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Were 'Brotherhood of Man' ABBA copyists?

fawltytowers93fawltytowers93 Posts: 1,872
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in Music #1
I've never heard of this group or any of their songs until today, but I searched them to find their image and style of music was very similar to ABBA.

Were they copyists of ABBA and was their music any good?

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,734
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    #2
    I think they must've gone through a phase when they were desperately chasing after ABBA. Their songs 'Angelo' and 'Figaro' seem to conjure up more than a hint of 'Fernando' lol.

    I'm no real expert as I was just a baby, but my parents put together a little time capsule when I was born, of newspapers, an Everton programme lol, magazines and some chart singles of the time, and one was 'Oh Boy (The Mood I'm In)' by Brotherhood of Man. It's a weird one, as the lyric seems to suggest Americana, but the sound is very 1970s British, the brassy sound of the northern cabaret clubs you hear if you've ever watched Wheeltappers and Shunters DVDs... so this scene, I think, was just as much an influence on them as ABBA were.

    I treasure that record by the way, even though I have nothing to play it on! :o

    AH! here it is! :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,510
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    #3
    Yes totally... and ugly to boot
  • CloudbusterCloudbuster Posts: 688
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    #4
    Yes they have, but to be fair they were a band for a good 6 years or more before they hit the big time with Eurovision. With ABBA being so huge at the time it is little surprise that they sounded so similar. 3 UK no 1's is not to be sniffed at- clearly the UK record buying public liked their own home grown version of ABBA
  • barbelerbarbeler Posts: 23,827
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    #5
    Does anybody actually care? :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,734
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    #6
    It always amuses me when people come into threads about artists they hate, to say 'who cares?' and 'they're sh*t!' :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11,275
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    #7
    They were the Lidl version of ABBA.

    I present this as evidence.

    And this. And this.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,734
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    #8
    jackbell wrote: »
    They were the Lidl version of ABBA.

    I present this as evidence.

    Actually, *that* is appalling. :(

    The single cover is worse. I think they looked pretty good in 70s clothes. But not a good idea to try and keep up with the next fashions, they were running waaay too slow. :D
  • vauxhall1964vauxhall1964 Posts: 10,353
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    #9
    Cloudbuster wrote: »
    Yes they have, but to be fair they were a band for a good 6 years or more before they hit the big time with Eurovision. With ABBA being so huge at the time it is little surprise that they sounded so similar. 3 UK no 1's is not to be sniffed at- clearly the UK record buying public liked their own home grown version of ABBA

    The pre-Eurovision line up were totally different people so it was the same act in name only. They initially were copying the US band Dawn around the time of 'Save Your Kisses'. and its follow up ..untl they realised cloning ABBA was a far more lucrative move.
  • gemma-the-huskygemma-the-husky Posts: 18,116
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    #10
    no more than the equally good "Bucks Fizz".

    iconic whipping the skirts off
  • mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
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    #11
    Cloudbuster wrote: »
    Yes they have, but to be fair they were a band for a good 6 years or more before they hit the big time with Eurovision. With ABBA being so huge at the time it is little surprise that they sounded so similar. 3 UK no 1's is not to be sniffed at- clearly the UK record buying public liked their own home grown version of ABBA
    vauxhall1964 wrote: »
    The pre-Eurovision line up were totally different people so it was the same act in name only. They initially were copying the US band Dawn around the time of 'Save Your Kisses'. and its follow up ..untl they realised cloning ABBA was a far more lucrative move.

    indeed they were one of our first manufactured bands, not quite in the way waterman took it years later, but a commercial enterprise made up initially of session singers.

    i quite liked 'united we stand' (1970), and 'save your kisses for me' was a decent enough pop song for eurovision, but the rest was.... pretty naff.

    'oh boy (the mood im in)' was a cover...
  • CloudbusterCloudbuster Posts: 688
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    #12
    vauxhall1964 wrote: »
    The pre-Eurovision line up were totally different people so it was the same act in name only. They initially were copying the US band Dawn around the time of 'Save Your Kisses'. and its follow up ..untl they realised cloning ABBA was a far more lucrative move.

    Thanks for pointing that out. I was only 10 when Save Your Kisses hit the airwaves!
  • Sweet FASweet FA Posts: 10,923
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    #13
    Dunno, but they were dreadful...
  • Deep PurpleDeep Purple Posts: 63,255
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    #14
    fawltytowers93 wrote: »
    I've never heard of this group or any of their songs until today, but I searched them to find their image and style of music was very similar to ABBA.

    Were they copyists of ABBA and was their music any good?

    They were crap.
  • ackeracker Posts: 8,809
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    #15
    They were a cornyish pastiche.
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