I remembered this song well enough that I didn't need to listen to it. Jazz-based rock isn't really my preferred genre. This is similar to the songs that the Canadian band Lighthouse was producing at about the same time.
The Ides of March were from Berwyn, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago (which was also the home town of Buzz Clifford). Their first single, "You Wouldn't Listen", released in 1966, reached #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #21 nationally in Canada but didn't get airplay in Toronto. It was a much poppier sound than the work they produced later.
"Vehicle" was reportedly the fastest-selling single in the history of Warner Brothers Records at the time of its release, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and selling over one million copies. The band made it to the lower reaches of the charts four more times in 1970 and 1971 but didn't have another significant success.
The Ides of March went on hiatus in 1973. Lead singer and guitarist Jim Peterik became one of the co-founders of Survivor, who reached #1 in 1982 with "Eye of the Tiger". In 1990, the band reformed and returned to performing and touring; they last released an album in 2019.
Created February 6, 2026.