Notes on Text
The group calling themselves Marmalade (as opposed to “The Marmalade”) were the result of a buyout in 1975 after the original band had ground to a standstill; it involved two former members and at the time had been touring the oldies circuit as essentially their own tribute band (they called themselves “Vintage Marmalade”) with considerable success – they negotiated the rights to the band’s name and set themselves up as, effectively, the new Marmalade; their frontman, singer and guitarist Sandy Newman, was already a veteran of the Glasgow music scene, having played with Chris McClure (later Christian)’s Section in the late sixties. Target Records was a shortlived EMI subsidiary label set up by Tony Macaulay. Marmalade never did have another hit but a version of the band, still featuring Sandy Newman, continues to perform and occasionally record to this day.
Eddie Drennon was Bo Diddley’s former musical director (and occasional electric violinist) from Newark, New Jersey. The 12” of his “Latin Hustle” was mixed by the great Tom Moulton. Muff Murfin and Colin Owen – sorry, M. & O. – could not compete.
The co-writer of “You See The Trouble With Me” was, of course, Ray “I Don’t Think That Ghostbusters Should Sleep Alone” Parker Jr.
It’s highly possible that Charlie Gillett played “Jungle Rock” on his BBC Radio London Honky Tonk show at the time, but since I lived in Glasgow at the time I wouldn’t know that for sure. It was almost certainly one of the records sold by Ted Carroll at his Golborne Road Rock On market stall and bought by Malcolm McLaren for inclusion on the Sex jukebox in World’s End. It was clearly a John the Baptist prophecy of something big that was about to happen.
Yes, the bassline to “Guns Of Brixton” is distantly related to that of “City Lights,” wouldn’t you say? Not the same, but distantly related.
When dying in hospital in 2018 (or thinking I was dying), hearing Ken Bruce play “Music” after Popmaster on more than one occasion probably helped bring me back to “the world.” Music has a funny but logical way of doing such things.
6 March
HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUENOTES: Wake Up Everybody (Part 1)/Wake Up Everybody (Part 2) (Philadelphia International PIR 3866)
The unexpected Philly Sound revival continues…and sounds as though it has toughened up. Grand, patiently-sweeping political declaration in the Bicentennial year which sounds like a renewed, if gentlemanly, call to arms with a tremendous Teddy Pendergrass lead vocal which with genteel yet irate mockery puts that fence-sitting community centre singalong “Let It Be” firmly in its place. Look at where letting it be has got us, the song seems to suggest. Time, in this Presidential election year, for a change.
MARMALADE: Falling Apart At The Seams/Fly, Fly, Fly (Target TGT 105)
Their first hit in some time, or whatever’s left of them since Dean Ford and Junior Campbell are nowhere to be heard. Standard Tony Macaulay-penned Co-Op Dividend Stamps cabaret pop. Has about as much to do with “Reflections Of My Life” as Herbie Hancock has to do with Tony Hancock.
M. & O. BAND: Let’s Do The Latin Hustle/Switch Back (Creole CR 120)
EDDIE DRENNON & B.B.S. UNLIMITED: Let’s Do The Latin Hustle/Get Down Do The Latin Hustle (Pye International 7N 25702)
An old-fashioned chart battle, where an anaemic British cover comes off worse than the American original, but unlike Craig Douglas’ “Only Sixteen” it won’t win this time. The Eddie Drennon track is luscious, smooth and elegant; the clumsily timid UK version sounds like the Muzak soundtrack to a furniture shop advertisement.
GALLAGHER & LYLE: I Wanna Stay With You/Fifteen Summers (A&M AMS 7211)
Overdue first hit for the Scots McGuinness Flint veterans and writers of hits for others; good, intelligent and solid pop-soul.
THE GLITTER BAND: People Like You And People Like Me/Makes You Blind (Bell 1471)
Rather bland “Put Your Hand In The Hand”-type Sunday School singalong on the A-side, but the B-side is a remarkably authentic-sounding clavinet-driven jazz-funk (mostly) instrumental with Average White Band-style horn punctuations!
13 March
PETERS & LEE: Hey, Mr Music Man/Stay By My Side (Philips 6006 502)
Their first hit in over eighteen months and it seems the British only like the duo in their oompah-oompah mode. Tacky and dated, so no wonder it’s a hit here.
EAGLES: Take It To The Limit/Best Of My Love (Asylum K 13029)
Much better when doing straight orchestral pop than gluey country-rock, this does sound a little late sixties with its echoing strings and yearning canyons of harmonies but actually gives the impression of going somewhere musically. B-side is a reissue of a good ballad that should have been a hit the first time.
RANDY EDELMAN: Concrete And Clay/Bring The Baby In With The Bacon (20th Century BTC 2261)
Smoothing out the old Unit Four Plus Two warhorse to make it sound like Tony Orlando and Dawn. What’s the point? The B-side sounds like the theme tune of a terrible situation comedy series.
BARRY WHITE: You See The Trouble With Me/I’m So Blue And You Are Too (20th Century BTC 2277)
Good week for the 20th Century/Pye promotions team, and this is remarkably good and powerful – co-written with one R Parker, Jr, I see – and catchy enough to be White’s biggest hit since “You’re The First…”
BROTHERHOOD OF MAN: Save Your Kisses For Me/Let’s Love Together (Pye 7N 45569)
This year’s Eurovision entry, not the same Brotherhood of Man who did “United We Stand” (although the two are connected) and a sickly “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” ripoff with an even more nauseating lyrical twist at the end. It’ll be as huge and inescapable as the yellow ribbon was.
20 March
EMMYLOU HARRIS: Here, There & Everywhere/Amarillo (Reprise K 14415)
So good and refreshing to see Emmylou Harris finally get a hit single; a rare touch of class in a “Blanket On The Ground” world. This might be one of my favourite Beatles cover versions and in fact is better than the original – Harris’ vocals are palpable and sincere, the production and arrangement (Nick da Caro’s strings), are both sumptuous and subtle, and the whole just magnifies how great a song this is once it’s been given a proper chance. Far too good and classy to become a huge smash, but likely to be fondly remembered once the trash surrounding it has become long forgotten.
BE-BOP DELUXE: Ships In The Night/Crying To The Sky (Harvest HAR 5104)
One of the stirrings of something bigger about to happen. Singer and guitarist Bill Nelson doesn’t really fit in with anything or anybody else in the current British music scene, which is all to his advantage – this is exemplary and unimpeachably arty electronic pop that sounds like it’s reached the eighties four years ahead of schedule.
THE DRIFTERS: Hello Happiness/I Can’t Get Away From You (Bell 1469)
More light cabaret would-be "Hang On Sloopy Ambushed By Ten Guitars"-MoR scrapings which will be ideal background music for people who don’t really care about anything any more.
THE BEATLES: Yesterday/I Should Have Known Better (Parlophone/Apple “The Singles Collection 1962-1970” R 6013)
They’ve reissued all the Beatles singles in matching sleeves and released “Yesterday” as a single for the first time in Britain. I’m not sure why we should be interested in the Beatles in 1976. What do they have to say to a year like this; what would sound like if they were still going now? As good a song as it might reveal itself to be if we hadn’t already heard it a million times on the radio, it sounds like the past. It doesn’t sound like today ought to sound.
27 March
HOT CHOCOLATE: Don’t Stop It Now/Beautiful Lady (RAK 230)
No, stop it.
HANK MIZELL: Jungle Rock/HANK MIZELL & BOBO: When I’m In Your Arms (Charly Records CS 1005)
From 1957 – this really seems to have come back from nowhere; thumpingly percussive rockabilly with positively bitonal guitars. It’s everything that today’s slick, smooth pop isn’t and maybe that’s why it’s suddenly broken big. You can’t NOT move to this.
DAVID ESSEX: City Lights/St Amie (CBS 4050)
The cheeky Cockney offers his own “Bohemian Rhapsody”-style epic; six minutes and forty seconds of ominous urban paranoia with shark-like strings, wearily throaty vocals and a killer bassline. This is venturing into Peter Hammill/Kevin Coyne territory – it’s hardly teenybop any more, and all the better for it. Not sure whether it’ll get much higher, but it ought.
ELTON JOHN: Pinball Wizard/Harmony (DJM DJS 652)
From the soundtrack of the film of Tommy, and am I the only listener who prefers this pounding piano-driven rock reading to the Who’s original? Its air of extravagance fits the song’s ambitions.
10cc: I’m Mandy Fly Me/How Dare You (Mercury 6008 019)
Yet another epic from the band, and on this one Eric Stewart’s hero dreams of flying before crashing down in a sea of sharks, then abruptly finding himself on a street, staring at the wall. I’m assuming “Mandy” isn’t an actual air hostess but slang for Mandrax, i.e. this is a drug song. I could be wrong but the song works better if you think of it in that manner. Comes complete with a Mike Oldfield pastiche in the middle!
JOHN MILES: Music/Putting My New Song Together (Decca F 13627)
They’re all up and running with their multi-part epics now. This from the “Highfly” guy – who would have expected him to say anything? – plays like a Home Counties “MacArthur Park,” except he’s celebrating his love rather than mourning its loss. The three sections weave expertly in and out of each other, a tremendous arrangement by Andrew Powell and superlative production by Alan Parsons – this song is like a proclamation of defiance against a collapsing world; end if you must, but the music and my love will survive. Heard in the right circumstances, this is really quite touching, and it is obviously and deservedly going to be a massive hit.
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