Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist. 

This week's spotlight is on a song that I haven't heard in ages, probably not since the early 1970s when it came out: "Softly Whispering I Love You" by The Congregation (known here as The English Congregation). I happened to stumble on it on YouTube. 

Interestingly, although I hadn't heard it in ages, the familiarity hadn't diminished. I was in my senior year in high school when this song came out in December 1971.

From Wikipedia:

The Congregation was a British pop ensemble, formed by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway in England. In the United States it was credited as The English Congregation.

The band's biggest hit was a cover version of "Softly Whispering I Love You" (originally recorded by Cook and Greenaway's previous group, David and Jonathan), which peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart in 1971, No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, No. 1 in South Africa, No. 12 in Australia and New Zealand and No. 10 in Germany. The group's lead singer was the former Plastic Penny vocalist, Brian Keith, who later became a session musician. With no further top 40 hits, The Congregation was a transatlantic one-hit wonder.

The band changed its name on releases in the United States to avoid confusion with the Mike Curb Congregation, which also recorded "Softly Whispering I Love You".

The following three videos are of The Congregation's version. The first is with lyrics. The second is their appearance on Top of The Pops with the song dubbed in. The third is the same as the second, only with the original sound.

 

   

 

Pan's People: "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"

A little while ago, I finished putting together tomorrow's Classic Rock Music Monday entry. It will go live at 2:00 am tomorrow morning.

Without giving away who the artist being spotlighted, I'll just say that the song is from 1971. In fact, the next three Classic Rock Music Mondays will be from 1971. I didn't plan them that way, it just worked out that one led to another and another.  

The summer of 1971 was a good year in rock music, I have to say. 

For now and for the fun of it, here's Pan's People (from Britain's Top of the Pops from 1974) with "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

Classic Rock Music Monday

The stuff that now passes as "music", particularly rock 'n roll, leaves me cold. So, to start off the week, here's a video of a classic rock artist.  

Here's one that I haven't heard in ages. It is "Pictures of Matchstick Men" by the British rock band Status Quo. Incredibly, they are still active today after being founded in 1962. I've always loved the guitar riffs on this one. This was a big part of the psychedelic era of the late 1960s.

From Wikipedia:

Status Quo (also known simply as Quo) are a British rock band. The group originated in London and was founded in 1962 by Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster while they were still schoolboys. After a number of name and lineup changes, which included the introduction of John Coghlan in 1963 and Rick Parfitt in 1967, the band became The Status Quo in 1967 and Status Quo in 1969. As of 2022, the group have been active for 60 consecutive years (despite announcing a breakup in 1984, they played Live Aid the following year and resumed normal activities in 1986).

They have had over 60 chart hits in the UK – more than any other rock band – including "Pictures of Matchstick Men", "Down Down", "Rockin' All Over the World", "Whatever You Want", "In the Army Now", and "What You're Proposing". Twenty-two of these reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart, and fifty-seven reached the Top 40.

Classic Rock Music Monday To Return Next Week

Above, yours truly at the clampout in Tombstone last weekend.

Since I was on the road from the clampout and Old Tucson yesterday, I couldn't get to doing the Classic Rock Music Monday to start this week. Frankly, I was close to being exhausted and I had to unload the RV and do laundry when I got home. I usually plan them days in advance. 

So, Classic Rock Music Monday will return next Monday.

However, to tide you over until then, here's Pan's People with Three Dog Night's "Joy To The World" from 1971: