Here's the first of occasional strolls down my memory tunnel to the (best?) forgotten heroes of 'pop'. Winnners of this week's Bear Award For Peak Pop Perfection In Groovy Hats goes to THE RUBETTES, who hit the UK 'charts' back in January 1974 with the awesome 'Sugar Baby Love'.
Sugar baby love, sugar baby love
I didn't make to make you blue
Sugar baby love, sugar baby love
I didn't mean to hurt you
All lovers make, make the same mistakes, yes they do
Yes, all lovers make, make the same mistakes as me and you
Sugar baby love, sugar baby love
I didn't make to make you blue
Sugar baby love, sugar baby love
I didn't mean to hurt you
People take my advice
If you love someone
Don't think twice
Love you baby love, sugar baby love
Love her anyway, love her everyday
As can be seen (I hope!) from the image above, they were a sartorially hyper-cool bunch of chaps. They appeared on 'Top of The Pops' many times during the mid-70's but none of their subsequent appearances could ever match that very first time when singer/strummer, Alan Williams, mimed the first high-pitched wails that open their seminal hit record. Interestingly, it is an established fact that Williams himself never actually 'sang' those histrionic, trouser-squeezing, vocals on the record; it was some anonymous backing singer type. Still, us Rubettes fans will never let that bother us, as 'Sugar Baby Love' is an incredidble slice of mid-period Brit-Pop that has rarely been bettered by any. Coming on like a rocknroll revivalist meeting mixed by Joe Meek, 'SBL' is a must for any self respecting popular music obsessive. After this the 'Rubes' went into steady decline and can now be seen at a workingmen's club near you.
Buy the album and sample tunes here at Amazon UK. (sorry links don't seem to work but please check the song out if you don't know it!)
5 comments:
Oh man, whenever I make a post about the greatness of 70's pop in the UK, everyone ignores it. Just because you know I'm telling the truth!! Okay...you won't be getting my entries for Christie, Chicory Tip, Barry Blue, Hello...etc,etc...
Damn--I missed out on this--'course, I wouldn't have been old enough to know if it was played in the States anyway--back in '74.
Any chance of a copy?
Hey cool! We commented at *exactly* the same time! :-)
Oh yeah--keep up with the "Forgotten Heroes (and Heroines) Of Pop" series--I'm digging it!
Hmmmmmmmmmm..I could send you a copy but it will be in danger of being identified as some sort of suspect package. You are probably lucky to have missed out on it in the first place! I WILL send you it, though, as part of some kind of compilation or other. Should I really carry on with this lame subject? I'll see if I can, as long as people promise to understand that there is NO IRONY or liking 'shite for effect' involved. It is ENTIRELY SINCERE...which also means that you will question my sanity. :)
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