One of those great songs I haven't heard for years, but then just heard the other day...man, what a cut! Wonderful blend of R&B, soul and jazz, such class and style. Bit of Van Morrison, Steely Dan and Hall & Oates rolled into one. Unfortunately, most of the younger ones today (but not all of them) just don't get it. I may not be old, but I recall when music WAS made with real instruments, not prefab beats, samples and auto-tune. Total crap today. hear it everyday at work! Not opinion, just fact
real musicians, no lip synching, not a fashion show, just good, solid musicianship. what the hell happened? why is most music today so horrible? not all, but most.
If I could only have one wish...it really would be to live through 1970-1979 all over again....and again....and again....for truly only one reason and one reason alone....because of great music like this.
Heard the back end of this song 20 years ago.. did,nt catch who did.. always had part of the chorus in my head.. found it by accident.. what a great tune.. glad i finally got.. i,ll die happy lol .
It is rare to find great songs inside and out. Good music, good lyrics written in metaphors yet communicate well and performances that are tight...this has it all.. Too bad Helen Ready and the rest of us didn’t hear more from them...this business is f-ing hard. I hope they got a chance to really enjoy their art and make a living from it for awhile...!
Holy Crap. I'd gladly give up my left testicle to have a voice that was half that soulful. What's so amazing is that he still sounds about as good today.
Oh! Another one of those "She cheated on me" songs. To a certain extent, that formula can get tired of not executed correctly. They nearly screwed up here.
@boogsox Sanford (on the Hammond B-3) and Townsend (piano and lead vocals) are still working as session musicians and songwriters. They've written hits for more than a few people and bands, including Sanford writing "I Keep Forgettin'" with Michael McDonald.
Disappointing. I could not find the original Sanford Townsend Band album, which was rereleased as "Smoke From A Distant Fire", on Spotify. There was some great music on the album, and for it to be lost to time, is a real shame.
Choice tracks, besides "SFADF": "Rainbows Colored In Blue", "Squire James", "Sunshine in My Heart Again".
I was a kid when this came out ...I never forgot the song. It was and still is a joy to hear after all these years....magical. Oh to go back to a simpler time to hear REAL, pure music. Thanks for the post.
this was the best times of my life,,the 70s,,it had its bad too,with Vietnam,,but for the youth, we had a sense of hope and happiness for the future. For what things could be. The music was upbeat, made you feel good, made you smile,,made you want to get up and dance. It sure was simpler then,,no computers, cell phones, people had to talk to each other with their voices and their eyes. jus wish we could all go back there,,just for 1 day or 1 wk., I think it would change alot of the hate we have!
What a fantastic song in the style of the great song writers.The song is in the key of A then modulates to the Key of F before returning to A The lyrics are great and these guys can play, and of course Johnny's voice. A treasure.
This is a great tune. I have always loved this song. Great rhythm, great sound, although the story of the song is kind of sad though.
I remember trying to find the Sanford Townsend Band at a music store in Santa Cruz, way back in 1988, and the clerk said, "they aint popular, and nobody likes em anymore cause they're too old''. I thought to myself, What a bunch of $hit.
I used to hear this song on the radio all the time back in, I think, 1978. I was 12 years old.
This is my all time favorite song! Did you notice however that in this video everyone else in the band had a close up but the bass player? Just thought that was strange.
"You're going to be hearing a lot from them in the future..." Um, I think this was the last thing we heard from them. Great song no matter how you look at it. Too bad they just seem to fade away.
Absolutely a great song in every respect. I really miss those magical days of The Midnight Special when I was very young. That lead guitar player really smokes! It looks like he made that guitar! Does anybody know if that is his homemade guitar...just wondering.
@majmonarch they continued on for a while, mostly went unrecognized for the fabulous talent that they were. I have had their Smoke tape since it came out in the late 70's, it has a wealth of wonderful songs on it that would have been great on the radio. Johnny Townsend has done a lot of things over the years, stayed in the music biz and is currently singing in the Toler-Townsend Band. They are very good and still put out CD's and put on concerts.
Granted this was a great song for the late 70's. Unfortunately, this was one of many, many great songs that seemed to pop up between '75 & '79. It just got lost in the mix. I still remember this song from my Junior High dance days!!! Loved it then, love it now...
I'm curious if there was a disproportionate number of songs that we not deem "classic" pop/rock today.
I love this song. It came out when I was about 17 and had just split with my girlfriend. I bought the single and played this song over and over. Thanks for purring on YouTube.
I was a radio dj when this song broke. It's as passionate sounding now as it was then. Kudos to these wonderful musicians. Sentimentally speaking i'm amazed how quickly time passes and how such a song freezes my mind in time.
These guys were from my area and highly indicative of the talent we had around here in Alabama in the 70's. Unfortunately, most of these musicians' efforts were misguided, or placed in the wrong hands professionally, and virtually none of them had any significant success. The only lone bright spot was the luck that Tommy Shaw had joining Styx and not screwing it up.
Anybody have or know the tabs for the bass guitar in this song? I have tried to figure it out but he is going everywhere on the bass. Help me. Thanks.
Count me as another one who thought the lead singer was black! How funny... (Of course, the reverse has also occurred; I was stunned to find that Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were a black group!)
I can't understand why these guys weren't more famous. At the time of this they had it everything they needed. I can name many "famous" bands not half as good.
I'm in total agreement with RoofFiddler and rogerrodd. It's hard to believe this wasn't taken back to the studio and cleaned up. I'm sure musicians of this quality do not like playing solos note for note as recorded but if they didn't most of the audience would think they made mistakes. I wish there was time for them to really let loose for about 3 more turns but on T.V. as Billy Joel says "They cut it down to 3:05 ". God I miss the Hammond B-3. Thank you for sharing this.
Funny to hear Helen Reddy talk about Kenny Loggins raving about these dudes. Even all these years later- and in spite of being 'one hit wonder'ish'- this is a band that still commands a lot of respect from serious musicians. These guys are tighter than a clenched fist. Just listen to this song. They're playing a live cut so sharp it sounds like it's undergone front to back engineering.
MAN! did we ever have great music in the day. And to think this was a one hit wonder band of the 70's! Better then any band that goes Platinum nowadays. ~Peace out and God Bless~.
fantastic...ever hear it while shopping? One negative vote...gotta' be somebody out there who's tone deaf. I think the band formed in Mobile...not sure. Yeah...it's "soul" with a beat. I read in Wiki they made a success out in LA. Hey, I bought their CD...it's a good buy I think.
If you're going to have a one hit wonder this would be the one to have. What a live performance !! It sounds good live. The studio version kicks !! What happened to these guys?? Or is it we were too fickled in the seventies? These guys had a great sound.. shame they could do more and have more hits.
@chickglenn07 The band's follow-up albums, entitled Duo-Glide and Nail Me to the Wall, were significantly less successful. Sanford and Townsend returned to their careers as session musicians and songwriters. In 2008, John Townsend was in the Toler/Townsend Band with Dan Toler. Townsend's tenor voice remains substantially unchanged from thirty years prior.--Wikipedia
@clintonearlwalker I saw on YouTube John Townsend display his tenor voice in a southern club and I wonder where he could have gone if he'd gotten a break in say Vegas.
@seale1234 I remember when this song came out, we listened to it all the time on the radio while riding to and from band camp in high school in the late 70's. Back in those days there was LOTS of real music, bands competed it seemed like every week for the best song. It's a shame really that this band wasn't able to put together a string of fabulous songs, they had all the ingredients, this sometimes occurs with a group of studio musicians. I can think of several other examples.
@clintonearlwalker They did put together a string of other fabulous songs, they just unforunately didnt make it to the radio. We used to listen to their cassette all the time back in the day, along with 'Smoke', every song on the tape was awesome. You are right, it is a shame that none of those other great tunes made it to the radio. Johnny Townsend is currently singing with a great group called Toler-Townsend Band. He still has a fantastic voice.
@jotenor Thanx for that, I never had the album, but I still have the 45 rpm single. I now have the internet though, and utorrent, I may try to find the album. Cheers!!
@seale1234 I was trained as an artist...but the visual variety. When somebody hits a streak of creativity in the studio, it's not long before it's shared around the room. I'm "trying" to learn more about newer music. I'm hoping that listening to music will keep me, how to say, at least younger. Thank you to you musicians...I've heard the road is rough.
Well, if Kenny Loggins raved about their musicianship, he was abslutely right. Just the INTRO of this song BEFORE he begins singing has more going on than songs today. It's no surprise. I mean these guys and other artists from this era were actual musicians. Play an instrument and sing? How many can do that anymore? Not many, and when they do, it's treated as some sort of revelation when old school artists ALWAYS did it.
I just heard this song on the radio 15 minutes ago. (CBS FM). I came to the computer to look them up. Cookin'! They remind me of the band I was with in 1974. NIce.
Fantastic job - normally groups sound much better via the studio versions versus "live" performances; however, this is absolutely great. Virtually the same sound as what was heard back in the day on the radio/album. It may have been a "one hit wonder,: but it was a terrific song. Thanks for the post.
I love this stuff. I think 1977 was kind of a watershed year. After that rock was all boring bass lines (stick to the root), and people trying to "turn Japanese" wearing coneheads and such. It's never really come back, but there's more hope now.
Loved this band and the album they put out. I hope someone tells their story here at Youtube and posts more songs from this album. I'll certainly share them with my friends. Meanwhile, I think I'll do a little research.
My vote for most serious looking band. Yeah they sound great but they all look constipated. Who wants to see a band that looks like that. No wonder they were a one hit, no stage presence
Articulate. Singing with great vowel sounds... this restores my faith in the power of something -- art. I am going to look for some CDs. I would like a copy of the radio version and also a copy of this video version. Does anyone know if that is available. I will check out other music they did. You know, maybe it's not sad they didn't become celebrities. (I know they are most likely well known in the music world.) Does anyone know if the music video version is on a CD? Thanks
The voice and the singing! Those great consonants coming from a Southern clarity, I guess. I just am really enjoying this video and I think I'll make it my theme song for this year. Makes me feel happy. It's just such a great story and drama told well, that anyone could relate, too, not to mention a killer arrangement and high energy. I've heard this so many times, but I hadn't realized it was a cheatin' song or forgot. Great images and internal rhyme.
Found this 2 days ago - blown away. Just heard a Beatles song "Something" so lugubrious compared to this and you can see/feel the developments of music coming a mile away. I think they were heavily promoted and I never really liked them. This song is so interesting in its details. I love this type of rolling ballad with a cascading voice. The guitar and sax players - so cute. Love the quick smile of the guitarist when the singer blisters in the 1st 2 phrases. Incandescent. Sly. Witty.
Hell of a voice that guy has
jbmaynar1 6 days ago
Man oh man what a great song, what a great time, oh for just one ride in a time machine
wwall2 1 week ago
First time to hear this was in Hawaii. Toes in the sand on a warm beach beautiful day.
This was playing loud from a open bar at Pokai Bay.
timecapsulemmm 3 weeks ago in playlist More videos from LiveVideoAZ
Great band! Great vocalist! Great song! Where'd they go?
joezellner10 1 month ago 2
Great song. But listen to Helen's intro. We heard NOTHING from them in the future. Fantastic one hit wonder. But still a one hit.
cageomatic777 1 month ago
cant tell you how glad helen reddy is gone
HSECMAN 1 month ago
One of those great songs I haven't heard for years, but then just heard the other day...man, what a cut! Wonderful blend of R&B, soul and jazz, such class and style. Bit of Van Morrison, Steely Dan and Hall & Oates rolled into one. Unfortunately, most of the younger ones today (but not all of them) just don't get it. I may not be old, but I recall when music WAS made with real instruments, not prefab beats, samples and auto-tune. Total crap today. hear it everyday at work! Not opinion, just fact
truthaintpretty 1 month ago
AWESOME song. CANT get enough of it. Wooden performance.
cageomatic777 1 month ago
Hot Wheels James Island SC circa 1980
letmeinustupidthing 1 month ago
You always tell a great band...when their live performance sounds better than the recording.
DONGOE 2 months ago
Talented musicians performing on TV, this must be old as fuck.
StoneyMcJuicyBuds 2 months ago
@StoneyMcJuicyBuds - Yeah and they're not lip-syncing like all of the bullshit today.
DONGOE 2 months ago
That lead singer not only had a beautiful soulful voice, he was also hot!
peekaboots01 2 months ago
real musicians, no lip synching, not a fashion show, just good, solid musicianship. what the hell happened? why is most music today so horrible? not all, but most.
eydie57 2 months ago
If I could only have one wish...it really would be to live through 1970-1979 all over again....and again....and again....for truly only one reason and one reason alone....because of great music like this.
SlyDevil66 2 months ago
absolutely fantastic song..
69ican 2 months ago 2
Heard the back end of this song 20 years ago.. did,nt catch who did.. always had part of the chorus in my head.. found it by accident.. what a great tune.. glad i finally got.. i,ll die happy lol .
69ican 2 months ago
Greatest lyric for a title ever.
plangentmusic 2 months ago
It is rare to find great songs inside and out. Good music, good lyrics written in metaphors yet communicate well and performances that are tight...this has it all.. Too bad Helen Ready and the rest of us didn’t hear more from them...this business is f-ing hard. I hope they got a chance to really enjoy their art and make a living from it for awhile...!
garyzdenek 2 months ago
Holy Crap. I'd gladly give up my left testicle to have a voice that was half that soulful. What's so amazing is that he still sounds about as good today.
hackbasslessons 3 months ago 2
This clip is amazing, since they were actually playing LIVE. 98% of the people who apperared on the Midnight Special did not.
docrock55 3 months ago 2
I thought this was Billy Vera all these years. Don't ask me why. Doesn't sound anything like him.
zytxuy 3 months ago in playlist Favorite videos
Oh! Another one of those "She cheated on me" songs. To a certain extent, that formula can get tired of not executed correctly. They nearly screwed up here.
kja427 3 months ago
Sirrus/Xm channel 7. It's worth every penny!
jheinle883 3 months ago
Where are the players today?
boogsox 3 months ago
@boogsox Sanford (on the Hammond B-3) and Townsend (piano and lead vocals) are still working as session musicians and songwriters. They've written hits for more than a few people and bands, including Sanford writing "I Keep Forgettin'" with Michael McDonald.
desertswo 2 months ago
Singer is top notch. Just another great song from the 70s, when artists had integrity and set out to do so.
TheNuwaver 4 months ago 9
@TheNuwaver Ain't that the truth...
LiveVideoAZ 4 months ago
Great song and great performance...gotta love the days before auto-tune when music actually sounded like music and not completely garbled crap
lesterwink23 4 months ago 4
@lesterwink23 I totally agree with you....Thank you for dropping by....stay gold!
LiveVideoAZ 4 months ago
aaah the MIDNIGHT SPECIAL....B4 MTV! Great song...great great song...
princesstna925 4 months ago
Too bad these guys aren't still performing today, (Or ARE they??)> What a great band. Musically and vocally amazing...
luv2sng1 5 months ago
This was a great performance!
ralpheo62 5 months ago
Disappointing. I could not find the original Sanford Townsend Band album, which was rereleased as "Smoke From A Distant Fire", on Spotify. There was some great music on the album, and for it to be lost to time, is a real shame.
Choice tracks, besides "SFADF": "Rainbows Colored In Blue", "Squire James", "Sunshine in My Heart Again".
ralpheo62 5 months ago
Boy do I miss the 70's!
zole2112b 5 months ago 5
@zole2112b Yeah we sure had some kick ass music back then...Damn do I sound old or what...lol
Thanx for dropping by, Stay Gold
LiveVideoAZ 5 months ago 3
nice split screen on the lead guitarist and saxophonist
bigbernie76 5 months ago
I was a kid when this came out ...I never forgot the song. It was and still is a joy to hear after all these years....magical. Oh to go back to a simpler time to hear REAL, pure music. Thanks for the post.
MusicalSista 6 months ago 2
@MusicalSista Thank you for dropping by...Glad you enjoyed it...Stay Gold
LiveVideoAZ 6 months ago
When bands could play and sing live. Disco killed these great bands unfortunately, well before their time.
msu65 6 months ago
Great Tune!!! It has been a while since I've heard this one. Thanks for the post.
richland22 6 months ago
@richland22 You are more than welcome...Thank you for dropping by...stay gold
LiveVideoAZ 6 months ago
this was the best times of my life,,the 70s,,it had its bad too,with Vietnam,,but for the youth, we had a sense of hope and happiness for the future. For what things could be. The music was upbeat, made you feel good, made you smile,,made you want to get up and dance. It sure was simpler then,,no computers, cell phones, people had to talk to each other with their voices and their eyes. jus wish we could all go back there,,just for 1 day or 1 wk., I think it would change alot of the hate we have!
TheVictor6951 6 months ago 8
@TheVictor6951 Very well put...I do have to agree with you on this.
Thanx for dropping by....stay gold
LiveVideoAZ 6 months ago
@TheVictor6951 I hear ya...loud and clear and totally agree with you....Thank you for dropping by...stay gold
LiveVideoAZ 6 months ago
@TheVictor6951 dont forget disco dude-ewwwwwwwwww
HSECMAN 1 month ago
tight band......had to be in those days
TheArizonaMark 6 months ago
And on Guitar-- Greg "the Hammer" Valentine, ready to drop the Atomic Elbow an put you in Figure-Four Leg Lock if you don't like the song.
bfnputz 6 months ago
What a fantastic song in the style of the great song writers.The song is in the key of A then modulates to the Key of F before returning to A The lyrics are great and these guys can play, and of course Johnny's voice. A treasure.
Swampiti 6 months ago
Damn ♫ that was awesome! Thanks for giving it a shout out ♥
debb17055 6 months ago 2
@debb17055 You are more than welcome Debb..Thank you for dropping by...Stay Gold
LiveVideoAZ 6 months ago
What a fantastic song - takes me back. I now have a huge crush on JohnnyT.
jewertify 6 months ago
Hall & Oates rip off
mypsmells 7 months ago
one of my all time favorites what SOUL
hard to keep the volume off max thanks for posting
MrTuireland 7 months ago 4
@MrTuireland I hear you on this one...Glad you dropped by to enjoy it.
Stay Gold...
LiveVideoAZ 7 months ago
Who's the guitar player he's really good whats his name
zzacksback 7 months ago
This sounds even better live than the recorded version! Awesome!
DA90027 7 months ago 2
@DA90027 I have to totally agree with you on this on...Thanx for stopping by...
Stay Gold
LiveVideoAZ 7 months ago
This is a great tune. I have always loved this song. Great rhythm, great sound, although the story of the song is kind of sad though.
I remember trying to find the Sanford Townsend Band at a music store in Santa Cruz, way back in 1988, and the clerk said, "they aint popular, and nobody likes em anymore cause they're too old''. I thought to myself, What a bunch of $hit.
I used to hear this song on the radio all the time back in, I think, 1978. I was 12 years old.
Thanks for uploading
S2k2003 7 months ago
@S2k2003 I know what you mean....This song still holds up well today...
Thanx for dropping by, Stay Gold
LiveVideoAZ 7 months ago
Man oh Man I want me one of those Pea Jackets!!!
johnnecron 7 months ago
reminds me of steely dan who i love ,obviously superb musicians but the song and lyrics are bland and not memorable unlike the dan.
bradshawvincent 7 months ago
Right up there, in the TOP10 of the 70's... scary, eh? Alabama - what a cradle for real rock!!!
Mobra50 8 months ago
Whoo! I'm 19 and I love this song! Who needs that new-fangled trash?
TheDeepestDarkness 8 months ago 2
Another E-Ticket Ride on LiveVideoAz's Wonderous Wayback Macine!
mp3man47 8 months ago
One Hit Wonders.
455Transam 8 months ago
Geniuses live. Fuck.
Thank you, LiveVideoAZ.
barrywilliamsmb 8 months ago
Such a great song and band. I always thought it was Van Morrison singing. Good guitar and organ here.
wandraharmsen 8 months ago
This song brings back some great memories of my younger days!!
OLDROCKER1961 8 months ago
The Lead Singer's voice sounds just like Darryl Hall of Hall and Oates
cessna65423 9 months ago
This is my all time favorite song! Did you notice however that in this video everyone else in the band had a close up but the bass player? Just thought that was strange.
oldmantook1 9 months ago
Wow what a young Helen Reddy. Gee these guys sound tighter live than their record.
KB4QAA 9 months ago
"You're going to be hearing a lot from them in the future..." Um, I think this was the last thing we heard from them. Great song no matter how you look at it. Too bad they just seem to fade away.
mrsgstd 9 months ago
" And that mist in your eyes feels like rain on the fire in my soul" fantastic lyrics
txmnsquirrel 9 months ago
" And that mist in your eyes feels like rain on the fire in my soul" fantastic lyrics
txmnsquirrel 9 months ago
I always liked how this song flowed. Always surprised this was a 1HW band.
MrUnc82alum 9 months ago
What an outstanding song...just don't make em like this anymore!!!!
jdcarnes66 9 months ago
THIS is why I started watching the Midnight Special.........
27wingnut 9 months ago
i can't listen to this song and not think of all the summer vacations spent at myrtle beach. wonderful memories!
kwcolvin1 9 months ago
Whatever happened to Helen Reddy?
Alikah1 10 months ago
@Alikah1 She's opening for the Sanford-Townsend Band at the Podunk Rib Festival this weekend.
bfnputz 9 months ago
THOUGHT THIS WAS VAN MORRISON
oiyabastard 10 months ago
Absolutely a great song in every respect. I really miss those magical days of The Midnight Special when I was very young. That lead guitar player really smokes! It looks like he made that guitar! Does anybody know if that is his homemade guitar...just wondering.
TheDrumWolf 10 months ago
@TheDrumWolf BC Rich Mockingbird
tjrox 10 months ago
One of the best songs from the era. Great band.
feloniuschunk 10 months ago
These guys should have been bigger, disco took the spotlight off so many really good bands during that time. They sound a lot like ARM band.
TheVagolfer 10 months ago
I argue with musicians all the time about live, and not live, performances. Definitely live and classic!
Gourmetbooger 10 months ago
Great times of watching the Midnight Special . The 70s were great. Thanks for the post.
SgtRock57 11 months ago
Good to know! Thanks!
majmonarch 11 months ago
Awesome song. I know a lot of people have said this but I thought it was a black band. Sure sounds like one.
michellesupport89 11 months ago
Every band should have 1 member who wears a t-shirt with the band's name on it.
onefig 11 months ago
Great song, great lead voice this dude had !
ridingroy 11 months ago 2
Always thought it was a white guy that sounded like a black guy. Finally saw the video & my opinion was confirmed. Great song!
gammonjw 11 months ago
Cool to see Tom Petty on the sax...
egleyst1 11 months ago
@egleyst1 you are trying to be funny, right?
jotenor 11 months ago
I liked this song in the 70's! Had no clue who sung it until today. these guys are really cute! what happened to the band?
majmonarch 11 months ago
@majmonarch they continued on for a while, mostly went unrecognized for the fabulous talent that they were. I have had their Smoke tape since it came out in the late 70's, it has a wealth of wonderful songs on it that would have been great on the radio. Johnny Townsend has done a lot of things over the years, stayed in the music biz and is currently singing in the Toler-Townsend Band. They are very good and still put out CD's and put on concerts.
jotenor 11 months ago
he sounds like van morrison....great song
duckface0915 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I LOVE this song!!!
metallicamiss 1 year ago
Granted this was a great song for the late 70's. Unfortunately, this was one of many, many great songs that seemed to pop up between '75 & '79. It just got lost in the mix. I still remember this song from my Junior High dance days!!! Loved it then, love it now...
I'm curious if there was a disproportionate number of songs that we not deem "classic" pop/rock today.
jdanoz1 1 year ago
@jdanoz1 Very well said. The 70's had a flood of great music. We are in the midst of a drought.
kenmtb 1 year ago
Hearing a lot from who in the future? hmmm.
TheZappawizard 1 year ago
# 1 HIT . GREAT SONG .
vrs195927 1 year ago
I love this song. It came out when I was about 17 and had just split with my girlfriend. I bought the single and played this song over and over. Thanks for purring on YouTube.
travisbickle113 1 year ago
Helen Reddy is hot...sorry I just had to say that
JoeyPencils 1 year ago
I was a radio dj when this song broke. It's as passionate sounding now as it was then. Kudos to these wonderful musicians. Sentimentally speaking i'm amazed how quickly time passes and how such a song freezes my mind in time.
Bobby Salazar Smith
Vaughn, NM
circlesthesun 1 year ago
Kudos to all above....this Song Rocks !!!
Lgarth11 1 year ago
I agree with soulhat.
Midnight Special... where the bands played LIVE, unlike Soul Train and others.
Great band and great song from an era where TALENT was the top requirement to be famous.
TomKaren1994 1 year ago
This was when bands had raw talent,could play instraments and sound good "LIVE"
soulhat218 1 year ago
These guys were from my area and highly indicative of the talent we had around here in Alabama in the 70's. Unfortunately, most of these musicians' efforts were misguided, or placed in the wrong hands professionally, and virtually none of them had any significant success. The only lone bright spot was the luck that Tommy Shaw had joining Styx and not screwing it up.
BAMAMARV 1 year ago
Helen Reddy jinxed them with that intro. They should have been huge.
tdelamont 1 year ago
That guy can sing! Most excellent song.
emeryjve 1 year ago
Anybody have or know the tabs for the bass guitar in this song? I have tried to figure it out but he is going everywhere on the bass. Help me. Thanks.
lawdog1301 1 year ago
he WAS so hot with those freakin dimples
rudchowbell 1 year ago 2
@rudchowbell I know, I just love dimples on men and he definitely has a sexy set of dimples to go along with that phenomenal voice.
jotenor 11 months ago
Little known fact: The guitarist made his guitar in woodshop.
bfnputz 1 year ago 2
Comment removed
lydiaandthetrees 1 year ago
Like quitting, presumably. Or at least going nowhere near a musical instrument.
And not bothering to try to sing, either, after listening to John Towsend. Oh, well,
maybe in the next life there'll be some justice, Sanford Towsend.
tonywsmith2 1 year ago
Incredible ! Grade A+ Always loved this song Vocals are magic, tight band.
yes101397 1 year ago
Count me as another one who thought the lead singer was black! How funny... (Of course, the reverse has also occurred; I was stunned to find that Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose were a black group!)
SandyCou 1 year ago
John Townsend has like one of the best voices ive ever heard. Its also the perfect song for him to sing
animalcollective3113 1 year ago 3
An unbelievable sound!! What a group - the lead guitarist looks like any surfer of the day.
BigTex347 1 year ago 2
Dynamite band! I don't know why they didn't have more hits.
70Kenny 1 year ago
WOW!! One of the best songs of the 70s hands down. Stunned that STB didn't vault off of this great tune, very talented, very underated.
domm1999 1 year ago 25
@domm1999 I know, go figure. Such a talent.
jotenor 10 months ago
its everything the seventies was about . BRILLIANT
cootamundra123 1 year ago
I can't understand why these guys weren't more famous. At the time of this they had it everything they needed. I can name many "famous" bands not half as good.
euqip 1 year ago 14
This version kicks ass!
rachi95 1 year ago
Does anyone have this without the lame intro by Helen?
dobie315 1 year ago
@dobie315 Use video2mp3 and then use audacity to edit it any way you want.
kanbei707 1 year ago
@kanbei707
I'll go further. I can't name many famous bands that were nearly as good.
tonywsmith2 1 year ago
Tight
dobie315 1 year ago
This sounds over produced on the radio, and then you watch it live and you realize it was just very good musicians.
CBB123able 1 year ago
I'm in total agreement with RoofFiddler and rogerrodd. It's hard to believe this wasn't taken back to the studio and cleaned up. I'm sure musicians of this quality do not like playing solos note for note as recorded but if they didn't most of the audience would think they made mistakes. I wish there was time for them to really let loose for about 3 more turns but on T.V. as Billy Joel says "They cut it down to 3:05 ". God I miss the Hammond B-3. Thank you for sharing this.
mrmyspace1 1 year ago
1 person has their eyes a mist from the smoke of a distant fire.
Survivor87 1 year ago
Love, love, love this song!
Suzywriter 1 year ago
The singer has always reminded me of John Fogerty in voice and appearance. great song and performance.
Survivor87 1 year ago
Kind of the Hall and Oates formula from the mid 70's. Great single, great vocal, great live performance.
Raxman263 1 year ago
@Raxman263 Absolutely an influence to Hall and Oates.. If their{H&O} management had a clue they'd have them COVER it!
bcushing 1 year ago
Splendid band, must make Alabamians joyeous & proud!! Sharp instrumentalists, fabulous performance...A "Margarita" toasting to your happiness, LiveVideoAZ!! (:
mrlarrysummers 1 year ago
Funny to hear Helen Reddy talk about Kenny Loggins raving about these dudes. Even all these years later- and in spite of being 'one hit wonder'ish'- this is a band that still commands a lot of respect from serious musicians. These guys are tighter than a clenched fist. Just listen to this song. They're playing a live cut so sharp it sounds like it's undergone front to back engineering.
RoofFiddler 1 year ago 2
Good captures people forever. TY for this vid!!!
brocczz 1 year ago
What was it? 1976? Great song.
TucsonTerpFan 1 year ago
MAN! did we ever have great music in the day. And to think this was a one hit wonder band of the 70's! Better then any band that goes Platinum nowadays. ~Peace out and God Bless~.
Luvinthe70s 1 year ago
sweet early bc rich mockingbird that guy's playing.
TechnicalEvaluation 1 year ago
WOW !!! GREAT BAND & A GREAT SONG !!!!!
DONGOE 1 year ago
fantastic...ever hear it while shopping? One negative vote...gotta' be somebody out there who's tone deaf. I think the band formed in Mobile...not sure. Yeah...it's "soul" with a beat. I read in Wiki they made a success out in LA. Hey, I bought their CD...it's a good buy I think.
seale1234 1 year ago
If you're going to have a one hit wonder this would be the one to have. What a live performance !! It sounds good live. The studio version kicks !! What happened to these guys?? Or is it we were too fickled in the seventies? These guys had a great sound.. shame they could do more and have more hits.
chickglenn07 1 year ago
@chickglenn07 The band's follow-up albums, entitled Duo-Glide and Nail Me to the Wall, were significantly less successful. Sanford and Townsend returned to their careers as session musicians and songwriters. In 2008, John Townsend was in the Toler/Townsend Band with Dan Toler. Townsend's tenor voice remains substantially unchanged from thirty years prior.--Wikipedia
clintonearlwalker 1 year ago
@clintonearlwalker I saw on YouTube John Townsend display his tenor voice in a southern club and I wonder where he could have gone if he'd gotten a break in say Vegas.
seale1234 1 year ago
@seale1234 I remember when this song came out, we listened to it all the time on the radio while riding to and from band camp in high school in the late 70's. Back in those days there was LOTS of real music, bands competed it seemed like every week for the best song. It's a shame really that this band wasn't able to put together a string of fabulous songs, they had all the ingredients, this sometimes occurs with a group of studio musicians. I can think of several other examples.
clintonearlwalker 1 year ago 3
@clintonearlwalker They did put together a string of other fabulous songs, they just unforunately didnt make it to the radio. We used to listen to their cassette all the time back in the day, along with 'Smoke', every song on the tape was awesome. You are right, it is a shame that none of those other great tunes made it to the radio. Johnny Townsend is currently singing with a great group called Toler-Townsend Band. He still has a fantastic voice.
jotenor 1 year ago
@jotenor Thanx for that, I never had the album, but I still have the 45 rpm single. I now have the internet though, and utorrent, I may try to find the album. Cheers!!
clintonearlwalker 1 year ago
@seale1234 I was trained as an artist...but the visual variety. When somebody hits a streak of creativity in the studio, it's not long before it's shared around the room. I'm "trying" to learn more about newer music. I'm hoping that listening to music will keep me, how to say, at least younger. Thank you to you musicians...I've heard the road is rough.
seale1234 1 year ago
@clintonearlwalker sorry...ooops, I clicked on the wrong entry. I answered your response with an entry 4 spots up...
seale1234 1 year ago
One of my all-time favorite songs! They were tight!
OBDjFH05 1 year ago
I think Helen Reddy came up with a new word. I've never heard the word 'musicianship' before.
MissMom4evr 1 year ago
Well, if Kenny Loggins raved about their musicianship, he was abslutely right. Just the INTRO of this song BEFORE he begins singing has more going on than songs today. It's no surprise. I mean these guys and other artists from this era were actual musicians. Play an instrument and sing? How many can do that anymore? Not many, and when they do, it's treated as some sort of revelation when old school artists ALWAYS did it.
Vamoalla 1 year ago
I just heard this song on the radio 15 minutes ago. (CBS FM). I came to the computer to look them up. Cookin'! They remind me of the band I was with in 1974. NIce.
Annettesmusic 1 year ago
Townsend's voice reminds me a little of Van Morrison.
chaddavidgill 1 year ago
Fantastic job - normally groups sound much better via the studio versions versus "live" performances; however, this is absolutely great. Virtually the same sound as what was heard back in the day on the radio/album. It may have been a "one hit wonder,: but it was a terrific song. Thanks for the post.
gva0917 1 year ago
I love this stuff. I think 1977 was kind of a watershed year. After that rock was all boring bass lines (stick to the root), and people trying to "turn Japanese" wearing coneheads and such. It's never really come back, but there's more hope now.
Larrymh07 1 year ago
"Don't let the screen door hit you on your way out"..............Dig this line. Great song from MY 70's
Twom44 1 year ago
great riff
dda3798773 1 year ago
They still sound great after all these years. Johnny T has a phenomenal voice. Enough to make most girls sigh.
jotenor 1 year ago 2
One of the best of that era combining horns, organ, vocals etc. Sure do miss that kind of sound. Reminds me of high school and college.
jandtreimers 1 year ago 2
Loved this band and the album they put out. I hope someone tells their story here at Youtube and posts more songs from this album. I'll certainly share them with my friends. Meanwhile, I think I'll do a little research.
Observerx10 1 year ago 2
My vote for most serious looking band. Yeah they sound great but they all look constipated. Who wants to see a band that looks like that. No wonder they were a one hit, no stage presence
28if 1 year ago
Articulate. Singing with great vowel sounds... this restores my faith in the power of something -- art. I am going to look for some CDs. I would like a copy of the radio version and also a copy of this video version. Does anyone know if that is available. I will check out other music they did. You know, maybe it's not sad they didn't become celebrities. (I know they are most likely well known in the music world.) Does anyone know if the music video version is on a CD? Thanks
connie90847 1 year ago
The voice and the singing! Those great consonants coming from a Southern clarity, I guess. I just am really enjoying this video and I think I'll make it my theme song for this year. Makes me feel happy. It's just such a great story and drama told well, that anyone could relate, too, not to mention a killer arrangement and high energy. I've heard this so many times, but I hadn't realized it was a cheatin' song or forgot. Great images and internal rhyme.
connie90847 1 year ago
Found this 2 days ago - blown away. Just heard a Beatles song "Something" so lugubrious compared to this and you can see/feel the developments of music coming a mile away. I think they were heavily promoted and I never really liked them. This song is so interesting in its details. I love this type of rolling ballad with a cascading voice. The guitar and sax players - so cute. Love the quick smile of the guitarist when the singer blisters in the 1st 2 phrases. Incandescent. Sly. Witty.
connie90847 1 year ago
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tonywsmith2 1 year ago