Jam With Mary

At times they sounded like a polyester cabaret act. At times they sounded like a taste of blue-eyed southern soul. But, at all times, they had a pointed sense of melody and texture and that’s what made the Classics IV so popular for so many years.

They started as a cover band in South Florida in the early 1960′s, imitating the Ventures with instrumental versions of Misty and Summertime. Later, they moved Denny Yost to the front of the stage, where he played drums and sang at the same time.

In 1967, the band moved to Atlanta where guitarist J.R. Cobb and producer Buddy Buie put lyrics to a regional hit by Mike Sharpe and scored their first big hit with Spooky. More hits followed (including Stormy, Traces and Everyday With You Girl) before band members Cobb, Buie and bassist Dean Daughtry split to form the famed session band, Atlanta Rhythm Section.

Like many bands before and since, much of what the Classics IV did throughout their recording career sounded very much alike. If not for the lyrics, it would be hard to tell the difference between Stormy, Spooky and another song they recorded, Soul Train.

But the sound they created, a melding of the languid and the lounge, is iconic. Santana covered Spooky to great effect, ARS covered Stormy and John Legend, though he claims otherwise, borrowed from Stormy for his song, Save Room (for which the writers have since been duly credited).

Rather than rehash the ones we’ve heard so many times before, here’s a taste of some lesser known Classics IV tunes, identifiably Denny Yost but with a little something different to offer.

Mary, Mary, Row Your Boat – There was a lot more raw soul to Denny and the boys than was evident on their hits, as witnessed here.
Traffic Jam – OK, so it has the classic Cobb/Stormy guitar riff here and there; even so, it swings Vegas style. I would’ve liked to have heard Lou Rawls cover this.
Most Of All – I’m a sucker for strings, especially when they’re behind a love-you-more-that-we’re-apart song.

Footnote: Yost continued to tour as Denny Yost And The Classics IV until he became ill. He passed away about a month ago at the age of 65.