Bay City Rollers Back Together - Ouch!
April 22nd 2011 21:00
With a teen girl fan-base and the catchcry:
B-A-Y, B-A-Y,
B-A-Y, C-I-T-Y,
With an R-O-double-L, E-R-S,
Bay City Rollers are the best!
The tartan clad lads of bassist Alan Longmuir, younger brother and drummer Derek, lead singer Gordon "Nobby" Clark founded the group in Edinburgh, Scotland. Legend has it they chose a new name found at random by throwing a dart at a map of the United States. It landed near the community of Bay City, Michigan.
Several non-charting singles were released over a number of years before the addition of Eric Faulkner and Stuart "Woody" Wood and the group's first reasonably well charted single "Saturday Night".
Disillusioned by the band's lack of success Clark elected to leave prompting Les McKeown to join the band and go onto recording a string of hits on the charts including "Shang-a-Lang", "Summerlove Sensation", and "All of Me Loves All of You".
By early 1975, they were one of the highest-selling acts in the UK.
A cover of the Four Seasons' "Bye, Bye, Baby" stayed at #1 in the UK for six weeks and at the the peak of their popularity comparisons were made to The Beatles.
The hits extended across the Atlantic to the US with "Money Honey", and Rock n' Roll Love Letter.
But by early 1976, the strain of success (and the discomfort of being a man in his late 20s in a teen band) had taken its toll on bassist Alan Longmuir, who decided to leave the group which virtually signalled the beginning of the end.
Until now apparently.
Les - having found new levels of energy, enthusiasm and no doubt slightly empty pockets he is eyeing the lucrative reunion tour circuit with gigs planned both this year and next.
He says, “I am trying to put (the band) together, for one time only. Let’s see Bay City Rollers, for one time only, back on stage."
Some things (I say) are best left well enough alone.
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Comment by James Rickard
unlucky_ fishermen.com
Angling Fish
Check this out...
Comment by Mr Nice Guy
Pop Culturist
Pop Rock Factory
As for the BCR's - I think it was a case of the Scots getting one back on the English.
Braveheart be damned when you have Derek, Woody and Les fighting your battles . . .