"Vehicle" is a song recorded by American rock band the Ides of March for their debut album Vehicle (1970). The song was released as the lead single from the album in March 1970 through Warner Bros. Records. Written by vocalist and frontman Jim Peterik, it is about a girl that often used him for her mode of transportation, leading Peterik to surmise that he was little more than her "vehicle". The arrangement includes a distinctive horn section riff, and Peterik's vocals were similar to David Clayton-Thomas, both of which caused some listeners to mistake the band for Blood, Sweat & Tears, who were also popular in that era.
"Vehicle" was a commercial success, and was purported to be the fastest-selling single in the history of Warner Bros. at that time. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, while reaching number 3 in Canada, and just outside the top 30 in the United Kingdom. Despite this, the Ides of March never had another hit single, leaving them one-hit wonders, despite having 5 songs in the US Top 100 and 4 in Canada. Peterik, however, was to go on to found the rock group Survivor, and become a successful songwriter.
The song was used in an early 1980s Schweppes campaign in the UK featuring comedian Roy Jay and a 1998 commercial for the Ford Cougar.
Background Peterik wrote "Vehicle" as a tongue-in-cheek joke, having been initially inspired by anti-drug pamphlets passed out to high-schoolers. He expanded on the song's genesis in a piece for The Wall Street Journal:
Peterik had an on-again/off-again relationship with the woman after the song came out, and they eventually wed.
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.
Chart performance It rose to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of May 23, 1970, behind "American Woman" by the Guess Who. It was considered to be the fastest-selling single in Warner Bros. Records history at that time.
Chart history
Weekly charts Chart (1970)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)73UK (OCC)31US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - 2US Cash Box Top 1006US Record World Top 1003
Year-end charts Chart (1970)RankCanada55US Billboard Hot 100 (1970)85US Cash Box47
See also List of one-hit wonders in the United States
References
External links Songfacts