Midas Touch

Macaulay and Macleod – who are they? I didn't really know until I decided to buy a 2CD compilation called Buttercups & Rainbows: The Songs of Macauley & Macleod. I listened to the music and was thrilled. That was also when I learned that Tony Macaulay and John Macleod were, in fact, a British equivalent to the American bubblegum music industry – a winning songwriting team who scored many hit singles in the UK between 1965 and 1973.

The purpose of these songs was of course to get them to the charts and make as much money as possible but Macaulay, Macleod, the artists and musicians inrefutably created something truly wonderful in the process. The result was timelessness captured in dozens of beautiful pop songs – these two CDs contain fifty of them. It really seems that Macaulay and Macleod turned their ideas into gold in more than just one way. Their songs were golden even when the singles failed to chart.

This set is packed with awesome pop warmth. It is soulful, it is happy, it is sparkling… Just listen to the incredibly catchy melodies, excellent background vocals and superb string and horn arrangements and you’ll soon feel like celebrating. One of the most famous songs here is of course Build Me up Buttercup by the Foundations. You will probably also recognize Smile a Little Smile for Me, the great song by the Flying Machine. Besides these bands there are also numerous others and to me they were mostly new. Marmalade was familiar but I really had never heard of such bands as the Paper Dolls, Pickettywitch or Jefferson. Well, now I know and I couldn’t be happier!

I love the evil 60s/70s bubblegum music empire, no matter if it is UK or US. And it doesn’t bother me at all that those people are, in fact, taking my money.

Listen to some stuff from this compilation (YouTube):
The Foundations: Build Me up Buttercup
Pickettywitch: Same Old Feeling
The Paper Dolls: Something Here In My Heart
Marmalade: Baby Make It Soon
The Flying Machine: Marie Take a Chance
Jefferson: Baby Take Me in Your Arms
The Committee: Sleep Tight Honey
Tina Tott: Take Away the Emptiness Too

Love Grows (You Know the Rest)

Tony Burrows is the man. He is Britain’s Ron Dante, and probably a lot more. He was a studio singer in the 70s and scored countless hits as lead singer in several bands. He sang in Edison Lighthouse, White Plains, Brotherhood of Man, The Pipkins, and that’s not even all. Once he performed in Top of the Pops as the lead singer of the three first mentioned bands – all of which were guests of the very same TOTP episode, and it resulted in Burrows being banned from the program since the TOTP makers thought the watchers might think it was some sort of a fraud. This didn’t, however, stop Burrows from performing with The Pipkins in the show a few weeks later.
Lately I’ve been listening to quite a lot of Edison Lighthouse, a wonderfully melodic pop group with lots of strings.. Edison Lighthouse – like other Tony Burrows bands - only existed in recording studio and television. That is, in fact, the official recipe of bubblegum success. But anyway, who cares about the fact that Edison Lighthouse wasn’t a real band? It’s the music that counts. You can fool people with many, many ways but you just can’t forge a good song.

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) sold millions, which is of course a good thing. Good songs should be noticed! I never had heard it myself before I heard a cover version of it by Freedy Johnston about a year ago. As you might guess, Edison Lighthouse and probably every other Tony Burrows band, too, have been labeled “one hit wonder” which isn’t very nice. Edison Lighthouse and others actually have several hit-worthy songs.

In the early 70s record company Bell released numerous singles that were credited to Edison Lighthouse, and other singles credited to Tony Burrows. Most of these singles can be heard on Edison Lighthouse's Best of collection, that nicely seems to be out of print. Luckily, there is YouTube..

I wish more people knew about the greatness of Tony Burrows bands! The situation might not be all bad, though. In Finland, for instance, probably everyone is familiar with the Finnish version of Tony Burrows single Every Little Move She Makes (Elämältä kaiken sain), performed by Pepe Willberg, but I'm not sure if hardly anyone has heard Love Grows.

Finally, here are some of my favourite Edison Lighthouse/Tony Burrows songs. Don’t mind the videos (or lack of them), just listen to the music! I picked the ones that had the best sound quality. While you listen to them, I’ll just move on to White Plains.. And the other bands.

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) (YouTube)
Every Little Move She Makes (YouTube)
Find Mr. Zeebedee (YouTube)
In the Bad Bad Old Days (The Foundations cover, YouTube)