 With it’s signature horn riff and one of the most famous
opening lines in rock’n’roll, “I’m the friendly stranger in the black sedan,
won’t you hop inside my car”, the Ides of March’s Vehicle has earned it’s
place in rock history, but the story behind The Ides of March has a resonance
that few bands can match.
The Ides are commonly referred to as “Chicago’s Band” and
it’s easy to see why. Formed in 1965 in the Chicago suburb of Berwyn, all the
members: Jim Peterik – lead vocal, lead guitar; Larry Millas – vocals, guitar,
bass; Bob Bergland – bass, vocals, sax; Mike Borch – drums, vocals; Chuck Soumar
– trumpet, percussion, vocals; and John Larson – trumpet, vocals have been
friends since grade school. As freshmen and sophomore at Morton West High School
studying Julius Caesar, the Ides of March were formed. The band developed a
strong local following playing teen clubs and sock hops after school basketball
games. Their determination led to a contract with London Parrot Records and
their first single, You Wouldn’t Listen, which made it to #42 on the
Billboard charts and #7 on Chicago’s WLS survey in the spring of 1966.
The Ides of March toured America and Canada on weekends
throughout the summer while keeping up their high school education. In 1970 they
got their big break. Warner Bros. Records signed them and release their
million-seller, Vehicle. The song went to #1 in Cashbox and #2 in
Billboard and became the fastest breaking single in Warner Bros. history.
The Ides, now in college, toured with bands such as Led
Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead and
Poco. They appeared on many television shows including Dick Clark, Mama Cass,
John Byner, Dennis Holey and many more. Vehicle, which Jim Peterik wrote
and sang, has since become a horn band classic, being performed on the Tonight
Show by Tom Jones and Sammy Davis Jr. It also became the centerpiece of
Sylvester Stallone's motion picture smash, Lock Up.
In 1971, the Ides release L.A. Goodbye which stayed at
#1 for five weeks on the Chicago charts. It is still a much requested song at
radio, currently on heavy rotation on The Drive, 97.1 in Chicago.
In 1973, after fifteen singles and four albums, the Ides went
on a seventeen-year sabbatical. Jim Peterik went on the platinum success as
co-founder, song-writer and keyboardist with the group, Survivor, co-penning all
of their hits including the motivational anthem from Rocky III, Eye Of The
Tiger, as well as The Search Is Over, High On You, I Can’t
Hold Back and Burning Heart from Rocky IV. He also co-wrote hits for
38 Special including Hold On Loosely, Caught Up In You, Fantasy
Girl and Rockin’ Into The Night. He and Sammy Hagar wrote Heavy
Metal for the animated classic of the same name. Many of these songs can be
heard in a typical Ides set arranged in true Ides of March fashion.
In 1990, the original six members of The Ides of March with
the addition of longtime friend Scott May on keyboards and Dave Stahlberg on
trombone reunited for what was supposed to be a one-time concert for Berwyn’s
Summerfaire. The event drew 25,000 fans and convinced the Ides to extend their
tour indefinitely. Each year, their fan base continues to grow, not only drawing
their loyal followers, but also their children and grandchildren. The Ide’s
goodtime spirit never grows old!
The Ides are that rare commodity that still has all of its
original members for the over thirty years since they started. It’s their
special chemistry that makes every Ides show a memorable experience. Their
trademark combination of horns and harmony and Peterik’s growling vocals always
brings the audience to their feet.
The Ides have never been a band to rest on their laurels.
1998 saw the release of Age Before Beauty. This EP features the title cut
(with lyrics including “The fountain of youth is a state of mind, so move over
cutie, it’s Age Before Beauty”). Also include is an instrumental adaptation of
Vehicle called Friendly Stranger which is currently an NBA
favorite. In addition the Ides have recorded two much played tributes to
Chicago’s great baseball teams: Finally Next Year (Cubs) and Wild-Eyed
South-Side Boys (Sox) – a takeoff on Jim Peterik’s big hit with 38 Special,
Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. In addition to their new greatist hits package,
Ideology II.0, the Ides version of The Star Spangled Banner is
included on the 911 Relief Project album called The Day America Cried
along with artists like Johnny VanZant of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Don Barnes of 38
Special. A double live album is in the works for release in the summer of 2002.
As unusual as it seems, after 35 years of making music together, it appears that
the best days of The Ides of March are still to come.
Contact Grabow for more information or to book The Ides of
March for your next corporate or private event.
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