I’m locked into a bit of a 1970s groove right now. I think it must be the grey skies and cold January weather here in the UK. Listening back to great music from that decade is a good way of getting a nice warm glow.
A lot of my 1970s playlists have rock music featuring strongly. But there’s always room for some pop or new wave and punk too. That tends to be all upbeat and bouncing along with drive and energy. Occasionally a change in style is called for.
That’s where a few ballads fit in nicely. They don't have to be sad or full of doom and gloom. Neither do they all have to be lush love songs. Though romance, sadness, and heartbreak do often play a strong role in a ballad. For these five superb ballads, there is a little bit extra that makes them a great song. A sad point, though, is that the five below may not all be as well known as they should be. They do deserve more recognition for their great sounds.
Five superb 1970s ballads you need to hear
Racing Cars - “They Shoot Horses, Don't They?”
Let's start with a superb song, but one I hadn’t heard for ages until it popped up on a playlist recently. That reminded me of this as the only hit for the Welsh band Racing Cars back in 1977. Don't worry though, the song title is related to a 1969 psychological film of the same name about dance marathons from the Depression era.
The short set of lyrics reflects that and adds a sad note to the wistful vocals on the track. The simple backing to the song builds as it progresses to a much bigger and fuller sound by the end. It's a really thoughtful song and shows well that ballads don't have to be love songs.
Judie Tzuke - “Stay With Me Till Dawn”
Judie Tzuke has an amazing voice, which this song shows superbly. It was her big hit song and highlighted her talent to a wider audience. One hit wonder feels like a harsh term at times, none more so than here. Tzuke has had several great albums, played at Glastonbury, and supported Elton John at his massive Central Park New York gig in 1980. But the success of this particular song wasn't repeated for her again.
From the opening notes her voice soars and floats beautifully. Although it was released in 1979, there is what became a typical eighties feel and sound to the backing. An electronic drum beat adds power, lush strings, and clever guitar sound add intricacy and softness, but always that superb voice prevails over it all adding a haunting tone. It should make you want to hear more about this great artist.
Sad Cafe - “Everyday Hurts”
Perhaps the best known of these five songs is this excellent song from Manchester UK band Sad Cafe. They don't count as one-hit wonders, but this was by far their biggest song. It’s a lost love, heartbreak song. A slow and low-key start is offset by a powerful and more upbeat chorus.
The whole song is brilliantly played out, and there are nice keyboards in those quiet moments, too. Lead singer Paul Young does well on the quieter verses but especially excels on those choruses. He’s not the Paul Young solo singer who had several hit singles but did go on to score more fame with Mike + the Mechanics. As ballads go, it’s a great example from 1979.
Peter Skellern - “You're A Lady”
There is no doubting this much earlier 1972 single as a love song. It was the debut single from Peter Skellern and one of his biggest hits. This single gave him a breakthrough on TV and radio. It also helps him establish a unique sound and style.
The song opens with the warm notes of a brass band, Skellern often incorporated that into his music. Combined with his somewhat upmarket voice and piano accompaniment it all gives a richness and grandeur to the song. Then there is a great choral section softly in the background to take it even further in that direction. A fabulously heartwarming song.
Elkie Brooks - “Lilac Wine”
Let's end the list of five with a great cover song from many years before which Elkie Brooks took for this 1978 single. Brooks was already well known, she’d a background as a jazz singer and a couple of years with Robert Palmer in Vinegar Joe. As a solo singer, she’d had a few hits before this song came out.
It’s a powerful ballad based on heartbreak and solace sought in wine. Brooks has a great voice, bluesy, jazzy, and strong. Mike Batt produced this single and added plenty of orchestration to give it depth and feeling. Brooks' voice takes that a whole step further. Well worth hearing again or for the first time.