The Hollies - The Air That I Breathe

Going back to being an 8 year old, just really getting into music and listening to the radio and hearing all kinds of music mixing together on the radio. I remember hearing this single from an old band that were having hits before I was born! The Hollies were a band from Manchester who were towards the end of their chart hit career. They had a lot of hit singles here and in America during the 60's as part of the so called ''British invasion'' which happened after the Beatles had hit America.

Graham Nash had left the band to form Crosby, Stills & Nash. The Hollies hits were drying up and they recorded this track written by Albert Hammond & Mike Hazlewood, which was included on Hammonds solo album. The Hollies heard the album decided the track was their kind of track and complete with lush orchestral arrangements, this ballad hit the charts in February 1974 and raced up to number 2 and made the top 10 in America. It would be the last major hit for the band until the mid 80's re- issue of He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother after an advert had used the song and pushed it to number 1!

The song has been covered many times by a number of different artists and has become a standard. In 1992 Radiohead were sued as the chords in their single Creep were very similar to the chords on the Hollies version of The Air That I Breathe so they were sued by the writers of the track and are now listed as co writers on the Radiohead track. Here's the single.

Sad Cafe' - Everyday Hurts

Mancunian band Sad Cafe' had been around since 1976 and although building up a small following never really did anything till this single hit the charts. Released in September 1979 it slowly climbed the charts to number 3 that year and also was a small hit in American where it was renamed Everyday. To help this gorgeous ballad hit the charts the record company released the single in blue vinyl and also a picture disc (a rarity, a song being released on 2 different formats to get it into the charts). It came off the album Facades (an anagram of Sad Café) which also was released in blue vinyl and got to number 8 in the album charts!

I have seen the band quite a few times and have met them several times and were a great bunch of guys and always happy to meet the fans. I followed the band for a few years before the lead singer Paul Young left the band to join Mike & The Mechanics. Here's the single, with the picture cover, blue vinyl and picture disc versions!

Roger Daltrey - Giving It All Away

In between a tour break by The Who, Roger Daltrey set about recording his solo album, Daltery. In 1972 The Who were recording in the studio where writers Leo Sayer and David Courtney were recording material for Leo Sayer. Roger liked what he heard from them and asked if they would write some tracks for his forthcoming solo album. As David and Leo had loads of tracks demoed and half written they let Roger choose. He Chose Giving It All Away, a powerful ballad that really suited Roger's voice, full of emotion and power. The track was a hit and reached number 5 in 1973 and was his first solo hit single. This also started the career of Leo Sayer as a few months later he was to have his first hit single too and he also recorded his version of his song on his second album Just A Boy.

Fleetwood Mac - Sara

Written by Stevie Nicks, this gorgeous ballad came from the album Tusk which was released in 1979 and was the follow up to Rumours. The album has the full 6 minute version on, but the single came with a 4.37 minute edit. The song is supposed to be about the relationships and love affairs in the band, but the finished song cut most of this off. Released in January 1980 the single only managed to reach a disappointingly 37 in the UK charts but did better in America where it got to number 7.

When Tusk was released on CD for the first time, they put the 7'' edit on the album but it wasn't until the Greatest Hits came out in 1988 that the full version was first heard on CD. Rumours are there's a 9 minute version of the song! Here's the single.

Kiki Dee - Amoureuse

This gorgeous ballad hit the charts in November 1973 and peaked at number 13 in December in the same year. Originally a French song by Véronique Sanson, Gary Osbourne translated the lyrics into English and would be the first real hit single for Kiki on Elton John's Rocket Record label. Basically the song is about a woman after she has her first sexual encounter with a guy. There was another version of this track called Emotion released in America by Helen Reddy, same tune but totally different lyrics. Over the next few years Amoureuse would be re-released again on an E.P Loving And Free and this single is the reissue from 1984.

Ultravox - Vienna

January 15th 1981, this classic piece of a synth ballad, appeared out of nowhere. It was so different from what was happening in the charts at the time, but fitted in with the New Romantic scene so right. It summed up the time, all drama, over the top production, electronic music, plus the classic video that made the single showed that image and music could go together to make more of a complete package.

The single came off the album of the same name and was the third single off the L.P. Sleepwalk was the first and made a modest entry into the top 30, Passing Strangers was a great track but didn't crack the top 40. I guess it was such a risk to release a track like this at the time, after a flop single, would it get radio play or would anyone bother with it? It was released (like all Ultravox singles) in clear vinyl but it sold on the song, not the gimmick and reached number 2 for 4 weeks. The ground breaking video (slightly inspired by The Thrid Man) was cheaply shot in Covent Garden and in parts, in Austria as the video made you believe it all happened in Austria! I really believe it was this video that started the video revolution here in the UK. Here is the single, plus the clear vinyl scan!

10CC - I'm Not In Love

This classic single was released in 1975 and became an instant masterpiece. The drummer of the band Kevin Godley came up with the idea of replacing the backing track and to use the bands voices instead. Each member of the band recorded one note which was dubbed and mixed onto a master tape which created a multi layered choir effect. Complete with vocals from Eric Stewart and the secetary of the guys recording studio provided the girl's voice in the intrumental break repeating "Big boys don't cry" which they decided on after she walked in to pass a message to the band.

The band were after a new record contract and signed to Mercury Records after the label heard the track and offered them a 5 album deal. The single was released at the beginning of June and hit number 1 for two weeks and got to number 2 in America. It has become a heavily covered single and has featured on quite a few film and TV soundtracks over the years, an always popular track to feature on love song compilations it remains an ever popular single!

Nillsson - Without You

This song, is my all time favourite single. Released in 1972 and I must have been about 7 years old and I kept hearing this record on the radio. It was years later before I found out who sang it and I just think it is such an emotional song, with such a sad background to it.

Without You was first performed by Badfinger who were signed to the Beatles record label Apple records. Nilsson, heard it and thought it was the Beatles. he recorded his own version of it and it got to number 1 here in the UK charts in 1972. His heart wrenching vocals about a failed relationship, just make this song and the emotion is just so raw you can feel every 3 plus minutes of it as it plays. A classic song that has a sour ending to it. In the mid 70's there was a royalties row with the writers of the song and Nilsson, they claimed they wern't getting any royalties for the song. The stress of the court case was too much and Pete Ham hung himself, several years later on Tommy Evans hung himself as well. To make matters worse, in the 1990's Mariah Carey issued her version and completely murdered the track dead with her screeching awful vocals.