Another of Status Quo’s founder members, bassist Alan Lancaster, has died. He played with the band through their early heyday, from 1967-1985 and again in 2013-14.

This song is from 1972 from around the time the band had hit on the recipe of driving rock which would ensure more sustained success and fan loyalty than they had previously achieved. Lancaster’s bass was a major part of that.

Status Quo: Paper Plane

Alan Charles Lancaster: 7/2/1949 – 26/9/2021. So it goes.

A piece of slightly risqué pop. The clip has Noosha Fox dressed as a schoolgirl singing a song about a woman who falls for her uncle. But in any case he’s gay.

On Top of the Pops this was introduced by a now infamous sexual predator.

That will be why this clip starts so abruptly; as he’s been cut out of it.

Noosha Fox: Georgina Bailey

I mentioned here that David Gates of Bread somehow managed to write love songs that just hit the spot.

From 1970, this was the group’s first UK hit.

Bread: Make It With You

Following the last song in this category another one with gay in its title but this time it’s the girl’s name.

One of Clifford T Ward’s understated (but the more effective for it) love songs.

Clifford T Ward: Gaye

A song from an age when to be gay in the UK, though not illegal for those aged 21 and above, was still to be vilified.

A bold gesture by Robinson at the time.

The sarcasm drips from the lyric.

Having said that I doubt such an overtly political song would be allowed such prominence (it was a top twenty hit in 1978) today.

Tom Robinson Band: Glad to be Gay

Sadly, another death. The second such post in a row. This time it was B J Thomas, best known for singing the song below which was used in the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
The song was actually released in 1969 but didn’t become a hi until 1970 (though even then only a minor one in the UK, and his only one.)

Still remembered fondly.

B J Thomas: Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head

This is how the song was used in the film:-

Billy Joe Thomas; 7/8/1942–29/5/2021. So it goes.

Joe Jackson’s first hit. From 1979.

Joe Jackson: Is She Really Going Out With Him?

This is a song from 1967 but it wasn’t a hit until this performance live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra was released as a single in 1972, when it became Procol Harum’s third UK top thirty entry. There would be only one more.

Procol Harum: Conquistador

I was so sad to hear of the death of Mary Wilson of The Supremes. The group had one of the signature sounds of the 60s more or less introducing Motown to British audiences.

Though she started the group Wilson was not given the post of lead singer, perhaps because Diana Ross began a relationship with Motown boss Berry Gordy. Ross was pushed so much to the fore that the group’s name was altered to feature her. When she left singing duties were shared more fairly.

This is one of those later post-Ross hits, where all three members took the lead.

The Supremes: Nathan Jones

Mary Wilson: 6/3/1944 – 8/2/2021. So it goes.

One more of 2020’s depredations.

Two days before Christmas the band Mountain‘s guitarist singer and songwriter Leslie West, died.

His guitar playing is credited with influencing heavy metal but to those of my generation in the UK his work is more familiar from this song:-

Mountain: Nantucket Sleighride

This is for the simple reason that part of Nantucket Sleighride was used as the theme for the ITV politics programme Weekend World. It always seemed a bizarre choice of tune for the programme’s usual subject matter:-

Weekend World Theme

Leslie Weinstein (Leslie West;) 22/10/1945 – 23/12/2020. So it goes.