Later in this year, there'd be a punk act from Britain who had a minor hit which nonetheless has become a "classic rock" staple in our time. Less than a decade later, its bassist and main lead singer, having gone on to a solo career, would have a hit with a song that was almost "yacht-rock"ish - and could have been "mashed up" with "Love Will Find A Way." (It is obvious why I am holding off on more details.) How many thought, when they first heard this, that it was Phoebe Snow doing this? That's how similar Ms. Bridges' voice sounded . . .
Given that Mike Curb's imprint put this one out in conjunction with Warners' in the U.S. (the main inspiration for this, according to producer and co-writer Mike Chapman, was Barry White's last Top 10 pop hit from the prior year, "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me"), one would be forgiven a "WTF?" reaction, given his particular, ahem, reputation dating back to his days as MGM Records' president . . . But in Britain, it was Mickie Most (of Animals, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, and Lulu "To Sir With Love" fame) who had his fingers in this pie. Yes, boys and girls, this was put out in the UK on his RAK label, famous for the likes of Hot Chocolate, Suzi Quatro, Mud and Smokie. And Mr. Chapman (and his soon-to-be ex producing and writing partner, Nicky Chinn) had ties to Mr. Most. The U.S. vs. U.K. peak chart performances were of inverse proportion to those of the John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John (and cast) duet on "Summer Nights" from Grease which was also charting at this time. "KYAO" made #1 here for four weeks but could only reach #6 on the UK Singles Chart; by contrast, "SN" peaked at #1 in England (for seven weeks!) but would stall here at #5. Oh, and B.T.W., the B sides of each release were different - "Don't Do It" in the States, "There's Been A Change" in the UK. RAK, incidentally, had a very short-lived presence as a stand-alone label (distributed by CBS Records) in the U.S. from 1971 to 1973. Its "biggest" hit could only reach #58 here:
Also . . . here's the 45 edit of this: Which reminds me. When it was "current," pretty much it was the full version I heard on the radio.
Another few thoughts about the cinematic stinker that was Sgt. Pepper's . . . For a few months in the summer/fall of 1978, WYNY 97.1 in New York, still calling itself "Movin' Easy Y97," was "all Beatles, all the time," playing all their tracks from their time together. No doubt in tie-in to the film. (They began playing other records come later in the fall.) Also . . . there was a pic-sleeve version of The Beatles' original of that album, as well as vinyl colored accordingly for their "Red" and "Blue" albums. And while the Bee Gees may not have done their careers any favor by participating in this, it was Peter Frampton's career that was completely ruined by it. (His manager, Dee Anthony, co-produced the film with the 'Gees' mastermind Robert Stigwood.) What I'm In You didn't do, the Sgt. Pepper film did, and then some.
Ah yes, Jimmy Stokely. Would only be in the band another year after this, and died relatively young a few years later.
"I Wanna Kiss You Over" is a defining song for late seventies commercial pop-rock, soft and tender, yet with that guitar. Muscular, soulful vocals. It's cheesy, but how can you not like it? Classic pop.
Kiss You All Over was an absolute smash hit in my neck of the woods, and the girls (I was a high schooler at the time) especially liked it. It’s one of my all time favorites, and I love Michael Chapman produced music, and most songs written by Chapman/Chinn as well. This song is impeccably produced and off the album, sounds excellent. The album was also produced by Chapman and is really pretty good. The follow up album had a gem or two as well, but they never gained any traction as a pop group. A pretty obvious number one.
...I remember it not being played on WABC until a week or so AFTER it reached #1 national! (REMEMBER - It probably was played before, I guess, but I don't recall hearing it on Musicradio 77 Tim's then. I wasn't a manic follower of their chart/playlist. I did mention before how " Because The Night " got on WABC and even on their annual list, though, didn't I?)
...Can any Brits confirm that " Boogie Oogie Oogie " was issued on Albion EMI...on a revival of the Tower label, with the 60s type/design? Other U.S. R& B product, too.
Disco clowns??? Tell me how you really feel about the Bee Gees! I agree. It certainly was a surprise hit, wasn't it? Seems the band didn't know the song and had to learn it. Maurice White bought a copy of the Beatles' record and locked the principal EWF band members in a rented hotel suite until they hammered out an arrangement that was worthy of an EWF song. It worked. Paul McCartney may have thought he was creating an R&B song, but it took a real R&B band 12 years later to make it one. This song is gorgeous. My interpretation is much more sinister than what forum members said it actually was, but I like mine better. My interpretation is about an old sleazebag trying to groom and seduce an innocent 17-year old girl. This was all over the radio, especially here in Arizona because Stevie Nicks is one of our own. At the time, I heard it every stinking hour, but never hit me that it was Stevie Nicks. Kenny Loggins wasn't on my radar beyond a couple of Loggins & Messina hits from earlier in the decade. Another Fleetwood Mac associate. Great song! To me it was a snoozer. But, I actually like the sped-up single version. Gawd this song is awful! I always envision Chevy Chase singing it in the car to the annoyance of everyone else. I still cringe whenever I hear it. And, when he sings "Oooooooh she takes care of herself!" I always think of that old Geritol T.V. commercial. I love this funky little tune about the girl who gets around. It probably would have been a bigger single had everyone and their dog not have a copy of the album. Gawd I hate the term "yaht rock"! HOW MUCH I FEEL –•– Ambrosia Smooth sailing with these white soul brothers. Appropriation? Sure. But even Quincy Jones thought they were fantastic. Yup. These White guys really knew how to do blue-eyed soul! A lot of people thought they were Black! They had come a long way from "Holdin' On To Yesterday". I really didn't think that much of this song back then. It was nice, and radio ran it into the ground, but it just didn't impress me all that much. It's like with bands/singers like Ambrosia, Kenny Loggins, Player, Paul Davis, Pablo Cruise, and more upcoming songs and artists, you'd think they filled a void that actual R&B artists left in the late 70s. I hated this song back then, and i'm not too crazy about it now. I just don't like her country twang, as she was primarily a country singer. No. Just...no. Frankly, by this time in 1978, I was listening mostly to funk and soul music, more of which will be discussed on that thread. So, while I certainly heard this song, to me it was just another hard rock song I mostly ignored. But, I didn't ignore this song! I loved it from the first time I heard it. Killer powerful riff, hard-hitting drums, lyrics about a grown man pursuing a (probably) underage girl for sex, but she'll have to get away from you-know-who...what could be wrong? It's a perfect song. My local radio station, again, consisting of syndicated programming, aired the full album version. Here's another favorite that was too good to ignore. I can hear the disco in it now, but back then it was a cool-ass rock song with thumpin' bass and drums. And, one more I will add is" Prisoner (Love Theme From The Eyes Of Laura Mars) - Barbra Streisand Nope! She didn't go away after "You Don't Bring Me Flowers". The film was probably a flop, but this song was powerful, and one of her best singles.
And this was on Mike Curb's label??? The song was banned at a lot of radio stations because of the lyrics about cunnilingus. I like the way the singer sounds so insincere the way he sings "Love you, need you, babe." Yeah, all he wants to do is get in her pants! Anyway, I like it and heard it on the school bus every morning for about a month.
I'm indifferent to Kiss You All Over. I like the production and the sound of the record but the composition itself is just so-so. The arrangement and performance are what lifts this mediocre material to something respectable.
Boogie Oogie Oogie- One of the best disco songs out there. Kiss You All Over- This song is bad and it's shocking this stayed at #1 for multiple weeks. I would say this is the worst #1 of 1978 for sure. It certainly doesn't hold up today.
As I've said, EWF's reworking was to the Sgt. Pepper's film what Elton John's "Pinball Wizard" was to the Tommy film; Mr. John worked with his band and producer Gus Dudgeon to put his stamp on the Pete Townshend song which, in The Who's original hands, sounded like an incomplete rough draft by comparison. In both films, the respective numbers were considered the best thing about them. Thank G-d EWF didn't work with George Martin; he produced the carbon-copy cover of "Come Together" that Aerosmith did (not to mention most of the rest of the soundtrack).
If you read my long post, in the UK it was on ex-Animals, Herman's Hermits, Donovan etc., etc., producer Mickie Most's label which was known for the likes of Hot Chocolate (and with which producer Mike Chapman and his writing partner Nicky Chinn had connections). For his label, the content of a song like "Kiss You All Over" was more par for the course compared with Mike Curb. And Chapman admitted that Barry White's "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me" was the inspiration for this. Here is a page referring to the Exile chart performance in the UK vs. the USA. I am a contributor to many a thread on UK #1 chart singles. They are now on the 1980's and specifically 1984, so we're a long ways off from looking at anything from then.
Isn't that "Hot Blooded" that you're thinking of, not "Double Vision"? "Kiss You All Over" is another of the very few #1 singles from before 1990 or so that I don't recall ever hearing on the radio. I know Exile later became a big country band, but I don't think I've ever heard any of their hits from then either. Good for them for finding a second wind when the pop hits dried up, though.
My mind saw "Hot Blooded". I do like it more than "Double Vision" which is about a hockey player with a concussion. Lou Gramm was inspired by watching a hockey game on TV. You probably didn't hear it because it was considered too risque for radio.
