Middle of the Road - the proto ABBA

[biggytitbo]

Always remember this slightly forgotten band as we had one of their albums on vinyl when i was a young boy and used to listen endlessly to Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep.

Their songs though, big euro-hits in the day, sound an awful lot like early ABBA:

Soley Soley - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm_bhJ7-ddA
Sacremento - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImJM1oveMb0
Tweddle Dee Tweedle Dum - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9ARcLTcqoA
Samson and Delilah - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evMHkK757pQ

The one they'll always be known for is Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep obviously - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGyPrmbgan0

Although my favourite is this absolute stone cold melancholy classic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MGi_MlODDU

[Captain Z]

ABBA even copied their apparent penchant for repetitive song titles. And then took it to extremes.

Knowing Me Knowing You
Honey Honey
Ring Ring
Gimme Gimme Gimme
Money Money Money
On And On And On
I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do

[itsfredtitmus]

Sacremento is stone-cold classic

[Billy]

So did the band or the phrase come first? I always assumed they were called Middle of the Road as a gently self-depreciating nod at their style of music.

[Bennett Brauer]

So did the band or the phrase come first? I always assumed they were called Middle of the Road as a gently self-depreciating nod at their style of music.

OED shows the phrase came first, so a joke seems likely.

[Bennett Brauer]

But where does this leave Pickettywitch?

[biggytitbo]

More brilliant europop from this scandalously underrated band -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAX93GPYAKo Samba d'Amour
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ_O91x7LB4 Rocking Soul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTJDxUWyXPk On this land

[pigamus]

You had me at Soley Soley.

[biggytitbo]

I'm slightly baffled as to why they aren't more well known, despite their massive success. They were easily one of the biggest bands of the early 70s, but almost entirely forgotten today.

[biggytitbo]

Union Silver - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd85pG-pgY0

[buzby]

I'm slightly baffled as to why they aren't more well known, despite their massive success. They were easily one of the biggest bands of the early 70s, but almost entirely forgotten today.

They were a relatively successful band in Europe ans Latin America, but their success only came after they left the UK and moved to Italy, where they became the front for Italian producer Giacomo Tosti. They had 5 top 40 singles in the UK in 1971-72:
Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep (#1, 6/71, originally released in Italy in 1970)
Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dum (#3, 9/71)
Soley Soley (#5, 12/71)
Sacramento (#23, 03/72)
Samson And Delilah (#26, 7/72)
Their first two hits were from their eponymous debut album (retitled Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep here to cash in on the single's success) from 1971. The latter three were from their second album Acceleration (also released in 1971). Their next two singles, Bottoms Up  and Union Silver, didn't chart in the UK so their record company RCA decided to concentrate their efforts in mainland Europe.

The big difference between them and ABBA is that they didn't write any of their hits. They were written by Harold 'Lally' Stott (Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep), Italian brothers Mario & Giosy Capuano (with lyrics by Harold Stott and Mike Shepstone) and Fernando Arbex (Soley Soley).

'Lally' Stott originally released Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep under his own name and had a hit with it in Italy, France, Holland (where the promo film was shot) and #1 in Australia in 1970 prior to it being covered by Middle Of The Road. He then went on to co-write songs for them after their success with the song. He was born in Prescot, just outside Liverpool, and moved to Italy to work as a singer and songwriter in the late 60s having landed a deal with Philips Italy. He returned to Prescot in 1977 and set up a clothes shop with his sister using his royalties. He was killed on the 6th of June in a road accident when a car pulled out on him while he was riding his scooter .

[Absorb the anus burn]

He was killed on the 6th of June in a road accident when a car pulled out on him while he was riding his scooter .

So much for Middle Of The Road being safe.

[itsfredtitmus]

Anyone like Arabesque? I think I had them as my avi for a bit. Every one of their tunes are ridiculous euro-disco pop madness the basic premise is "wot if abba did Rasputin?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k_26XhSjzw

[Phoenix Lazarus]

If nothing else, the best ever Father Ted ep title's due to them.

[Johnny Yesno]

I'm slightly baffled as to why they aren't more well known, despite their massive success. They were easily one of the biggest bands of the early 70s, but almost entirely forgotten today.

We Brits always try and forget the crimes of our past. This is one of the more serious ones.

[biggytitbo]

This one has been performed by numerous artists but I think theirs is the best version, mainly due to Sally Carr's usual superb vocal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_F6WM2C6Cs