My Seventies Music

Tag: Lead Singer

  • Middle Of The Road – “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep”, “Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum”, “Soley Soley” And “Samson and Delilah”

    It was the age of miniskirts and hot pants when Scottish band Middle Of The Road with lead singer Sally Carr had a string of pop hits in 1971 and 1972, including “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep”, “Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum”, “Soley Soley” and “Samson and Delilah”.

    For some reason the lines

    “Last night I heard my mama singing a song
    Woke up this morning and my mama was gone”

    came to mind, and the music was in my head.

    I then discovered a few other songs I remember from the time were also by Middle Of The Road, so here they are…

    “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep” was a number one hit in the UK in 1971, here it is on Top Of The Pops:

    Later that year, “Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum” reached number 2 in the UK:

    Also in 1971, “Soley Soley” made it to No. 5 in the UK:

    In 1972 “Samson and Delilah” only got to No. 26 in the UK, but it was No. 2 in Germany and No. 1 in the Netherlands:

    Watching these old clips, there’s a lot to be said for hot pants and miniskirts…

    Paul

  • The Commodores – “Three Times A Lady”, “Easy” And “Nightshift”

    Cover of "Easy" by The Commodores (1977)

    In 1978 The Commodores had their first Number One hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the Lionel Richie love song “Three Times A Lady”.

    It turned out to be the only Motown track to reach the Top Ten in 1978 and was also one of very few Motown songs to go to Number 1 in the UK.

    “Three Times A Lady” is one of those songs that sticks in your mind – I guess it must be, or I wouldn’t have thought of it today, 32 years after it originally charted…

    The previous year, 1977, The Commodores had had another soft hit with “Easy”, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

    The Commodores originally had a more funky sound, but had gradually moved towards softer numbers, and had another major hit in 1985 with the Jackie Wilson/Marvin Gaye tribute “Nightshift”, their first with original lead singer Walter “Clyde” Orange after Lionel Richie had left to pursue a solo career.

    It peaked at No. 3 in both the USA and the UK.

    “Three Times A Lady”:

    “Easy”:

    “Nightshift”:

    Definitely easy listening for the nightshift.

    Paul

  • The Knack – “My Sharona” And “Good Girls Don’t”

    "My Sharona" by The Knack (1979)

    One song I remember from 1979 was “My Sharona” by The Knack.

    It was apparently the biggest hit of the year and spent six consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart as well as five weeks at No. 1 in Australia.

    The followup single “Good Girls Don’t”, from the same album “Get The Knack”, peaked at No. 11. The album itself went to No. 1.

    Here’s “My Sharona”:

    This is the “cleaned up” version of “Good Girls Don’t”:

    And here is “Good Girls Don’t” in the the original, “unexpurgated” version:

    I nearly fell off my chair when I heard this version the first time. (Especially on New Zealand radio, I was surprised it wasn’t censored.)

    Incidentally, while preparing this I read that lead singer Doug Fieger passed away just three months ago, on February 14, 2010. Drummer Bruce Gary, who had not participated in more recent reunions, died in 2006. Both were in their mid Fifties.

    Hard to believe when you watch the lively videos, and all the more reason to be thankful that we can.

    Paul

  • Pickettywitch – “Same Old Feeling”

    In 1970 English band Pickettywitch, with female lead singer Polly Brown (sometimes billed as Polly Browne) had a hit single with “Same Old Feeling”.

    It reached Number Five on the UK singles chart that year, and No. 67 in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1970.

    Pickettywitch only actually existed, with several lineup changes, from 1969 to 1973.

    I’m not surprised “Same Old Feeling” did so well, even if it didn’t make it to the very top of the charts.

    It has a very memorable tune, and I can still remember at least some of the words…

    “I still get the same old feeling, Tearing my heart inside out, Telling me without a doubt, I’m still not over you, I still get the same old yearning…”, that’s about as far as I go. 🙂

    Anyway, see for yourself, or rather listen, here is “Same Old Feeling”:

    OK, so I went back and checked… turns out I kind of remembered the words. Just got them a bit mixed up.

    This is what she really sings:

    “But I still get that same old feeling, Tearing at this heart of mine, Telling me that baby I’m, Not really over you, I still get that same old yearning, Tearing my heart inside out, Oh but now there can’t be any doubt, I’m still not over you.”

    Oh well. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. But it’s all over now, baby blue…

    Paul

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