Perhaps Ian Dury’s most enduring legacy, certainly his and the Blockheads biggest hit, no 1 in 1978.

Its rhyming is inspired.

Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick

Despite the fact that he had health problems it was still a surprise to hear of the death of Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne since he had appeared on stage at the band’s final concert only a few weeks ago, albeit from a sitting position.

His band has a claim to be the founders of heavy metal. Whatever, they certainly had a profound influence on the genre.

I featured their – perhaps untypical – song, Changes, here.

This was the first track on their second LP, Paranoid, which gave them their first and biggest hit.

Black Sabbath: War Pigs

John Michael (Ozzy) Osbourne: 3/12/1948 – 22 /7/2025. So it goes.

(For some reason this didn’t appear as scheduled on Friday 18^th) so I’ve rescheduled it for today.

Dave Cousins, singer, songwriter and main man of The Strawbs, died last week.

I featured their first UK hit, Lay Down, here.

Their biggest hit, Part of the Union, wasn’t written by Cousins but also wasn’t entirely typical of their output.

Their only other top 40 hit was this one.

The Strawbs: Shine on Silver Sun

David Joseph (Dave) Cousins (born David Joseph Hindson): 7/1/1940 – 13/7/25. So it goes.

Mick Ralphs, guitarist with Mott the Hoople and Bad Company among others, died last week. He apparently left Mott the Hoople as the songs he was writing were not suited to singer Ian Hunter’s voice.

They found a compatible home with Paul Rodgers, though, when they formed Bad Company along with Simon Kirke and Boz Burrell.

This is a live version of their first hit, which Ralphs wrote.

Bad Company: Can’t Get Enough

Michael Geoffrey (Mick) Ralphs: 31/3/1944 – 23/6/2025. So it goes.

I’ve said before that writing love songs, good love songs, is not easy but that David Gates seemed to do it effortlessly. (That last word is doing him a disservice I’m sure.)

The lyric of this song again has issues with grammar but that’s popular music for you.

Bread: Baby I’m A Want You

The Guardian only printed the obituary of Joey Molland, guitarist with Badfinger on Wednesday 7/5/25 but it must have been on its website for over a month.

I have featured the band’s big hits Come and Get It, plus Day After Day and No Matter What before.

This song was on their LP No Dice in 1970 but was made more famous by Nilsson a couple of years later.

Badfinger: Without You

Nilsson: Without You

Joseph Charles (Joey) Molland: 21/6/1947 – 1/3/2025. So it goes.

Clem Burke, the driving force behind Blondie’s insistent sound, died last week.

While singer Debbie Harry grabbed most of the attention it is doubtful if Blondie would have achieved the success they did without Burke’s powerful drumming propelling them along.

This was their second UK hit.

Blondie: (I’m Always Touched by) Your Presence, Dear

Clement Anthony Bozewski (Clem Burke:) 24/11/954 – April 6/4/2025. So it goes.

Brian James, founder member of punk rock band The Damned, died on 3/3/2025. Punk rock wasn’t really my thing but it was undeniably a significant part of the late 1970s musically.

This song, written by James, wasn’t a hit in the UK but is very familiar from radio play in the years since.

Brian Robertson (aka Brian James ) 18/2/1955 – 6/3/2025. So it goes.

Singer Roberta Flack died earlier this week.  Her signature style was reserve, not flamboyance or over-indulgence, and her records were the better for it.

Not her biggest UK hit (that would be Killing Me Softly With His Song) but her first.  An all-but perfect rendering of a song Kirsty’s dad Ewan McColl wrote for Peggy Seeger.

Roberta Flack: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Roberta Cleopatra Flack: 10/2/1937 – 24/2/2025. So it goes.

I was reminded of this by a piece in the Guardian during last week, so I thought I’d use it here.

The Only Ones: Another Girl, Another Planet