I had remembered Family’€™s The Weaver’s Answer as a 1970 song. On listening to Sounds of the Sixties last Saturday though it seems it came out as an album track in 1969. As a result I have renumbered my Reelin’€™ in the Years category to take account of this and added The Weaver’s Answer to Friday on my Mind.

It does give me an excuse to use another Family track (definitely from the 1970s this time.)

Family: Burlesque

Rock Follies was a 70s TV drama which dealt with the setting up of an all-female rock group. It ran for two series in 1976 and 1977. The Follies concerned were played by Julie Covington who has already featured in this category as a solo performer, Rula Lenska and Charlotte Cornwell.

This is the musical intro to the show.

Intro to the Rock Follies 1976

Among the songs the trio performed was Glenn Miller Is Missing which has stuck in my mind as it seemed a strange subject for a song in a popular music drama at the time (even if they were doing a themed episode.) It still does.

Glenn Miller is Missing

Note the ENSA badge flashes on the Follies’ shoulders.

ENSA was the Entertainments National Service Association set up to send entertainers of varying degrees of ability round troop and service establishments during the Second World War.

Wags soon dubbed ENSA as Every Night Something Awful. (Compare It Ain’t Half Hot Mum.)

Janis Ian’s other best known song came in the 70s. One for wallflowers of any age.

Janis Ian: At Seventeen

Another early 1970s song from a band who came to prominence in the 60s. This is great stuff.

It was released as a single but this is the long-playing version.

The Doors: Riders On The Storm

More Atomic Rooster, just for completeness.

Atomic Rooster: The Devil’s Answer

I don’t know exactly what it is about this song. I know some folk hate it but for some reason I’ve always liked it.

Lobo: Me And You And A Dog Named Boo

Lobo’s follow up hit I’d Love You To Want Me has not worn as well, I fear.

Lobo: I’d Love You To Want Me

Labi Siffre is remembered more for writing It Must Be Love (which, of course, Madness made into a big hit) and his signature tune Something Inside So Strong.

This, though, was his first single – but not much of a hit.

While clearly being about a proud and loving father doting on his daughter I wonder if nowadays this song might be frowned upon as having an unfortunate subtext.

Labi Siffre: Pretty Little Girl (Make My Day)

I see from this that Dobie Gray, whom I featured as number five in my Reelin’ In The Years series, has himself drifted away.

He didn’t have many hits but was apparently big on the Northern Soul scene.

This is his other widely known song, The ‘In’ Crowd, from the 1960s.

Dobie Gray (Lawrence Darrow Brown): 26/6/1940 – 6/12/2011. So it goes.

Just a great song.

Richard and Linda Thompson: I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

As I recall Julie Covington (whose recording of Only Women Bleed I featured earlier in this sequence) had a hit with this. Her version can be found here.

One of those songs from 1970 that still had a 60s feel.

I do hate the spelling, though.

Curved Air: Back Street Luv