The Intro

Although by late 1976 glam was a distant memory, there were still plenty of pop acts riding the wave of a rock’n’roll revival. One of the most successful were Leicester-based eight-piece Showaddywaddy, who scored 23 UK hits and topped the charts for three weeks.

Before

Showaddywaddy began in 1976 when two groups, Choise and The Golden Hammers, decided to join forces. Both would perform at the Fosse Way pub and would often jam together. With a shared love for the music of yesteryear, they named themselves Showaddywaddy after a typical rock’n’roll backing vocal. Keeping the roles they had in their separate groups, it meant they had two of everything – singers Dave Bartram (the Mick Jagger lookalike) and Buddy Gask, guitarists Russ Field and Trevor Oakes, bass players Al James and Russ Deas and drummers Romeo Challenger and Malcolm ‘Duke’ Allured.

Within months of forming Showaddywaddy were part of ATV talent show New Faces, where they won one programme and were runners-up in the ‘All Winners Final’ that Christmas. They stood out thanks to their energetic performances and multi-coloured Teddy Boy outfits, even if Bartram’s hair was far too long to truly look the part. Debut single Hey Rock and Roll, written by the band, took them all the way to number two after it was released in April 1974. Their eponymous debut spawned two more hits that year – Rock ‘n’ Roll Lady (15) and Hey Mr Christmas (13).

In 1975 Showaddywaddy hit upon their ultimate winning formula by releasing covers of songs by rock’n’roll legends. Three Steps to Heaven, a posthumous number 1 for Eddie Cochran in 1960, took them to two, followed by Buddy Holly’s Heartbeat, which peaked at seven. The next few releases, which failed to crack the top 30 in 1976, suggested the game might be up, but then came their number 1. Released in 1961, the original Under the Moon of Love had been sung by co-writer Curtis Lee, who penned it with Tommy Boyce, later one of the songwriting team behind The Monkees. Phil Spector produced the original.

Review

Showaddywaddy’s version was produced by Mike Hurst, who had been part of The Springfields before Dusty went solo. He had also produced Manfred Mann’s number 1 Mighty Quinn in 1968. It’s not very different from the original, and that’s no bad thing, because there’s a lot to like about Under the Moon of Love. Effortlessly catchy and fun, I’ve always had a soft spot for it, even if I’d never think to listen to it by choice. More of a nostalgia thing, as an uncle of mine loved Showaddywaddy and I likely heard it a lot as a child. Not all pop has to be high art or push the envelope, and I know I’ve mentioned how poor 1976 was for number 1s over and over as of late, so it’s nice to hear something with some energy, even if it is ultimately rather throwaway and yet another 70s song in thrall to the past.

Under the Moon of Love narrowly missed out on the Christmas number 1 spot, even if it was perfect for festive parties. Showaddywaddy had a very successful few years ahead. Their cover of The Kalin Twins’ 1958 number 1 When soared to three and the next five singles, You Got What It Takes, Dancin’ Party, I Wonder Why, A Little Bit of Soap and Pretty Little Angel Eyes all went top five.

After

As the 70s drew to a close their sales began to slow, but were still respectable. Sweet Little Rock ‘n’ Roller reached 15 in 1979 and Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts peaked at 22 in 1980. Showaddywaddy’s last hit was Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp-a-Bomp-a-Bomp), only making it to 37 in 1982.

The Outro

Allured was first to leave in 1984, followed by Field in 1985 and Gask in 1987. James retired in 2008, closely followed by Oakes in 2009. Gask died in 2011, the same year that Bartram left the group. Deas departed in 2019, which means Challenger is the only original member. He still tours with a line-up of the band.

The Info

Written by

Tommy Boyce & Curtis Lee

Producer

Mike Hurst

Weeks at number 1

3 (4-24 December)

Trivia

Births

8 December: Actor Dominic Monaghan
12 December: The Darkness guitarist Dan Hawkins
17 December: Competition sailor Andrew Simpson
18 December: Swimmer Jaime King
20 December: Game designer Adam Powell

Deaths

4 December: Composer Benjamin Britten

Meanwhile…

15 December: Chancellor Denis Healey announces he has successfully negotiated a £2,300,000,000 loan for Britain from the International Monetary Fund, on condition that £2,500,000,000 is cut from public expenditure.