“Morning Much Better” (1970) – Ten Wheel Drive featuring Genya Ravin * Written by Michael Zager and Aram Schefrin * 45: “Morning Much Better” / “Stay With Me” * LP: Brief Replies * Produced by Guy Draper * Label: Polydor * Charts: Billboard Hot 100 (#74)
New Jersey’s Ten Wheel Drive competed with Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears in the thriving late-sixties/early-seventies jazz rock market, where band rosters could also function as fully-staffed softball teams. Among Ten Wheel Drive’s assets was singer Genya Ravin (formerly of ’60s girl group Goldie and the Gingerbreads), who was known to remove her upper attire and perform in body paint. Their lone charting single “Morning Much Better” now stands out for sounding like a precursor to the Family Feud TV game show theme, which debuted in 1976. Although that piece of music, written by Walt Levinski, doesn’t borrow any melodic ideas from the Ten Wheel Drive single, they both share a distinctive banjo and blaring horn DNA. Band member (and “Morning Much Better” co-writer) Michael Zager would later create the 1978 disco hit “Let’s All Chant,” while Ravin would produce Young, Loud and Snotty, the 1977 classic US punk debut LP for the Dead Boys.