10 July 1970 I admit: I'm a wee bit disappointed that 'Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha' is not Cliff's take on trans "issues", if only because it denies the world what could have been the most spectacularly offensive and disastrous pop song ever. Turns out that going from Sam to Samantha, Joe to Joanne and Lou … Continue reading Cliff Richard – ‘Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha’
Tag: 70s
Mungo Jerry – ‘In The Summertime’
3 July 1970 If you were heading out-out for a feed of pints in '80s Ireland and planned on taking the car, you had to heed the official drink-driving campaign slogan: Just Two Will Do! In that light, the line from 'In The Summertime' that sticks out most to modern sensibilities—"have a drink, have a … Continue reading Mungo Jerry – ‘In The Summertime’
Dermot Hegarty and The Plainsmen – ‘Twenty One Years’
19 June 1970 This single on vinyl is one of the few records that were in my house when I was young. It wasn't on heavy rotation as the soundtrack of my childhood or anything; we simply found it and a record player at the back of a closet when we were in the process … Continue reading Dermot Hegarty and The Plainsmen – ‘Twenty One Years’
Christie – ‘Yellow River’
5 June 1970 When did pop music, traditionally for the kids, start pitching to adults too? Perhaps in the mid-'60s with The Beatles taking Dylan's influence on board, along with Paul going music-hall, and around the same time as the advent of Bacharach & David's sophisticated masterpieces. Later on, bubblegum pop was always made by … Continue reading Christie – ‘Yellow River’
The Moody Blues – ‘Question’
29 May 1970 Remember 'Spaceman' by Babylon Zoo, that '90s chart-topper from a jeans ad that used its catchy electronica opening, only for the track itself to be a stodgy rocker? I wonder if 'Question' by The Moody Blues' gave the music punters of 1970 a similar bout of buyer's remorse. Its opening verses of … Continue reading The Moody Blues – ‘Question’
Norman Greenbaum – ‘Spirit In The Sky’
22 May 1970 I'm surprised to listen attentively to the original 'Spirit In The Sky' and find myself feeling a little disappointed. Okay, obviously the scuzzy minimalist riff is pure gold and the stompy clap-along beat is great fun: no issues there. And I'm already familiar with the buzz-killing Jesus namecheck, making this the first … Continue reading Norman Greenbaum – ‘Spirit In The Sky’
Dana – ‘All Kinds Of Everything’
20 March 1970 The 1970 episode of Reeling In The Years shows Dana's celebratory post-Eurovision homecoming, which includes a meeting with Ireland's then-president, an elderly Éamon de Valera. Dana went on to try to emulate Dev by becoming a fundamentalist Catholic, then an Irish presidential candidate, and finally an American citizen. Still, Dana could claim … Continue reading Dana – ‘All Kinds Of Everything’
Lee Marvin – ‘Wand’rin’ Star’
6 March 1970 You may remember a great Simpsons bit where Homer and Bart sit the family down to watch violent shoot-'em-up western Paint Your Wagon, only to discover to their horror that it's actually rootin'-tootin' comedy musical western Paint Your Wagon. I already knew that, which is why I've never watched it. I've heard … Continue reading Lee Marvin – ‘Wand’rin’ Star’
Edison Lighthouse – ‘Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)’
6 February 1970 Our final socially-acceptable number one of the '60s was bubblegum pop by a made-up band, and our first of the '70s arguably is too. (That now-cancelled chart-topper in between is listed in the 'By date' section above if you're curious.) Apparently 'Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)' existed before its makers realised … Continue reading Edison Lighthouse – ‘Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)’
John Lennon – ‘Imagine’
11 December 1975 and 31 January 1981 I've been to Strawberry Fields, the area of Central Park in New York that is now a memorial to John Lennon. (Call me morbid, but I had first popped across the street to the outside of the Dakota building, where he was shot.) Its main feature is a … Continue reading John Lennon – ‘Imagine’
