Sunday, May 4, 2025

APRIL 1975

The “other deep voice” on “Hold On To Love” belonged to Mike Sammes, possibly the scariest-sounding singer in all of British pop. The Brut 33 guy on the Yin and Yan record was Montreal-born actor Bill Mitchell. The other guy was ex-Coronation Street actor Chris Sandford who scored a Top 20 hit in late 1963 with the hard-of-pitching "Not Too Little, Not Too Much." “Too Much, I’m In Love” (see what I did with that segue there?) is one of Peter Skellern’s signature songs and it’s ridiculous it was thrown away on a B-side. “If And When” by the Three Degrees was sampled in a different life by the Lo Fidelity Allstars on “Nightime Story.”

 

 

5 April

 

AL GREEN: L-O-V-E (Love)/I Wish You Were Here With Me (London HLU 10482)

 

 Al Green – L-O-V-E (Love) – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM, Single), 1975 [r1226509] |  Discogs

 

Typically exquisite soul ballad from the great man with the chorus ascending higher and higher towards heaven, and the usual slightly sardonic snare drum rat-a-tat-tats. This really is pop music at its height and Al Green should have had a lot more hits here by now. “Love is a walk down Main Street” – even Uddingston Main Street, if the sun is shining! Humperdinck could never weave the word “positively” over six syllables like Al does without even seemingly trying.

 


 

 

 

12 April

 

THE GLITTER BAND: The Tears I Cried/Until Tomorrow (Bell 1416)

 

The Glitter Band – The Tears I Cried – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM), 1975 [r24553913]  | Discogs

 

Another energetic weepie in the vein of “Goodbye My Love” but the formula is wearing thin. There’s no cheekiness.

 


 

 

K C & THE SUNSHINE BAND: Get Down Tonight/You Don’t Know (Jay Boy BOY 93)

 

K.C. & The Sunshine Band – Get Down Tonight | Releases | Discogs

 

Really infectious dancer – moves forward all the time with expertise. Terrific hook. At this rate TK Records in Miami are going to be the new Motown; they know exactly what they’re doing, which is to make people dance.

 


 

 

TEACH IN: Ding-A-Dong/Let Me In (Polydor 2058 570)

 

Teach-In – Ding-A-Dong – Vinyl (7", Single, 45 RPM), 1975 [r12635191] |  Discogs

 

Eurovision winner from the Netherlands; far more old-fashioned than “Waterloo” last year but still a good deal more up-to-date than British oompah-oompah rot. The B-side is not a cover version of the Osmonds.

 


 

 

YIN AND YAN: If/Butch Soap (EMI 2282)

 

Yin And Yan - If (Vinyl, UK, 1975) For Sale | Discogs

 

Comedy send-up of Telly Savalas, but I think he does a good enough job of sending himself up. My father thinks it’s Stan Freberg but I know one of them is the guy who does the Brut 33 commercials. Camp in the Dick Emery sense.

 


 


 

10CC: Life Is A Minestrone/Channel Swimmer (Mercury 6008 010)

 

10 cc – Life Is A Minestrone – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM, Single), 1975 [r2203695]  | Discogs

 

Clever, catchy and always changing mood and tempo, as you’d expect from 10cc by now. The verses here are the closest they’ve sounded to Steely Dan but the chorus goes somewhere else entirely. “Death is a cold lasagne, suspended in deep freeze”; sounds like Roald Dahl gone pop.

 


 


 

PETER SKELLERN: Hold On To Love/Too Much, I’m In Love (Decca F 13568)

 

Peter Skellern – Hold On To Love / Too Much, I'm In Love – Vinyl (7", 45  RPM, Single), 1975 [r477111] | Discogs

 

Don’t really know where he’s been since “You’re A Lady” three years ago but he’s back with something entirely different (although the other deep voice in the chorus is scary). More conventional without the brass band but should appeal to Jim Capaldi fans. The B-side is a lovely, catchy song and should have been the A-side.

 


 


 

GILBERT BECAUD: A Little Love And Understanding/Let It Be Me (Decca F R 13537)

 

Gilbert Becaud – A Little Love And Understanding – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM,  Single), 1974 [r6425251] | Discogs

 

Wogan’s been playing this one (and Decca’s promotion team seem to have woken up – congratulations!) – demented French ballad with strings falling about all over the place, sudden changes of mood and tempo, backing singers who sound petrified and a lead singer who sounds drunk but happy, saying let it go, it doesn’t really matter, well tell that to my teacher who wants my homework on Monday morning.

 


 

 

BOBBY GOLDSBORO: Honey/Danny (United Artists UP 35633)

 

Bobby Goldsboro – Honey – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM + 3 more), 1974 [r1595787] |  Discogs

 

Oh no, this is Noel Edmonds going on about the Saddest Song Of All Time who’s brought this dirge back. Why is he on Radio 1? He sounds and looks about 70. I thought this song was rubbish in 1968 and I haven’t been proved wrong. He sings about his wife like she was Old Shep. I wish they would shoot him instead.

 


 

 

 

19 April

 

DIANA ROSS: Sorry Doesn’t Always Make It Right/Together (Tamla Motown TMG 941)

 

Diana Ross – Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM,  Single), 1975 [r554089] | Discogs

 

Maybe that’s why they re-released “Baby Love” last year, to remind people how good Diana Ross used to be. Now she just makes music for shampoo commercials.

 


 

 

SUSAN CADOGAN: Hurt So Good/THE UPSETTERS: Loving Is Good (Magnet MAG 23)

 

Susan Cadogan / The Upsetters – Hurt So Good / Hurt So Good (Instrumental)  – Vinyl (Solid Centre, 7", 45 RPM, Single), 1975 [r3266762] | Discogs

 

Lovely quivering reggae, produced by Lee Perry. Doesn’t have to try to swing; it just does. This will be a big hit and deservedly so.

 


 


 

MINNIE RIPERTON: Lovin’ You/The Edge Of A Dream (Epic EPC 3121)

 

 Minnie Riperton – Lovin' You – Vinyl (Solid Centre, Orange Labels, 7", 45  RPM, Stereo), 1974 [r17872105] | Discogs

 

This is a record unlike any other in the charts. She sings like a bird and indeed an actual bird sings all the way through the song. Her voice reaches incredible heights, at times so high only a bird could hear her. This is the most gorgeous pop song since “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” People will still be singing it in fifty years’ time. Produced by Stevie Wonder (only I don’t think we’re supposed to know that). Incredible. Just incredible.

 


 


 

THE THREE DEGREES: Take Good Care Of Yourself/If And When (Philadelphia International PIR 3177)

 

 The Three Degrees – Take Good Care Of Yourself – Vinyl (Push-out Centre,  7", Single, 45 RPM), 1975 [r5649461] | Discogs

 

Haven’t heard too much from the Philly sound recently and from this song you can tell why; it’s getting awfully near cabaret time. But the B-side is pretty epic, like a soul “Hey Jude.” They should have been brave and gone with this.

 


 


 

 

26 April

 

TAMMY JONES: Let Me Try Again/Just One Woman (Epic EPC 3211)

 

 Tammy Jones – Let Me Try Again – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM), 1975 [r2155428] |  Discogs

 

The Opportunity Knocks winner from Wales giving the not-that-old Sinatra song the dynamic Shirley Bassey treatment – and I think it works. Sinatra sings it cynically, like he’s doing us a favour having him back in the charts (which is probably why it missed the charts altogether), but Tammy, despite getting the words wrong in places, sings it like she means it, like her life depends on it – and of course, getting it wrong but meaning it is so much valid than getting it right but being a robot. There is no right or wrong in singing.

 


 

 

STEPHANIE DE SYKES: We’ll Find Our Day/It’s Been A Long Long Day (Bradley’s Records BRAD 7509)

 

Stephanie De-Sykes – We'll Find Our Day – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM, Stereo), 1975  [r2376109] | Discogs

 

Wedding ballad from Crossroads – old-fashioned and it won’t be another “Born With A Smile On My Face.”

 


 

 

CARPENTERS: Only Yesterday/Happy (A&M AMS 7159)

 

Carpenters – Only Yesterday – Vinyl (4-Prong Knockout Center, 7", 45 RPM,  Promo), 1975 [r14887993] | Discogs

 

Very hohum routine stuff from Karen and Richard – churning them out by numbers.

 


 

 

FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS: The Night/When The Morning Comes (Mowest MW 3204)

 

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – The Night – Vinyl (Solid Centre, 7", 45  RPM + 2 more), 1975 [r5838773] | Discogs

 

First Frankie comes back solo, now it’s all of them. From 1972 but thanks to Northern Soul it’s finally a hit. Sinister and brilliant – a pounding heartbeat of a bass, creepy organ, bass trombones from the theme to Cannon and such a fantastic pop record. Keep the faith!

 


 


 

MUD: Oh Boy/Watching The Clock (RAK 201)

 

Mud – Oh Boy – Vinyl (7", 45 RPM, Single), 1975 [r7450836] | Discogs

 

Very strange bricklayers’ stomp of a Buddy Holly cover version. Drums, voices and hardly anything else. But straight in at six so they’re obviously going to be number one again. This is just…odd, and I don’t know they’re going to get another one.





APRIL 1975

The “other deep voice” on “Hold On To Love” belonged to Mike Sammes, possibly the scariest-sounding singer in all of British pop. The Brut 3...