Arrows, Once Upon A Time

Arrows perform their last single ever released, in January 1976, "Once Upon A Time," a ballad written by Phil Coulter. This was the last straw for the band, who wanted to make rock records, but their record company had them release dirge-like ballads or nothing. Legend has it a major confrontation between the record label and the band's management ensued, and after this single the band had no more records issued for sale, in spite of having their own television series.
They are the only band in the history of popular music to host their own TV series and have no records released during the run of the shows.
History also shows the band were right after all, since they had written one of the biggest songs in the history of the music business in 1975, "I Love Rock And Roll" and the label didn't hear that song as a hit, putting it on a b-side!
"Once Upon A Time," a well written Phil Coulter ballad, hovered around the top 50 in the British charts, a decent record, but without label support it died on the vine. The band were grey-listed after this single, and never released another record until the compilation "A's B's and Rarites" on EMI records in 2005.
Arrows went from their energetic 1974 top 10 rocker "Touch Too Much" to this very middle of the road ballad in 1976.
The effect was that these stylistically disparate recordings were confusing to their fans, to say the least!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Arrows
• pop
• uk
• 70s
• alan-merrill
• paul-varley
• jake-hooker

[CamdenTownLisa]

This peaked at number 21 on Capital Radio's Top 40 on 3/4/76.

[singlegorilla]

@CamdenTownLisa I didn't know it charted. Thanks for that information.

[singlegorilla]

It would have been a better record with real strings instead of a synthesizer. Typical tho for Arrows. For example, The Walker Brothers got real strings, a full orchestra on their records, and the Arrows get a cheesy synthesizer simulating strings . The vocals are ace.

[sxitezza]

A classic ballad , Once Upon A Time - Arrows, should have been a massive hit. always will be one of my all time top 5 tunes......

[KeithTheKing]

Nice post. This was the Arrows last single before they broke up.

[Primalonna]

A Phil Coulter song!

[biguphano]

i ay erd dis song since i waz 8yrs old

[bootcords]

Sad song lyrically. Sentiments of a remorseful cheater!

[ladycsummers]

I love this tune! Beaut of a ballad. Nice one lads!!

[anothagirl]

thanks to The Arrows for sending me this link, had the lyrics running in my head for years - found them on myspace, really lovely guys - thanks boys x