THE FEARSOME FOURSOME - "SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE" (1965)

Roosevelt Grier, Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy and David Jones all played (American) football for the Los Angeles Rams in the mid-60s. According to the wonderfully named Dick Butkus (no, me neither) they were “the most dominant line in football history”. I guess that means they were four brick shithouses difficult to get past.

What I do know is that they appeared on Shindig in 1965 performing this raving rhythm and blues shaker. The song was actually the flip of “Fool, Fool, Fool” credited solely to Roosevelt Grier on Rik Records in 1964 and titled “Since You’ve Been Gone” (not “Since You’re Gone” as per this clip). Grier cut a lot of records whilst a footballer; perhaps his most familiar one in soul circles is “In My Tenement”, before becoming an actor and then a minister.

Another nice piece of trivia is he helped smack Sirhan Sirhan (not a member of the New York Dolls apparently) to the floor after Sirhan assassinated Robert Kennedy in 1968. A remarkable man. Enjoy this fabulous clip.