Welcome back, friends! It’s once again time
to explore a great song from the past which has been unfairly ignored by radio
stations nowadays. For this review, the Dial turns it’s receivers toward a top
20 track from a band that belongs to the club of “two-hit” wonders… it’s “I Love You” by Stafford England’s Climax
Blues Band!
“When I was… a younger man… I hadn’t a
care...
Foolin' around... hitting the town... growing my hair."
Extracted
from 1981’s Flying the Flag LP, “I
Love You” was a sizable hit as it peaked at US #12, but it interestingly
enough, it was not the lead single from the album. That honor was
bestowed upon “Gotta Have More Love”
which fell short of expectations and the top 40 charts as well, by peaking at
#47.
I recently rediscovered this great tune while perusing my copy of The Billboard Book of Top 40 hits (9th edition), Joel Whitburn’s excellent compendium of top 40 chart data from the beginning of the rock era (1955) through current day… well, 2009 as of that specific edition.
While
glancing at the entry for the Climax Blues Band, I noticed the rather generic
song title of “I Love You”, and its respectable US #12 position. With a peak
that high, I figured I surely must
know the song, even though the title rang no bells at the time, and the only
CBB tune I could place was the iconic “Couldn’t Get It Right”.
I
looked it up online, and as soon as I heard the opening line "When I was… a younger man… ", I
knew right away that I had rediscovered a long forgotten tune, and it felt like
being reunited with an old friend.
“You came along and stole my heart when you
entered my life…
Ooh babe, you got what it takes so I made you my wife."
This was one of many tunes that I really enjoyed upon its original release (at the young age of seven!), but I never knew the title or artist. As the years rolled on, I would occasionally hear it on a soft rock station, or perhaps in a store as background music, and I would wonder… who did this song? Pablo Cruise? Ambrosia? Firefall?
Eventually,
I forgot about the tune entirely as it was basically abandoned by terrestrial
stations (and retail store playlists) heading into the new millennium.
So
here we have a case of a beautiful, romantic, and memorable song being saddled
with an unmemorable title and a soft rock sound that belonged to many of the
CBB’s contemporaries. Further complicating matters is that “I Love You” sounds
nothing like the memorable pop-funk boogie of "Couldn't Get it Right", so I never even suspected this was a
Climax Blues Band recording. Hopefully, this humble little blog entry will do
its part in reawakening awareness of this great song.
“Thank you babe, for being a friend… and
shining your light in my life…
‘Cause ooooo I need you.”
While
listening to it again after so many years, I was struck by how much Peter
Haycock’s guitar solo echoes the work of one George Harrison. In addition, I’m
detecting a strong “Sir Paul” influence throughout the lyrics. In fact, I wouldn’t
have been surprised had I learned that “I Love You” was actually a Beatles
remake or more likely, a solo McCartney or Wings cover. Turns out, it’s an
original composition by CBB lead singer Derek Holt. Clearly, the Fab Four were
on his mind when writing the song.
And
dig that awesome album cover, juxtaposing Niagara Falls into the middle of NYC,
with a sailboat containing the band members positioned precariously near the
edge of the falls! This was the type of album cover that would just draw in my
imagination as a kid…. And as an adult too, I must admit.
So
give CBB’s final top 40 hit a spin below, and see if it awakens some long
forgotten memories for you! Be sure to leave a comment below, and stay tuned
for more great tunes from our collective past!
Kyle’s
Radio Dial – the more you listen, the MORE you remember!
“If ever a man had it all… It would have to
be me…And ooooo I love you”.
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