It’s fair to say some songs, even classic ones, take a few listens before you really appreciate how great they are. They grow over time and you probably hear something new each time you listen to them. That’s great if they get that extra time and effort from listeners.
Is that even harder to give these days though? We maybe don’t listen as intently or pay as much attention to what is being played. Flicking through a phone, and multitasking in a variety of ways - it’s all going on while music is playing in the background.
Some songs seem to have a way to cut through that. They shout at you from the first play. They have something unique in their sound which catches your ear and mind, making you listen. Those songs have just had that something extra to make them jump out at you.
Five brilliant 1970s songs you love from the start
That’s got to be more important now surely, but it’s always been that way. It was certainly the case for new songs back in the 1970s. Perhaps then they had to stand out from the crowd of top bands and their new albums and singles. Trying to grab the attention of some classic bands of that time. Here are five great 1970s songs that took on that challenge superbly.
“Ca plane pour moi” - Plastic Bertrand
This song from 1977 proves that you don’t have to create a complicated masterpiece to have an impact. A catchy tune, a great hook, and a simple song can work. This one also shows that songs in a foreign language can work too.
That can be a drawback if other nations can’t understand the words. In this case, it’s French lyrics. Sung by Belgian Plastic Bertrand, also known as Roger Jouret, they are part of the charm and style of the song, even if you don’t speak the language. It was written as a punk joke, a pastiche of the genre, but the sound and energy make it better than many it was pointing the finger at.
It opens with a terrific punk-style guitar sound, fast-paced and driving. Bertrand’s staccato and jerky singing style almost makes it sound like the words are being spat out. Very punk too! Immediately we’re hooked and the song is up and running in our heads.
Three easy chords and a bit of twelve-bar blues sped up and everyone is ready to bounce around to it. Pogoing was all the rage at the time and “Ca plane pour moi” was originally intended to be the B side to a song called “Pogo-Pogo” but was flipped over to the A side at the last minute. A great decision. It’s such a lively song and it still grabs you now when you hear it.
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“Do anything you wanna do” - Eddie And The Hot Rods
This song was where the lines blurred between high-energy pub rock and punk. Both came out of great live acts playing rocking tunes with loud guitars. Of course, there were differences, but there was a crossover. In their early days, Eddie And The Hot Rods played at the Marquee Club, London, with the Sex Pistols as their support band. There’s no surprise in that being total chaos with the pistols trashing the set.
“Do anything you wanna do” stood its ground against the punks when released in 1977. It became an anthem with a fresh sound of its own, but still clearly rock and roll based. It’s another where a great guitar riff kicks it off with the vocals strong and rebellious from the outset. Hooked from the beginning, the song then romps through a just under four-minute blast of great music.
The band did admit to pinching a guitar sound from Bruce Springsteen, recording two guitars, tweaking one of the two, and blending them to sound like a 12-string. Neat trick, the guitars are great on the song and draw you into the rhythm. This was an early record for producer Steve Lillywhite who went on to work with U2 and many others. He’s helped add a great freshness to the record. Even with the studio adjustments, it’s a song that sounds amazing live too.
“Ballpark Incident” - Wizzard
Wizzard is where Roy Wood went after he walked out of The Electric Light Orchestra. He was also the founder of the Move before that. His new band's first single “Ballpark Incident” doesn’t get much of a mention now, it was pretty low-key back then too, the song didn’t even make it onto their first album, Wizzard Brew.
It was very glam rock though, with painted faces, lots of great costumes, and fooling about on stage. That doesn’t necessarily make a great record but “Ballpark Incident” is one of those. It blasts out a great tune from the off with its bar room boogie approach. Wood was always keen on a variety of instruments and sounds and this has guitar, sax, keyboards, and lots more. It's a bit old-style 1950s rock and roll mixed with those early ELO and the Move styles.
I remember being hooked by it when it first appeared on BBC Top Of The Pops. I had to go and buy the single. I couldn’t stop playing it. To the extent that I started to wonder if there was some form of subliminal messaging within it!
The answer probably lies in not having many other records to play at the time and it just being a great song. Having bought it though I need to give a worthy mention to the B side, "The Carlsberg Special (Pianos Demolished Phone 021 373 4472)". It wasn’t the best song, but what a title!
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“Music” - John Miles
An absolute classic song to kick off this list of five songs. It’s still astonishing that John Miles didn’t get the longer-term success as a solo artist that his talents deserved. He was recognized within the music industry and worked with many top artists.
A regular in Tina Turner's tour band, Miles also played on a Jimmy Page album and many of The Alan Parsons Project records. It was Alan Parsons who produced the song “Music”, Miles’ biggest hit. Parson’s production may have influenced the slight prog rock flavor to the song, but it’s Miles who has the writing credits. He also picked up an Ivor Novello Award for “Music” in 1977.
Released in 1976 from the album Rebel ”Music” is such an amazing song going through many twists and turns. The opening piano and soft voice lead you in, a brilliant guitar riff picks up the beat soon after followed by a soaring lead guitar. Then back to the simple piano and vocals, already my head is turned at the diversity of the sounds.
An almost symphonic orchestral sound takes over and it’s like a huge film score for a short while. The guitars return, a pacy rhythm is back and the song builds to a stunning conclusion. Superb vocals from Miles, a terrific song and one that has your attention throughout, such a clever and memorable song.
“Hold back the night” - Graham Parker And The Rumour
Graham Parker And The Rumour was another pub rock band that emerged in London in the 1970s. Sometimes tagged as an Elvis Costello imitator Parker and the band predate Costello and bring a different more RnB approach at times. As this song illustrates so well.
“Hold back the night” was a huge hit for Philadelphia disco and soul stars The Trammps. So what’s a snarling rock-based, almost punk-like, Graham Parker doing covering it? A great job, that’s what. I’m not a great fan of covers of top songs, they rarely sound better. This is one of the exceptions. When it starts it sounds familiar, but soon becomes oh so different in its sound.
It opens with the same guitar sound as the original, but Parker’s version is rawer. Likewise, when his voice cuts in, it’s slightly less smooth than The Trammps version. Parker’s fiery vocal approach is to the fore here.
Both aspects are plus marks as the song has real energy and life to it. As the horns cut in and the chorus arrives you are captured by it, you don’t have to like disco to love this version. Parker hasn’t changed a lot from the original, but his distinctive voice and his slick band raise the level and make it a superb tune.