The Art of Lovin’

With their psych-tinged folk-rock (or was it folk-tinged psych-rock?) and mix of male and female vocals, Massachusetts-based quintet The Art of Lovin’ garnered more than their share of comparisons to Jefferson Airplane and The Mamas & the Papas on their eponymous 1968 album, but they were more than just the East Coast versions of those fabled San Francisco bands. The group – Paul Applebaum (vocals, guitar, chief songwriter), Johnny Lank (bass), Barry Tatelman (saxophone), Gail Winnick (vocals) and Sandy Winslow (drums, percussion) – sidestepped MGM Records’ “Bosstown Sound” circus when they signed with Detroit-based Mainstream Records and their lone album is full of rich harmonies (courtesy Applebaum and Winnick), inventive guitar work and a cover of Tim Hardin’s “(How Can We) Hang On To A Dream.”

The band played a few Boston-area gigs in support of the album, but soon broke up, its members choosing to enroll in college instead of pursuing life as rock stars. Despite the group’s short lifespan, however The Art of Lovin’ LP is still making its mark in the 21st century; it gets strong praise and fetches high prices from ’60s music collectors in online auctions. In 2008, the album was remastered and released on CD for the first time by Japanese record label P-Vine and directors Joel and Ethan Cohen included the band’s song “Good Times” on the soundtrack to their 2009 black comedy A Serious Man, which is set in the 1960s.

(by Stephen Haag)