Gerry, the Harmonica Player

Music is a culture all its own defined by the era in which its greatest songs emerged. The beat of 70s music was gyrated dance, dance, dance! This was the era of the dance party...a song waiting to be played and a dance waiting to happen making you want to get it on and shake your booty!

Today in Music History: January 15

Welcome into the Spotlight...

 

Leo Sayer Biography

"From clown to disco, Leo Sayer became amazingly popular for a man whose voice often sounded more like Mickey Mouse than a singing superstar." 
One Man Band – Leo Sayer – 1974

Gerard Hugh "Leo" Sayer: British-born Australian singer-songwriter musician, and entertainer whose singing career has spanned four decades

In the early 70s, Leo Sayer was known as Gerry, the Harmonica Player. He acquired the nickname Leo because of his mane of curly hair representing him like a little lion. Leo Sayer began his musical career as a writer. Roger Daltry's (The Who) first album included songs mostly written by Sayer, including the hit song 'Giving It All Away'. Leo Sayer shot to stardom in 1973 with his first top chart selling single 'The Show Must Go On'. Leo was influenced by the French film les enfant du paradin. He was dressed as Pierrot in a clown's costume, which was designed by Leo's ex-wife, Janice Florence Sayer.  

By the mid-seventies, Leo had 10 Top Ten Hit Singles and Albums. Leo's first worldwide hit was You Make Me Feel Like Dancing which climbed to Number 2 on the U.K. Charts, and Number 1 on the American billboard charts. This song won Leo a Grammy Award for best rhythm and blues.

1977 UK singer Leo Sayer went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'You Make Me Feel Like Dancing', it was the first of two US No.1's for the singer.

Leo Sayer is a star and he hasn't stopped yet!

No.1 hits on this day...

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  1965 The Who released their first single 'I Can't Explain'. With Jimmy Page on guitar and The Ivy League on backing vocals, it went on to reach No.8 on the UK chart.

• 1972 Don McLean's 'American Pie' started a four week run at No.1 in the US singles chart. The song is a recounting of "The Day the Music Died" (a term taken from the song) the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper (Jiles Perry Richardson, Jr.), and the aftermath. The song was listed as the No.5 song on the RIAA project Songs of the Century.

• 1977 The Eagles went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Hotel California' the group's third US No.1 album. In the 2013 documentary History of the Eagles, Don Henley said the song was about "a journey from innocence to experience...that's all".

• 1983 Men At Work started a four week run at No.1 in the US singles chart with 'Down Under' the Australian act group's second US No.1, also a No.1 in the UK.

• 1983 Phil Collins had his first UK No.1 single with his version of 'You Can't Hurry Love,' a hit for The Supremes in 1966. Collins' version was the first track on the very first Now That's What I Call Music CD.

 

 This is such a hoot! Can you imagine some of the music and performers of today appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show?

1967 The Rolling Stones were forced to change the lyrics of 'Let’s Spend The Night Together' to 'Let’s Spend Some Time Together' when appearing on the US TV The Ed Sullivan Show, after the producers objected to the content of the lyrics. Jagger ostentatiously rolled his eyes at the TV camera while singing the changed lyrics, resulting in host Ed Sullivan announcing that The Rolling Stones would be banned from performing on his show ever again.

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...