The Mojo Men

by Richie Unterberger
One of the earliest San Francisco rock bands, the Mojo Men had local hits on the Autumn label with Dance With Me, Shes 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 Springfields 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 werent in the same league as those groups. Their many singles never fully displayed the bands considerable songwriting and vocal talents, and after changing their name to the Mojo and finally just Mojo, they disbanded in the late 60s.