I Think I Love You: 1970s Teen Pop

OUT NOW - NEW BOOK!

Such pop music dynasties as The Osmonds, The Jacksons and the Cassidy’s may be synonymous with 1970s teen pop, but so are a handful of other entities – some better known than others.  From entries on outright obscure acts such as Taxi and Shorty, to accounts on more recognized performers like the Bay City Rollers, Davy Jones, and Andy Gibb – it’s all covered herein. 

Hannes A. Jonsson has assessed more than 30 musically diverse artists from the 1970s who can all – purposefully or not – be accused of having been squarely aimed at the notoriously fickle teen market.  Consequently, many a career was cruelly cut short once its target audience came of age and moved on.  After all, longevity in the music business is extremely difficult to achieve and yet harder to maintain and is only awarded to a precious few via a combination of luck, perseverance, and, of course, talent.  And teen idols, by their very nature, are deemed disposable once their core audience outgrows them.

Therefore, some of the stories told here are ruefully similar in that they often abruptly reach its conclusion somewhat prematurely.  Nonetheless, these are tales that had to be told seeing since some of them really haven’t been heard before or have been unfairly overlooked since their subjects may lack a certain coolness factor.  However, once upon a time most of these acts were forces to be reckoned with and were near and dear to many.   

 

Also as a Kindle eBook:

Available for purchase at Amazon worldwide.

*****

Contents:

 

Foreword

 

1.     The family that plays together:

 

The Osmonds

The Jackson 5

The DeFranco Family

Andy & David Williams; The Williams Brothers

Hudson Brothers

 

2.     The heartthrobs:

 

Bobby Sherman

Davy Jones

David Cassidy

Rick Springfield

Shaun Cassidy

Leif Garrett

Andy Gibb

 

3.     Meanwhile, back in Britain:

 

David Essex

The James Boys

Bay City Rollers

Hello

Kenny (and Kenny)

Slik

Arrows

Rosetta Stone

Taxi

Dead End Kids

Child

 

4.     Big in Japan:

 

Buster

Flintlock

Shorty

 

5.     Big in Europe:

 

Mabel

The Teens

 

6.     Movers and shakers:

The King of UK: Ricky Wilde, Simon Turner, Brendon

            Martin & Coulter

            Chinnichap: Sweet, Suzi Quatro, Mud, Smokie, etc.

            Michael Lloyd

 

            Source materials

           

Leslie Richard McKeown (1955-2021)

 

'Cause I'm a rock and roller

I'm gonna rock it, gonna roll all over

I'm gonna shake it to the midnight stroller,

And rock the night away...

With Les McKeown at the helm, so sang the Bay City Rollers in 1976.

Although Les was never really a rocker, he most certainly was a Roller, through and through.

It was his identity, his role, and his fate.  A fate he tried to escape only twice; for the first time in the late '70s, after his initial departure from the band, and for the second time a decade later, after - yep - another exit from the group.  Nether times it took.

He joined a struggling Rollers in early 1974, just as their (second) breakthrough single, Remember, hit the UK charts.  The rest, as they never tire of saying, is history.  By the year's end, after three more Top 5 hits and a Number 1 album, the Rollers were the biggest band in the land.

Consequently, the world succumbed to Rollermania, as the phenomenon got called.  Europe, the US, Japan and Australia - apparently no one was immune to the beast.  Either loved or loathed, a string of light and breezy pop hits such as Shang-A-Lang, Bye Bye Baby, Give A Little Love, Saturday Night and I Only Wanna Be with You ruled the airwaves for a couple of years there during the mid '70s.

By 1978, though, the jig was up.  Amidst clashing egos, not to mention a drastic change in the musical landscape, the Rollers were unable to keep up and Les unceremoniously left the band.

He was self-deprecating enough to name his first solo backing band Egotrip, and his first solo album All Washed Up.  Still, apart from Rollers stronghold Japan, success wasn't forthcoming.

A handful of Japan-only solo albums followed before the first Bay City Rollers reunion beckoned in 1982.  Again, and not for the last time, Japan appeared to be the only welcoming venue for the venture.

After that enterprise had finally fizzled out Les went solo again by teaming up with Europop maestro Dieter Bohlen (of Modern Talking) for a string of bouncy, dance-oriented singles which all charted in Bohlen's native Germany, as well as a lone album.

By the early '90s Les was once again donning the tartan as he went out with a band variously tagged (for legal reasons) as Les McKeown's '70s Bay City Rollers or, later, Les McKeown's Legendary Bay City Rollers - with him as the only original Roller.

And, apart from an ill-fated 'real' Rollers reunion or two - most notably a much-publicized one that took place in 2015/2016 - that was what he traded in until his dying day, with a tour lined up later this year.

On Thursday April 20, 2021, the world received the news via a post on social media from his family, wife Peko and son Jubei, that Les McKeown had died, 'suddenly, at his home', two days prior, on Tuesday April 20.  He was 65.  No immediate cause of death was enclosed, but a few days later it was reported that the reason was most likely a heart attack.

Seemingly, although Les' life wasn't always easy - he famously battled both alcoholism and drug addiction - there was rarely a dull moment.  His views on people and issues, although not always polite, popular and/or politically correct, he rarely kept to himself.  His biography, Shang-A-Lang (Issued at least three times with various tag lines: 'Life as An International Pop Idol,' 'The Curse of The Bay City Rollers,' and 'My Life with The Bay City Rollers'), is a jolly good read where his joie de vivre personality is brought to the fore.

I met Les a few times, spoke to him many times, and corresponded with him some, way back in the fax age.  He could be charming and funny, sometimes infuriating and difficult, i.e., by no means flawless, but above all human.  I'll miss him.  Rest in Peace, Rock and Roller.

TAXI - PIX

Here are some photos and German magazine articles Steve Clarke from TAXI sent me from his time with the band.

BAY CITY ROLLERS BOOK

BAY CITY ROLLERS BOOK

Only few copies left!  For any further info, write to dontstopthemusicbook@gmail.com 

SOLD OUT!

What the critics said: 

But it’s also a story that demanded to be told.  The Rollers have of course been documented across a stream of titles, but the emphasis has always been on the cultural/commercial phenomenon of their mid-70s peak, and the peculiar emotions that they aroused in their fan base. 

Don’t Stop the Music, on the other hand, is focused only on the music, in the form of a 252-page annotated discography, itself dissected to a level that few other artists have been blessed with.  A band history naturally unfolds alongside the details, but again the emphasis is on the music as opposed to the mayhem, and you’d need a stoney heart indeed not to look to YouTube at least a few times while you’re reading about the songs.  Shimmy shammy shong, indeed.

The Rollers’ own story is the heart of the book, but the same amount of detail and background is also expended across the various spin-offs… solo careers for Nobby Clark, Les McKeown, and Pat McGlynn; a new band for early members Billy Lyall and David Paton (remember Pilot?); and probably deserving a book of his own, the post-Rollers life and times of Ian Mitchell…

Worldwide discographies of the Rollers, and a plethora of record sleeves, reproduced in full color, add to the book’s allure. 

Dave Thompson, goldminemag.com, January 11, 2019.

An essential book about the Rollers! (5 stars)

There have been a few books and several autobiographies written by and about the Bay City Rollers but most at best merely skimp over the musical aspects of the group to concentrate on the more sordid side of the band's history.  With this book the situation has been remedied as it is basically a very comprehensive review of their musical output.  Written by a fan it doesn't gush over everything they've released, and I personally disagree with some of his opinions on songs, but he does give an honest and critical assessment of the band's catalogue.  

...nicely laid out little publication.

amazon.co.uk user Swanny, February 7, 2020.

 

A tribute to Ian Mitchell (1958-2020)

A tribute to Ian Mitchell

(1958-2020)

After a reportedly short but brave battle with throat cancer former Bay City Rollers and Rosetta Stone guitarist Ian Mitchell died on September 2^nd, 2020.

Having replaced bassist Alan Longmuir (Guitarist Stuart “Woody” Wood switched to bass upon Ian’s arrival) in April 1976, Ian’s initial tenure with the Rollers was brief.  Mere seven months to be exact, although he also partook in a reunion or two later-on in the band’s turbulent history.

The Rollers’ fourth album Dedication featured Mitchell – his lead vocals even adorned the title track.

After leaving the band due to an apparent nervous exhaustion in November ’76, he rejoined his pre-Rollers group Young City Stars, now re-christened Rosetta Stone. 

After a couple of albums in a couple of years he left to form his very own Ian Mitchell Band.  Similarly, two years and two albums later IMB became La Rox, and eventually Bachelor of Hearts.  BoH recorded one album, On the Boulevard in 1983.  After that Ian returned to Rollerland for a couple of years.

The late ‘80s saw him move to American for good – he eventually became a U.S. citizen – where he played in myriad of bands through the years. 

He recorded his first and only solo album in the early 2000s – a festive album no less – but does seem to have been only sporadically involved with music thereafter.

As a tribute to Ian I’ve picked a few of the best bits *I* believe he was involved with during his time as a working musician.  Feel free to disagree though…

Bay City Rollers/"Dedication" (LP version) 1976

Rosetta Stone/"(If Paradise is) Half As Nice" (1977)

Ian Mitchell Band/"Lonely Nites" (1979)

Ian Mitchell Band/"Everybody's on The Fiddle" (1980)

Bachelor of Hearts/"Boulevard L.A." (1983)

SWEET Top 10

Arguably one of the greatest singles act of the 1970s, (The) Sweet racked up no less than 16 UK hits between 1971 and 1978. And although they reached the pole position only once – with 1973’s mercurial Blockbuster – they, impressively, five separate times hit no. 2.
Always something of a schizophrenic proposition, on one hand, a bubblegummy glam act while on the other a bona fide hard rock band, Sweet was never what one might call a critics favourite.  Although all four of them – Brian Connolly (Vocals), Andy Scott (Guitar), Steve Priest (Bass) and Mick Tucker (Drums) – were clearly excellent musicians, they were more often than not perceived merely as a vehicle for the songwriting talents of Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn (AKA Chinnichap) – not unlike the duo’s other high profile clients: Mud, Suzi Quatro and Smokie.
Time has been kind to Sweet though. Nowadays they seem to be viewed not that harshly, musically at least. Even though the often over the top visual appearance and image might predictably still warrant the odd ridicule, the music itself rarely does now.
Pre-Chinnichap, during the late ‘60s, The Sweet recorded a few unspectacular and unsuccessful singles here and there, but by 1971 had teamed up with Chinn & Chapman and began to churn out sticky bubblegum like Funny Funny and Co-Co. At first, apart from merely providing vocals to the proceedings, the band had precious little to do with the hits. The B-sides, though, were always real opportunities for the group to show their harder rocking tendencies.
It wasn’t until the somewhat risqué Little Willy, the fifth Chinnichap Sweet single, the band actually supplied instrumental backing to the A-side.  1975’s Fox on The Run was their first self-penned & produced single and, although one of their best and universally most successful, in hindsight it also signaled the beginning of the end for the band.
By 1978 singer Brian Connolly had left Sweet and they never enjoyed another big hit after that year’s excellent Love Is Like Oxygen.
For fun, I’ve selected my Top 10 of Sweet’s singles and listed them here below with the oblibigatory links to YouTube videos.  If so inclined, feel free to do the same in the comments section below, although I doubt the YouTube thing will work there.
Here goes…

No. 10:  Little Willy (1972)

No. 9:  Wig-Wam Bam (1972)

No. 8:  Lies in Your Eyes (1976)

No. 7:  Action (1975)

No. 6:  The Ballroom Blitz (1973)

No. 5:  Blockbuster (1973)

No. 4:  Teenage Rampage (1974)

No. 3:  Fox On The Run (1975)

No. 2:  Love Is Like Oxygen (1978)

No. 1:  The Six Teens (1974)

Alan Merrill R.I.P.

Chiefly known as the co-writer (or sole writer as he claimed in later years) of a little ditty called I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, Alan Merrill, born Allan Preston Sachs, sadly succumbed to COVID-19 on 29 March 2020.

Although for the past 50 years Alan worked consistently as a recording artist, both solo and with others, to the ‘70s teenpop community (as if there is such a thing!) however, he will be most fondly remembered as a member of mid-'70s glam act Arrows, who originally recorded I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll as a single B-side in 1975.

I had the good fortune of corresponding via e-mail with Alan back in the early 2000s.  Some of said correspondence found its way into my book Don’t Stop the Music: The Bay City Rollers on Record, and focused mainly on Alan’s passing acquaintance with the Rollers who appeared a couple of times on the Arrows’ UK TV show in ’75 – ’76.

Alan was very articulate, had an amazing memory and was very generous of his time – in short, an ideal interview subject.  I suspect he was also the person behind the fully warranted corrections of my haphazard piece on the Arrows for the ‘70s teenpop blog a number of years later.  I was always hoping he'd write his own book, he was a natural storyteller and knew were many of the bodies were buried...so to speak.

In a long and varied career that was launched in Japan in the early ‘70s with Alan as singing, acting and modeling teen idol, there was seemingly never a dull moment.  After stints as a front-man with the aforementioned Arrows as well as, later on in the ‘70s, with adult-oriented rock band Runner, Alan was humble enough to take the backseat as a guitarist with both Rick Derringer and Meatloaf in the ‘80s.

In 1982, of course, Alan’s ship well and truly came in when Joan Jett & the Blackhearts cover of ILRnR became a massive worldwide hit.  Although Alan later claimed to not have seen any real royalties from the song until Britney Spears covered it twenty years later, it must have been huge validation nonetheless.  Although mere validation musical probably doesn’t pay the rent.

In the late ‘80s, a freakishly tall and buff friend of mine acted as a minder on the Meatloaf band’s brief visit to Iceland.  And knowing my interest in all things glam, he told me of a moment when the whole group went to Hard Rock Café for a meal, and while there ILRnR came on the restaurant’s sound system one member of the group belted out, “That’s my song! I wrote that!”  Indeed he did.

In later years Alan occasionally gigged and recorded, was very active on social media and appeared to be at long last reaping the awards of his life’s labour.  All the more sad and shocking then, when the news of his untimely demise at 69 broke late last month.  The ‘70s teenpop blog sends his friends and relatives its most sincere condolences.  

This COVID-19 crap is royally starting to piss me off.  Late last night I belatedly received the news another brilliant songwriter and musician, namely, Adam Schlesinger, lost his battle with the virus last week. 

Schlesinger, the co-founder of Fountains of Wayne, one of the best bands of the past 25 years IMHO, as well as a prolific writer for films and TV (That Thing You Do, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), not to mention a sought-after producer (The Monkees, They Might Be Giants), was only 52.  RIP.
Soon, hopefully, these "troubled times" shall pass.

New Bay City Rollers Book - Out Now!

OUT NOW!  New book.  To order, write to dontstopthemusicbook@gmail.com

For better or for worse, and probably for the first time ever, the Bay City Rollers’ records and their music are the focal points of this meticulous study by BCR aficionado Hannes A. Jonsson.
And through it all, the band’s often unbelievable story is recounted via series of ill-fated reunions and consequent break-ups.
Furthermore, lesser-known solo careers and side-projects are also visited, and so are several old acquaintances and collaborators of the group.
Detailed discographies and set lists are included as well.

Les Brians / Lez Smith (Buster) R.I.P.

It has been brought to my attention that Les Brians (Also known as Lez Smith), formerly the drummer of '70s Teenpop band Buster, has died.
His friend, Lesley Thompson, recently posted the following comment on my You Tube channel page:

Lez had been ill for a couple of years (and) eventually his liver failed to protect him from the infections.  He passed away at the beginning of Nov. 2016.  R.I.P

I do hope I'm allowed to re-post this, but since it was originally posted in a public forum I can't really see the harm.
I had the pleasure to exchange a few e-mails with Les/Lez a few years back, the results of which you can read about HERE.  I enjoyed and appreciated his candor and wit - he will be missed.

Pete Leay (Left) & Les Brians (Right) in 1977.

After briefly reforming Buster for an album, "Best & New" in 2013, sadly two members of the band have now passed - guitarist Pete Leay died in December 2013.
My most sincere condolences the family and friends of both Pete and now Les.  R.I.P.

HELLO - The Albums

A mere two-hit-wonder as far as the British record buying public is concerned, Hello during their mid-'70s heyday nonetheless racked up an tangible track record elsewhere - particularly in Germany where they were a viable option until the end of the decade when the original line-up of Bob Bradbury (Vocals, guitar), Keith Marshall (Guitar), Vic Faulkner (Bass) and Jeff Allen (Drums) disbanded.  I would - and have - go as far as to say that Hello is probably one of the most underrated U.K. acts of the 1970's.

Kudos, then, to Cherry Red/7Ts for recently unleashing this impressive package consisting of four CD's featuring what I gather to be pretty much everything ever committed to tape during the band's tenure with both Bell/Arista and Polydor.  A scrumptious array of bonus tracks and previously unissued rarities is the main bait here, as well as the first-ever CD release of 1977 Japan-only album "Shine on Silver Light".  Better late than never!

HELLO bio/discography

The Rubettes

The popularity of progressive rock was probably at its height during the early to mid 1970s.  With acts such as Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, "prog rock" was supposed to be more advanced, complex and, above all, smart than what had come before.  Musical wizardry was the norm and long drawn-out solos were both encouraged and applauded.  Still, not everyone was taken in by the hype and some even longed for the more basic music of yesteryear.  Thus the door was left a jar for a return-to-roots rock & roll revival.  In fact, one could almost claim that said revival preempted punk as a knee jerk reaction to prog by a good few years.
The simplicity and raw energy of the music of Elvis, Jerry Lee, Chuck, et al, found new audience in the U.S. through films like "American Graffiti", and bands like Sha-Na-Na, and Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids.  Meanwhile in Britain, there was the historical London Rock and Roll Show at the Wembley Stadium in August 1972, starring giants of the genre like Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Chuck Berry.  Subsequently, the ball really began rolling in earnest with homegrown acts such as Wizzard, MUD, Showaddywaddy, and...The Rubettes.

A happy accident as it were, the Rubettes were initially brought together in late 1973 as mere session musicians to record a demo for the songwriting & production team of Wayne Bickerton & Tony Waddington.  The song in question was a little ditty called "Sugar Baby Love", which had a distinctly '50s feel to it for sure, with some doo-wop styled harmonies and cutesy innocent lyrics thrown in for a good measure.  And as the song was turned down by Showaddywaddy, Bickerton & Waddington became even more convinced that the demo had that certain "something" and should be issued as is...or rather, was.  Thus a real band was needed to back it up and the gig was promptly and aptly offered to the session musicians who had recorded the song - namely; Alan Williams (Guitar and vocals); John Richardson (Drums), and Peter Arnesen (Keyboards).  Vocalist Paul Da Vinci, the owner of that falsetto, was otherwise engaged and politely declined the offer.  Tony Thorpe (Guitar and vocals); Mick Clarke (Bass) and a second keyboardist Bill Hurd completed the line up and The Rubettes were born.

To make a long story short, "Sugar Baby Love", once released, became a massive hit - in fact, one of the biggest hits of 1974, knocking that quartet of chirpy Swedes whose name now totally escapes me, off the coveted U.K. No. 1 spot in the spring.
And although The Rubettes never eclipsed that initial burst of bubbly brilliance, there were several more hits in the coming years, as well some fine albums - five of which have recently been collected together, including extra tracks and everything, in a CD box set, "The Albums 1974-1977", released by Caroline International (CAROLR032CD).

Through numerous line-up changes, The Rubettes flirted with glam, gave Smokie a run for their money with countryfied anglo pop, but above all their rock & roll roots always shone through.

For a number of years now there have been two versions of The Rubettes touring the nostalgia circuit; the Alan Williams-led version on one hand, and keyboardists' Bill Hurd's Rubettes on the other.  I've only had the pleasure to see the latter outfit on a number of occasions and I can attest to the fact that they're pretty good - and very nice guys as well.
As much as I love hits like "Juke Box Jive" and "Little Darling", as well as catchy and sometimes self-penned album tracks a la "Judy Run Run", Rumours" and "Don't Do it Baby" (also a U.K. Top 10 hit for Mac & Kate Kissoon), I have a confession to make though.  One of my all-time favourite Rubettes tracks just happens to be this early '80s (Oh, the sheer shame of it all!) gem....

 

Foe-Dee-Oh-Dee :-)

Classic '70s Teenpop album: The Sweet/"Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be" (1971)



It's an indisputable fact that The Sweet always sold more singles than they did albums.  That is not to say their long players weren't up to scratch.  Far from it, since both "Sweet Fanny Adams" (incredibly enough their only L.P. to trouble the U.K. charts, not counting "Best of" compilations) and "Desolation Boulevard" are quintessential mid '70s rock albums - IMHO as good as anything either Purple or Zeppelin ever did.  Nonetheless, the band will always be best remembered for their impressive run of classic pop-glam 45's, a la "Ballroom Blitz", "Blockbuster", "The Six Teens", "Fox on the Run", et al.

Semi-conspicuously absent from the above rundown is the hidden gem that is The Sweet's debut album, "Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be", from 1971.  In essence a bubblegum record, it's a curious mix of the band's first hits ("Funny Funny" and "Co Co" - both Nicky Chinn/Mike Chapman originals), covers of '60s pop classics (Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream", The Supremes' "Reflections"), some more Chinnichap filler ("Chop Chop", "Tom Tom Turnaround" - the latter originally a hit for New World), as well as some early band compositions ("Santa Monica Sunshine", "Spotlight").

About a year ago the Cherry Red Records imprint 7T's issued a double deluxe version of the album, including seventeen bonus tracks.  Among which are early hits "Alexander Graham Bell", "Poppa Joe", "Wig Wam Bam", and "Little Willy", single B-sides, and, on disc 2, the earliest non-charting Sweet singles starting with 1968's "Slow Motion" and concluding with 1970's "Get on the Line" (an Archies cover, no less).  A year later The Sweet's fate was sealed after they were taken on by the Chinnichap songwriting team, a veritable hit machine, and as a result, enjoyed their first taste of chart success with "Funny Funny".  And the rest is, as they are prone to say, history.



The entire "Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be" episode is a true testament to the earliest - and lightest - side of The Sweet; a period the band later often went to great lengths to distance themselves from.  And perhaps understandably so; most of the time session musicians were used on the records and the band wasn't allowed to include too many of their original compositions, and when they were allowed to do so, the material all too often ended up as mere B-side fodder.  Truth be told though, Chinnichap had the magic touch, were indeed supplying the band with chart-making material which, as time went on, did get heavier - and, indeed, better. 
Still, "Funny How Sweet Co-Co Can Be" can easily be enjoyed as what it was probably always meant to be: a light, fluffy piece of bubblegum pop - or, quite simply put, a '70s teenpop classic.

 

The Sweet in all their glam rock glory, circa 1973.



Rock and Roll is Dead...And we don't care!

 

Ever since I first plugged this release at the '70s Teenpop Facebook page a few weeks back, I've been pretty psyched about it: The first three Rubinoos albums remastered on colored vinyl with new artwork and bonus tracks!  Talk about the perfect Christmas gift for yourself.  Well, if you're that sad...and I very obviously am.
And now it's finally here!  And it is everything it was hyped up to be, and then some.  It's a lovingly and carefully assembled package from the good folks at Wild Honey Records in Italy - clearly a labour of love.  It sounds and looks absolutely beautiful.  When the original albums are getting increasingly harder to come by on vinyl, what better way is there to get re-acquainted with all the early Rubinoo classics ("I Think We're Alone Now"; "Leave My Heart Alone"; "I Wanna be Your Boyfriend"; "Rendezvous"; "Hurts Too Much", et al.) than head on over to StripedMusic.com and order yourself a set.  I do believe it's one of them "Limited Edition" thingys.  And I swear I am not in any shape, way or form paid to do and say this - it is just that sweet of a deal.
San Fransisco and the Bay Area in the late '60s/early '70s, with its obvious and all-too-recent hippie history, seems like an unlikely place and time for a band like The Rubinoos to flourish in.  The Saturday morning cartoon bubblegum of The Archies and the DeFranco Family were more their kind of thing, although Rock & Roll, Doo Wop, R & B, and the classic Girl Group sound also played part in cementing the Rubes' sound.  "The LP Collection Volume 1" exhibits The Rubinoos at their best.
Already anxiously awaiting Volume 2 in the series...



 

Classic '70s Teenpop Album: The Osmonds/"Crazy Horses" (1972)

 

From the opening chords of "Hold Her Tight", a none-too-distant relative of - yup! - Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song", it is obvious that this is a very different sort of Osmonds album.

 

Twelve original Osmond compositions, produced by Alan the oldest Osmond and the brothers' regular producer Michael Lloyd, that are overall not only somewhat harder-rocking than the previous Osmonds albums fodder, but come with a message as well.  It is not a spiritual message, like their next album "The Plan" (1973) would bring, but an environmental one - decades before that would become the accepted norm in popular music.  Eat your heart out, Sting!
The title track is not only the single greatest thing the Utah born and bread brothers ever recorded, but also one of the greatest singles the 1970's ever produced.  Period.  Just ravel in its glorious unbound madness.  Why didn't they do more of this?

 

The would-you-believe-it semi-bluesy "Life is Hard Enough Without Goodbyes" (Is that a theremin I hear in there?!) is yet another style-breaking surprise.  And so is the mid-tempo "We All Fall Down", all horns and harmonies.

Thankfully though, the record is not without its dose of sweet Osmond balladry.  Admittedly, there's nothing here that equals 1974's "Love Me For a Reason" - that was still a couple of years ahead - but "What Could it Be" definitely ranks as one of their best ballads nonetheless.

 



 

Although some of their most memorable stuff was still yet to come (The aforementioned "Love Me For a Reason", as well as "One Way Ticket to Anywhere" from "The Plan") as far as I'm concerned, when it comes to the Osmonds, "Crazy Horses" is where it's at.  A solid, all-original album, and a classic kick-ass single.  You can't ask for much more than that.  The white Vegas-era Elvis jumpsuits we can - and should - just forgive and forget.

Vikivaki

From what little info I can gather these guys first came together in Götenburg, Sweden in 1973.  Iceland-born brothers Jón-Erik Gíslason (Drums) and Hans Gíslason then got together with Swedes Tommy Eriksson (Bass) and Christer Modin (Guitar), recorded, self-financed and released indie single (limited to 2.000 copies) "Manual Sister Mary"/"Sweet Little Rock 'N Roll" (Plump Productions, PS 004).



A year later, Icelander Steinar Árnason had replaced Tommy Eriksson on bass and the quartet recorded debut album "Oldsmobile", which was then released on Polydor Sweden (#2462 149).
Fast forward a couple of years and a third Gíslason brother Gunnar (Guitar, vocals) had been drafted in, in place of Christer Modin, and Kenny Olsson had replaced Tommy Eriksson on bass, and Vikivaki's best-known work, the album "Cruising", was releasead via CBS Europe (# 82009) in 1977. 

Produced by occasional ABBA collaborator and an all-around Swedish pop legend Claes af Geijerstam, "Cruising" is an ambitious piece of work taking in various music styles, including disco-lite (Sample lyric: "K.C.& the Sunshine Band, Tina Charles and George McCrae.  They turn you on and up the way you want to, and it's all you care to play"), Status Quo-esqe rock and American sounding soft rock.  Meanwhile, image-wise at least, Teen Pop seems to have been the order of the day.  Hilarious 7" promo sampler courtesy of CBS Sweden has to be heard to be believed (scroll down).

"Crazy Daisy" became a minor hit in Sweden, while "Soulstar" caused ripples elsewhere in Europe.  However, major success eluded Vikivaki and the CBS deal promptly expired.

 

Seemingly, by 1979, Vikivaki was down to the trio of the Gíslason brothers and, as such, recorded released their final single in Sweden (and, presumably, in Swedish) only: "Motorcykel"/"Tokyo" (Bohus # BGS 532).

Around that time, I read somewhere that Vikivaki had changed its name to Iceland.  However, then the trail goes cold...(no pun intended :-)

As always, any and all further info would be greatly appreciated.

My appreciation to Musikon.se. 

   

 

Update, November 9th 2015.

 

Iceland doesn't seem to have been as inactive as I previously thought.  By the very early '80s the band consisted of no less than four Gislason brothers: Jon, Gunnar, Hans, and newcomer Björn.  And as such, they issued at least two Sweden-only albums, in 1980 and '82, and a handful of singles well into the 1990's!

 



 

Iceland discography:

 

LP's:

 

"On the Rocks" (1980)

"Breaking the Ice" (1982)

"Funky Street" (1993)

 

Singles:

 

"Breaking the Ice"/"Chicago" (1982)

"Masquerade"/"Movin' On" (1983)

"Cold as Ice"/"Fantasy" (1986)

"Blue City"/"Back on the Track" (1987)

"Caroline"/"Got My Eyes on You" (1989)

"Breaking the Ice"/"Money Talks"/"Lean on Me" (1994) CD single.

 



Eric Carmen

 

The lead singer/songwriter for one of the greatest bands of the early '70s, the Raspberries, Eric Carmen went solo in 1975, after what seems to have been a particularly painful break-up within the band.  Having penned - and sung - power pop classics such as "Go All the Way", "I Wanna Be With You", and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" for his former band, it was abundantly clear that the Cleveland native was no slouch in the singing-songwriting department.  



 

And so, with former Raspberries producer Jimmy Ienner and Clive Davis' newly established Arista Records in his corner, Eric Carmen confidently went out on his own.  And, to make a long story short, his debut self-titled solo album issued in late 1975 is a triumph - a minor pop classic in fact.  The lead-off single, power ballad "All By Myself", quickly hit no. 2 on the U.S. Billboard singles chart, eventually becoming Carmen's best known composition to date yielding covers by both Celine Dion and Frank Sinatra - to name but two.

 



 

Other songs off the album include "That's Rock 'N Roll" (a U.S. Top 10 for Shaun Cassidy in 1977.  The Runaways also included it in their early stage show but regrettfully never recorded it), "No Hard Feelings" (about the Raspberries' break-up), and another power ballad - and a Top 20 U.S. hit - "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again".

 



 

Nothing against Barry Manilow, but as accomplished as the "Eric Carmen" album on the whole was, it unfortunately veered too much towards BM territory at times, which sort of colors many folks' (perhaps unaware of his power pop past) perception of Carmen to this day. 

But to be fair, the Raspberries' repertoire also always had its fair share of blatant balladry.  A case in point: "Starting Over", the title track and a highlight from their fourth and last long player in 1974.  Also, the Bay City Rollers, with the aid and, undoubtingly, under the influence of Raspberries/Carmen producer Jimmy Ienner, took a competent stab at one of the 'berries best melodic moments, "Let's Pretend" ("If 'Don't Worry Baby' and 'Mr. Tambourine Man' had a baby" - Eric Carmen, 2013), which appeared on their 1976 album "Dedication".

 



 

"Boats Against the Current", the difficult second album, was issued in the summer of 1977.  The title track, duly covered by both Frankie Valli and Olivia Newton-John, was yet another piano-based ballad.  The Beach Boys-influenced single "She Did it" went Top 20 in the U.S. while the excellent "Marathon Man" unjustly flopped.  With the album an overall disappointment, both artistically and commercially, Carmen could though find some solace in the fact that Shaun Cassidy hit the Top 10 with another one of his compositions, "Hey Deanie", which was also included on the next Eric Carmen album "Change of Heart" in 1978.  The title track went Top 20 as a single but the album as such flopped miserably.  And thus ended Eric Carmen's association with Arista - for the time being.

 





Although managing a minor hit here and there over the next few years (1980's naughty "Tonight You're Mine" was, well, interesting) Eric Carmen was no longer a viable option, or so it seemed.  That is, until a certain blockbuster movie called "Dirty Dancing" became the surprise hit of 1987.  And Eric Carmen just happened to have a song, "Hungry Eyes", on the otherwise - almost - oldies dominated soundtrack album (one of the other new songs included was "I've Had the Time of My Life" by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes).  And with that, Eric Carmen was back up where he belonged again - in the Top 10...

 



 

1988's "Make Me Lose Control" was an even bigger hit, peaking at no. 3 Stateside - his highest chart placing since "All By Myself"...

 



 

"The Best of Eric Carmen" compilation was issued on Arista.  It did especially well on Compact Disc - the new format all the kids were raving about.  Albums were soooooo out!

And so, apparently, was our Eric.  Instead of following this success up properly he seems to have slipped into a semi-retirement from recording, although touring with Ringo Starr's All Starr Band in the new millennium, and with the temporarily reformed Raspberries a few years later kept him somewhat active in the live arena as time went on.

In 2014 his first new recording for over a decade appeared on a new "Essential Eric Carmen" double CD issued by Arista/Sony Legacy; the Brian Wilson-esque "Brand New Year", where he was aptly enough backed by some of his hero's much lauded backing band: Jeffrey Foskett, Darian Sahanaja and Nick Walusko.  The latter two being also members of power popsters Wondermints.  Let us just hope it is indeed the beginning of something brand new for Eric Carmen...

 

ERIC CARMEN/"Brand New Year" (Video)

 

Eric Carmen, recommended listening:

 

Eric Carmen/"Eric Carmen" (Arista LP, 1975)

Eric Carmen/"The Essential Eric Carmen" (Arista/Sony Legacy 2CD, 2014)