Sometimes we all need a change in music style. It may come after a heavy dose of metal or hard rock songs, perhaps a need to hear something quieter. Which means there is space for us all to love a bit of silky smooth soft rock now and again.
Even then, there are a few different styles around. Over the years, they changed and moved on. In doing so, it's easy to overlook a few classics from 1976. I heard one hit from back then recently, and it reminded me of so many others from the same year.
Off I went, down a sort of Spotify rabbit hole. I was listening to a batch of great smooth sounding easy going songs I hadn't heard in ages. Here are five of the best from that playlist.
Five silky smooth hits from 1976
England Dan & John Ford Coley - “I’d Really Love To See You Tonight”
This one epitomises the silky smoothness that seemed to abound at the time. It’s soft rock, it’s gentle but uplifting, and it was a huge hit for England Dan & John Ford Coley back in 1976. I hadn't heard it for such a long time, and then it popped up on the radio at the weekend.
The song made it to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a gold disc hit. The single helped the duo score a top 20 album too, with their Nights Are Forever album in the same year. Lush strings, a neat piano intro, and a simple time that's nicely bright and cheery for a sunny Sunday.
Bellamy Brothers - “Let Your Love Flow”
Here’s another that I’d forgotten about. Maybe it’s just not the sort of tune for the grey winter days hopefully behind us now. David Bellamy and his brother Homer made up the originally country music-based duo. They did go on to have quite a few hits, but “Let Your Love Flow” was their first big one.
It crossed over into the mainstream, reaching number one on the Hot 100 in May 1976. The country sound was still there among the acoustic guitar and close harmonies from the brothers. Another smooth sound that's worth hearing again.
Sutherland Brothers & Quiver - “Lying In The Arms Of Mary”
More brothers on a sweet tune. This time it's Gavin and Iain Sutherland, but they joined up with a band nearby to them, Quiver. Iain wrote this song; it blended the brothers’ folkiness with the soft rock of Quiver and became a worldwide hit.
Having said that, the US didn't take to it as much as other countries. Only up to 81 on the Hot 100 back in April 1976. There were plenty of top 10 chart successes across the UK, Europe, and Africa. It’s much more of a ballad than the two songs above, but it still has that smooth sound from that time.
Gallagher and Lyle - “I Wanna Stay with You”
If that Sutherland Brothers song had a slightly different sound, we would be well back on track now. Benny Gallagher and Graham Lyle, as Gallagher and Lyle, had quite a few hits with their smooth style of music. “I Wanna Stay With You” sets that out well.
It’s very typical of the duo and the hits they had in the 1970s. This one from 1976 was a modest hit in the US charts and a top twenty hit in other countries. It’s another bright song, with a decent pace, and is nicely uplifting too.
Starland Vocal Band - “Afternoon Delight"
Is this one a bit risque? Some people thought so at the time, though that's faded away somewhat by now. “Afternoon Delight” was the big hit for Starland Vocal Band. Released in 1976, it scored well in the charts and picked up three Grammy nominations in the 1977 awards. It won the Grammy for Best Arrangement for Voices.
That goes a long way toward explaining the song's style. The vocal harmonies are quite lush and prominent. It’s a bit cheesy, definitely happy-go-lucky, and perhaps even hopeful. Though maybe that was the suggestive tone and title. It fits in well with the other four songs here.
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