Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods

Last updated
Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
Origin Cincinnati, Ohio,
United States
Genres Pop, garage rock
Years active1965–1980; 1996–present
MembersRobert Walter "Bo" Donaldson
Mike Gibbons
David Krock
Rick Joswick
Gary Coveyou
Baker Scott
Richard Brunetti
Website Official website

Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods are an American pop music group, known mainly for their 1970s hit singles, "Billy Don't Be a Hero" and "Who Do You Think You Are".

Contents

History

The band was formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1965 by their leader, Robert Walter "Bo" Donaldson. They were first discovered while touring with The Osmonds in the early 1970s and signed with Family Productions, releasing their first single in 1972, "Special Someone", but their big break came after moving to ABC Records and working with the record producer Steve Barri in 1973. Although their first single with ABC, "Deeper and Deeper,” failed to make a big impression on the charts, [1] beginning in 1974, the band began a string of hit songs. Their first two (and largest two) hits were cover versions of British hit songs whose original versions had not been hits in the U.S.: "Billy Don't Be a Hero" (a cover of a #1 UK Paper Lace song that reached #1 for 2 weeks on the Hot 100 with the Heywoods version) and "Who Do You Think You Are" (written by Clive Scott & Des Dyer of Jigsaw, which originally became a hit for Candlewick Green and reached #15 on the Hot 100 with the Heywoods version). They were followed by their last top-40 hit, "The Heartbreak Kid" (#39 Hot 100), and their ominously titled last Hot 100 hit, "Our Last Song Together" (#95 on the Hot 100, another UK hit, originally recorded by its songwriter Neil Sedaka). "Billy Don't Be a Hero" sold over three and a half million copies, receiving a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in June 1974. [1] Despite the song's popularity, many people disliked it, and it was voted #8 on Rolling Stone magazine's readers' poll of "10 Worst Songs of the 1970s." [2]

After their initial popularity, they began a migration across three other record labels as the hits dried up by the end of the decade. In 1975, the band was working on a second album of material for ABC including "Our Last Song Together", released as a single (and which made the pop chart), and "Take Me Make Me Yours", which to this day remains unreleased. Ultimately the group left the label and joined Capitol Records, where they recorded songs by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, the writing/producing team behind the UK act The Sweet, and released the album "Farther On" in 1975. By 1978, they were known as "The Bo Donaldson Band" and eventually split after trying country music with no success in the 1980s. They reformed again in 1996 as a nostalgia act and still make appearances, most notably in the Barry Williams hosted nostalgia show, Original Idols Live.

In 1996, Varese Vintage Records released Best of Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, a 15-song compilation of material originally released on Family Productions (1972) and ABC Records (1973–1975). The CD contains all their charted singles and, in fact, includes 9 of the 11 songs featured on the 1974 LP Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (#97 on the Hot 200). The CD booklet includes liner notes written by Gordon Pogoda and the CD features such highlights as "Who Do You Think You Are", "The House on Telegraph Hill", and "The Heartbreak Kid".

Lead singer and trumpeter Mike Gibbons died on April 2, 2016, at age 71. [3]

Members

Discography

Albums

Singles

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KC and the Sunshine Band</span> American soul and funk band

KC and the Sunshine Band is an American disco and funk band that was founded in 1973 in Hialeah, Florida. Their best-known songs include the hits "Get Down Tonight", "That's the Way ", "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Boogie Shoes", "Please Don't Go", and "Give It Up". The band took its name from lead vocalist Harry Wayne Casey's last name ('KC') and the 'Sunshine Band' from KC's home state of Florida, the Sunshine State. The group had five number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back in My Arms Again</span> 1965 single by The Supremes

"Back in My Arms Again" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper Lace</span> English pop group

Paper Lace are a British pop/rock band, formed in Nottingham, who rose to success in 1974 and during that year had three UK Top 40 hit singles. In the United States they are considered a one-hit wonder, having had a single US Number One hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jigsaw (British band)</span> British pop music group

Jigsaw was a British pop rock band best known for their 1975 hit "Sky High". The band was fronted by the singer-songwriter duo of Clive Scott and Des Dyer for most of its life. Following Scott's death in 2009, it has been the platform for Dyer's solo work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Don't Be a Hero</span> 1974 single by Paper Lace

"Billy Don't Be a Hero" is a 1974 pop song that was first a UK hit for Paper Lace and then, some months later, a US hit for Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods. The song was written and composed by two British songwriters, Mitch Murray and Peter Callander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Night Chicago Died</span> 1974 song by Paper Lace

"The Night Chicago Died" is a song by the British group Paper Lace, written by Peter Callander and Mitch Murray. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in 1974, reached number 3 in the UK charts, and number 2 in Canada. It is about a fictional shoot-out between the Chicago Police and members of the Al Capone Syndicate. The narrator retells his mother's anguish while awaiting news of the fate of her husband, a Chicago policeman. This song begins with an electronic synthesizer sound impersonating a police siren. The first four lines in the Intro are spoken by the group. It also features the sound of a ticking clock, heard in the third verse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Craddock</span> American country and rockabilly singer (born 1939)

Billy Wayne "Crash" Craddock is an American country and rockabilly singer. He first gained popularity in Australia in the 1950s with a string of rockabilly hits, including the Australian number one hits "Boom Boom Baby" and "One Last Kiss" in 1960 and 1961 respectively. Switching to country music, he gained popularity in the United States in the 1970s with a string of top ten country hits, several of which were number one hits, including "Rub It In", "Broken Down in Tiny Pieces", and "Ruby Baby". Craddock is known to his fans as "The King Of Country Rock Music" and "Mr. Country Rock" for his uptempo rock-influenced style of country music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're No Good</span> 1963 single by Dee Dee Warwick

"You're No Good" is a song written by Clint Ballard Jr., first performed by Dee Dee Warwick for Jubilee Records in 1963 with production by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It has since been covered by many artists, including charting versions by Betty Everett in 1963, The Swinging Blue Jeans in 1964, and Linda Ronstadt in 1974, whose version was a number 1 hit in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugee (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song)</span> 1980 single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

"Refugee" is a song recorded by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in January 1980 as the second single from their album Damn the Torpedoes, and peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song is in compound AABA form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evie Sands</span> American singer, songwriter and musician (born 1946)

Evie Sands is an American singer, songwriter and musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forever Came Today</span> 1968 single by the Supremes

"Forever Came Today" is a 1968 song written and produced by the Motown collective of Holland–Dozier–Holland, and was first made into a hit as a single for Diana Ross & the Supremes in early 1968. A disco version of the song was released as a single seven years later by Motown group the Jackson 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothing from Nothing</span> 1974 single by Billy Preston

"Nothing from Nothing" is a song written by Billy Preston and Bruce Fisher and recorded by Billy Preston for his 1974 album The Kids & Me. The song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for one week in October 1974, becoming Preston's second solo chart-topper in the United States. It spent four and a half months on the chart.

Candlewick Green were a five piece English pop group, formed in the 1970s. It is best known for its song, "Who Do You Think You Are" (1974), also recorded by artists such as Jigsaw and Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Make Me Feel Brand New</span> 1974 single by The Stylistics

"You Make Me Feel Brand New" is a 1974 single by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. An R&B ballad, the song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If You Love Me (Let Me Know)</span> 1974 single by Olivia Newton-John

"If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" is a song written by John Rostill that was a 1974 hit single for Olivia Newton-John. It was her second release to hit the top 10 in the United States, reaching number 5 on the pop chart and number 2 on the Easy Listening chart. It also reached number 2 on the Billboard country chart. As with her single "Let Me Be There", Mike Sammes sings a bass harmony. It was nominated for the 1974 Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year.

<i>Back to the Country</i> 1975 studio album by Loretta Lynn

Back to the Country is the twenty-fifth solo studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn. It was released on February 3, 1975, by MCA Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who Do You Think You Are (Candlewick Green song)</span> Single by Candlewick Green

"Who Do You Think You Are" is a song written by British songwriting-team Des Dyer and Clive Scott. It was first recorded by English pop group Candlewick Green and released in late December 1973. The song peaked at #21 in the United Kingdom in February 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Last Song Together</span> 1973 single by Neil Sedaka

"Our Last Song Together" is a 1973 song recorded by Neil Sedaka. It is a track from his LP The Tra-La Days Are Over, and was the third of four single releases from the album.

<i>Second Take</i> 1972 studio album by The Searchers

Second Take is the sixth studio album by the English rock band The Searchers and the first with drummer Billy Adamson. Album consists of re-recordings of their earlier hits as well as their last US hit single "Desdemona" from the previous year. Guitarist and vocalist Mike Pender takes the lead as singer on all of the tracks. Second Take is also the band's first self-produced album.

References

  1. 1 2 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p.  344. ISBN   0-214-20512-6.
  2. ↑ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Worst Songs of the 1970s : #8 - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods - 'Billy Don't Be A Hero'". Rolling Stone . 19 October 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  3. ↑ "Mike Gibbons, Lead Singer Of Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods, Dies". WXHC . April 7, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  4. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2015). The Comparison Book Billboard/Cash Box/Record World 1954–1982. Sheridan Books. p. 151. ISBN   978-0-89820-213-7.
  5. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 92. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.