Tim Hardin--Simple Song of Freedom (1969)

       As a songwriter, Tim Hardin's career was defined his first two albums in 1966 and 67. Several of his songs, "If I Were A Carpenter", "Reason to Believe" and "Hang On To A Dream" have been a part of the musical lexicon almost from the time they were first recorded. However, what has not been stressed was his abilities as an interpreter of outside material as well. The several albums he released in the early 70's showed someone who's phrasing could take a song and make it his own. His life however was also defined by heroin, which was a constant companion throughout much of his life (most seem to think he developed it during a stint in Vietnam in 1959), and would finally take it in 1980 at the age of 39.
     His only chart success was a cover of Bobby Darin's, "Simple Song of Freedom", which was ironic considering that it was Hardin's, "If I Were a Carpenter" which re-ignited Darin's career in 1967. The song reached #50 in the fall of 1969, perhaps spurred on by Hardin's performance at Woodstock just several weeks before.

 

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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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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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The Friends of Distinction--Grazing in The Grass (1969)

     The Friends of Distinction were formed by Harry Elston and Floyd Butler who had been members of Ray Charles' backing band, The Hi-Fi's. When this group disbanded in 1966, the other members, Lamont McLemore and Marilyn McCoo went to form the Fifth Dimension. Elston and Butler recruited Jessica Cleaves and Barbara Jean Love and in 1968 began to hit some of the clubs in Los Angeles. It was there they met Jim Brown.
     Brown had been one of the best players in the National Football League who had decided to retire in 1966 as an acting career had opened up for him. He heard the group and was impressed by their sound and asked if they would be interested in him becoming their manager. With that kind of clout, they soon signed a contract with RCA records.
     The first single was their biggest hit (#6), but they also produced two more top twenty hits, "Going in Circles" (#15--1969) and "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely" (#6--1970). The group began to slip after Cleaves left to later be a part of Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Parliament. They disbanded in 1975, and Floyd Butler later passed away.

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Sunday Morning Vault: Stan Freberg--The Yellow Rose of Texas (1955)

    When many think of music parody over the last 25 or so years, the first person to come to mind is "Weird" Al Yankovic. Since the mid-80's he has lovingly poked at the hits of the day. Some thought him brilliant, others (remember Coolio's first response to "Amish Paradise") not so much. Yankovic acknowledges his greatest influence was Stan Freberg, a guy who did it with a much sharper wit (and sharper tongue as well) than anything done since.
     Freberg, born in Pasadena CA, got his start as a voice character on cartoons during the late 40's, soon began making parody's of the top hits of the day, the first that became a hit was of Johnny Ray's "Cry" in 1952. At first Ray was furious at someone making fun of the song until he realized that it was helping record sales. For the better part of the 50's, he would poke fun at the new medium of television and of rock and roll (which he hated). His most popular song as far as chart action is concerned was "The Yellow Rose of Texas" where he parodied Mitch Miller, in 1955.

For many of us younger, Freberg took his skills of satire to television as an ad man in the 60s, developing some of the most iconic commercials of the era, like this brilliant one with dancer Ann Miller for Campbell's Soup.

  

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