<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Okay music trivia fans, can you name the lead singers for the following one hit wonder bands from the early 1970s?\u00a0 We can hum a couple of bars of the<\/span> Jeopardy<\/span><\/i> waiting music while you search your memory banks:\u00a0 Edison Lighthouse\u2026White Plains\u2026Pipkins\u2026Brotherhood of Man\u2026 First Class\u2026okay, time is up!\u00a0 There is one little letter in the opening sentence placed there to purposely send you down a rabbit hole because there weren\u2019t \u2018five lead singers\u2019 involved in all of these hit making bands;\u00a0 only one.\u00a0 His name is Tony Burrows and in 2022, the now retired singer had one of these hits go viral on TikTok even though he was 80 years-old and retired at the time.\u00a0 Maybe it would be best to go back to the beginning before we try to piece all of these hits together.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Anthony Burrows was born in Exeter, Devon, England on April 14, 1942.\u00a0 His odyssey as a professional singer began as a member of the vocal harmony group The Kestrels.\u00a0 His first solo album came out in 1965 under the pseudonym \u2018Tony Bond\u2019.\u00a0 His next landing spot was with a group called the Ivy League before they morphed into The Flower Pot Men not long after he joined.\u00a0 Members of the The Flower Pot Men\u2019s touring band included two founding members of Deep Purple, Jon Lord on keyboards and bassist Nick Simper.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In his book <\/span>Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders:\u00a0 Revised and Expanded, <\/span><\/i>Wayne Jancik reports that Burrow\u2019s first hit song vocal appeared on the song <\/span>Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes<\/span><\/i>).\u00a0 The song was co-written by Barry Mason and songwriter\/producer Tony Macauly of which Mason said, \u201cIt had been dashed off in 40 minutes in Macaulay\u2019s London apartment.\u201d\u00a0 They recruited Burrows to sing the lead vocals and when it became a hit, they needed to assemble a band to make appearances.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Macaulay and Mason found a band called Greenfield Hammer and rechristened them \u2018Edison Lighthouse\u2019 to give the unexpected hit a face.\u00a0 The band (which had not recorded the song –\u00a0 studio musicians had performed the track and Burrows provided the vocals) included Stuart Edwards (guitar), David Taylor (bass) and Ray Dorey (drums).\u00a0 Released in January of 1970, the song sold 250,000 copies in the United Kingdom and remained No. 1 on the UK charts for five weeks.\u00a0 When <\/span>Love Grows<\/span><\/i> was released in the United States in February of 1970, it rose to No. 5 on the <\/span>Billboard Hot 100.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>By April it had sold over a million copies and was certified as a Gold Record.\u00a0 As it goes in the world of reviving hits via streaming, TikTok reported on-demand streams of <\/span>Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Grows) <\/span><\/i>surged in 2022.\u00a0 This 1500 percent increase happened in just ten days as a new generation of fans discovered the song 50 years after it first topped the charts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In the same time frame that Tony Burrows recorded <\/span>Love Grows,<\/span><\/i> he was also a member of The Brotherhood of Man along with Johnny Goodison, Robert Greenway, Sue Glover, and Sunny Leslie.\u00a0 Goodison (credited as Peter Simons) and Tony Hiller wrote the song <\/span>United We Stand<\/span><\/i> which was recorded in late 1969 and released in 1970.\u00a0 It spent 15 weeks on the charts and reached No. 13 in the States and No. 10 in the UK.\u00a0 Since then, it has been covered at least 100\u00a0 times by artists ranging from Elton John to Sonny and Cher and the Muppets (with Lola Falana).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Interestingly enough, Elton John (still known as Reg Dwight back then) was working as an office boy in London for Mills Music (at a Denmark Street music publishing house).\u00a0 Tony Hiller also worked there and knew Dwight could sing so he had him record the original demo for <\/span>United We Stand.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 It would later resurface on John\u2019s 1994 album <\/span>Reg Dwight’s Piano Goes Pop.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Burrows would sing on one other Brotherhood hit single in 1972 (<\/span>Reach Out Your Hand<\/span><\/i>) before Hiller formed a new Brotherhood of Man group with completely different personnel.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In 1969-1970, the group The Flower Pot Men were struggling to get a hit record.\u00a0 Their new producers, Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook, were also their main songwriters.\u00a0 Amid numerous personnel changes, they renamed the band White Plains.\u00a0 This group is credited with the song <\/span>My Baby Loves Lovin\u2019.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>Released on January 2, 1970, the song was a No. 13 hit in America and charted at No. 9 in the UK.\u00a0 While Tony Burrows is often credited as the lead singer on the track, he was in fact a background vocalist behind White Plain\u2019s lead vocalist Ricky Wolfe.\u00a0 In some live appearances, Greenaway was known to step in on lead vocals in place of Wolfe, so we will have to put an asterisk next to the claims that the lead vocal on the song was originally done by Burrows.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Roger Greenway and Tony Burrows would also collaborate on a novelty song called <\/span>Gimme Dat Ding <\/span><\/i>that appeared on an album of the same name in 1970.\u00a0 The album only reached No.132 on the <\/span>Billboard Hot 200<\/span><\/i> but the single reached No. 6 in the UK and No. 9 in the US.\u00a0 Written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazelwood, it was the only song that charted among the twelve that the Pipkins recorded in their very short career.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The fifth entry in our Tony Burrows hit song tour is perhaps the most circuitous one.\u00a0 The group known as First Class had a hit in 1974 with <\/span>Beach Baby<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 It peaked at No. 13 in the UK and No. 4 in the US.\u00a0 It was written by a former member of The Flower Pot Men named John Carter and his wife Gillian Shakespear.\u00a0 When Carter left The Flower Pot Men in 1966, they were still known as The Ivy League.\u00a0 His replacement was none other than Tony Burrows.\u00a0 After they had written <\/span>Beach Baby,<\/span><\/i> Carter invited Burrows and Chas Mills to record it with his newly assembled studio band.\u00a0 The track was hailed as the UK equivalent of a Beach Boys song but neither Carter or Burrows had the time or inclination to tour behind it.\u00a0 Instead, they recruited a new group of musicians to tour as First Class included Robin Shaw (former bassist for White Plains), guitarist Spencer James (the future lead singer for The Searchers), and former Edison Lighthouse drummer Eddie Richards.\u00a0 The five piece touring band (including vocalist Del Johns and keyboardist Clive Barrett) pulled it off even though none of them had played on the record.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Carter and his former partner Ken Lewis had a band that dissolved when they decided to pursue session work as background vocalists.\u00a0 Their voices would be heard on hits like <\/span>It’s Not Unusual<\/span><\/i><\/a> (<\/span>Tom Jones<\/span><\/a>), <\/span>I Can’t Explain<\/span><\/i><\/a> (<\/span>The Who<\/span><\/a>), <\/span>Hi Ho Silver Lining<\/span><\/i><\/a> (<\/span>Jeff Beck<\/span><\/a>), and <\/span>(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me<\/span><\/i><\/a> (<\/span>Sandie Shaw<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0 First Class released a second album but none of the tracks were as memorable as <\/span>Beach Baby<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0 The core group was down to a trio and Mills would soon leave the music industry to run a restaurant in North London.\u00a0 Burrows continued working as a solo and session artist.\u00a0 John Carter kept busy writing jingles and managing his back catalogue.\u00a0 When asked about his work with The First Class, he said, \u201cMaking the First Class albums was a very happy and creative time.\u00a0 Who knows if we ever come up with another suitable song, maybe we will get together one day and record under that name again?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As for Burrow\u2019s legacy, it should be noted that save <\/span>Beach Baby, <\/span><\/i>the other four hits were all recorded within nine months of each other and all released about the same time in early 1970.\u00a0 There have been some misconceptions about Burrow\u2019s career singing for so many groups at the same time.\u00a0 In 2025, Mitch Mitchell wrote that Burrows was the first and only performer to appear with three different bands on one episode of the BBC\u2019s <\/span>Top of the Pops<\/span><\/i> show.\u00a0 Presumably he appeared with White Plains, Brotherhood of Man, and Edison Lighthouse but wearing different clothes for each segment.\u00a0 A dive into the BBC archives proves that this is not totally accurate.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The show records do say he appeared with those three groups, but it was over a span of a month.\u00a0 Two of the bands (Edison Lighthouse and Brotherhood of Man) both performed on the January 29, 1970 <\/span>Top of the Pops <\/span><\/i>episode. \u00a0 Edison Lighthouse later appeared on February 5, 1970 and White Plains on February 26, 1970.\u00a0 Video evidence\u00a0 still exists of these performances, but Burrows never appeared with three different bands on one show.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Tony Burrows own solo career was moderately successful.\u00a0 His time as a first call session singer kept him busy with his voice contributing to 100 Top 20 hit songs in the 1970s.\u00a0 Elton John\u2019s <\/span>Levon<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Tiny Dancer<\/span><\/i>, for example, featured Burrows singing harmony vocals with James Cale and Cliff Richards.\u00a0 Other notable tracks he had a hand in included (<\/span>Listen to the) Rhythm of the Falling Rain <\/span><\/i>(The Cascades), <\/span>Run Joey Run <\/span><\/i>(David Geddes), and <\/span>Never Gonna Fall in Love Again<\/span><\/i> (Eric Carmen).\u00a0 In 2011, Burrows was awarded the <\/span>BASCA<\/span><\/a> Gold Badge Award in recognition of his contribution to music.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Tony Burrows isn\u2019t the only anonymous voice who propelled records to the top of the charts in the 1960s and 1970s.\u00a0 Joey Levine became the voice on a string of hits for The Ohio Express but the story gets a little complicated.\u00a0 The name \u2018Ohio Express\u2019 was more of a brand name used by Jerry Kassenetz and Jeffry Katz whose company Super K Productions used a group of studio musicians from New York to record their hits.\u00a0 Singer\/songwriter Joey Levine was part of this studio group.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The first Super K Productions single, <\/span>Beg, Borrow, or Steal<\/span><\/i> was actually recorded by a group called The Rare Breed but it did not chart.\u00a0 This group recorded one other record but left the company after some dispute and never recorded again.\u00a0 Super K then drafted a band from Mansfield, Ohio called Sir Timothy and the Royals, renamed them The Ohio Express and sent them on the road.\u00a0 The re-release of <\/span>Beg, Borrow, and Steal<\/span><\/i> now attributed to the Ohio Express did become a hit and paved the way for a string of hits that followed.\u00a0 Though the Ohio Express moved over to the premier \u2018bubble gum pop\u2019 label, Buddha Records, the records were still made in New York with Joey Levine doing the lead vocals.\u00a0 The touring band never appeared on any of the records and Levine never performed with them live.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Starting with <\/span>Yummy Yummy Yummy<\/span><\/i>, the Ohio Express scored three more Top 40 hits with <\/span>Down At Lulu\u2019s, Chewy Chewy, <\/span><\/i>and<\/span> Mercy.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>Levine was not satisfied with his compensation for the five hit records credited to the Ohio Express and when he left the company, the band never graced the charts again.\u00a0 Levine\u2019s voice also appeared on Super K hits like <\/span>Quick Joey Small<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Life is a Rock (but the Radio Rolled Me<\/span><\/i>)\u00a0 There have been multiple iterations of The Ohio Express that have come and gone (and are still plying the oldies circuit today) but none have included Levine.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Levine founded his own jingle production company and many of the earworm add jingles you have heard can be attributed to him.\u00a0 How about, \u201cSometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don\u2019t\u201d used to market Almond Joy and Mounds candy bars?\u00a0 Our friends at Wiki expanded his resume as follows:\u00a0 \u201cPopular campaigns from the past [created by Levine\u2019s company] include: \u2018<\/span>Pepsi<\/span><\/a> \u2013 The Joy of Cola\u2019, \u2018Gentlemen Prefer Hanes\u2019, \u2018Just For the Taste of It \u2013 <\/span>Diet Coke<\/span><\/a>\u2019, \u2018Orange you smart, (for drinking Orange Juice)\u2019, \u2018Come See the Softer Side of <\/span>Sears<\/span><\/a>\u2019, \u2018Heartbeat of America \u2013 <\/span>Chevrolet<\/span><\/a>“, “<\/span>Dr Pepper<\/span><\/a> \u2013 You Make the World Taste Better”, \u2018You Asked For It, You Got It, <\/span>Toyota<\/span><\/a>,\u2019 \u2018Who’s that Kid With the <\/span>Oreo<\/span><\/a> Cookie,\u2019 and \u2018This Bud’s For You\u2019 for <\/span>Anheuser-Busch<\/span><\/a>, and also the infamous \u2018<\/span>Proud as a Peacock<\/span><\/a>\u2019 image campaign for <\/span>NBC<\/span><\/a> used from May 1979 to Summer 1981.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0For a time, Tony Burrows and Joey Levine were the voices that sold millions of records.\u00a0 Pop stardom seems to be fleeting, at best, but the post pop hits arc of both of their careers showed\u00a0 that one can survive without necessarily having to go out on the oldies but goodies circuit.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Top Piece Video:\u00a0 Yes, that is Tony Burrow’s voice – but is this really him in the music video?\u00a0 You decide!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Okay music trivia fans, can you name the lead singers for the following one hit wonder bands from the early 1970s?\u00a0 We can hum a couple of bars of the Jeopardy waiting music while you search your memory banks:\u00a0 Edison Lighthouse\u2026White Plains\u2026Pipkins\u2026Brotherhood of Man\u2026 First Class\u2026okay, time is up!\u00a0 There is one little letter […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,11,8,6,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bands-musicians","category-education","category-from-the-vaults","category-new-music","category-woas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3969"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3969\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3972,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3969\/revisions\/3972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}