Vehicle 12/19/19

In 1970, Jim Peterik was in love with a girl named Karen. She was always asking him for rides to modeling school, but never showed him an ounce of romantic interest. In a moment of clarity, Jim realized that he was "just her vehicle" and dejected, sat down and wrote a song.

Jim just happened to be the lead singer for a band called The Ides of March, so he gathered the group together and recorded one of the "Great Songs of the '70s."

It sounded like a cross between "Blood, Sweat and Tears" and "Chicago," and it went to #2 in the U.S. and #5 in Canada.

Unfortunately, The Ides of March were a one-hit wonder. But Jim? No worries. He wrote dozens of other songs for everyone from The Doobie Brothers to Cheap Trick to the Beach Boys. And in 1983, with his later group, Survivor, he wrote and sang a little tune called "Eye of the Tiger." Oh, and in case you're wondering, Karen eventually took notice and married him!