| "(Call Me) Number One" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover of the single released in Germany | ||||
| Single by the Tremeloes | ||||
| B-side | "Instant Whip" | |||
| Released | 17 October 1969 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:45 | |||
| Label | CBS | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Mike Smith | |||
| The Tremeloes singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"(Call Me) Number One" is a song by British group the Tremeloes, released as a single in October 1969. It peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. [1]
The Tremeloes had success in the early/mid 1960s with beat songs such as their versions of "Twist and Shout" and "Do You Love Me". Following the departure of lead singer Brian Poole in 1966, the group's music changed to producing pop records, perhaps better defined as sunshine pop, and success continued with further hits such as "Silence Is Golden" and "Even the Bad Times Are Good". However, by the late 1960s, the group wanted to move away from this style of pop. They released a cover of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released", but following its relative commercial failure (only just a top-thirty hit), they reverted to their trusted pop with the top-twenty hit "Hello World". However, following the failure of their next single "Once on a Sunday Morning", which didn't make the UK charts, the Tremeloes took this as a sign that the public had also grown tired of their current musical style. They therefore decided to change musical direction, and released "(Call Me) Number One", a heavier psychedelic pop song, as a single.
At the time, member Alan Blakley said that they had "come to hate all those happy records, even the ones that sold hundreds and hundreds of thousands", with Len "Chip" Hawkes adding that they had gotten "into the carefree, singalong thing and we found the more it worked for us, the harder it became to get out of the rut". After writing "(Call Me) Number One", the Tremeloes played it to some friends, who were "universal in their praise, but equally sure that it was the wrong type of song for the group". The success of the song was a surprise for the group, given their recent releases, with Blakley saying that "people have bought it thinking it was a good record, and not because it was the Tremeloes". [2]
"(Call Me) Number One" was their first single written solely by members of the group (Blakley and Hawkes), and it was released with the B-side "Instant Whip", written by the other two members (Dave Munden and Rick Westwood). [3] Whilst it did not reach the top of the UK Singles Chart, nor the charts published by the New Musical Express and Melody Maker (on all three, it was held off the top by the Archies' "Sugar, Sugar"), it did reach the top of one UK newspaper chart, Top Pops & Music Now , for two weeks. [4] Elsewhere, the song topped the charts in South Africa. [5]
Reviewing for Melody Maker , Chris Welch wrote that "as one of Britain's most respected "straight" groups, they are ready to take risks with material they believe in musically as well as commercially, an approach shared by the Hollies [who had recently released "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"]". [6] For New Musical Express, John Wells described the song as having "an enveloping heavy rock backing, with muted trumpets and deep brass and towards the end there's an almost psychedelic instrumental passage. It struck me as being musically a big step forward for the boys but at the same time they've managed to retain their usual happy sound". [7]
Following the success of "(Call Me) Number One", the Tremeloes were offered a song called "Tomorrow Night", written with the group in mind by Jeff Christie. However, they said it was too poppy and not in the direction the group wanted to take following "(Call Me) Number One". The group heard another of Christie's songs, "Yellow River", and they immediately jumped it and wanted to record it. [8] [9] They had intentions of releasing it as a single, but instead, they decided to release the self-penned "By the Way" as their follow-up single, which failed to capitalise on their success, only peaking at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. However, the Tremeloes would go on to have one final top-ten hit later in 1970 with "Me and My Life". [1] Christie decided to form his own group entitled Christie, whose recording of "Yellow River" would go on to top the UK chart and become an international hit. [10]
| Chart (1969–70) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ( Go-Set ) [11] | 22 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report) [12] | 27 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [13] | 5 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [14] | 9 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [15] | 22 |
| Denmark (IFPI) [16] | 6 |
| Germany (Official German Charts) [17] | 3 |
| Ireland (IRMA) [18] | 2 |
| Malaysia (Radio Malaysia) [19] | 3 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [20] | 19 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) [21] | 17 |
| New Zealand ( Listener ) [22] | 4 |
| Norway (VG-lista) [23] | 4 |
| Rhodesia (Lyons Maid) [24] | 3 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio) [5] | 1 |
| Sweden ( Tio i Topp ) [25] | 12 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [26] | 5 |
| UK Singles (OCC) [1] | 2 |
Erasure is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1984, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of synth-pop duo Yazoo. From their fourth single, "Sometimes" (1986), Erasure established themselves on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of the most successful acts of the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. From 1986 to 2007, the pair achieved 24 consecutive top-40 entries in the UK singles chart. By 2009, 34 of their 37 chart-eligible singles and EPs had made the UK top 40, including 17 climbing into the top 10. At the 1989 Brit Awards, Erasure won the Brit Award for Best British Group.
Brotherhood of Man are a British pop group who achieved success in the 1970s. They won the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest with "Save Your Kisses for Me".
Christie are an English soft rock band that formed at the end of the 1960s. They are best remembered for their UK chart-topping hit single "Yellow River", released in 1970, which hit number one in 26 countries that year.
Marmalade are a Scottish pop rock band originating from the east end of Glasgow, originally formed in 1961 as The Gaylords, and then later billed as Dean Ford and the Gaylords, recording four singles for Columbia (EMI). In 1966 they changed the band's name to The Marmalade and were credited as such on all of their subsequent recorded releases with CBS Records and Decca Records until 1972. Their greatest chart success was between 1968 and 1972, placing ten songs on the UK Singles Chart, and many overseas territories, including international hits "Reflections of My Life", which reached No. 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart and No. 3 on the UK chart in January 1970, and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", which topped the UK chart in January 1969, the group becoming the first-ever Scottish artist to top that chart.
The Tremeloes are an English beat group founded in 1958 in Dagenham, England. They initially found success in the British Invasion era with lead singer Brian Poole, scoring a UK chart-topper in 1963 with "Do You Love Me".
Chesney Lee Hawkes is an English singer and occasional actor. He started his career at the age of 19 when he appeared in the film Buddy's Song, which featured his best-known single "The One and Only", which topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks and reached the top 10 in the United States. Follow-up single "I'm a Man Not a Boy" peaked at 27 in the UK, with subsequent singles including "What's Wrong with This Picture?", "Stay Away Baby Jane" and "Another Fine Mess" also charting in the top 100.
"Here Comes My Baby" is a song written by British singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It is well known for being an international hit for the Tremeloes in 1967.
Brian Poole is a singer and performer who was the lead singer of 1960s beat band the Tremeloes (1957–62) and then Brian Poole and the Tremeloes (1962–66).
"Do You Love Me" is a rhythm and blues song recorded by the Contours in 1962. Written and produced by Motown Records owner Berry Gordy Jr., it appeared twice on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching numbers three in 1962 and eleven in 1988.
"Yellow River" is a song recorded by the British band Christie. It was released in 1970 and became a No. 1 hit song for the band in the UK.
"Silence Is Golden" is a song initially recorded by the American rock band the Four Seasons. Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, Philips Records released it in 1964 as the B-side of the U.S. number 1 single "Rag Doll", which was also written by Crewe and Gaudio. The Tremeloes' 1967 cover version reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 11 on the US charts.
Alan David Blakley was a British musician and record producer. A member of the Tremeloes from 1958 to 1996. He was the father of actress Claudie Blakley. As a producer, he worked on the hit song She's Gonna Win for Bilbo, and nearly all the studio albums for glam rock sensations The Rubettes,
"Non illuderti mai" is a song by Italian singer Orietta Berti, released as a single in April 1968 for the summer festival Un disco per l'estate. The song came in second place at the festival behind "Luglio" by Riccardo Del Turco. It has notably been covered in English as "My Little Lady" by the Tremeloes and in French as "Ma bonne étoile" by Joe Dassin.
"Uno tranquillo" is a song by Italian singer Riccardo Del Turco, released as a single in 1967. The song is notable for being covered in English as "Suddenly You Love Me" by the Tremeloes and in French as "Siffler sur la colline" by Joe Dassin.
"Candy Man" is a song by Roy Orbison, released as the B-side to his international hit "Crying" in July 1961. It was later covered by British beat group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, becoming a top-ten hit in the UK.
"Even the Bad Times Are Good" is a song recorded by British group the Tremeloes, released as a single in July 1967. It became their third consecutive top-ten hit in the UK and continued their international success.
"Hello World" is a song written by Tony Hazzard. It was recorded and released as a single by the Tremeloes in March 1969 and peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Someone, Someone" is a song by American rock and roll band the Crickets, released in March 1959 as the B-side to "Love's Made a Fool of You". However, the song is better known for the version by British beat group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, which became a top-ten hit in the UK in 1964.
"Helule Helule" is a Swahili song written by Kenyan musician Daudi Kabaka. It was first released as a single by Kabaka and fellow Kenyan musician George Agade in 1966 through Equator Records. However, the song is better known for the version by British group the Tremeloes, who kept the original chorus and added English verses, with it becoming a top-twenty hit in the UK in May 1968.
Richard Westwood, also known as Rick West or Ricky West, is a British retired musician, known for being a member of the Tremeloes from 1962 to 2012.