Songs from 1975
It was the year of Jaws, the Hustle, curly perms and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. It boasted a ‘Funky Moped’ as well as a ‘Funky Gibbon’. The Beatles’ output, now quadrupled, continued to delight and sadden in equal measure (John Lennon, ‘#9 Dream’; Paul McCartney/Wings, ‘Letting Go’; George Harrison, ‘Dark Horse’; Ringo Starr, ‘It’s All Down to Goodnight Vienna’). The Eagles released One of These Nights, while Queen gave the world ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
Pink Floyd, of course, served up Wish You Were Here.
Then, alas, there are those that, in our moment of reminiscence, must also be thrown into the equation, if not the Abyss of Shame and Continued Revulsion. I won’t name names, but I am thinking ‘Swedish four-piece, four letters’… (Sorry.)
Here’s some Bad Company to further convince those that need convincing – myself included – that 1975 wasn’t all insipid soft rock ballads and disco naffness.
Here are some of my favourite tunes from the year (perhaps this link will help you remember, and hopefully list, yours):
- Grand Funk Railroad, ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’
- KC & The Sunshine Band, ‘Get Down Tonight’
- Pointer Sisters, ‘How Long (Betcha Got a Chick on the Side)’
- Roxy Music, ‘Love Is the Drug’
- ZZ Top, ‘Tush’
All in all, a better musical year than 1966, you think? I’m not so sure that it was.
Well, as I was enlightened to Abba when I lived in Germany in the late 70s, I must say that I absolutely loved them. And to this day, I think they are very, very good – harmonic and melodic at that.
I agree with you Julie.
I took a lot of flack in the 70s-early 80s for liking them when all my friends were only into the Pistols or Talking Heads at the time. Melody and harmony are my 2 driving forces as well when it comes to music and that can cover many styles of music from the Little River band to Gregorian Chants.
Cheers, Howard
I think they are highly overrated by their fans and highly underrated by their detractors.
Yes, I think that’s fair, Michael.
In the Abba style (I think), I found on YouTube this very intellectual song that won the Eurovision song contest in 1975 in Stockholm, ‘Ding-A-Dong’ by the band Teach-in.
“Ding-a-dong every hour, when you pick a flower
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Ding-a-dong, listen to it, maybe it’s a big hit
Even when your lover is gone, gone, gone
Sing ding-ding-dong”
Could have featured in the ‘Thought-provoking lyrics’ post, don’t you think?
I remember I was in my second year at college in 1975, and other than Wish You Were Here (I have a Quad LP of that one still) there was little else to listen to on the radio then. I would spend many hours at the shop across the street from our dorm, buying import LPs of Camel, Nektar, Savoy Brown, Hendrix, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, as well as domestic stuff from Zappa, Johnny Winter, Wishbone Ash, Robin Trower and the like. I had a Pioneer 8 track recorder (with Dolby no less) so I could make road tapes, since like I said there was nothing on the radio.
Turns out 1975 was a great year in my life as far as having a blast with my friends. I think it was the same year we all saw Floyd at the Milwaukee County Stadium. Mostly played Dark Side of the Moon and Meddle songs. I’ll never forget that show.
1975 was like a transition year in music. Disco was starting to take over as it was just a few years till we had a full on assault of the new Bee Gees and Saturday Night Fever lifestyle. But the influence of that music was already being realized.
For example, David Bowie released Young Americans which has some of that disco funk in the song Fame. Overall though it is one of my favorite Bowie releases aside from Ziggy.
Aerosmith stayed true to rock and broke through with Toys In The Attic. Some feel that Rocks is their best work but Toys certainly ranks up there as well.
And I know at least one person here will agree that Sweet’s release of Desolation Boulevard was one of highlights for that year. (Right Ullie??)
Thanks.
Andrew
PS – FEd, one idea for a future post that could be fun is misheard lyrics.
I like that idea, Andrew. I’ll add it to the list.
LOL Andrew, yes indeedy!
The Sweet rocked in the mid 70s, great you remembered!
Here is one of my fave Sweet songs, Fox On the Run.
And this one, Teenage Rampage.
I still think the Sweet rock, LOL.
Hey Fed,
I am very curious to know how old you are.
A hint perhaps?
Cheers, Howard
Well, 1975 was before my time…
… in 1975 I was 9 years old. Old enough to have memories, but not old enough to have a personal taste of music or to buy records, though. I do remember punk rock being up-to-date then, but that’s all.
Later of course I enjoyed some of the good albums that were recorded then.
Best regards
Taki
… I forgot to add: Wish You Were Here is what I’m studying with my guitar teacher these days. I can’t describe how it feels playing DG…
Regards
Taki
1975 produced one of my top albums from a great guitar player – Against The Grain by Rory Gallagher.
Average White Band released an album that year… Cut The Cake… I think??
Against the Grain – wonderful album!
Ah… Rory Gallagher. Almost forgot about him. Still have an import LP in my dusty collection…
‘I Believe in Father Christmas’ – Greg Lake
‘Imagine’ – John Lennon
‘Dreams of You’ – Ralph Mctell
‘No Woman No Cry’ – Bob Marley & The Wailers
‘Autobahn’ – Kraftwerk
‘Sailing’ – Rod Stewart
…and then there was The Hustle.
I thought 1975 was a pretty good year for music. Aside from Pink Floyd here are the songs that I liked:
Listen To What The Man Said – Wings
One Of These Nights/Lyin’ Eyes – Eagles
I’m Not In Love – 10cc (lots of fond memories at high school dances with this song)
Black Water – Doobie Brothers
Feel Like Makin’ Love – Bad Company
Fame – David Bowie
You’re No Good – Linda Ronstadt
The Ballroom Blitz – Sweet
Jackie Blue – Ozark Mountain Daredevils
You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
A little of this and a little of that, but those were some of the songs I liked from 1975.
Hoss
…like I stated in my earlier post, there was nothing really good to listen to on the radio then.
Welcome To My Nightmare ~ Alice Cooper
Physical Graffiti – LED ZEPPELIN
Wish You Were Here – PINK FLOYD
Blood On The Tracks – Bob DYLAN
Toys In The Attic – AEROSMITH
Horses – Patti SMITH
Born To Run – Bruce SPRINGSTEEN
The Hissing Of Summer Lawns – Joni MITCHELL
Blow By Blow – Jeff BECK
The Who By Numbers – The WHO
Siren – ROXY MUSIC
I’ll second that list! I listened to all of those.
It’s best to forget that ABBA even exists.
You didn’t ask for hit singles, did you?
So, this is my choice:
- Pink Floyd, ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’
- Led Zeppelin, ‘Kashmir’
- Kraftwerk, ‘Radioactivity’
- Bob Dylan, ‘Tangled Up In Blue’
- 10cc, ‘I’m Not In Love’
- Bruce Springsteen, ‘Born To Run’
- Bob Marley & The Wailers, ‘No Woman No Cry’
And John Lennon, ‘Imagine’, as I think it was released as a single in the UK in 1975.
Aaahhh… 1975.
Fond memories as a mere 20 year-old serving in the Her Majesty’s Royal Navy, onboard ‘Cat-Class’ frigate HMS Leopard.
Cruising around the Meditterranean and buying Led Zepp’s Physical Graffiti in Malta!
Escorting one of the 1st BP platforms into the Forties oilfield in the North Sea, stopping off in Lerwick and somehow ending up drinking in a hippie commune tripping out to Steve Hillage’s Fish Rising album.
Arriving back in ‘Blighty’ from another jaunt round the Med. the day before the Pink Floyd Knebworth gig (impeccable timing).
Buying a French cassette version of Wish You Were Here in Toulon (I wasn’t prepared to wait to get back home to buy the vinyl) during our third trip of that year to the Med. Some of us went on a trip to St. Tropez and we went skinny-dipping in the bay.
The ship was de-commissioned in December of that year in Chatham and we had one hell of a party before moving on to our next drafts.
Oh happy days…
As for songs from ’75, well, it was pretty gooood…
Autobahn – Kraftwerk
The Ballroom Blitz – Sweet
Best Of My Love – Eagles
The Boys Are Back In Town – Thin Lizzy
The Carpet Crawlers – Genesis
Down Down – Status Quo
Dreamer – Supertramp
Golden Years – David Bowie
I’m Not In Love – 10cc
In Dulci Jubilo – Mike Oldfield
Let The Music Play – Barry White
Listen To What The Man Said – Macca & Wings
Love Hurts – Nazareth
Love Is The Drug – Roxy Music
Lovin’ You – Minnie Riperton
Lyin’ Eyes – Eagles
Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) – Cockney Rebel
Now I’m Here – Queen
One Of These Nights – Eagles
Pick Up The Pieces – Average White Band
Sailing – Rod Stewart
Send In The Clowns – Judy Collins
Squeeze Box – The Who
Strange Magic – ELO
The Hustle – Van McCoy
When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease – Roy Harper
To name but a few.
Oh, not ‘In Dulci Jubilo’.
Soon that up-beat ditty will be playing in every over-crowded, overly-decorated and brightly-lit shop, where grizzly kids set off every single damned toy that makes an annoying noise and you can’t get through the exit doors quickly enough because there are shuffling old dears with more bags than they should be allowed to carry getting under your feet (and you’re not allowed to kick them)…
Bah, humbug.
Is it time to start singing this yet?
That’s a great list Ken’s put together, especially since it includes one of my favourite Christmas records. You know, the one who had something to do with bells that were tubes…
I must confess Fed that I have enjoyed every decade of music, including the Disco era with many memories of musicians and people I have met along the way of every genre.
Isn’t it ironic to see ads promoted these days, original or revised, with music to suit the ages, young and old?
Wish You Were Here. Richard’s keyboards still sends chills up my spine. Good choice for ’75. I remember Ivor Wynne in Hamilton, smashed scoreboard and all.
Bohemian Rhapsody, Shelter from the Storm, Kashmir, Cortez the Killer, Slow Ride, (Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song, I’m Not in Love (10CC), Fame, Born to Run, Squeeze Box, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Evil Woman, Take it to the Limit……
Shall I go on?
You Are So Beautiful, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), Love Hurts, Stand By Me (Lennon’s version), Autobahn, Saturday Night Special, Freeway Jam Franklin’s Tower, Rhiannon, Black Friday, Fox On the Run….
Of course I’m exercising my right to ignore the disco disease that had taken root, or the sea of soft rock (maybe we can all admit that we indulge once in a while). Still, there was a hell of a lot of good music being released in the mid 70s.
Upps! I am really too young to remember 1975
, but I wish I would have been born some years before to enjoy all these eras! Now I’m discovering 70s music… especially British music… I love it!
I hope we can suggest some music for you to hear for the first time, Xavi.
Some of my favourites.
The Carpet Crawlers – Genesis
Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen
Diamonds & Rust – Joan Baez
Imagine – John Lennon (Released in UK in 1975)
Radioactivity – Kraftwerk
Pinball Wizard – The Who (I add it because it’s in the Wikipedia link you provided, even if I don’t know why, since the song is much older)
Thinking about it, I don’t know if 1975 was better than 1966. Maybe it could be true if we were talking about entire albums, but not for singles, in my opinion.
Talking about albums I could mention (apart from “Wish You Were Here”, of course), for example, “Minstrel in the Gallery”, by Jethro Tull, or Neil Young’s “Tonight’s the Night”. I think they were both good albums.
Have a good weekend.
By 1975, I was greedy for anything by PF and absolutely LOVED Wish You Were Here. You can’t keep up a 24/7 routine forever, so I filled in with my old favorites: the Moodies, Eric, Bad Company, and Led Zep.
I checked the list you linked and some of my favorite singles, aside from anything by anyone above, were Evil Woman (ELO), Low Rider (War), One of These Nights (Eagles), Sister Golden Hair (America), and Fame (Bowie).
Aside from those who kept cranking out great stuff and not being included in the hit lists, it really wasn’t the best year for music, was it? Thank goodness for the bands, like Pink Floyd, who didn’t play to the critics.
P.S. Just switched on Pandora for the day and the first song up was Shine on You Crazy Diamond from Live in Gdansk.
You said it all FEd, you mentioned great guitar tones.
1975: the year that changed the world, before and after Shine On You Crazy Diamond.
I was a bit too young though, I didn’t discover it until late ’79 when the film The Wall came out in Italy. I still remember the TV trailers very well.
My teenage years in 1975, I can remember Nazareth, My White Bicycle and Greg Lake with I Believe in Father Christmas.
The hormones must have been kicking in for me then, because I really had the hots for Noosha Fox and I can vividly remember her singing Only You Can on Top of the Pops really, really well!!
1975 – first thought that comes to mind was Knebworth. Wasn’t Pink Floyd’s finest moment but was a great day out nonetheless.
(Well, when I say day out it was a hitch hike down on the Friday and with the aim to be back home Sunday or Monday not knowing how. Carefree days.)
I’m not in Love – 10CC (who I saw at Knebworth 76) also comes to mind.
Also Blue Guitar – The Blue Jays (Hayward/Lodge).
I am so old that I would have to google 1975 songs in order to remember what came out that year.
Cheers, Howard
Nice topic change from Monday FEd – I wrote out a 1499 word response for Monday – forgot to put in my info hit enter and it all got deleted. Oh well, probably for the best.
1975… I was 9 and just moving to the States. Besides the obvious (Floyd, Zeppelin, etc) I remember my older sister (11) singing along to such classics as (maybe we need a new “vomit” emoticon):
Love Will Keep Us Together – Captain & Tennille (I know you all would sing along too
)
Rhineston Cowboy – Glen Campbell (no comment)
As for me… music (and especially now, Guitar Hero) would not have been the same without:
Ted (kill ‘em and grill ‘em) Nugent – Stranglehold (I have no idea how many times I’ve played that song… and now played it on Guitar Hero. When my boys, 8 and 6, let me play one song I figure 8+ minutes of Ted should do, LOL. Any chance David would do any Guitar Hero songs so that some of us less talented (aka me) could pretend???)
Also another favorite of mine from ’75:
Harry Chapin – Cats in the Cradle
This song made me make sure to do as much with my father as possible when I was younger, and I am so glad I did. 1st tree fort, halfpipe, etc. This is also the reason that I try to do as much as I can with my kids. I’ve forgone better paying jobs so that I can be home more to spend more time with them. When I’m gone I hope that they will say that I was stern when needed but always there for them and a lot of fun.
Anyway – I hope that everyone has a great rest of the week!!!
Stranglehold is still one of my favorites. Ted Rocks!
Off topic but I’m sure you have a comment on this.
My two cents, cheating is an unfortunate part of sports. I think it happens all the time both on purpose and inadvertently. Calls sometimes always get missed. But the game should not be replayed.
Thanks.
Andrew
I agree. I don’t think any game will ever be replayed, no matter how great the sense of injustice or how much it costs a team; there’s just too much money at stake.
But if the powers that be would like to consider a Sunderland-Liverpool rematch, and if the original referee agrees, with or without a gun held to his head, to spend half-time trapped in the stocks so that Liverpool fans can throw beach balls at him, that would be great.
I think that politics (should) have nothing to do with sport.
Even if there are big economic stakes, neither a Prime Minister nor a Justice Minister should interfere in footballing decisions.
FIFA has remained independant from political pressure, it’s the only positive thing in that sad affair.
No matter if I get fired for saying that.
On the other hand, I wonder if FIFA isn’t totally corrupt. I read (for example in this article) that they always ensure that only ‘big name’ teams go to the World Cup to increase profits. It would also be the reason why they fight so much the use of video cameras.
Oh well… I know… money rules the world…
You’re right, they shouldn’t.
Unfortunately, you only have to look at all the boycotting that has gone on at the Olympics over the years to see that the opposite is true.
How about a Liverpool – Birmingham City rematch, eh! FEd?
70s (as for me) are the best.
I know this is off-topic but I just saw Nick Mason playing drums on Children In Needs’ ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE. I thought I was seeing things for a moment. Hope they repeat it again later.
First of all I hope that you all in England are safe from the horrible floods.
Well Fed, unlike in your case, 1975 wasn’t before my time, LOL, it was a wonderful time, loved the music then too, and listening to the old songs are setting of a flight of fancy back.
Besides the Sweet mentioned above, there were so many great songs, I wish I could remember them all at my old age, LOL, so here a few which came to mind at once:
Steve Harley/Cockney Rebel: Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)
Hot Chocolate: You Sexy Thing
Hank the Knife and the Jets: Guitar King
Pilot: January
George Baker: Paloma Blanca
Paper Lace: The Night Chicago Died (I even got autographs of that group when they performed in my hometown in summer of 1975)
Now all the music is giving one a flashback to all those good days!
Sorry FEd, I’m completely off topic, but did you hear about this?
Isn’t it funny that it all happens just when Copenhagen climate summit is going to start?
I did, Alessandra. Perfect timing, as you say.
It’ll take more than a few flippant remarks expressed casually by e-mail, plucked out and laid out for maximum shock-effect, to make me change my mind about climate change. How about you?
Climate change is simply evident. To have a look around us and listen to what happens in the world everyday could be enough to know it’s true, I think.
The polar ice is quickly melting, there are many NASA’s images which testify it. What do they think that could mean, if not that the temperature is raising?
So, it seems those criminal hackers could be very useful sometimes.
My belated Congratulations to Doctor Gilmour!
Great photo.
Jan
All my heartfelt congratulations and the deepest respects to Mr.Gilmour for the deserved Honory Doctorate.
Warm regards
Elisabetta
Dear F.Ed.,
Funny topic: remembering that my age at that year was 13… this is my real list of “that time”!
(Obviously “Wish You were here” and some Italian songs excepted.)
Radioactivity by Kraftwerk
Profondo rosso – Goblin
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Babe – Barry White
Il Padrino (The Godfather) Part II – Piergiorgio Farina
“Boy Blue” by Electric Light Orchestra
Fame - David Bowie
Fly, Robin Fly - Silver convention
Someone Saved My Life Tonight – Elton John
Never Can Say Goodbye – Gloria Gaynor
You Gave Me the Answer – Paul McCartney
Have a nice day to all bloggers
bye /ciao Elisabetta
Some great songs listed.
If the title were to read “The song of 1975″, my vote would have to go to Wish You Were Here.
Cheers.
It was the year before I was born. I was in the womb for much of 1975 but a great year in rock no question. That year the rock album DOMINATED, IMHO!
Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic
Bad Company – Straight Shooter
Black Sabbath – Sabotage
Alice Cooper – Welcome to My Nightmare
Eagles – One of These Nights
Fleetwood Mac – The White Fleetwood Mac Album
Foghat – Fool For the City
Peter Frampton – Frampton
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (its impact here in the US)
Steve Hackett – Voyage Of the Acolyte
Kansas – Song For America
Kansas – Masque
KISS – Dressed to Kill
KISS – Alive!
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
Nazareth – Hair Of the Dog
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
Queen – Sheer Heart Attack (made its impact in the US in 75)
Roxy Music – Siren
Rush – Fly By Night
Rush – Caress of Steel
Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run
Styx – Equinox
Supertramp – Crime of the Century (made impact in the States in ’75)
Supertramp – Crisis? What Crisis?
The Who – The Who By Numbers
I forgot Queen’s A Night at the Opera as it was released in November 1975 in the UK and that December a month later, so it’s considered a 1976 top seller in the US.
Darn it, I also forgot Jethro Tull’s Minstrel In the Gallery album. One of the best they ever recorded.
Also, the Australians got their version of AC/DC’s High Voltage (the followup TNT , also issued in Australia in ’75, would be the international version of High Voltage released in 1976 with a couple of tunes from Australian High Voltage).
Also, Nazareth’s Hair of the Dog. Chris Squire of Yes’ Fish Out of Water.