"Vehicle" was written by Jim Peterik and recorded by The Ides of March for their debut studio album of the same name (1970) and was released as the lead single. The arrangement includes a distinctive horn section riff, which caused some listeners to mistake the band for Blood, Sweat and Tears or Chicago 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. Despite this, the Ides of March never had another hit single, leaving them as one hit wonders. Peterik, however, was to go on to found the rock group Survivor, and become an extremely successful songwriter.
Peterik recalls, “At the time, I was madly in love with this girl named Karen. I had a souped-up 1964 Plymouth Valliant and she was always asking for rides. I drove her to modeling school every week. I was hoping flames would ignite — but they didn't. I came home one day, dejected, and thought: all I am is her vehicle. And I thought: Wow! Vehicle!” Just then the light bulb popped up on top of my head and I thought about all the guys like me who don’t mind being taken for a ride by a beautiful girl, and I started writing the song.”
Peterik’s first attempt at the opening lyric was, “I got a set of wheels pretty baby, won’t you hop inside my car?” But a lab partner in school sparked the idea for a new first line.
“He showed me this pamphlet that was circulating through the school. It had a little cartoon. It was an anti-drug pamphlet. This little cartoon of a friendly stranger and beware of this guy. I went home and said, ‘I got it. I’m the friendly stranger in the black sedan. Won’t you hop inside my car?’
Like many bands of the era, Peterik and the Ides of March were fans of Blood, Sweat & Tears, the seminal jazz rock group that featured a big brass section. Still in college, the group had a deal with Warner Bros. Records but met with little success. But when the explosive horn intro to “Vehicle” was written, they knew they had a hit.
“I knew that that was magic. The rhythm of the words, the whole thing, boom! Went to rehearsal that night, worked out the song. As soon as I heard that horn riff, I had goose bumps. I knew this is something really special.”
Various Sources