Surprisingly, this never made the UK Singles Chart when this came out in late '71 / early '72 . . . . . . in contrast to its US chart performance: #8 in Billboard and Record World, and #5 in Cash Box; though released in the U.S. in January 1972, it was a waaaaaaaay slow burner, not reaching their peaks in such charts until the summer of that year. The first of the U.S. labels (periwinkle blue and Portland orange) is what I have o' this. You'd think the British record buying public would swoon over this, but . . .
As to . . . . . . their biggest U.S. hit never saw any UK chart action: In early 1974, this peaked at #5 in US Billboard and Cash Box, #8 in Record World, and #9 in Radio & Records.
Don't know if I got to this "at the time," but the major single from their duet album as put out in the States within this time period was this offering, "My Mistake (Was To Love You)": Also released as a single in the UK but did not chart, unlike the US where it peaked at #19 in Billboard, and #20 in both Cash Box and Record World.
Alas, turns out "Everybody Plays The Fool" didn't even make the UK Singles Chart, unlike in the States:
Turns out (and again, many issues of R&R are missing from the otherwise excellent World Radio History site), R&R's peak for this number was #5. Evidently there was a huge gap in their ish's. Had to find this out from another site.
P.S. Had there been a U.S. single release of "Try To Remember," it would have been on Audio Fidelity. His old 1972 DJM album was reissued in the States on Audio Fidelity to cash in on his "success" in the music field: I also bring up the Canadian label . . .
Now to compare 28 August 1976's chart amongst the three UK charts, and one of the US . . . . . . here's the US for the very same week: Week Ending 28 August 1976 09 - 01 - 01 - Elton John And Kiki Dee - DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART* 09 - 02 - 02 - Bee Gees - YOU SHOULD BE DANCING* 09 - 03 - 03 - Wings - LET 'EM IN* 13 - 04 - 04 - Lou Rawls - YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE* 12 - 05 - 05 - England Dan And John Ford Coley - I'D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU TONIGHT* 08 - 06 - 06 - K C And The Sunshine Band - (SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY* 11 - 12 - 07 - Wild Cherry - PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC* 14 - 13 - 08 - Walter Murphy And The Big Apple Band - A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN* 20 - 09 - 09 - Seals And Crofts (Featuring Carolyn Willis) - GET CLOSER** 12 - 11 - 10 - George Benson - THIS MASQUERADE* 20 - 08 - 11 - Manhattans - KISS AND SAY GOODBYE* 10 - 14 - 12 - Peter Frampton - BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY* 08 - 21 - 13 - War - SUMMER** 09 - 16 - 14 - Fleetwood Mac - SAY YOU LOVE ME* 20 - 15 - 15 - Gary Wright - LOVE IS ALIVE** 09 - 22 - 16 - Boz Scaggs - LOWDOWN* 13 - 19 - 17 - Tavares - HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL (PART 1)* 13 - 07 - 18 - The Beach Boys - ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC* 06 - 25 - 19 - Jefferson Starship - WITH YOUR LOVE** 09 - 30 - 20 - Cliff Richard - DEVIL WOMAN* 11 - 24 - 21 - Dr. Hook - A LITTLE BIT MORE* 05 - 27 - 22 - Orleans - STILL THE ONE** 10 - 26 - 23 - Ohio Players - WHO'D SHE COO* 03 - 28 - 24 - Chicago - IF YOU LEAVE ME NOW* 11 - 29 - 25 - Silver - WHAM BAM** 21 - 10 - 26 - Vicki Sue Robinson - TURN THE BEAT AROUND** 06 - 33 - 27 - Daryl Hall And John Oates - SHE'S GONE* 09 - 31 - 28 - James Taylor - SHOWER THE PEOPLE‡ 07 - 32 - 29 - Earth, Wind And Fire - GETAWAY** 17 - 17 - 30 - Starland Vocal Band - AFTERNOON DELIGHT*
In the U.S., another Rock Follies co-star, Rula Lenska, is best-known - if at all - for a series of commercials for Alberto VO5 in the late 1970's that made her a running punchline:
Listening to the 6/8 intro and chord structure, I have to wonder if John Deacon was inspired by this to pen "You're My Best Friend" which was one of Queen's 1976 hits . . .
Actually, Ms. Mitchell wrote it after receiving word from Mr. Nash who - with Messrs. Crosby, Stills and Young - was actually at Woodstock, about what went down there. Hence she was more like a reporter in the newsroom receiving dispatches and working with them.
I have other info on "So Much In Love's" chart performance: It also finished at #21 in Melody Maker; and did somewhat better on the NME (#17) and Disc (#20) charts. Whichever way you slice it, much higher in the UK than "Ms. Grace" was in the U.S.
"Action" did see varying action in the States the next year (1976): #10 Cash Box, #18 Record World, #19 Radio & Records, and #20 Billboard. As this preceded by some months the release of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," the hard rock section of same was termed "a blatant ripoff" of this Sweet song by lead singer Brian Connolly.
And here is what this entry may have looked like had the U.S. release charted in Billboard's Hot 100: Even down to the erroneous producer's credit.
However, I have since discovered that US United Artists, around this time, did issue "Lullaby Of Broadway" as a single, in 1974. Only as a promo-only - get this - 78!!! The evidence below: (The flip, however, was "We're In The Money.")
A few tidbits about this that have come to light in the thread Every RPM Canadian Content #1 single discussion thread 1964-2000: - J.J. Barrie's birth name was Barry Authors, and he was a native of Canada. - He once managed Blue Mink (a frequent fixture of the UK charts in the early '70's) and Ocean (the latter of which scored in 1971 with "Put Your Hand In The Hand"). - He was married to Christine Holmes, a.k.a. Christine Hodgson, a.k.a. Kristine Authors, a.k.a. Kristine Sparkle, a.k.a. just plain ol' Kristine. This may well explain the "Chappell/Robinson/Sparkle" production entity credit. - He co-wrote, with "Devil Woman" co-writer Terry Britten, the song "Where's The Reason" which was recorded by Glen Campbell. - The female vocal heard on "No Charge" was Vicki Brown, an ex-Vernons Girl and Breakaway who was married to Joe Brown of 1962 "A Picture Of You" fame. - This version of "No Charge" was first issued in Canada in the wake of a version by a Canadian radio talk show host, John Gilbert. Besides Melba Montgomery's 1974 #1 U.S. C&W hit version, Shirley Caesar covered it in 1975 (#91 Billboard, #97 Cash Box), and a Canadian performer, Tommy Hunter, routinely performed it on his CBC show. - Had Buddah done their homework, they would have lopped the 'd' off of Harlan Howard's first name, and given proper publishing credit to Wilderness Music Pub. Co. (BMI).
I might as well wrap up the last dozen or so weeks, eight months after my break: Skids: sort of shouty '70s rock / punk / proto-Big Country (it is Stuart Adamson after all), without the polish of the latter at their best Edwin: slick and danceable but ultimately forgettable funk / R & B Liner: smooth, rather enjoyable pop or maybe soul-ish effort that might make a good soundtrack to your next session with your significant other, should Je T'aime be unavailable Scorps: (i) surprisingly rhythmic (and therefore at least borderline attractive) track that doesn't sound particularly "heavy" really, (ii) faster and harder, uh, maybe I should rephrase that ... anyway, combined, they ain't bad, and will definitely appeal to those who would skip Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour on the Bedpost Overnight in favour of Does Your Chewing Gum Get Stuck to Your Girlfriend's Boob in the Back of a Cab Gerry: mid-paced and reasonably pleasant, but the lines never really seem to resolve. If it got dressed up a little, it might even pass for an outtake from Hayward and Lodge's Blue Jays LP Fischer-Z: decent early-onset synth-pop with high-pitched vocals and a rhythm lifted from reggae. No chorus to speak of, the song is in the verses Voyager: piano-based, mid-paced pop / rock that definitely sounds '70s but has some ghostly backing vocals in the chorus that remind more of '60s styles C & D: I suppose it rollicks a bit but I gather it's a novelty of sorts and it does indeed sound like a mishmash of several of the worst '70s rock clichés Linda: covers Elvis Costello (who hasn't been around for long at this point), in her usual style featuring competent vocals but an overall sound of blah Melba: this is alright, lively and focused, even if disco is hanging on for dear life by now Heatwave: funky R & B, I have little affinity for it but it did seem to improve as it went along, and I can't knock the rhythm Tata: we all try to do what the title suggests, but this funk / R & B A-side whose vocals sometimes border on screechy unfortunately won't be my soundtrack in the attempt. The B-side has more pop smarts and an insistent beat, and is the more enjoyable effort Sledge: middling disco that nonetheless managed to become a monster hit, and propelled the Pittsburgh Pirates to the '79 World Series title (although that was their last one to date, so there) Anita: how on earth did this get to #1? It's generic quasi-funk with annoying descending whoops and annoying tinkly bells that may or may not be in tune. Even her vocal timbre is annoying Quantum: I'm not one of those hair-trigger people who get riled up at the slightest hint of derogatoriness against various groups, but this even makes me cringe. For some reason it reminds me of Stump, who didn't show up until about eight years later (and who I'm not really a fan of, with one exception). Awful Eddy: reggae beat, organ, a low sound that's probably supposed to mimic a bass sax, and a real alto sax on top of that. Alright, nothing more Squeeze: decent (though a bit musically repetitive) pop effort with lyrics that tell a (somewhat rudimentary) story, and appear to mark their creator as a master of the near-rhyme Gary: disco-pop with an extended instrumental mid-section, that's hard to either love or hate Linda: pop tune with good melody and dramatic production flourishes, that works surprisingly well Kenny: ballad with piano base and not a few strings, quite pleasant overall but gives the impression of missing something important, and Kenny's voice doesn't fit the song and arrangement well in my opinion Patti: they couldn't possibly be trying to make Because the Night, part deux, could they? Since it's good enough to stand on its own merits and since every act for the past bazillion years has been doing the same, we'll give them a pass. Hey, didn't New Order cover this? Or do something that reminds of it a whole bunch? Sutherland: another piano-based ballad with strings, but one that doesn't seem to be trying too hard, unlike Kenny above. Oh, sax break too Kevin: pleasant and lively pop effort from an unexpected source, namely the, uh, football star. Co-written and co-produced by Chris Norman of the band Smokie Nick: "new wave" pop, a couple of rungs below later and fuller pop efforts like Rollers Show but perhaps at least hinting in that direction Janet: closest thing to true reggae this time round, rather subdued, with a voice that reminds of some of Motown's higher-pitched male vocalists. In all, a pleasant effort Tourists: going for the '60s jangly style, and coming up with a lively pop tune. This is the only track here I've previously heard, apart from We are Family, and I heard it a very long time ago, on the radio, and liked it enough to have picked up the LP (probably out of a delete bin) no later than the '80s, and at least one other Tourists LPs besides. I think that makes up the entirety of my Annie Lennox collection though ATF: insistent keyboard-based track, another pleasant listen Erotic: disco / funk, hard to see anything that stands out, although the echoey late-night sheen is fairly attractive Lurkers: musically and melodically challenged punky pop, although I admit I've heard worse. The speed-up at the end of the A-side seems gratuitous. On the B-side, the band demonstrates their new f/x pedal Skyhooks: energetic, rhythmic and sufficiently loud glam-punk from an Aussie band that apparently, if memory serves, were notorious back in their '70s heyday Geils: decent effort from the long-time rockers, that leans to the pop side, guitar solo notwithstanding Single of the Week: 1. Linda Lewis, I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You, 2. Patti Smith, Frederick, 3. Tourists, Blind Among the Flowers, followed in some order by Liner, Kevin Keegan, and ... maybe another one or two
Village: hard not to like it at least a bit, with its percolating rhythm, chanty vocals, Broadway-musical-style arrangement and general similarity to their previous top-selling efforts. Not as funny as the Marx Brothers' movie of the same name, but you can't have everything Amii: the soporific-soul intro quickly morphed into a much more uptempo version, but it's still probably not exactly the way the Doors would have envisioned it. Jose Feliciano either. Listening to the 45 version, it's unclear which part of the recording consists of 137 Disco Heaven. A quick trawl through the eight-minute extended version leaves the listener with the same bewilderment. If you can dance to it, fine; I don't think I could Carrie: the lyrics would make most bubblegum songs sound profound, and the guitar line underlying it sounds like it was lifted from CCR, or maybe the Hollies' Long Cool Woman. It's more or less vapid disco, of the sort that, while I can't bring myself to really hate it, I doubt either that I could bring myself to listen to it again Slick: a plague of extended disco mixes this week, which makes me yearn for the days when plagues were limited to boils, locusts and lighthouse keepers. Given its kinda moody minor-chord background sheen, I have to call it my favourite of the three thus far, but please don't consider that a ringing endorsement Ruts: the first comment on the YouTube post noted that some call this the greatest song the Clash never wrote, so that probably sums up the general idea better than I can. But then, I'm not the biggest Clash fan out there, although they have a couple of wonderful moments. I can tolerate this punky song here, but not get excited over it Dooleys: this is what Abba might have sounded like had they veered more towards full-on disco, while maintaining their pop smarts. A pretty good effort Gang: intriguing title, but abrasive and angular and with arty lyrics that don't carry the message like they probably think they're delivering Patrick: aaand it's back to the disco, which is almost a welcome relief, despite an attendant jump from intriguing to no-sh**-Sherlock moronic in the titles department. The smooth, maybe a bit whooshy backing prevents it from being a dud; yeah, I've definitely heard much worse Match: see my first comment five songs back. Probably at least on a par with Slick up there, with moody background and decent sax breaks besides. At least slightly above-average disco, which should not be construed as a ringing musical endorsement either ... Ruby: the half-minute intro sounds very lullabyish, in keeping with the song's title. But overall it's about the mellowest of soft-soul love songs, incorporating an organ sound not dissimilar from Elton John's Daniel, and quite nice really. Under three minutes is a bonus Jonathan: a sprightly discofied-pop effort from -- you guessed it -- the guy who gave us the immortal Everyone's Gone to the Moon, for which he deserves the dignity of listening to the extended version, and I'm loath to tell him to sod off, especially when he frankly has given us better opportunities already. I spent half the time trying to determine whether there was a banjo in there; verdict: no, although that matches the do-I-like-this-much verdict Third: see my first comment eight songs back. Unfortunately not a Southside Johnny cover, but it's a reasonably creative effort that features plenty of rhythm and both guitar and piano solo virtuosity. I believe I said in my last round of reviews that disco was on its last legs; apparently I was mistaken, although this one might fit more readily into a dance-soul-pop category. Bring on the lighthouse keepers Wings: in which cousin Paul releases a so-so guitar-rock single whose riffs remind of nothing more than My Sharona by the Knack, which by bizarre coincidence was released in exactly the same month, thus making the question of Which Came First? one of Einsteinian complexity Lizzy: lively and enjoyable track that, while it's not dissimilar to The Boys are Back in Town, stands on its own merits. I do like the band's lead guitar tone, probably realizing that a few decades later than I should have Beach: after the nice Bach intro (think Joy by Apollo 100), it settles into a pretty pop song with harpsichord, general backing sound lifted from Sloop John B (that's not bad), the band's usual terrific harmonies, and plenty of strings besides Rickie: heard the title long ago but never heard the song before. It's a kind of jazz-influenced pop (does Joni Mitchell do this kind of thing?), maybe somewhat bluesy too, that will appeal to some folks for sure, but not me so much. I'd like to make a cheese joke but no way does it deserve that Subs: energetic nicely-done punk track with good rhythm and some guitar licks too. The countdown intro, unusually, goes all the way up to six -- jeez, they take it from seven to twelve in the bridge! Graham: another lively pop track, harmonies included, very reminiscent of 10cc not surprisingly. I just can't think of a reason to write about the subject, which might be the most mundane ever put to paper Korgis: very attractive pop tune with backing harmonies and organ drone, rising guitar licks, and a '79 version of the Wall of Sound on top of everything else. Ooooooh Sniff: kinda moody, atmospheric track that's good for driving, but doesn't really have a whole lot to sustain interest. I've heard this before; I recognize those Popsicles and Icicles keyboard flourishes Steel: reggae. I'm no connoisseur of the genre but it's a pleasant listen ED & JFC: soft-rock, like Bread with keyboards and a few strings in the background. Their names sound like they came directly from the old American West, like they hung out with Wyatt Earp or Wild Bill Hickok or someone; their music is anything but 3 Deg.: we wrap up with another disco effort, this one mid-paced, quite punchy, nicely arranged with horns and stuff, another minor-key base, that's at heart quite a decent pop tune and worth a listen or three Single of the Week: 1. Korgis, If I Had You, 2. Beach Boys, Lady Lynda, 3. Thin Lizzy, Do Anything You Want To, followed by Three Degrees, the UK Subs and the Dooleys (play those back-to-back-to-back if you really want to befuddle people)
Pistols: I thought it sounded a bit '50s, so (being a suspicious sort) I checked it out and discovered it to be an Eddie Cochran song, and one that I've heard for that matter. It's alright I suppose, but I'm pretty much always going for the original Bonnie: notwithstanding the uninteresting lyrics about infidelity, there's an attractive song hidden here under the disco arrangement, and I genuinely hope that one day it manages to find its way out Knack: decent and very well-known guitar-rock track that I made reference to the other day, in light of a Macca track with an uncanny resemblance in certain aspects. I know I've written a few songs about women I was attracted to over the years, and maybe I should dig them out, get them recorded and make a mint. Sounds like a plan; meanwhile, I'll just sit and look at the photo of Sharona on the YouTube video screen while the song plays Supertramp: pleasant but ultimately inconsequential song that still takes up space on FM radio (i.e., Q-107) that could have been filled with any of their couple of dozen better efforts. I strongly suspect it would have been all but forgotten had it not been for the line, "Not much of a girlfriend, I never seem to get a lot". Buddy, did you ever think of maybe finding a new girlfriend? Chic: competent and well-known disco-dance track (extended, natch) that I've likely heard before, a couple of times (no, I'm not being sarcastic). Not really my style of music, but definitely passable. It seems every funky-dance-music producer eventually comes up with something I can get into, and in Nile Rodgers' case it was Skin Trade by Duran Duran several years later Dave: melodic guitar-pop / rock in a '50s / '60s vein. That's what he does best, and he does it well here too Gen X: another punky song that incorporates some '50s influences, and imperceptibly ramps up the intensity towards the end. The lyrics about the "scene" (and probably its female denizens) are not particularly profound but at least they feature decent imagery John: the overall atmosphere reminds of of the Doors' Riders on the Storm (it's that organ!), a bit faster and more rhythmic but minus all the spookiness that made it stand out. Heard worse Mötorhead: thinking of a song with a different definition of the word "class", this struck me as sub-Alice Cooper thrash. I've heard worse here too, although the size of the category is a bit smaller than the previous one Olivia: a decent but sorta generic, maybe slightly country-influenced pop tune that would probably have benefited from being written and recorded 1o-15 years earlier, but unfortunately it wasn't UK: 4-minute kinda proggy single, sounds not so far off Asia, a band which also included guitarist John Wetton. I've had the LP since it came out, but it was a different song on it that caught my attention Kiss: guitar rock track with decent rhythm and some sound effects from fooling around in the studio PIL: in which the hair-spiking, bile-spewing, grandma-puking bad boy goes all Halloween while taking a shot at the current music scene, with his fairly new and amusingly-named band, which still makes me chuckle four decades later. The band name, I mean, not the song, which is abrasive and noisy, and I'd probably rather listen to the Sex Pistols, the real ones, not the faux version up above Donna: danceable track, unfortunately rather repetitive (which I suppose isn't the drawback for a dance track it might be for other genres). I don't really find any standout characteristics except those annoying whistles, which always detract from any song they're included in Manfred: sprightly, probably prog-bordering track with a catchy chorus and title riff, from one of a bunch of decent consecutive LPs the band made in the late '70s and early '80s, Angel Station. Interestingly, it was written by Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band Siouxsie: I'm not all that familiar with the band, especially their earlier material, but when they get going they really crank it up, and this is a pretty good example. I have Twice Upon a Time, and I'd consider getting Once as well if everything rose to this level -- not extremely high, but high enough Art: cover of the Skyliners' '59 classic. It's a snoozer off the top, but eventually develops a nice little mellow nightclubby atmosphere Teena: funky danceable track; I listened to the short (three-minute) version. Not my style of music, but I dare say it does what it sets out to do well enough Robert: quick but rather generic dance-oriented track; at least it has a hook. Last time I had cause to sneak Sally through the alley, I got a bad case of something later too Jackie: another dance-funk track, one of the busier ones. I should get a rubber stamp that says, "Not my style of music, but ..." (with caveat to follow on an individual basis). It would be quicker than typing it out every time Sylvester: much less busy than the previous, which, if it were Light My Fire, this would be 96 Tears. Decent, nothing much more Abba: (i) nice little pop track that gives the impression of musically being under tight control, with not a hair allowed to slip out of place; (ii) the one that doesn't end "coucher avec moi", it's more disco-funky than the A-side, and often gives vibes of getting something good going, but never really does Chantal: another funky-dance track that goes by in a flash without really making an impression Stone McG: another slight pop tune with decent harmonies, that also goes by in a flash, etc. Judie: I thought this would be a complete snoozer until the strings showed up to give it some emotional impact, followed later by a nice acoustic guitar solo near the end. Also in the song's favour, once it gets going, is a nice deep background musical wash Pretenders: moderately quick, moody as hell, cool twangy electric guitars and some nice acoustic strums too, Chrissie's always superlative vocals, and a gorgeous key change in the bridge before another delicious guitar run. Mmmmm, bloody wonderful, Top 10 of the decade for me!! Queen: live version of the A Night at the Opera ballad. I found later live versions but not this one, but the song is well-known enough that doesn't matter much Vlad: pleasant enough orchestral TV series theme, sort of like a spread-out Love is Blue but with Zamfir on pan pipes Doobies: a change of direction, into light dance-funk? Do we really need this? Light: quick-paced dance-funk with an annoying repeated chant of "don't stop, keep on". Frankly it would have been better had the song done the opposite of both Billy: a decent, soulful track decrying the apparent dissolution of the family as a societal unit, brought to you by the man best known for Me and Mrs. Jones a few years earlier Boomtown: well-known track written about a tragic incident where a 16-year-old girl opened fire on the schoolyard across the street from her house, killing the principal and a janitor, thankfully no children. Her explanation provided the title of this song. Piano-heavy, perhaps more reminiscent of Elton John's Ticking than of anything else. Lots of strings too Bowie: middlingly enjoyable pop? rock? track from the musical chameleon of the '70s and beyond. Title preceded here by "I am a" rather than "hang the" Cliff: speaking of chameleons, a decent mid-paced, keyboard-heavy track with a semi-propulsive rhythm, that was more enjoyable than I had expected (although I actually I think I've heard it before) Darts: nice cover of the early-'60s Gene Chandler hit that thumps along more than the original. I might even add it to the very short list of '60s covers that surpass the original (I was never much of a fan of it in this case). Not until near the midpoint, when you hear those kinda scraped, descending guitar lines, is there evidence of its production by Roy Wood. Well, the sax soloing might be a tip-off too Sparks: jittery, pre-Stock / Aitken / Waterman effort from the brothers who have always been notable for doing what they wanted, looking however they wanted, not giving two F's what anybody thought about it, and picked up a decent cult-ish following Real: dance-funk, where the whistles come right out at the beginning, which is a very bad omen. The whoops and the rising vocal motifs don't improve matters; the rhythm does percolate a bit, if you like that sort of thing. But I don't care for it, and it's been a real big drop since their near-sublime #1 hit three years earlier Telex: Bill Haley covered by robots, or "random computers" (to use the Stones' phrase). Blecch. Is there a point? Let me know if you find one Gibsons: breezy dance-funk track with gravelly vocals, a mostly minor-key base that makes it at least veer into listenable territory, and not enough intrusive elements to distract from the cause of trying to enjoy it a little Spyro: rather subdued, perhaps jazzy instrumental driven by steel drums and soprano sax Undertones: high on energy, low on melody, a chanty chorus, a little guitar solo, some people like this band a lot Diana: moderately quick danceable soul, lively horns, borderline breezy because of the strings too Billie: one of the more unusual "country" songs, a cover of the well-known Gloria Gaynor hit with plenty of piano (especially the intro), a keyboard wash in the background, strings, and guitar lines that don't really sound country at all. A decent effort, like the original Buzzcocks: thrashy punk pop whose vocalist could use some lessons, at least a couple of production skills are evident, the verses are repetitive (although with decently written lyrics), the choruses don't have any lyrics outside the song's title but they have a nice sheen to them, ironically thanks to "harmony" vocals, and finally the song wraps up very nicely, think along the lines of the Hollies' Look Through Any Window ELO: I've been known to argue that it's impossible, or (sometimes) just very difficult, to over-produce a song. I was wrong. The next time I do it, will you please remind me about this one? It's like a dog threw up his breakfast into the kitchen sink. I think there's actually a decent song under there somewhere, but it's bogged down with too much baggage to surface. Those little vocal lines at 0:46, 0:54, 1:53, 2:01, 3:00, and 3:08 reminded me of something, and (as usual) I came up with it when the song was over: The Joker Went Wild by Brian Hyland. Is this well-known? I'd be surprised if it hadn't been noticed before Dickies: punky Black Sabbath cover. Is it really that much different from the original? Single of the Week: Pretenders, Kid, without a doubt. After that, the Boomtown Rats, I Don't Like Mondays, and Abba, Angeleyes, for place and show
It's impossible to unhear a song you heard as a teenager and that has appeared on nearly every New Wave / Punk compilation, so not sure how I would feel hearing Babylon's Burning 42 years late! @Andy Smith, what do you reckon? Thin Lizzy - yep, twin Les Pauls through Marshall stacks can work! I never tire of hearing Jesu Joy Of Man's Desiring, even at the start of a Beach Boys ditty! @John54, give the Rickie Lee Jones debut album a listen!!! I am pleased that I'm not alone in my appreciation of The Korgi's If I Had You.
