In 1968 DiVito was replaced by Bernie LaPorta and Lenny Conforti also joined to play drums in the touring band.

Both LaPorta and Conforti took a hiatus from the northern New Jersey band, the Emerald Experience, to play and tour with the Happenings.

That lineup performed mostly at colleges and universities until 1970, when Libert left the band to manage other groups, including George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Living Colour, Brian Auger, Vanilla Fudge, the Runaways (Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford), Mother's Finest, Alice Cooper and Evelyn "Champagne" King.

[5] That "spin" consisted of a combination of rich harmonies on vocals and upbeat tempos marked by prominent percussion and sometimes elaborate orchestration.

"I Got Rhythm" and Billy Stewart's "Summertime" also formed Gershwin musical bookends for the same school year, based on the very same Hot 100 peak dates.