An Alternative History of "Pop" Music

[honeychile]

Thelma Houston - If it's the last thing i do



This scraped to number 47 in the States, but didn't chart here. The same year as Don't leave me this way hit like an atomic bomb, this slowie was a christmassy-sounding number which is cusping on appropriate as we near December. Perhaps not a surprise given that writer Sammy Cahn, among a shitload of film scores, joined the jewish songwriting tradition of penning Christmas classics such as Let it snow.

[honeychile]

Apologies for not getting involved in more discussion about other people's posts - i'm still about eight pages behind.

[daf]

Henry Cooper ‎– Knock Me Down With A Feather



Released in November 1976 - did not chart

Henry Cooper was born in 1934 in Lambeth, London. During the Second World War they were evacuated to Lancing on the Sussex coast. Life was tough in the latter years of the Second World War, and London life especially brought many dangers during the blackout. Henry took up many jobs, including a paper round before school and made money out of recycling golf balls to the clubhouse on the Beckenham course.

Cooper started his boxing career in 1949, as an amateur with the Eltham Amateur Boxing Club, and won seventy-three of eighty-four contests. In 1959 he took the British and Commonwealth titles from Brian London in 15-rounds and received the last 9-carat gold Lonsdale Belt after successful defences against Dick Richardson, Joe Erskine, and Johnny Prescott.

   

In the 1960s Cooper appeared in several public information films concerning road safety, promoting the use of zebra crossings: such as "The Story of Elsie Billing". After his retirement from boxing, Cooper maintained a public profile with appearances in the BBC quiz show A Question of Sport and various advertisements, most famously in those for Brut aftershave with curly-topped footballer Keggy Keegle.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Double Exposure - Everyman (has to carry his own weight)

Fabulous.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The Arrows - Boogiest Band in Town



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6p_MCUDeSw

Glam lives! Well, just about anyway. This was the B-side to The Arrows' final (flop) single.

The Arrows were a British band formed in 1974 and disbanded in 1977. They had UK chart hit singles in 1974 and 1975 with Touch Too Much, My Last Night With You and the original version of I Love Rock 'n' Roll, all produced by Mickie Most on RAK Records.

The Arrows had two 14-week television shows in the UK called Arrows in 1976 and 1977, which were broadcast on Granada Television and produced by Muriel Young. They are the only band to have two weekly TV series and no records released during the run of either series; a result of a conflict between the band's manager Ian Wright and the group's mentor/producer Mickie Most.

Their final single, Once Upon a Time, was released one month before the first show of their first series in 1976. Joan Jett became aware of I Love Rock 'n' Roll while on tour with her band the Runaways in England in 1976 and saw the group perform the song on their show.

[daf]

The Undisputed Truth - You + Me = Love



Released in July 1976 - reached #48 in the US, and #43 in the UK charts in early 1977.

The Undisputed Truth was an American Motown recording act, assembled by record producer Norman Whitfield as a means for being able to experiment with his psychedelic soul production techniques. Joe "Pep" Harris served as main lead singer, with Billie Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce Evans on additional leads and background vocals.

The Undisputed Truth, along with Rose Royce and Willie Hutch, followed Whitfield during his exodus from Motown to set up Whitfield Records in 1975. The group went through many personnel changes, although original member Joe Harris remained with the group throughout. Taka Boom, Chaka Khan's sister, took over as female lead singer for 1976's album 'Method To The Madness'.

   

"You + Me = Love", featuring Taka Boom on lead, was released as The Undisputed Truth's first Whitfield single. It proved to be the group's second biggest success on the Pop Charts, behind only 1971's "Smiling Faces Sometimes".

[daf]

The Heyettes - The Fonz Song



Peaked at #91 on the US Billboard charts in May 1976

Arthur Fonzarelli was born to an Italian-American family. He and his mother were abandoned by his father. When the senior Fonzarelli disappeared, he left a locked box for his son, but not a key; the young Arthur did everything to open the box before finally repeatedly running over it with his tricycle, only to reveal that it just contained the key to the box. The only advice Fonzie remembered his father giving was "Don't go out in the rain in your socks".

   

Though at first looked down on and mistrusted a result of his past and being a high school dropout, he eventually became accepted by his friend Richie's family The Cunninghams - even more so after he rented an attic room over their garage. Even Richie's father, "Mr. C.", came to regard Fonzie with affection and said "Ayyyy" when Fonzie moved into the garage.

[Brundle-Fly]

Steam Radio Song - Stackridge. Released on Rocket Record Company in 1976.

We haven't had a 'portrait of a disillusioned sad little Englishman' record since probably about ten pages ago when we were in the late 1960s. Stackridge keep up that worthy tradition.

Now, we've covered Stackridge before so I won't link any bio





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58rnGn9mUuc&t=6m47s

[Brundle-Fly]

The Arrows - Boogiest Band in Town



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6p_MCUDeSw

Glam lives! Well, just about anyway. This was the B-side to The Arrows' final (flop) single.

CHOICE!!

[daf]

Olivia Molina - Das Zahlenspiel



Featured on the album 'All Meine Jahreszeiten' released in Germany in 1976

[Brundle-Fly]

Apologies for not getting involved in more discussion about other people's posts - i'm still about eight pages behind.

Your entries are always sublime. Thank you.

[daf]

Rod Hart ‎– C. B. Savage



Released in November 1976 - reached #67 in the Billboard chart

Rod Hart was a one-hit wonder who scored a minor hit single in 1977 with "C.B. Savage", which charted on both the US Billboard magazine pop and country charts.

   

Included on his album Breakeroo , it was an answer song to "Convoy", a major hit in 1976. The song was a takeoff on the citizens band radio fad.

[jobotic]

ZZ Top - Ten Dollar Man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_hE2mMwAek

I love this band. Can hear how Steve Albini does too (what with Just Got Paid and all) - the start of this makes me want to shout CABLES!

[Brundle-Fly]

The Disco Cops - Billy Howard. Released on Penny Farthing (Pye) in 1976.





Fucking hell, this deserves a Comedy Chat thread of its own.  The follow-up flop single to the utterly rotten, minor novelty hit, 'King Of The Cops'

Fair play though to get out of the kitchen when it was roastin' back then?

http://www.billyhoward.tv/bio.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3SXX-SXfl0&feature=emb_logo

Here's 'King Of The Cops'. Jesus.

Contain traces of Savile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Klsh1xiOrlM

[daf]

Ted Rogers ‎– Beware Of Mr. Shark



Released in June 1976 - did not chart

Edward George Rogers was born in Kennington, South London. His idol as a youngster was Danny Kaye and Rogers won a holiday camp talent contest impersonating Kaye, but he would later put all show-business offers on hold whilst he did his national service in the Royal Air Force.

In the early 1960s Rogers appeared as a stand up comedian on the radio programme Billy Cotton Band Show, alongside singers such as Tom Jones, Cliff Richard and Alma Cogan and comedians Terry Scott and Hugh Lloyd. He released his first single , "I Can't Stop Thinking Of You", in May 1965, followed by "The Man From Cuckoo" in April 1966, and "L'Amour" in June 1967.

   

He went on to host Sunday Night at the London Palladium in 1974. Rogers also appeared on the comedy panel game Jokers Wild, and became the presenter of ITV's bafflingly cryptic variety gameshow 3-2-1 in 1978. It ran for just over ten years in a top-rating Saturday night slot.

One of a few Jaws inspired novelty singles, including Dickie Goodman's "Mr. Jaws" and "Jaws Is Working For The C.I.A." by The Investigators - both released 1975.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The Langley Schools Music Project - Band on the Run



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh1NOYmjhS0

These recordings never fail to bring tears to my eyes.

The Langley Schools Music Project is a collection of recordings of children's choruses singing pop hits by the likes of the Beach Boys, Paul McCartney, and David Bowie. Originally recorded in 1976–77, they were found and rereleased only 25 years later and became a cult hit and a successful example of outsider music.

The project was undertaken by Canadian music teacher Hans Fenger with students from four different elementary schools of the Langley School District in British Columbia. Recordings were made in a school gym.

Fenger later said:

"I knew virtually nothing about conventional music education, and didn't know how to teach singing. Above all, I knew nothing of what children's music was supposed to be. But the kids had a grasp of what they liked: emotion, drama, and making music as a group. Whether the results were good, bad, in tune or out was no big deal -- they had élan. This was not the way music was traditionally taught. But then I never liked conventional 'children's music,' which is condescending and ignores the reality of children's lives, which can be dark and scary. These children hated 'cute.' They cherished songs that evoked loneliness and sadness."

[jobotic]

Yeah it's a wonderful album.

The Long and Winding Road is a favourite of mine, and the original is dreadful.

[famethrowa]

The Langley Schools Music Project - Band on the Run

I honestly don't get it. I've listened many times to these tracks and have never been moved an inch. Maybe it's because I'm too familiar with these things? I've been a participant and leader of school groups attempting classic pop for most of my life, and it's fun, it's nice, but out of tune, out of time and out of range badly recorded renderings of FM hits do not speak to me as great art. And I've listened to and enjoyed the 365 Days Project many times, so I'm not against outsider music.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Maybe it's because I'm too familiar with these things? I've been a participant and leader of school groups attempting classic pop for most of my life

That might explain it. Possibly, through no fault of your own, you've become immune to the haunting charm of this stuff?
Or maybe you just think it's boring crap, which is entirely fair enough. I find the earnestness and innocence of those recordings very moving, but to each their own.

[Astronaut Omens]

Rod Hart ‎– C. B. Savage

10-4 Good Buddy! Here's another CB radio tune.


Dick Curless with Curtis McPeake and the Nashville Pickers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RmYBfHMBjU
This is actually a cover version, but the original, by Cledus Maggard is absolutely unlistenable novelty rubbish whereas this for me
tips into good comedy song territory. Bubblegum machine gone and hit the jackpot!

[Astronaut Omens]

Since we're doing punky stuff now, I thought I'd put a proggy track up by the unpunkiest record label of them all, snooty, rarified German jazz label ECM.
The double- bass and synth strings interplay on this seems to reach back both to sixties Mellotron-led tunes like Strawberry Fields Forever and forward to eighties film music


Eberhard Weber- Touch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87VZxT6pYFE

[daf]

10-4 Good Buddy! Here's another CB radio tune.

Back in the late 70's, we used to hear one side of a CB conversation featuring the local CB nut coming through the speakers of our Hi-Fi. All I can remember is that their 'handle' was 'Liquid Gold', and they were doing all the "Ten-four for a copy" stuff to someone called 'Rubber Legs'. 

Lasted a couple of weeks, and then either the speakers fixed themselves, or they'd got bored of the whole thing, and had moved on to skateboards.

[daf]

The Live Experience - Disco Joint



Released in 1976 - did not chart

[daf]

Bob Daveys ‎– Fonzie For President

Fonzie endorsed Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower's 1956 presidential campaign. At a rally Fonzie declared, "Ayyy, he won the war, didn't he!?" and "I like Ike! My bike likes Ike! Ayyy.." Eisenhower carried Wisconsin with 62% of the vote easily defeating Adlai Stevenson.

Later, concerned about equal opportunity issues, Fonzie volunteers to go south with Al and a group of 'Freedom Riders' to help integrate a segregated diner. Normally flirtatious with women, Fonzie is instead disgusted that the waitress does not serve black customers. At one point he tells her that he cannot date her because of her compliance with the diner policy.

 

Although gestures like it have always been around, Fonzie popularized the thumbs up sign with a positive, "Eyy!" remark that became ubiquitous to his character and is still in use today. Henry Winkler claimed that he borrowed this from the sign made at Roman gladiator fights. The term "Eyy!" came from an improvised moment due to his refusal to constantly comb his hair or have a pack of cigarettes rolled up in his sleeve. Network executives at ABC insisted he make the combing action, but when filmed he instead stopped himself and said the line. It received huge laughs from the audience and the scene was made part of the opening sequence.

[sirhenry]

Suicide - Rocket U.S.A. (Max's Kansas City Version)

Interesting to see both Wayne County and Jayne County on the same album - Jayne was post-transition Wayne. She announced her change just before arriving over here for a UK tour. Every single venue cancelled except for one, Leeds, which my brother had booked after seeing them in New York earlier in the year. After a very successful gig she spent most of the night in tears, pouring her heart out to my brother about just how shit life can be to an outsider. I'm not optimistic that it's much better these days.

And as far as I know she never came back.

[daf]

Marianne Rosenberg - Wieder Zusammen



Released as the B-side to the single 'Marleen' - reached #5 in the German charts in November 1976

Marianne Rosenberg is of Roma and Sinti background. Her father, Otto, an Auschwitz death camp survivor, was an activist on Roma and Sinti issues. Her sister, Petra, also advocates for Roma issues. She is considered one of the most successful performers of German Schlager, and was one of the first German singers to introduce Disco in the German music market with "Ich bin wie du". She was a finalist in the competition to select a Eurovision Song Contest entry for Germany in 1975 but only placed tenth with the song "Er gehört zu mir".

   

Rosenberg's attempts to sing in Eurovision took a surprising turn in 1976 when she was shortlisted to represent Luxembourg with the song "Tout peut arriver au cinéma". Although it did not win, it went on to be a German hit under the title "Lieder der Nacht".

[daf]

Big Jim And The Goodbuddies ‎– CB Santa



Released in Canada in November 1976

[daf]

Rick Dees And His Cast Of Idiots ‎– Dis-Gorilla



Follow up to 'Disco Duck'. Released in December 1976 - did not chart

Rigdon Osmond Dees III began his radio career at a Greensboro radio station called WGBG while still in high school. In 1976, while working at WMPS AM 680 in Memphis, Tennessee, he wrote and recorded "Disco Duck" in 1976. The song became a US Number One and sold more than 6 million copies.

   

The song can be heard in Saturday Night Fever, in a brief scene in which a group of older people were learning to "move their feet to the disco beat". Dees did not perform the actual duck vocals, which were recorded at Shoestring Productions in Memphis, Tennessee by Ken Pruitt.

[Brundle-Fly]

I'd Like To Be You For A Day - Ellen & Annabell Andrews   Never released, the title track from the Disney film,  'Freaky Friday'



Indulge my Saturday morning cinema childhood crush?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSayG6BMvDE

[jobotic]

Lovely. I have a cover of that on a great Siesta Records comp, had no idea what it was from.