#1: Like To Get To Know You by Spanky and Our Gang

City: New Glasgow, NS
Radio Station: CKEC
Peak Month: May 1968
Peak Position in New Glasgow ~ #1
Peak position in Vancouver ~ #23
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #17
YouTube: “Like To Get To Know You”
Lyrics: “Like To Get To Know You”

Spanky and Our Gang was a sunshine pop group led by Elaine “Spanky” McFarlane. She was born in Peoria, Illinois, in 1942. In 1959, she arrived in Chicago and began to perform in jazz clubs with Lil Hardin Armstrong (Louis Armstrong’s second wife), Earl Hines, and Little Brother Montgomery. She soon got involved with the burgeoning folk crowd and formed a trio with Roger McGuinn (future frontman of The Byrds) and Guy Guilbert called the Old Town Trio. The trio played in local Chicago area bars and coffee houses for a summer. In 1962, she joined the New Wine Singers. Fellow singer Arnie Lanza nicknamed her Spanky because of the similarity of her last name, McFarlane, to the last name of child actor George McFarland who played Spanky in the Our Gang(also known as The Little Rascals) comedies about poor neighborhood children and their adventures. The nickname stuck.

The New Wine Singers performed folk songs the first half of their set, then dropped the guitars and banjo, picked up a trombone, coronet, drums, and piano, and closed the set with Dixieland jazz. They made their only folk LP on Vee-Jay Records titled: “The New Wine Singers at the Chicago Opera House.” Then McFarlane joined a jazz-based singing group called the Jamie Lyn Trio, touring the country and working the Playboy Club circuit. In Chicago, 1965, she formed Spanky and Our Gang with Nigel Pickering and Oz Bach, with fellow New Wine Singers musician Malcolm Hale joining later. After a couple of weeks’ rehearsal, they debuted as the opening act at Mother Blues nightclub.

Nigel Pickering was born in Pontiac (MI) in 1929. He began his music career playing guitar on the radio with a Milwaukee group called “The Westernaires” in the mid-1950s. Their show was called “Ranch House Roundup” and he was the character “Ranger Tom.” Prior to being in Spanky And Our Gang, Pickering was a member of the folk trio The Folksters, who appeared on two 1962 episodes of The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson (November 19 and 26).

Paul Michael “Oz” Bach was born in 1939 in Paw Paw (WV). Bach entered music in 1962 as a guitarist, singer and comedian, before switching to bass in 1963. He then played as a back-up musician for folksingers Fred Neil, Tom Paxton, Bob Gibson, and singer and civil rights activist Josh White. In the fall of 1965, Bach met Spanky and Pickering at a “hurricane party” in Chicago, ahead of the waning path of an Atlantic storm.

Malcolm Hale was born in 1941 in Butte (MT). He learned to play guitar and trombone in his youth. He joined Spanky And Our Gang before they made their first recording.

In the spring of 1966, Spanky And Our Gang released a single titled “And Your Bird Can Sing”. It was a minor hit in a few record markets. On April 13, 1967, the group recorded “Sunday Will Never Be The Same”. The single debuted on the Cashbox Top 100 Singles chart on May 13/67.

On May 10, 1967, Spanky and Our Gang appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. On June 18th they were guests on The Ed Sullivan Show. On June 27, they were featured guests on The Dick Cavett Show. On July 1, 1967, the group appeared on the comedy-variety show And Away We Go. “Sunday Will Never Be The Same” peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s best chart performance in Canada was in Hamilton (ON) at #2, and Winnipeg (MB) at #3.

Earlier in May the group released “Sunday Mornin’” which had peaked at #2 in Gainesville (FL) on May 27/67. It mostly charted through the fall of 1967, and climbed to #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. In Canada, the single peaked at #5 in Toronto and Hamilton (ON).

John Seiter  joined Spanky And Our Gang after “Sunday Will Never Be The Same” was on the pop charts. Steiter was born in St. Louis in 1944. He learned to drum in his youth.

Spanky And Our Gang next released “Making Every Minute Count”, and it began to chart in North America in Windsor (ON) the week of August 1, 1967.

Oz Bach left Spanky And Our Gang prior to the April 1968 release of the album Like to Get to Know You. He went on to work as an arranger for Steve Miller, Linda Ronstadt and Sergio Mendez. After 1972, Bach hosted a talk show in Florida and directed an award-winning short film “Froggy Went A-Courtin’” (1977). He died of cancer at the age of 59 in 1998.

Oz Bach was replaced on guitar by Lefty Baker, (born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1939) who also brought banjo into the mix. As well, Kenny Hodges (born 1936 in Jacksonville, Florida) was added to the group before they went to the recording studio to work on their second album. Hodges contributed bass guitar and backing vocals. Hodges grew up in Jacksonville, Florida, graduated from Robert E. Lee High School and served in the Navy at NAS Jacksonville. He met pop star Johnny Tillotson and played with him on a local television show. After moving from Florida to New York City, Ken pursued singing and playing bass and was a member of The Folksters, and The Bitter End Singers, before joining Spanky And Our Gang.

In the spring of 1968, “Like To Get to Know You” charted to #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Like To Get To Know You” was written by Stuart Scharf, who was a musician/arranger/songwriter. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1941. During the 1960s, he was an active participant in the civil rights movement and joined in many civil rights marches. Starting in 1964, he arranged or composed for The Simon Sisters. Carly Simon went on to the a successful singer-songwriter of “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be”, “You’re So Vain”, “Haven’t Got Time For the Pain”, “Jesse” and other hits. As well, Scharf arranged, composed or contributed as a musician on recordings by Canadian folksinger Jillianne Harris, Hawaiian folksinger Kui Lee, Chad Mitchell, Neil Diamond, the Johnstons, Mama Cass, Janis Ian, Odetta, Brook Benton, Laura Nyro, The Staple Singers, Chris Williamson, Dionne Warwick, Ian & Sylvia, Peter Yarrow, Barry Manilow, Roberta Flack, Phoebe Snow, Kai Winding, Al Kooper, and Astrud Gilberto.

He moved from New York City to Hamilton County in Pennsylvania in 1980. Stuie (as he was called by his friends) continued to operate his own record label, publishing company, and mail order catalog. Stuie Scharf died in 2007 at the age of 66.

Spanky And Our Gang performed “Like To Get To Know You” on The Ed Sullivan Show on March 24, 1968. In the uniquely staged presentation, the members of the group appear to be at a cocktail party (interacting in a way that tracks the song’s lyrics), while the song is performed by the same group on a stage behind them.

The song is about someone who’d like to get to know someone else. The lyrics tell about a guy who’s been once around the block in the dating game: “One I thought was true, looked a bit like you, I figured I might chance her. Hardly need to say, she went on her way, said it was all over.” The guy has been out of the dating game and wonders about his prospects: “Well, it’s been some time, and I guess that I’m just meant to be a rover.” In the song, with vocals by Spanky, the gal the guy would like to get to know replies: “Well, I can’t promise that I’ll spend a day with you. I can’t promise that I’ll find a way with you. I can’t promise, no, I can’t promise that I’ll love you. But I’d like to get to know you.” So, at least in this initial stage, the two stranger who meet develop a reciprocal interest in getting together again to begin to discover what might be in store for them.

The bandmates in the recording studio for “Like To Get To Know You” were Elaine “Spanky” McFarlane, Lefty Baker, Malcolm Hale, Kenny Hodges, Nigel Pickering, and John Seiter. The male vocalist singing the opening line in the intro between verses, “But I’d like to get to know you”, is Lefty Baker.

“Like To Get To Know You” peaked at #5 in Canada, and #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. It climbed to #1 in New Glasgow (NS), Fresno (CA), Woonsocket (RI), and Salt Lake City, #2 in Battle Creek (MI), #3 in Pittsburgh, Beverly (MA), Tulsa (OK), and Vancouver (WA) #4 in Denver, Boston, Geneva (NY), Scranton (PA), Minneapolis/St. Paul, and Memphis, #5 in Buffalo, Tucson (AZ), Indianapolis (IN), San Bernardino (CA), Eau Claire (WI), Galveston (TX), Santa Rosa (CA), and San Diego, #6 in Cleveland, Chicago, and Wilkes-Barre (PA), #7 in Grand Rapids (MI), Lima (OH), Latrobe (WI), and Columbus (OH), #8 in Ames (IA), Bangor (ME), Racine (WI), Charleston (SC), Salem (OR), Hartford (CT), Albuquerque (NM), and Oklahoma City, #9 in Erie (PA), Springfield (OH), Miami, Phoenix, Gainesville (FL), and Los Angeles, #10 in New York City, and #11 in St. Louis, and #12 in Winnipeg (MB).

Spanky And Our Gang wrapped up 1968s with a message about indifference toward other human beings, and the need to “Give A Damn”. The single stalled at #43 on the Hot 100. But in St. Thomas (ON) it peaked at #8, and in Calgary rose to #10. It was the debut single from the group’s third studio album – released in the fall of 1968: Anything You Choose b/w Without Rhyme or Reason. Three more tracks were released as singles into 1969, and none were hits. The title track was their best attempt after “Give A Damn”, stalling at #86 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Give a Damn” was originally an award-winning public service jingle, and was also written by Stuart Scharf.

Spanky And Our Gang came to an abrupt end in 1969, following the death of Malcom Hale in October 1968. For 39 years, it was believed Hale died of bronchial pneumonia. However, his death was changed to “carbon monoxide poisoning”, which was probably caused from problems with the heaters in his house in Chicago.

In 1970, an album was released titled Spanky And Our Gang Live. The liner notes explain “it was recorded during the group’s earlier days at the Gaslight Club South in Coconut Grove, Florida.

Spanky got married and drummer John Seiter joined The Turtles. After the released of Turtle Soup, the Turtles disbanded. Seiter joined Rosebud who released one album before two of the bandmates got divorced and the group split up. From 1970 to 1973, John Seiter was part of The Conception Corporation. In 1973, Seiter was a session musician for Tom Waits on his debut album. He also worked with Jane Getz and was in the band Aztec Two-Step.

On August 11, 1971, Lefty Baker died of cirrhosis of the liver, about a year after he left the band. He was 32. After Spanky and Our Gang disbanded, Kenny Hodges went to work for the magazine Mother Earth News. He returned to music from 1978 until 2005, after which he moved up to the mountains of Georgia before relocating to Omaha (NE). He died in 2013 at the age of 76.

In 1975, after a six-year hiatus, Spanky And Our Gang released an album titled Change. It featured Spanky McFarlane and Nigel Pickering, along with two new backing vocalists: Marc McClure (also on guitar and banjo) and Bill Plummer (on bass guitar). A single, “I Won’t Brand You”, got some airplay in Arcata (CA). After this final effort, the group packed it in. Well, almost. Spanky And Our Gang reappeared as part of oldies tours in 1978 and 1984. On these tours they shared the stage alongside The Association, The Turtles, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, Three Dog Night, Tom Jones, the Grass Roots, and others. He also was in the recording studio as a session musician for a number or recording acts. These include Odessa, George Clinton, and Jerry Yester. As this post goes online, John Seiter is 80 years of age.

After the split of Our Gang, Pickering continued to perform as a solo act in clubs. He also released three solo albums. He stopped playing guitar in the late 2000s due to arthritis, but continued to sing. After fighting liver cancer, Nigel Pickering died in 2011, at the age of 81.

Spanky McFarlane became a member of The New Mamas & the Papas from 1982 to 1993. (Cass Elliott had died on July 29, 1974). In the 2000s, Spanky reformed Spanky And Our Gang with some new musicians. As this post is being published, Spanky McFarlane is 83 years of age.

August 15, 2025
Ray McGinnis

References:
Mary Anne Cassata, “Spanky McFarlane: Really Getting to Know Her,” FFanzeen, Issue #13, 1985.
Peter Guinta, “‘Spanky’ member, 81, dies,” St. Augustine-Record, May 8, 2011.
“Spanky And Our Gang – concert dates,” Setlist.fm.
“Malcolm Hale“, Findagrave.com, April 4, 2006.
“Paul Michael “Oz” Bach,” Findagrave.com, January 24, 2003.
Dominic Genetti, “60’s drummer for Spanky & Our Gang, The Turtles recalls the folk rock limelight,” Midland Daily News, September 17, 2021.
“Eustace Britchforth “Lefty” Baker,” Findagrave.com, February 2, 2010.
Spanky And Our Gang, “Sunday Will Never Be The Same“, The Ed Sullivan Show, June 18, 1967.
“Stuart M. Scharf,” Legacy.com, November 12, 2007.
“Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Hodges,” Findagrave.com, March 26, 2013.

CKEC 1320-AM New Glasgow (NS) Top Ten | June 7, 1968