| "Figaro" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Brotherhood of Man | ||||
| from the album "B for Brotherhood" | ||||
| B-side | "You Can Say That Again" | |||
| Released | 6 January 1978 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2.57 | |||
| Label | Pye Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tony Hiller / Lee Sheriden / Martin Lee | |||
| Producer(s) | Tony Hiller | |||
| Brotherhood of Man singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Figaro" is a song by British pop group Brotherhood of Man. It was released as a single in January 1978 and became the group's third and final number one hit in the UK.
By 1978, Brotherhood of Man had experienced a certain amount of chart success in both the UK and Europe, notably so with "Save Your Kisses For Me" and "Angelo". Following this, came the failure of their next single "Highwayman" (released in late 1977). In January 1978, they released this song, which borrowed the title-idea from their previous No.1 "Angelo". The song became a No.1 hit in February, spending one week on top of the charts in the UK and becoming one of the twenty best selling singles of the year. This was to be Brotherhood of Man's final No.1 single. [1] It was awarded a gold disc by the BPI in February 1978. [2] The single featured a track, "You Can Say That Again", from their previous album on the B-side, while in Canada, a Special Disco Mix of the A-side was released on 12" single. [3]
"Figaro" was written by band members Lee Sheriden and Martin Lee along with their manager Tony Hiller, who also produced the track. The lead vocals are sung jointly by members Sandra Stevens and Nicky Stevens. The distinctive opening drum roll on the song was performed by Clem Cattini of the 1960s band The Tornados. [4]
The song tells of a (presumably) Spanish cabaret singer who is intent on gaining the interest of young ladies. [5] As co-writer Hiller stated; My daughter had just come back from vacation in Spain and was full of stories about the young waiters trying to romance the young girls". [6]
"Figaro" became a hit in many European countries, including Ireland, where it was also a No.1 hit. [7] The song featured on the group's album B for Brotherhood, and was followed up by top 20 hit "Beautiful Lover". "Figaro" went on to be voted best song of the first half of 1978 by readers of Look-in magazine and best song of the year by viewers of TV's Magpie . A cover version was recorded for the Top of the Pops album series, appearing on Volume 63 and The Best of 1978. [8]
| Country | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK [1] | 1 |
| Ireland [7] | 1 |
| Norway [9] | 12 |
| South Africa [10] | 12 |
| Belgium [11] | 16 |
| The Netherlands [12] | 28 |
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".
Clemente Anselmo Arturo Cattini is an English rock and roll drummer, who was a member of the Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician. He is one of the most prolific drummers in UK recording history, appearing on hundreds of recordings by artists as diverse as Cliff Richard and Lou Reed, and has featured on 42 different UK number one singles.
"Save Your Kisses for Me" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1976, performed for the United Kingdom by Brotherhood of Man in The Hague, Netherlands. The lyrics and music were written by Tony Hiller, Lee Sheriden, and Martin Lee, the latter two being members of the band. The song became a worldwide hit, reaching No. 1 in many countries, including the UK, where it became the biggest-selling song of the year. Overall, it remains one of the biggest-selling Eurovision winners ever, and the biggest such seller in the UK.
"Angelo" is a song by British pop group Brotherhood of Man. Released as a single in June 1977, it became the group's second UK number one hit.
Martin Lee is an English singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the pop group Brotherhood of Man.
Images is the fourth album by pop group Brotherhood of Man. It was released in 1977 and featured the No.1 hit, "Angelo".
B for Brotherhood is the fifth album by pop group Brotherhood of Man. It was released in June 1978 and released on Pye Records. The album featured the UK No.1 single "Figaro" and top 20 hit "Beautiful Lover". On the UK albums chart it reached No.18 and was certified silver for sales of over 60,000 copies.
Twenty Greatest is the sixth album released by British pop group Brotherhood of Man and their first compilation. It was released in 1978 and became their biggest selling album, peaking at No.6 in the UK and being certified gold. As the title suggests, it is a collection of twenty songs, including their three number one hits, "Save Your Kisses for Me", "Angelo" and "Figaro" alongside their current single release, "Middle of the Night".
Higher Than High is a 1979 album released by British pop group Brotherhood of Man. It was released in May and contained four singles.
Singing a Song is a 1979 album by British pop group Brotherhood of Man. It was released in December and was their final album for Pye Records after several years with the label.
Good Fortune is a 1980 album by British pop group Brotherhood of Man. The album was recorded on manager Tony Hiller's label, Dazzle Records, but went unreleased in the UK. The album did get a release however in Australia and New Zealand on RCA Records. Today the album is virtually impossible to get hold of and is considered to be the 'holy grail' among fans.
Sing 20 Number One Hits is the tenth album by British pop group Brotherhood of Man. It was the first of two consecutive cover version albums by them. Released in 1980, it became the group's second biggest-selling album.
Lightning Flash is the 12th album by British pop group Brotherhood of Man. Released on EMI Records in 1983, it remains their final commercially released studio album.
"Oh Boy " is a popular song written by Tony Romeo. It has been recorded by Diana Trask and Brotherhood of Man, among others. The song is about a woman whose partner/husband is no longer with her and she sadly walks the streets in an attempt to find him. Tony Romeo who wrote the song is best known for his 1970 hit "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family, which became a US No.1.
Sandra Stevens is an English singer and member of pop group Brotherhood of Man.
Nicky Stevens is a singer, famous as a member of pop group Brotherhood of Man. She is the only Welsh person to have won the Eurovision Song Contest.
Lee Sheriden is an English singer/songwriter and musical director, best known as a member of pop group Brotherhood of Man.
Greenhouse is a 1997 album by British pop group Brotherhood of Man.
Love and Kisses from Brotherhood of Man is the second album released by the new line-up of British pop group Brotherhood of Man. It was released in the UK the day before their 1976 Eurovision win with "Save Your Kisses for Me", which the album contained. In some European countries the album was released in October 1975 with a slightly different track listing.
The Seventies Story is the 16th and most recent album by pop group Brotherhood of Man, released in 2002. It is based on a live stage show the group had undertaken at the time.
