John B. Sebastian (album)

John B. Sebastian (album)

John B. Sebastian is the debut album by American singer/songwriter John Sebastian, previously best known as the co-founder and primary singer/songwriter of the 1960s folk-rock band the Lovin' Spoonful. The album, released in January 1970 (see 1970 in music), includes several songs that would become staples of Sebastian's live performances during the early and mid-1970s. Most notably, the album included "She's a Lady," Sebastian's first solo single (released in December 1968), and an alternate version of "I Had a Dream" which was used to open the soundtrack album of the 1970 documentary film Woodstock. John B. Sebastian also featured support performances by David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash several months before that trio agreed to work together as a performing unit.

The album's release was marred by legal controversy, with two record companies, Reprise and MGM, claiming ownership of the recording and simultaneously distributing the album (with different cover artwork as illustrated, but essentially identical content) for several months in 1970. Reprise, with whom Sebastian signed as a solo artist in 1969, ultimately sued MGM, Sebastian's former distributor, for copyright infringement to settle the dispute, with the MGM release of the album subsequently withdrawn from the market. John B. Sebastian would be the artist's most successful solo album, ultimately peaking at #20 on the U.S. Billboard pop albums chart.