Reelin’ in the Years 266: Patches. RIP Clarence Carter
Posted in 1970s, Events dear boy. Events, Music, Reelin' In The Years at 12:00 on 5 June 2026
In my mind Clarence Carter, who died last month, was a one-hit wonder.
Of course technically he wasn’t, since that description is supposed to apply only to those who had a no 1 single and no other hits. Carter’s song Patches reached no 2 in the UK in 1970. (I also find he had a UK no 82 in 1989 but that hardly counts as a hit.)
That no 2, Patches, falls into that category of sentimentality which courses through USian culture. (Last week’s entry in this category counts there too but Patches bears more resemblance to The Son of Hickory Holler’s Tramp, a success for O C Smith in 1968.)
Clarence Carter: Patches
Clarence George Carter: 14/1/1936 –13/5/2026. So it goes.
