Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway--Where Is The Love (1972)

     We see examples in music of duos who do much better together than separately. Although Roberta Flack maintained a strong career on the charts through the 70's and part of the 80's, Donny Hathaway's success always seemed to be linked to his female duet partner.
     Hathaway received an scholarship to Howard University and went there three years before quitting to pursue his professional avenues. He first worked behind the scenes as a songwriter, producer and session pianist for a number of stars such as Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, and Jerry Butler. He also sang in "The Mayfield Singers" who would back The Impressions. Soon, he became the house producer for Mayfield's Custom record label.
     Atco Records was interested in Hathaway as a solo performer and signed him to their label in 1969, but the first few efforts didn't go far. However, his first album in 1970, "Everything is Everything" has become somewhat of a soul classic.
     I've read in some materials on the internet that it was during their time at Howard University that Flack and Hathaway were friends and this led to them working on music together. It sounds good, but that's not true since Flack was offered a scholarship at the age of 15 (one of the youngest to ever enter the university) in 1952 and graduated at the age of 19 when Hathaway was 11.
     The real story is that Flack included one of Donny's compositions on her "First Take" album in 1969 ("Our Ages or Our Hearts"). The next album not only included "Gone Away" written by Hathaway and Curtis Mayfield, but he was the arranger on the disc as well. It was Jerry Wexler who suggested an album of duets.
     The result was the album, "Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway" in 1971 which gave them a minor hit with the James Taylor song, "You've Got A Friend". In fact, both the duo's and Taylor's version came out on the same day, and while JT's version went to number one, it certainly gave both much needed exposure.
     This was especially true of Flack who just a short time later hit number one with, "The First Time Every I Saw Your Face",  a song from the Clint Eastwood movie, "Play Misty For Me". In the summer of 1972, Atlantic chose to take the song, "Where Is The Love" off of the duet album which became a top five hit, and won the pair a Grammy as well. The next solo outing for Roberta was, "Killing Me Softly With His Song" which became another number one hit and propelled her into superstardom.
     Hathaway however continued having problem making it big as a solo artist. His problems with mental illness also became a problem, not only in his personal life, but in his relationship with Flack. He had been diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and as long has he was taking his medication he was fine. His wife later admitted that he was not always diligent in this respect and it eventually effected all of his relationships.
     Although Donny had a few top 20 hits on the R&B charts, he was never able to translate this into overall success. He did some television work, including recording the theme song to "Maude" and produced some as well, but much of the mid-70's was spent working in small clubs and having several bouts in the hospital for his emotional issues. Later in the decade he reconciled with Flack and the two went back into the studio to record what would be another huge hit, "The Closer I Get To You" in 1978. The pair were making plans to release another duet album when Hathaway was found dead in January of 1979 after falling from his 15th story apartment. There were no signs of struggle and the sliding door was neatly moved, which led investigators to rule it a suicide. He was 33. 

  
     

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Freddie Hart--Easy Loving (1971)

      Every time I post a country song on here, the same type of emails come in, "This ain't rock and roll". Well no kidding. At the same time, no matter what era that it had been recorded, if it makes it on to the top 20 on the pop charts, then it has something going for it. In 1971 Freddie Hart had a huge hit with "Easy Loving" which just goes to show that a good song is a good song no matter what genre it comes from.
     Hart was born in rural Alabama and had just a minimal education. He had quit school before he was a teenager to go work, and a few years later lied about his age at the outset of World War II to get into the military. He saw action in Iwo Jima and Guam. On his release, he settled in California where he taught self defense courses at the LA Police Academy. He also began to perform and write which led to a recording contract in 1953 with Capitol Records. This never led to much, but ended up getting his first big break when Carl Smith covered his song, "Loose Talk" in 1955. He continued to write for artists such as Patsy Cline and George Jones. His switch to Columbia Records in the late 50's began to bear some fruit with the song, "The Walk" in 1959.
     The 60's found him having middling success, especially in the latter part of that decade. It was his return to Capitol in 1969 that marked the beginning of his most fruitful period. He had become a part of what was known as the "Bakersville Sound" which had been made so popular with Buck Owens. "Easy Loving" in 1971 not only became his first number one his on the country charts, but did well enough to climb to number 17 on the pop charts as well. It began a streak of five number 1's in a row (he had six total) from 1971 to 1973. He became a country star for the entirety of the decade.
     He has continued to record traditional country and gospel over the years since 1980 and in his 80's continues to remain active in music and his love for painting.

 

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The Carpenters--Hurting Each Other (1972)

     It was 1972 when The Carpenters reached number two with this song, becoming easily the biggest charting version of the song, but it has had an interesting recorded history.
     Written by Gary Geld and Peter Udell in 1965, it was first recorded by Jimmy Clanton later that year on Mala Records. This version (which has a more urgent sound) reminds you of something The Righteous Brothers would have recorded. The Walker Brothers recorded a version in 1966 that had a similar feel. Chad Allen & the Reflections, which was the early version of The Guess Who put a bit more of a pop twist to it.  It was released in Canada in early 1966 and reached the top 20.

     The earliest version of the tune in the form we know it by now comes from the singer Ruth Lewis in 1966. Notice how the urgency of the music has been smoothed out and it has become more of a ballad.

     A later version by Ruby and the Romantics in 1969 attempted to split the difference with a bossa nova style verse and a more straightforward ballad chorus. You can find this on You Tube, but to me, all of the energy was taken out of the song going back and forth. It might have been the version to break through on the US charts if it had made up it's mind where it was going.
     It wasn't until the Carpenters took the song that it became a massive hit and looking back at the other versions it was easy to see why. Richard took the urgency out of the music and gave it their patented soft rock sheen. It was replaced by the heartbreaking sadness of Karen's voice. It was a perfect marriage of lyric to voice and one of their best.

    

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Linda Ronstadt diganosed with Parkinson's

     The devastating news crossed my desk tonight that Linda Ronstadt's career is over. The article found here: http://blog.aarp.org/2013/08/23/linda-ronstadt-discloses-her-battle-with-parkinsons-disease/  discloses that she has known for about eight months, but was having symptoms for several years before. On uneven ground she uses a cane, and travels with the use of a wheelchair.
     For many of us Linda and Stevie Nicks defined 70's LA style rock/pop. As the 70's turned to the 80's however, Ronstadt felt confined by the barriers of pop and spent the last 30 years traveling through the great American songbook, country, Spanish-language songs, children's music, and her last effort, 2006's, "Adieu False Heart" a Cajun flavored collaboration with Ann Savoy. She is easily the true definition of a musical renaissance woman.
     All of us wish to leave our profession on our own terms, but not all of us do. Artists of all kinds however leave a recorded legacy that keep them forever young, forever strong, and forever a part of our musical lexicon. Our thoughts, energy, and prayers go out to her as she continues to fight a much different battle. 
     

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Hagood Hardy--The Homecoming (1975)

     As I have mentioned in previous blogs, inspiration for songs literally come from anywhere. As early as the late 60's the lines began to blur between Madison Avenue and the Hot 100. Many of you might know The Carpenters' hit, "We've Only Just Begun" started with Richard Carpenter hearing the tune used on a TV ad for a bank. Just a few years later, a Canadian composer had a hit based on a ad for tea.
     Hardy had a very successful career on the vibraphone, piano and other percussion instruments. He played in several well known bands in the early 60's behind great names such as Herbie Mann and Martin Denny. In the late 60's he began writing jingles for television and radio and soon branched out into films as well.
     The genesis of "The Homecoming" began as an ad for Salada Tea in 1972. He fleshed out the snippet used for the promotion and released the song just prior to Christmas in 1975. The song became a hit around the world, and just missed hitting the top 40 here in the states. It's easy listening style was set more for an older crowd, but it's smooth easy sound impressed many a listener. He continued recording up to his death in 1997.

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John Handy--Hard Work (1976)

     Not sure what it is this week, but we seem to be covering artists who are noted more for their jazz career than anything on the pop charts, but here is another example of that with John Handy and, "Hard Work".
     Handy got his start playing with the Charlie Mingus band in the 1950's. He later formed his own group in the mid-60's and recorded several landmark albums including their performance at the Monterrey Jazz Festival in 1965.
     Although he is most noted for playing the alto saxophone, the man has been known to play just about any type of reed instrument. His only placement on the pop charts was with a shortened version of this song in 1976. He continues to tour, although his last album to my knowledge was back in the late 90's. We will present the short and the long version for you listening pleasure.

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Keith Hampshire--Daytime Night-Time (1973)

     Keith Hampshire is very well known in Canada not only as a rock singer, but of a song that has become somewhat of a theme for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club. The song, "OK Blue Jays" recorded in 1983, is sung during the seventh inning stretch of home games. His version of, "The First Cut Is The Deepest" in 1973 reached number one on the Canadian charts. This song, which sounds a lot like fellow Canadian, David Clayton-Thomas of Blood, Sweat and Tears was the highest charting song of his career in the US reaching #51 in early 1973.

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Albert Hammond--It Never Rains in Southern California (1972)

     "It Never Rains in Southern California" seemed like one of the quintessential early 70's "California" songs, which in fact, it is, but author, singer Albert Hammond comes from climes much different that it's warm, sunny beaches.
     Hammond, born in London during the World War II in 1944 and quickly his family evacuated to Gibraltar where they stayed and raised their family. His first bands were located in Spain (which makes sense given the location of the tiny island), where he had a hand in the development of the rock scene in that country. He founded the UK group, "The Family Dogg" in 1966 and they scored a top 40 hit in 1969 called,  "A Way of Life".
     He became better known in the 70's as a songwriter, penning the UK hits, "Little Arrows" for Leapy Lee and "Gimmie Dat Ding" for The Pipkins in 1970. Upon moving to the United States the next year he continued writing and also recording solo. This brought his biggest hit, "It Never Rains in Southern California" in 1972. Throughout the decade, Hammond was on the charts, but never with the success of that song.
     However, there are more than a few songs that has his songwriting stamp on it that DID hit big in the coming decade. "The Air That I Breathe" by The Hollies in 1974, "When I Need You" by Leo Sayer in 1976,  and perhaps his most popular song, a co-write with Hal David, "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" by Julio Igesias and Willie Nelson in 1984.
     Hammond has also written hits for Starship ("Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" with Diane Warren), Diana Ross, and Tina Turner. He's also well known for his work as a songwriter in Spain, where he continues to record from his home base in Gibraltar.

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Marvin Hamlisch--The Entertainer (1974)

     This past Tuesday (Aug. 6), we marked the first anniversary of the death of one of our generations greatest composers. Marvin Hamlisch was on 68, but had a great impact on the world of musical theater. He won an Oscar, an Emmy, Grammy, Tony. He won a Pulizer prize in 1975 (for "A Chorus Line") and is only one of two (composer Richard Rogers being the other) to have won all five of those awards. His listing of songwriting credits in a more pop vein is impressive as well. He won an Oscar for, "The Way we Were" in 1974, and was nominated in 1977 for, "Nobody Does It Better" and in 1980 for, "Through the Eyes of Love".
     Hamlisch, who was born in Manhattan, was a child prodigy who at the age of seven had been accepted into the Juilliard Pre-College school. His first hit was a song he co-wrote with Howard Liebling at the age of 21. "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows" was a hit in 1965 for Lesley Gore. This began to open other doors including being the rehearsal pianist for "Funny Girl" which began a long association with  Barbara Streisand. This job led him to score the music for the film, "The Swimmer" in 1968.
     He did a number of movie scores but was not known world-wide until 1974. It was this year where, "The Way We Were" and "The Sting" both were released. We mentioned Hamlisch's involvement with the Streisand/Redford movie, but what got him on the map on the charts as an artist was from the latter movie.
     "The Sting", a movie starring Robert Redford (who had quite a 1974 as well), and Paul Newman. The movie did well enough at the box office, but what made it stand out was it's period piece music. Hamlisch had written several songs for the movie, but seven of the songs were written by the great Ragtime composer/performer, Scott Joplin. The song not only reached number three on the charts, it sparked a renaissance of Ragtime music in general, and of Joplin's work specifically.  

 

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Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds--Don't Pull Your Love (1971)/Falling In Love (1975)

     This trio can trace it's linage back to the mid 60s as a group called the T-Bones, which was put together to go on the road to support the single, "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In). It had been done by studio musicians previously and ended up becoming a hit.  Dan Hamilton (guitar, lead vocals), Joe Frank Carollo (bass, vocals), and Tommy Reynolds (multi-instrumentals, vocals) pattered their sound after The Venturas, which Hamilton was a part of at one time. They stayed together for a couple of years, but after succeeding recorded went nowhere, the group broke up.
     Several years later the trio reformed under the name, Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds and was signed by Dunhill Records. Their first single, "Don't Pull Your Love" became a top five hit in the summer of 1971.

     A couple more songs barely missed the top 40, but late in 1972, Reynolds left the band. Hamilton and Carollo brought in a couple more musicians and continued to tour locally, but the singles stopped after mi-72. They brought in Alan Dennison as a permanent replacement and began looking for a new record company since Dunhill had dropped them.
     Their wishes were answered in the form of Playboy Records, who would sign them on the proviso that they retained the name, Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds. The idea obviously was that a "known" name would have a better chance of having a hit. We can't be sure of that had anything to do with it, but in 1975, the song, "Fallin' In Love" climbed all the way to the number one spot. The follow up, "Winners and Losers" climbed to #21 as well.

     1976 brought several more charting song, but nothing approaching their previous successes. It also brought a name change to the more correct, "Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Dennison". The continued touring as a group until 1980 until they packed it in for good.  

    

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Arlo Guthrie--The City of New Orleans (1972)

     I wonder what it must be like to be the child of a musical icon? Some go into the same musical profession such as what Lisa Marie Presley or Nancy Sinatra has done, but there must be an enormous amount of pressure since the father of those two ladies were true musical superstars. For Arlo Guthrie however, it was probably even more so because his father was as much a political and social icon than he was a musical one. There isn't a person that was raised in this country over the last 50-plus years that hasn't committed to memory at least one Woody Guthrie song. "Roll on Columbia" and of course, "This Land is Your Land" is a major part of this county's musical lexicon
      For Arlo, who was born in 1947, his father's influence was mostly transmitted to him through his mother and friends as Woody, because of what was eventually diagnoses as Huntington's disease moved from New York to California when Arlo was 5 because he thought his erratic behavior would be a danger to his children. His parents would eventually divorce although when he was admitted to a hospital for the last time in 1956 (for the next 9 years), his mother Marjorie would help care for him until his death in 1967.
     Arlo grew up surrounded by some of the greatest folk artists of his time. Pete Seeger, Leadbelly, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and many others. Given that, it's not surprising that from the first time he sang on stage in 1961 at the age of 13, he was singing folk. It was a perfect time for that as well as folk music was going through a major renaissance. He worked on his craft, and when he went into the studio for the first time, it was to record the album that he is best known for, the classic, "Alice's Restaurant". The eighteen minute long title track was a song which tapped into his dad's political legacy, without seeming heavy handed (in fact it's very funny). Arlo was never much of a force on the charts however, except for, "City of New Orleans".
     Written by Steve Goodman, it is a song which Guthrie makes his own. The haunting lyrics and a production that gives a real warmth to the proceedings, propelled the song into the top 20 in the late summer of 1972. Guthrie continues to record, and tour non-stop, with his blend of folk and political songs. He has also done some acting, writing and promotes the group founded by his mother, The Committee to Combat Huntington's Disease  Much more about Arlo can be found here: http://www.arlo.net/

      
     

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Henry Gross--Shannon (1976)

     Inspiration for songs come from a myriad of places, in the case of the song, "Shannon" it was from a dog, and not just his dog, but Carl Wilson's as well. Here, let him tell you the story.

" I was touring around the country quite a lot in 1975 promoting an album called HENRY GROSS, the one with the yellow cover on A&M Records. I had the pleasure of doing long strings of dates with The Beach Boys, a group whose music always inspired me, Carl Wilson, lead singer on God Only Knows and Good Vibrations, was warm and welcoming from the very first show I played with them. Carl invited me to his house in Los Angeles to spend a day talking guitars, cars and rock & roll. While he was preparing lunch his two Alaskan husky dogs reached up on the counter and inhaled our food. Carl was no nice he couldn't stop apologizing but I told him, while admiring the military perfection of the raid executed by his huskies, that I had an Irish Setter at home named Shannon and had seen this act many times before! He was quite moved as he told me that he had an Irish Setter named Shannon that had been killed only recently when hit by a car. We spent the rest of the day jamming and driving around Carl's world, which as a friend and to be honest, a Beach Boy's fanatic, was quite a thrill.' (courtesy of Henry Gross' website:  http://www.henrygross.com)

     His career actually is quite varied. At the age of 18, he helped form, Sha Na Na, which was a rock and roll nostalgia act (quite likely the first as well). They played Woodstock and was a surprise hit of the festival, he was the youngest participant in the concert, and it launched their careers as performers. He didn't stay there long however, as by 1971 he was working on a solo career. He had several songs in the lower rungs of the top 100 before "Shannon", and except for it's follow-up ("Springtime Mama"  #36--1976) Henry never approached those heights again. In 1980 he performed in the road company of the musical, "Pump Boys and Dinettes" with fellow musicians Johnathan Edwards and Nicolette Lawson. In the mid-80's he moved to Nashville and began focusing mostly on songwriting, although he continues performing and recording as well.

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Larry Groce--Junk Food Junkie (1976)

     Those who are listeners to NPR might recognize the name Larry Groce, or better yet the show he founded in 1983, "Mountain Stage" which is produced by West Virginia Public Radio. His first claim to fame however, was this song which reached the top 10 in the winter of 1976.
     Groce, who was born and raised in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas which has produced many musicians and songwriters, started recording in 1969 and by 1972 had been named a National Endowment for the Arts, "artist in-residence", a title which he kept until 1985. He had enjoyed writing for children and after his success on the charts, did a series of albums for Disney which netted him six gold and two platinum albums. One of those albums, "Winnie-the-Pooh for President", won a Grammy in 1976.
     His show, mentioned at the beginning of this article is one of NPR's longest running shows, having aired over 750 broadcasts and highlighting established artists as well as up and comers. You can see more about the show here:  http://www.mountainstage.org/mtnstagepodcast.aspx

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Norman Greenbaum--Spirit In The Sky (1970)

     As the 60's hippie movement began to sour for many, the need to find something substantive on one's life led many back to more carnal pursuits (such as becoming yuppies in the 80's and attempting to make a pile of money), others continued to seek more spiritual things. This blossomed into what was known as the "Jesus Movement" on the west coast of the United States, many men and women became, "Jesus Freaks" and attempted to change the world through spiritual means.
     This manifested itself artistically into what was first known as "Jesus Music" and later morphed into what we now know as Contemporary Christian. In the world of pop and rock, other artists became more comfortable in using Christian imagery. Some were sincere in their reflections, others were just using it as another tool in the toolbag of lyrical creativity. Between a press which was pretty ignorant about all things spiritual, and a generation of Christian teens who praying for some merging between the church and the rock music they loved, any use of the word, "Jesus" or any inkling of Christianity brought a great deal of debate and discussion.
     For some reason, "Spirit In The Sky" was thought to be a Christian, and the use of the imagery WAS apparent, but Norman Greenbaum, who was and continues to be Jewish, pointed more towards his inspiration being television westerns...well that and a spiritual that he saw Porter Wagoner and 
Dolly Parton sing on TV. You can read more on him here: http://www.spiritinthesky.com/index.html

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The Grass Roots--Midnight Confessions (1968)

     When asked my favorite groups of the late 60's/early 70's, a lot of the normal names come up, Beatles, Stones, Who, Led Zeppelin, and a few that maybe not so well known; Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Steeleye Span, 13th Floor Elevators, and so on. But the Grass Roots never come up in conversation. On first blush I"m not sure why they don't come up because you look at the hits, "Let's Live For Today", "Sooner or Later", "Temptation Eyes", and of course, "Midnight Confessions". Part of the reason is there were no Lennon/McCartney, Mick Jagger, or Robert Plant to associate with. Much of that comes from the fact that there were so many incarnations of the band, it was almost impossible to keep up with.
    Here is the (very) short version. The idea started with the songwriting team of P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri who were working for Dunhill Records in 1965. They wrote a song called, "Where Were You When I Needed You" and demoed it with a studio band under the name Grassroots.  After sending it to several San Francisco radio stations and getting positive feedback, it was decided to look for a group to incorporate the name. One was found by the name of "The Bedouins" and the song was re-recorded by the group and a tweaking of the name to "The Grass Roots". This was the version that became a top 40 hit in 1966. This version of the group lasted for a short time when they were jettisoned because of wanting to play some of their more blues/rock oriented material.
     The third incarnation of the band came through a group called, "The 13th Floor" from LA. This band didn't play on their records (although they did play in concert), the material being written by Dunhill staff for the most part. This was the group that was by far the most successful, starting out with, "Let's Live For Today" which reached #8 on the charts in mid-1967.
     Can you tell me the lead singers name of this version? Yeah...I didn't know either. His name was Creed Bratton who is probably best known now from his role in the US version of the television show, "The Office". He left in 1969 after getting tired of not having their own material used as singles. Sloan left Dunhill early on, and Barri cut ties with the group in 1973, in which Rob Grill took basically took over the group and was truly the thread which connects all of different versions of the group up until his death in 2011.
     The song itself was written by Lou T. Josie and originally performed by The Ever-Green Blues Band....below is that version, and the one below it is the Grass Roots.

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Ian Gomm--Hold On (1979)

     Ian Gomm had only one hit in the US, but left a lasting mark in the UK throughout the 70s. He had started in pop bands as early as 1962, and even spent some time living in Australia honing his craft. In 1971, he was brought in as rhythm guitarist of the pup rock band, Brinsley Schwartz just as they were recording their third album, "Silver Pistol". Up until their break up in 1975, they were supported by the critics, but never could break through to a wide audience in the UK or here in the states.
     After the demise of the band, Nick Lowe, and Ian Gomm both sought solo careers. In fact, Gomm co-wrote Lowe's biggest hit in the states, "Cruel to be Kind". The rhythm guitarist moved to Wales at first and built a studio where he not only produced his own album, but recorded several others including Alexis Korner and The Stranglers.
     Gomm's first album, released in 1978 was called "Summer Holiday". Stiff Records signed him and released the album as, "Gomm With The Wind". The single, "Hold On" reached number 18 on the US charts. He has spent much of the rest of his career writing and producing.

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Andrew Gold--Lonely Boy (1977)/Thank You For Being a Friend (1978)

     It's not often that we have a blog that deals with two songs, but thought it was a great example of how two songs take wildly diverting paths to success. "Lonely Boy" was the highest charting song of Gold's career, but one could argue that "Thank You For Being a Friend" is by far the most popular....
     Andrew came from very successful parents. His Mother, Marni Nixon, was a singer who provided the voices for many actresses in the movies, most notably Natalie Wood in "West Side Story" and Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady". His Dad was Ernest Gold who won an Oscar for composing the music to the movie, "Exodus". Not surprisingly, the eldest child Andrew, began writing songs by the time he was a teenager.
     Throughout the 70's Gold became one of the most in demand musicians/songwriters/producers in pop music. He was a major cog in the success of Linda Ronstadt beginning with her breakthrough album, "Heart Like a Wheel" and the rest of her albums that decade as an musician and arranger. His credits reads like a who's who of mid to late 70's pop; 10cc, Art Garfunkel, Eric Carmen, Carly Simon, John Lennon, Maria Muldaur, Karla Bonoff, Stephen Bishop, and many others.
     He began his career as a solo artist in 1975 and recorded four albums in the 70s. His first major hit was, "Lonely Boy", which although containing some autobiographical material, is not about him at all, a fact that had haunted him a bit over the years, and something that he admits wasn't a great idea, but was convenient at the time. It went to number 7 on the Hot 100. But it was his next single, that he probably best remembered for.
     "Thank You For Being A Friend", Gold's ode to friendship was released in 1978 and although not doing as well as "Lonely Boy", charted quite respectively at number 25, and although it was his last top 40 hit, he continued write, record, and work with other musicians. It was 1984, that a new sitcom on NBC called "The Golden Girls" was developed by writer Susan Harris. "Thank You For Being A Friend" was chosen as the theme, and although not sung by Gold on the show, (it was sung by Cynthia Fee), it brought him back into the spotlight once again. Due to the show being a hit for six seasons (it was on a total of seven), it is probably much better known song, even if many don't recognize it's author.
     Gold continued working continually until his death in 2011 at the age of 59.

    

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Godspell--Day by Day (1972)

    The musical Godspell is based on a series of parables (or stories) in the book of Matthew and Luke from the New Testament in the Bible. It began as a Master's thesis from student John-Michael Tebelak who was a student at Carnegie Mellon University in 1970. After being presented by the members of the student body, it was done in Greenwich Village for a ten day run at La MaMa Experimental Theater Club in February 1971.
     Charles Haid, who was the associate director, and who would become very popular as an actor and director later, brought the play to the attention of producer Edgar Lansbury and  Joseph Beruh with the idea of making an off-Broadway production out of it. Stephen Schwartz was brought in to reconfigure the score. He took one original song ("By My Side" by Jay Hamburger and Peggy Gordon), took some lyrics out of the Episcopal Hymnal for some songs, the wrote the rest.
     The song, "Day by Day", took it's refrain from a prayer which is credited to Saint Richard of Chichester. and was released as a single in the early summer of 1972. It reached number thirteen in July of that year. The lead singer on the recorded version is Robin Lamont. It became a successful play in several different runs including Broadway in 1976, and a film version in 1973.

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Gary Glitter--Rock and Roll (Pt. 1 & 2)--1972

     In the U.S., Gary Glitter is known for one top ten hit in 1972, which has become one of the best known sports arena anthems in history. In Britain he had a major string of top five hits, including three number one's going up til 1975. Even after that, he would be in and out of the charts all the way to the mid-90s. He is probably known more so for a string of convictions beginning in the 80's which ranged from a series of DUI's and public intoxication, to the last 20 years fighting child abuse and child porn convictions in the UK and Vietnam.
     Back in 1972, the former Paul Francis Gadd had certainly paid his dues musically. As early as 1960 as Paul Raven, he released several singles that went nowhere. He ended up in 1964 playing warm up to the "Ready Steady Go" show on the BBC (the UK's answer to American Bandstand), and in 1965 joined the house band for the Mike Leander Show. After a change in name to Paul Monday, he formed the group Boston International who were together close to five years.
     The song, "Rock and Roll" (Pts. 1 & 2) were recorded for a solo album that now christened, Gary Glitter was doing in 1971. It was a part of a fifteen minute jam which was whittled down to to a little under six minutes to fit on both sides of the single. Although it was Part 1 (which actually has words to it) which became a hit around the world, it was the instrumental Part 2 which became a hit here in the US. (reaching #7). Because of the success of the flip side, many times it's referred to as Part 1.
     It became part of the sports lexicon in 1974 at Kalamazoo,  Michigan of all places. It seems that the public relations guy, named Kevin O'Brian would play the song whenever the home hockey team, the Wings, would score. When O'Brian left for a bigger position for the Colorado Rockies hockey team in 1976, he took the usage of the song with him. After the demise of the team in 1982, the two other major league teams in Denver, the Broncos and the Nuggets, took the song up. Before the decade was up, you could hear it in just about every major league stadium.
     For your listening pleasure, I'm going to put up both sides, since the

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Barry Gibb--Shadow Dancing (1978)

     It seemed for a time in the late 70s that the Gibb brothers could do no wrong. The Bee Gees were flying high on the disco wave that was fueled to stratospheric heights by the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever". The three brothers were prolific songwriters and each contributed not only to their own performing careers, but wrote songs for many others during that period that were near the top of the charts as well. So when youngest brother Andy began performing, it wasn't surprising that his star began to take off as well.
      Not that he didn't have the goods. His voice either on his own or with any combination of his brothers fit in perfectly. I am not a huge fan of Andy's music, but found many times that his voice was a bit mellower than his older siblings, and therefore was very appealing. His first three songs that hit the charts in the US went to number one. The next three after that were top 10. My favorite of all of those songs was "Shadow Dancing" which was a true collaboration between all four brothers.
     The downturn of his success had to do with the same market forces that moved The Bee Gees off the charts. His intake of cocaine and alcohol which was masking depression was greatly effecting his work. Finally in the mid 80s after a stint at the Betty Ford clinic, he was beginning to make strides for a comeback. Unfortunately, he passed away from natural causes brought on by the drug abuse in 1988 at the age of 30.

 

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