| The Bobby Bloom Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1970 | |||
| Label | L&R LR-1035 MGM LR-1035 | |||
| Producer | Jeff Barry | |||
| Bobby Bloom chronology | ||||
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The Bobby Bloom Album was the first album for composer, producer and singer Bobby Bloom. It charted in late 1970 through to early 1971. It contained his hits "Montego Bay" and "Heavy Makes You Happy".
According to Billboard in the July 25, 1970 issue, a promotion had been launched by the Robert Stigwood organization and MGM for "Montego Bay", Bobby Bloom's first release for the label as well as his album. A promo film produced by Gene Weed for television stations around the country was to be made. MGM's West Coast production manager Rick Sidoti was accompanying Bloom on a tour of the West Coast radio stations, one stops and record dealers to promote the single and album. [1]
The album was produced by Jeff Barry [2] and released on L&R LR-1035 in 1970. [3] The L&R label was founded by Joey Levine and Artie Resnick. The L&R label had begun as Earth Records in 1969 but had to change to L&R due to legal action from Motown Records as the Rare Earth label was owned by them. The L&R is a representation of the initials of Joey Levine and Artie Resnik. [4] [5]
Geno Washington covered "Give 'Em a Hand" which was the B side of his single, "Dirty Dirty" which was released in 1972 on Pye. [6] Washington also recorded "Careful Not to Break the Spell" which was unreleased until the late 1990s. [7]
The album was reviewed in the August 29 issue of Record World. One of the Pick Hits, the reviewer began with "A deep and manly voice to reckon with here". Noting Bloom's and Barry's playing of guitars, piano and drums, the reviewer said there were "all sorts of hits on the album" and that it was "some achievement". [8]
Reviewed by Franko of the What Frank is Listening to blog in September 2014, the picks were "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom)", "Oh, I Wish You Knew", "Give 'Em a Hand" and "Montego Bay". [9]
The album made its debut at no. 130 on the Billboard Top LPs chart for the week ending November 28. [10] It peaked at no. 126. [11] [12]
The album made its debut at no. 99 on the Cash Box Top 100 Albums chart for the week of December 5, 1970. [13] It reached its peak position of no. 95 on the week of December 19. The following week it was at no. 101 in the Cash Box Top 100 Albums 101 to 140 chart. [14] [15] It remained in the 101 to 140 chart until February 6. [16] [17]
Side one
Side two
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Van Allen Clinton McCoy was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and singer. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful hit "The Hustle". He has approximately 700 song copyrights to his credit, and produced songs by such recording artists as Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Stylistics, Aretha Franklin, Brenda & the Tabulations, David Ruffin, Peaches & Herb, Lesley Gore, and Stacy Lattisaw.
Robert Bloom was an American singer-songwriter. He is known best for the upbeat 1970 hit, "Montego Bay", which was co-written with and produced by Jeff Barry.
"Montego Bay" is a song co-written and performed by Bobby Bloom about the city in Jamaica of the same name. The song was a top ten hit for Bloom in the Fall of 1970 on both sides of the Atlantic. It reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 5 on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles Chart, No. 7 on the Australian Go-Set Singles Chart and No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was co-written and produced by Jeff Barry. In the master tape of the song, Bloom breaks into a chorus of "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" at the end of the recording. The song features a whistler, as well as Jamaican instruments in a calypso style.
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"Hurt So Bad" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Weinstein, and Bobby Hart. It is a 1965 Top 10 hit ballad originally recorded by Little Anthony & The Imperials. Linda Ronstadt also had a Top 10 hit with her cover version in 1980. The song has been re-recorded by numerous artists including The Lettermen, who took the song to number twelve in September 1969.
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"With Pen in Hand" is a song written by Bobby Goldsboro and first released on his March 1968 album, Honey. The song's lyrics address the subjects of divorce and losing custody of one's child, and are sung from the perspective of the parent who expects to be losing custody of their child, as they make a final plea to their spouse to reconcile before the divorce is finalized. "With Pen in Hand" has been a hit for multiple artists in the late 1960 and 1970s.
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Paul Kyser is an American promoter, record label owner, singer, songwriter, record producer and arranger. He wrote and co-produced the hit "Dawning of Love" with Tom Vetri for Devotion. He also wrote "Body and Soul " for the group Soul Generation and "Where Were You " for Jimmy Briscoe and the Little Beavers. Along with Leon Stuckey he co-wrote "Just How Sweet Is Your Love" for Rhyze, which appears on the Boogie's Gonna Getcha: '80s New York Boogie compilation album. He co-wrote "Be My #2" which appears on the R. Kelly Untitled album. He is also credited with discovering Jimmy Briscoe & The Little Beavers.
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John Linde is an American music producer. Musically, he has been involved in genres which include, doo-wop, r&b, soul, pop, and heavy rock. As a producer, his work includes the albums The Beat Goes On for Vanilla Fudge, Sir Lord Baltimore by Sir Lord Baltimore, and A Mouth in The Clouds for The Group Image. He produced the singles, "Where Are We Going" by Bobby Bloom, "A Touch of Baby" for The Tymes, "The Letter" for The Outrage and others. He has also composed hits for Peter Antell, The Percells and Bobby Bloom.
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"Make Me Happy" is a song by Bobby Bloom, released on MGM in 1970. It was written by Bloom and Jeff Barry. It became a hit for Bloom in early 1971.
"Where Are We Going" is a song recorded by Bobby Bloom. Released on the Roulette label, Bloom had a chart hit with it in 1971. Bloom had no credited involvement in the composition or production of the song.