Ides of March (band)

The Ides of March
The Ides of March in December 2014 in St. Charles, IL. Photo by Paul Braun
Background information
Origin	Berwyn, Illinois, United States
Genres	Funk, rock, jazz fusion
Years active	1964–1973 1990–present
Labels	Parrot, Warner Bros., RCA
Associated acts	Survivor
Members	Larry Millas Jim Peterik Bob Bergland Mike Borch Dave Stahlberg Scott May Tim Bales Steve Eisen
Past members	John Larson Ray Herr Conrad Prybe Dave Arellano Dave Southern Chuck Soumar

The Ides of March are an American rock band that had a major US and minor UK hit with the song "Vehicle" in 1970. After going on hiatus in 1973, the band returned with their original line-up in 1990 and has been active since then.

The Ides of March began in Berwyn, Illinois (a near western suburb of Chicago) on October 16, 1964, as a four-piece band called "The Shon-Dels." Their first record, "Like It Or Lump It," was released on their own "Epitome" record label in 1965.

In 1966, after changing their name to The Ides of March (a name suggested by bassist Bob Bergland after reading Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in high school), the band released their first single on Parrot Records, "You Wouldn't Listen." The song reached #7 on WLS Chicago in spring 1966 and #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 in summer 1966. This record and its follow-ups (all pre-"Vehicle") have been re-released on the Sundazed Records CD Ideology. By the end of the 1960s, the band added a brass section, although Bergland often doubled up on tenor saxophone.

Parrot singles:

(** these are the only two tracks they recorded in stereo during the Parrot years)

Kapp single:

Like Columbia's The Cryan Shames, they had local success in the Chicago area without much label support. Unlike the Cryan Shames, who issued 3 albums on Columbia, Parrot never scheduled an album for the Ides of March.

Having secured a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records, in 1970 the band released the track "Vehicle," which at the time became the fastest selling single in Warner's history. Fourteen seconds of the completed "Vehicle" master tape (primarily the guitar solo) was accidentally erased in the recording studio. The missing section was spliced in from a previously discarded take.

The song reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the corresponding Cash Box listings. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc in November 1972. The following album, Vehicle, reached #55 nationally.