The Ides Of March began as a four -piece band in Berwyn Illinois, They recorded several singles between 1964 and 1968. Things changed when the band signed with Warner Brothers Records in 1970 when they recorded “Vehicle,” which became a huge hit.
So what is the story behind “Vehicle.”
Jim Peterik of Ides of March tells Bart Herbison with Tennessean.com that he was a 17-year-old junior in high school, and his favorite band, The Turtles, were playing in town. He really wanted to ask this girl out who was in his homeroom class but believe it or not; he was too shy. So he didn’t ask her, but something neat was about to happen.
He’s in line at the concert, and this group of girls starts dancing around Peterik. One of them looks at him and says, “Are you Peterik”? He says yes, I am. She told him She saw his band Ides of March last week, and they were great.
After the concert ended, they walked over to his car, a beautiful white 65 Valiant.
Peter asked if he could drive her home, and she said her father would disapprove, but he could walk her to a girlfriend’s house. So he walked her home and got her phone number. They started dating, and all of a sudden, she says, “Jim, you’re the first boy I’ve ever dated. I’m 15 years old, and I need to see what else is out there”. His heart was broken.
A few months go by, and Peterik gets a call, “Hey Jim, it’s Karen.” This is not like a date, but since you have a cool car, would you take me to modeling school”? He takes her, waits for her, and then he takes her home: no handshake, no kiss, nothing.
Two weeks later, she calls again. Now he is starting to get mad because he realizes all he is to her is her limousine. He thinks all I am is her vehicle, baby. Wait, what a great word vehicle. So in his head, he hears this horn riff, which was influenced by the band Blood Sweat And Tears. The Ides of March had a horn section. These were not studio pros but a high school horn section. By this time, Peterik is now 18 years old. They prepare the song, play it for their managers, and take the band down to CBS on Fairbanks in Chicago. They recorded it in two takes.
The band is in the lobby celebrating the second take when the engineer says ‘I don’t know what to tell you, but I just erased 13 seconds of your master tape.”
So they think it’s all over, but the engineer saved the day. He was able to edit from the first take, and Peterik had to re-sing the part ”Great God In Heaven.”
The song was released and at that time was the fastest breaking hit in Warner Brothers history. Now it’s the summer of 1970. Jim Peterik is 19 years old, and there is a demand for the Ides of March.
They’re touring with The Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and the Grateful Dead.
He takes a break from touring. He goes home, and he is still living with his parents when he gets a phone call “Hey Jim. I just heard your vehicle record”. Peterik says, “Is This Karen”? She says, “Yeah, You know my voice.”
So what happened to Karen?
Forty-six years later, she is still Jim Peterik’s wife, and he is still her vehicle.
Jim Peterik joined the group Survivor in the 1980’s.Their big hit was “Eye Of The Tiger” from the movie Rocky III.
The song Vehicle by The Ides Of March reached no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1970.
