Another example of this sort of thing was Black Box and their hit Right on time. The girl singer was actually a model who was hired for her looks and mimed the song on tv.
There have been numerous occasions where 'impersonators' have fronted a group when they never actually sang on the original recording ('Sugar Baby Love' and 'Ride On Time' immediately spring to mind) - but I can't think of another instance where one group member knowingly let another take all the credit for their work ... and played on stage with them.
What's most bizarre is that we've just seen a group land itself a Top Ten hit with its drummer on lead vocals (Genesis) - so why on earth did City Boy go to all this trouble?:eek:
BIB1 - Kenny's four mid-seventies hit singles 'The Bump', 'Fancy Pants', 'Baby I Love You OK' and 'Julie Ann' were all performed by session musicians and their ostensible lead vocalist Rick Driscoll who fronted the group on all their TOTP appearances never sang a note.
BIB2 - Jim Lea played all of the instruments on 'Everyday' but appeared on TOTP playing piano alongside Dave Hill who was miming to a lead guitar solo conceived and executed by his fellow bass player.
BIB3 - I haven't a clue what Roy Ward looks like but perhaps City Boy reached the decision purely on commercial grounds that (i) they would sell more records if the best looking member of the band (or the one most likely to appeal to young girls) fronted the group on TOTP; (ii) unlike Genesis they would probably get away with it as City Boy were relatively obscure and most of the record buying public would neither know or care who the voice belonged to (I'm not suggesting Genesis would have sold more records if Tony Banks or Mike Rutherford had impersonated Phil Collins on TOTP ).
Another example of this sort of thing was Black Box and their hit Right on time. The girl singer was actually a model who was hired for her looks and mimed the song on tv.
But the real vocalist - Loleatta Holloway - did not appear on stage with Black Box ... unlike Roy Ward, who is seen playing drums for City Boy.
I once read that on the TOTP performance of '5-7-0-5' City Boy went further than deliberately getting the wrong group member to mime to the vocals, they also got the group to play the wrong instruments too, deliberately switching both vocals and instruments around... I'm sure I read the drummer was really the guitarist etc on the TOTP performance.
If it's true, it's certainly different!
Edit: Servelan has just posted something along similar lines which confirms this.
BIB1 - Kenny's four mid-seventies hit singles 'The Bump', 'Fancy Pants', 'Baby I Love You OK' and 'Julie Ann' were all performed by session musicians and their ostensible lead vocalist Rick Driscoll who fronted the group on all their TOTP appearances never sang a note.
BIB2 - Jim Lea played all of the instruments on 'Everyday' but appeared on TOTP playing piano alongside Dave Hill who was miming to a lead guitar solo conceived and executed by his fellow bass player.
BIB3 - I haven't a clue what Roy Ward looks like but perhaps City Boy reached the decision purely on commercial grounds that (i) they would sell more records if the best looking member of the band (or the one most likely to appeal to young girls) fronted the group on TOTP; (ii) unlike Genesis they would probably get away with it as City Boy were relatively obscure and most of the record buying public would neither know or care who the voice belonged to (I'm not suggesting Genesis would have sold more records if Tony Banks or Mike Rutherford had impersonated Phil Collins on TOTP ).
BIB1 - didn't know that but it doesn't surprise me, given that early singles by Bay City Rollers and Sweet were played (but not sung) by session musicians.
BIB2 - didn't know that! What was Dave Hill doing that day? Being measured for his latest crazy costume?!?
BIB3 - Roy Ward is seen playing the drums in that TOTP performance. I can kind of understand the best looking member of the group being used as vocalist - but miming to another member's vocals ...? Was his own voice really that bad? (Or was Ward's that good? His range was admittedly impressive ...)
Chris Barratt comments that the first TOTP appearance by the group was several years before. Who was the vocalist then?
BIB1 - didn't know that but it doesn't surprise me, given that early singles by Bay City Rollers and Sweet were played (but not sung) by session musicians.
BIB2 - didn't know that! What was Dave Hill doing that day? Being measured for his latest crazy costume?!?
BIB3 - Roy Ward is seen playing the drums in that TOTP performance. I can kind of understand the best looking member of the group being used as vocalist - but miming to another member's vocals ...? Was his own voice really that bad? (Or was Ward's that good? His range was admittedly impressive ...)
Chris Barratt comments that the first TOTP appearance by the group was several years before. Who was the vocalist then?
BIB - On their previous appearance in 1976 it was their usual lead vocalist, Lol Mason. Steve Broughton, the "vocalist" on 5-7-0-5 is playing guitar (which is what he actually did) and singing backing vocals.
A ropey uploaded old VCR recording of it exists on You Tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjHpTPq6dBY
Can't make out if it's Roy Ward playing drums or not, it might be, I can't really tell.
The Moody Blues did a lot of melodic songs, it's a shame that most only know Nights in White Satin.
The Moody Blues had earlier in 1978 (if I am not wrong) released their first album in five years. Octave was a moderate success and contained the minor hit Steppin' in a Slide Zone.
In the States by this time they were much bigger. Their 1981 album The Voice was a huge hit, as was the 1986 album that contained the US smash, Your Wildest Dreams, one of my fave songs of the eighties.
Alas, I do not expect we will see them on TOTP then.:)
BIB1 - Kenny's four mid-seventies hit singles 'The Bump', 'Fancy Pants', 'Baby I Love You OK' and 'Julie Ann' were all performed by session musicians and their ostensible lead vocalist Rick Driscoll who fronted the group on all their TOTP appearances never sang a note.
Which Kenny are you talking about then? A Kenny with exactly the same sound and songwriters (Martin and Coulter) scored two hits in 1973 with Heart of Stone (number 11) and Give it to me Now (number 38). Was this Driscoll or the Irish guy who appeared on TOTP (I think) with Heart of Stone.:)
The Moody Blues did a lot of melodic songs, it's a shame that most only know Nights in White Satin.
Anyone who wants a broader overview of the Moody Blues without getting their classic septet of albums released between 67-72 could do no worse than to purchase their brilliant compilation from 1974 "This Is The Moody Blues". Absolutely no filler and all killer.
Rolling Stones currently live from Glastonbury doing their current TOTP 1978 hit Miss You.
Glastonbury turning into a bit of a 1978 fest, as earlier i saw Pump It Up by Elvis Costello too, recently shown on TOTP. :cool:
He also did "Radio Radio" another of his '78 hits. Thought he was very good earlier. Still also has 2 of the 3 original Attractions backing him as well (keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas).
He also did "Radio Radio" another of his '78 hits. Thought he was very good earlier. Still also has 2 of the 3 original Attractions backing him as well (keyboardist Steve Nieve and drummer Pete Thomas).
He introduced his backing group as "The Imposters" and of course he did have a hit back in the 80's as The Imposter if I recall. Looking and sounding pretty good. I just could not help but compare and contrast those TOTP with this Glastonbury, and he stacks up well still, sound and style. He did I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea from a recent edition too, plus one that will come up later in '78 Radio Radio, as you mentioned.
Steve Nieve? Is that the same guy who used to be Steve Nieve & The Playboys who was part of Jonathon Ross's chat show group on The Last Resort in the 80's? Always recall a Steve Nieve on keyboards on one of his old chat shows.
Steve Nieve? Is that the same guy who used to be Steve Nieve & The Playboys who was part of Jonathon Ross's chat show group on The Last Resort in the 80's? Always recall a Steve Nieve on keyboards on one of his old chat shows.
Thanks giftednumber10, interesting, never knew that connection.
Watching the Rolling Stones here I have just had a thought regards TOTP, and were they not the first ever act to appear on the first ever TOTP on New Year's Day 1964? Mick Jagger 70 next month, heck, can you imagine what 70 year old men were like back when they began. Not like Jagger strutting the stage here thin as a rake!
Still preferred Nile Rodgers and Chic last night though. :cool:
BIB1 - didn't know that but it doesn't surprise me, given that early singles by Bay City Rollers and Sweet were played (but not sung) by session musicians.
'The Bump' - Kenny's biggest hit was originally written for the Bay City Rollers (BCRs) by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter who also penned the first four top ten hits on which Les McKeown sang lead vocals. The Bump was first released as the B-side of the BCRs October 1974 single 'All Of Me Loves All Of You'. Within a couple of months the song was re-recorded using different session musicians and a young London band called 'Chuff' (who neither sang nor played on the record) were renamed 'Kenny' by Martin-Coulter to promote it on TV. Martin-Coulter also wrote Kenny's other three big hits from 1975. All of Sweet's early singles were produced by Phil Wainman who later wrote for and produced the BCRs in conjunction with Martin-Coulter.
Which Kenny are you talking about then? A Kenny with exactly the same sound and songwriters (Martin and Coulter) scored two hits in 1973 with Heart of Stone (number 11) and Give it to me Now (number 38). Was this Driscoll or the Irish guy who appeared on TOTP (I think) with Heart of Stone.:)
The Irish singer with dark curly hair who I recall performing 'Heart of Stone' on TOTP in the Spring of 1973 was not connected with the London group fronted by Rick Driscoll who first appeared on TOTP in December 1974 although he did sing in a similar falsetto style to the vocalist on the later singles.
Somebody has just begun a topic in the Music section here on DS that states that the last ten weeks has produced a No1 single that has sold in excess of 100,000 copies, and asking if this has ever been beaten. A follow up says a period in mid 1999, and also the record being in 1997 with 28 weeks. However I have just put in a point about music singles sales from 1978 and 1979, when I cannot believe that almost every single week of 1978 the UK No1 must have surely shifted 100,000 singles easily?
I once read that on the TOTP performance of '5-7-0-5' City Boy went further than deliberately getting the wrong group member to mime to the vocals, they also got the group to play the wrong instruments too, deliberately switching both vocals and instruments around... I'm sure I read the drummer was really the guitarist etc on the TOTP performance.
If it's true, it's certainly different!
The Stranglers switched both vocals and instruments around when they appeared on the Dutch programme 'Top Pop' the previous year with Hugh Cornwell on keyboards, Jet Black on guitar, Jean Jacques Burnel on drums and Dave Greenfield on bass and vocals:
Hugh Cornwell and JJB also swapped guitars when they did 'Go Buddy Go' on TOTP in May 1977.
A similar thing happened on TOTP when the Faces switched instruments during a performance of 'Maggie May' in September 1971. It was the first time I'd ever seen Rod Stewart and I clocked the bass guitarist's face. Obviously I had no idea they were mucking about and when the clip with John Peel pretending to play mandolin was aired a week or two later I was bemused to see the "bass player" (Kenney Jones) sat behind the drum stool.
Anyone who wants a broader overview of the Moody Blues without getting their classic septet of albums released between 67-72 could do no worse than to purchase their brilliant compilation from 1974 "This Is The Moody Blues". Absolutely no filler and all killer.
'through autumn's golden gown...' you don't hear lyrical lines like that any more, generally! (I wonder if Justin Hayward had 'Hamlet' in mind...the dawn in russet mantle clad).
'through autumn's golden gown...' you don't hear lyrical lines like that any more, generally! (I wonder if Justin Hayward had 'Hamlet' in mind...the dawn in russet mantle clad).
Justin Hayward probably wishes he had written it but it was actually written by Jeff Wayne, Gary Osborne (sometime Elton John lyricist) and Paul Vigrass.
Jeff Wayne had written the melody as a jingle for a Lego commercial in the late 60s and the other two added lyrics to it for inclusion on an album of theirs a couple of years later.
Justin Hayward was chosen by Jeff Wayne because he "wanted the voice from Nights in White Satin.:)
Obviously I had no idea they were mucking about and when the clip with John Peel pretending to play mandolin was aired a week or two later I was bemused to see the "bass player" (Kenney Jones) sat behind the drum stool.
BIB - I should have typed 'sat behind the drums' or 'sat on the drum stool'.
The town where I live still had some 5 digital numbers (which all began with 2) up until 1997, when they were made 6 digit by prefixing them with a 6. Nearby Newark had 5 digit phone numbers (that began with 7) until the late 90s/early 00s as well. So sub-6 digit phone numbers have been around until fairly recently!
They are still towns out there with 5-digit local number ranges. Camberley in Surrey (not far away from me) is one of them.
Brampton in Cumbria is the only town still to have four-digit local numbers - albeit with a six-digit area code.
Anyone who wants a broader overview of the Moody Blues without getting their classic septet of albums released between 67-72 could do no worse than to purchase their brilliant compilation from 1974 "This Is The Moody Blues". Absolutely no filler and all killer.
The Moody Blues are an interesting edample of a band that disappeared around the time of the New Wave. Despite the quality of their output up to 1973, they never had another substantive UK hit after their comeback in 1978 following a deliberate five year lay-off. They were regarded as old hat and naff.
It may be that their post 1978 output was rubbish, but the Americans did not think so and they continued to sell substantially through the end of the 1980s.
Such bands did not face prejudice regarding their not being part of the New Wave.All the same they eventually folded or petered out like Led Zeppelin and the Eagles.
I posted before that many old wave bands upped their game in response to the New Wave. This applies to both Led Zeppelin and the Eagles. But also to the Who, a band that were clearly aware of what was happening. We'll soon see them perform (I hope) their classic single Who Are You? which is about their reaction to the New Wave (and indeed a real fight that took place between a member of the Who and Sid Vicious. But it is also about how when a guy hits his thirties he starts to realise that the younger guys have the advantage. Who are You? was and remains one of the most played records on American radio..
The Moody Blues just kept on doing what they had been doing and the Americans kept buying their stuff; but for the Who it was pretty much the end, as their legendary drummer Keith Moon died in September 1978.
It is no surprise that songs from 1978 appeared so much at Glastonbury this weekend. It was a vintage year:)..
The Moody Blues are an interesting edample of a band that disappeared around the time of the New Wave. Despite the quality of their output up to 1973, they never had another substantive UK hit after their comeback in 1978 following a deliberate five year lay-off. They were regarded as old hat and naff.
It may be that their post 1978 output was rubbish, but the Americans did not think so and they continued to sell substantially through the end of the 1980s.
Such bands did not face prejudice regarding their not being part of the New Wave.All the same they eventually folded or petered out like Led Zeppelin and the Eagles.
I posted before that many old wave bands upped their game in response to the New Wave. This applies to both Led Zeppelin and the Eagles. But also to the Who, a band that were clearly aware of what was happening. We'll soon see them perform (I hope) their classic single Who Are You? which is about their reaction to the New Wave (and indeed a real fight that took place between a member of the Who and Sid Vicious. But it is also about how when a guy hits his thirties he starts to realise that the younger guys have the advantage. Who are You? was and remains one of the most played records on American radio..
The Moody Blues just kept on doing what they had been doing and the Americans kept buying their stuff; but for the Who it was pretty much the end, as their legendary drummer Keith Moon died in September 1978.
It is no surprise that songs from 1978 appeared so much at Glastonbury this weekend. It was a vintage year:)..
BIB - it probably has a higher profile now than it did in 1978 after becoming the theme tune for CSI ...
Comments
BIB1 - Kenny's four mid-seventies hit singles 'The Bump', 'Fancy Pants', 'Baby I Love You OK' and 'Julie Ann' were all performed by session musicians and their ostensible lead vocalist Rick Driscoll who fronted the group on all their TOTP appearances never sang a note.
BIB2 - Jim Lea played all of the instruments on 'Everyday' but appeared on TOTP playing piano alongside Dave Hill who was miming to a lead guitar solo conceived and executed by his fellow bass player.
BIB3 - I haven't a clue what Roy Ward looks like but perhaps City Boy reached the decision purely on commercial grounds that (i) they would sell more records if the best looking member of the band (or the one most likely to appeal to young girls) fronted the group on TOTP; (ii) unlike Genesis they would probably get away with it as City Boy were relatively obscure and most of the record buying public would neither know or care who the voice belonged to (I'm not suggesting Genesis would have sold more records if Tony Banks or Mike Rutherford had impersonated Phil Collins on TOTP
But the real vocalist - Loleatta Holloway - did not appear on stage with Black Box ... unlike Roy Ward, who is seen playing drums for City Boy.
If it's true, it's certainly different!
Edit: Servelan has just posted something along similar lines which confirms this.
BIB1 - didn't know that but it doesn't surprise me, given that early singles by Bay City Rollers and Sweet were played (but not sung) by session musicians.
BIB2 - didn't know that! What was Dave Hill doing that day? Being measured for his latest crazy costume?!?
BIB3 - Roy Ward is seen playing the drums in that TOTP performance. I can kind of understand the best looking member of the group being used as vocalist - but miming to another member's vocals ...? Was his own voice really that bad? (Or was Ward's that good? His range was admittedly impressive ...)
Chris Barratt comments that the first TOTP appearance by the group was several years before. Who was the vocalist then?
A ropey uploaded old VCR recording of it exists on You Tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjHpTPq6dBY
Can't make out if it's Roy Ward playing drums or not, it might be, I can't really tell.
The Moody Blues had earlier in 1978 (if I am not wrong) released their first album in five years. Octave was a moderate success and contained the minor hit Steppin' in a Slide Zone.
In the States by this time they were much bigger. Their 1981 album The Voice was a huge hit, as was the 1986 album that contained the US smash, Your Wildest Dreams, one of my fave songs of the eighties.
Alas, I do not expect we will see them on TOTP then.:)
Glastonbury turning into a bit of a 1978 fest, as earlier I saw Pump It Up by Elvis Costello too, recently shown on TOTP. :cool:
He introduced his backing group as "The Imposters" and of course he did have a hit back in the 80's as The Imposter if I recall. Looking and sounding pretty good. I just could not help but compare and contrast those TOTP with this Glastonbury, and he stacks up well still, sound and style. He did I Don't Want To Go To Chelsea from a recent edition too, plus one that will come up later in '78 Radio Radio, as you mentioned.
Steve Nieve? Is that the same guy who used to be Steve Nieve & The Playboys who was part of Jonathon Ross's chat show group on The Last Resort in the 80's?
Watching the Rolling Stones here I have just had a thought regards TOTP, and were they not the first ever act to appear on the first ever TOTP on New Year's Day 1964? Mick Jagger 70 next month, heck, can you imagine what 70 year old men were like back when they began. Not like Jagger strutting the stage here thin as a rake!
Still preferred Nile Rodgers and Chic last night though. :cool:
'The Bump' - Kenny's biggest hit was originally written for the Bay City Rollers (BCRs) by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter who also penned the first four top ten hits on which Les McKeown sang lead vocals. The Bump was first released as the B-side of the BCRs October 1974 single 'All Of Me Loves All Of You'. Within a couple of months the song was re-recorded using different session musicians and a young London band called 'Chuff' (who neither sang nor played on the record) were renamed 'Kenny' by Martin-Coulter to promote it on TV. Martin-Coulter also wrote Kenny's other three big hits from 1975. All of Sweet's early singles were produced by Phil Wainman who later wrote for and produced the BCRs in conjunction with Martin-Coulter.
The Irish singer with dark curly hair who I recall performing 'Heart of Stone' on TOTP in the Spring of 1973 was not connected with the London group fronted by Rick Driscoll who first appeared on TOTP in December 1974 although he did sing in a similar falsetto style to the vocalist on the later singles.
The Stranglers switched both vocals and instruments around when they appeared on the Dutch programme 'Top Pop' the previous year with Hugh Cornwell on keyboards, Jet Black on guitar, Jean Jacques Burnel on drums and Dave Greenfield on bass and vocals:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db0VB_MmeK0
Hugh Cornwell and JJB also swapped guitars when they did 'Go Buddy Go' on TOTP in May 1977.
A similar thing happened on TOTP when the Faces switched instruments during a performance of 'Maggie May' in September 1971. It was the first time I'd ever seen Rod Stewart and I clocked the bass guitarist's face. Obviously I had no idea they were mucking about and when the clip with John Peel pretending to play mandolin was aired a week or two later I was bemused to see the "bass player" (Kenney Jones) sat behind the drum stool.
He probably disliked lip-synching and was more than happy to let his band-mate do it for him.
Not all pop people are precious about such things!
'through autumn's golden gown...' you don't hear lyrical lines like that any more, generally! (I wonder if Justin Hayward had 'Hamlet' in mind...the dawn in russet mantle clad).
Jeff Wayne had written the melody as a jingle for a Lego commercial in the late 60s and the other two added lyrics to it for inclusion on an album of theirs a couple of years later.
Justin Hayward was chosen by Jeff Wayne because he "wanted the voice from Nights in White Satin.:)
BIB - I should have typed 'sat behind the drums' or 'sat on the drum stool'.
They are still towns out there with 5-digit local number ranges. Camberley in Surrey (not far away from me) is one of them.
Brampton in Cumbria is the only town still to have four-digit local numbers - albeit with a six-digit area code.
If that's the case, he must have been precious about lip-syncing!
Interesting theory, though ... or are you Roy? Or do you know him?
The Moody Blues are an interesting edample of a band that disappeared around the time of the New Wave. Despite the quality of their output up to 1973, they never had another substantive UK hit after their comeback in 1978 following a deliberate five year lay-off. They were regarded as old hat and naff.
It may be that their post 1978 output was rubbish, but the Americans did not think so and they continued to sell substantially through the end of the 1980s.
Such bands did not face prejudice regarding their not being part of the New Wave.All the same they eventually folded or petered out like Led Zeppelin and the Eagles.
I posted before that many old wave bands upped their game in response to the New Wave. This applies to both Led Zeppelin and the Eagles. But also to the Who, a band that were clearly aware of what was happening. We'll soon see them perform (I hope) their classic single Who Are You? which is about their reaction to the New Wave (and indeed a real fight that took place between a member of the Who and Sid Vicious. But it is also about how when a guy hits his thirties he starts to realise that the younger guys have the advantage. Who are You? was and remains one of the most played records on American radio..
The Moody Blues just kept on doing what they had been doing and the Americans kept buying their stuff; but for the Who it was pretty much the end, as their legendary drummer Keith Moon died in September 1978.
It is no surprise that songs from 1978 appeared so much at Glastonbury this weekend. It was a vintage year:)..
BIB - it probably has a higher profile now than it did in 1978 after becoming the theme tune for CSI ...