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Tip of My Tongue (Lynsey de Paul song)

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"Tip of My Tongue" is a song written by Lynsey de Paul and Barry Blue (credited initially as "Green") that was originally registered as "On the Tip of My Tongue" (ISWC:T0104548028).[1] It has been a modest hit in different territories for at least 4 artists during the 1970's and 1980's (Brotherly Love, Ellie, The Great Rufus Road Machine and The Dooleys) and is also a Barry Blue fan favourite.

Brotherly Love

The song was first recorded and released as the fifth single by Brotherly Love (a Liverpool-based group composed of three brothers, Mike, Ronnie and Lee Carroll, who are brothers of impressionist Faith Brown)[2] with the song "I Love Everything About You" as the flip side on CBS Records on 27 April 1973.[3] and was produced by Phil Wainman.[4][5] According to music journalist James Craig, de Paul was in the audience for a Brotherly Love performance at Gulliver's and was so impressed with them that she co-penned "Tip of My Tongue" for them.[6] The trio performed the song on the Granada TV programme Lift Off With Ayshea on 22 June 1973.[7] The song received positive reviews from the British mainstream press[8] as well as the music press,[9] and the brothers were interviewed about the single[10] It made the top of the UK chart breakers listing on 23 May 1973[11][12] (would would equate to #51 if the chart had gone beyond a Top 50) but, subsequently, did not manage to enter the UK Top 50 single chart UK Singles Chart.[13] Barry Blue was credited as "Barry Green" on this release.[14][15]

Ellie

The female soul trio Ellie (aka the Hope Sisters - Ellie, Christine and Kathy) released their version of "Tip of My Tongue" produced by Barry Blue as a single (backed by "Someone's Stolen My Marbles") on the Fresh Air record label in the UK, on London Records in North America and on the Phillips label in Germany, France and Australia in 1974.[16][17][18] The song received generally positive review in the press with "The Stage" writing "Great new single "On the Tip of my Tongue" under the new name of Ellie on the Fresh air record label".[19] Ellie performed the song on the German TV music program, Hits a Go Go, on 22 October 1974.[20] The song also had a modicum of success in Europe, reflected by the fact that it was included on the German and Austrian releases of the 1975 compilation album Various – 26 Original Top Hits[21] as well as on the French compilation albums Hit-Parade Printemps Phonogram 1975 Spécial Discothèque,[22] and Alcazar D'été on the Philips label.[23] It was also chosen as record of the week by Dutch DJ Frans van der Drift at Radio Mi Amigo on 29 December 1974,[24] and Canadian radio station CFSX by DJ Phil Smith.[25] Ellie Hope went on to form Liquid Gold where she was the lead singer.[26] Ellie's version of the song is still played on radio, for example on 1 November 2014 by the German independent radio station, Radio X, Frankfurter Stadtradio (FM 91,8).[27]

The Great Rufus Road Machine

In December 1977, the Canadian band, The Great Rufus Road Machine, formed in 1972 by husband and wife team of Ron Russell (vocals) and Sharon Russell (vocals) with John “The Fly” Baye (drums), Dirk Acree (bass, trumpet) and Ken LaDéroute (vocals, guitar)), from Kitchener, Ontario,[28] recorded the song and released it as a single, with "Can't You Do It Now" as the B-side of the single.[29][30] It reached peaked at number 26 on the RPM Adult Oriented Playlist week of April 1, 1978[31][32] and both songs received major airplay success in Canada (131 stations) with the band also performing "Tip of My Tongue" on Canadian TV.[33] "Tip of My Tongue" was also included as the lead track on their self-named album,[34][35][36][37] although the version released as a single was remixed.[38]

The Dooleys

The British band The Dooleys also recorded their version of the song as a track on their 1981 album, Secrets, which was suggested by the album's producer Barry Blue.[39] The album was renamed The Dancer for its release in Japan and made number 41 on the Japanese Albums Chart.[40] The Dooleys version of the song was finally released on CD in 2013 on the Full House / Secrets double album,[41][42] as well as on the album The Dooleys Greatest Hits,[43] and also on the three CD compilation set, Gold, released in 2021.[44][45] Brotherly Love's 1973 version of the song was finally released on CD in 2022, on a compilation entitled Bubblerock is Here to Stay Vol. 2: The British Pop Explosion 1970-73.[46] A year later, it was released as a track on "Singles Collection - Brotherly Love."[47]

Barry Blue

The song's co-writer, Barry Blue, released his own recording of the song arranged by Gerry Shury and produced by Blue as a track on his self named debut album in 1974,[48][49] and this version was later featured on the compilation albums Dancin' (On A Saturday Night)... Best Of,[50] the German release "Greatest Hits",[51] as well as The Very Best of Barry Blue released in 2012.[52] In 2021, Barry's recording of the song appeared on his four compilation album release, Out of the Blue - 50 years Discovery.[53]

References

  1. ^ "On the Top of My Tongue". Repertoire.bmi.com. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Brotherly Love". Nostalgiacentral.com. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  3. ^ "45cat - Brotherly Love - Tip Of My Tongue / I Love Everything About You - CBS - UK - S CBS 1403". 45cat.com. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de. 27 April 1973. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Brotherly Love - Tip Of My Tongue / I Love Everything About You - CBS - UK - S CBS 1403". 45cat.com. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  6. ^ Record Mirror, 5 May 1973, p. 4
  7. ^ "TV Pop Diaries 1973". Tvpopdiaries.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  8. ^ page 13, Daily Mirror, Wednesday 30 May 1973
  9. ^ Record Mirror, 21 April 1973, p. 26
  10. ^ Record Mirror, 23 June 1973, p. 7
  11. ^ Record Mirror, 23 May 1973, p. 2
  12. ^ "1970 to 1975 BMRB chart `Bubblers`". Ukmix.com.
  13. ^ "Brotherly Love Songs • Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography • Music VF, US & UK hits charts". Musicvf.com. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  14. ^ "Brotherly Love (2) - Tip Of My Tongue (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. 27 April 1973. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  15. ^ "Brotherly Love". Nostalgiacentral.com. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  16. ^ "Ellie (24) - Tip Of My Tongue (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. August 1974. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  17. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  18. ^ "Ellie (24) - Tip Of My Tongue". Discogs.com. 1974. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  19. ^ page 6, The Stage, Thursday 22 August 1974
  20. ^ Video on YouTube
  21. ^ "Various - 26 Original Top Hits". Discogs.com. 1975. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  22. ^ "Various - Hit-Parade Printemps Phonogram 1975 Spécial Discothèque". Discogs.com. 1975. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Various - Alcazar D'été". Discogs.com. 22 April 1975. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  24. ^ "Radio Mi Amigo persoonlijke hittip". Radiotrefpunt.nl. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  25. ^ RPM, 12 April 1975, p. 32
  26. ^ "Liquid Gold". Radioking.com. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  27. ^ "radio x - Frankfurts unabhängiges, werbefreies Stadtradio". Radiox.de. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  28. ^ "Great Rufus Road Machine". Rockmyworldcanada.ca.
  29. ^ "The Great Rufus Road Machine - Tip Of My Tongue (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. 1977. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  30. ^ "Great Rufus Road Machine - Tip Of My Tongue / Can't You Do It Now - Axe - Canada - AXE.51". 45cat.com. 13 September 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  31. ^ "Every RPM Canadian Content number one single discussion thread 1964-2000". Steve Hoffman Music Forums. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  32. ^ RPM, 1 April, 1978
  33. ^ RPM, 18 March 1978, cover story and p. 13
  34. ^ "The Great Rufus Road Machine - The Great Rufus Road Machine (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs.com. 1977. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  35. ^ "CANOE - JAM! Music - Pop Encyclopedia - Great Rufus Road Machine". Jam.canoe.com. 20 October 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
  36. ^ "Great Rufus Road Machine - ST". Citizenfreak.com. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  37. ^ "Great Rufus Road Machine". Rockmyworldcanada,ca.
  38. ^ page 6, RPM Magazine, 5 November 1977
  39. ^ "The Dooleys - Secrets (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs.com. October 1981. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  40. ^ "The Dooleys - The Dancer". Discogs.com. 1981. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  41. ^ "The Dooleys - Full House / Secrets (CD)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  42. ^ "CD Album: The Dooleys - Full House / Secrets (2013)Z". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  43. ^ "The Dooleys - Greatest Hits". Discogs.com. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  44. ^ "The Dooleys : Gold". Walmart.com.
  45. ^ "The Dooleys – Gold". Demonmusicgroup.co.uk.
  46. ^ "Various Artists - Bubblerock is Here to Stay, Vol. 2: The British Pop Explosion 1970-73 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
  47. ^ "Singles Compilation - Brotherly Love | Album". AllMusic.
  48. ^ "Barry Blue - Barry Blue (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs.com. 1974. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  49. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts - Offizielle Deutsche Charts". Offiziellecharts.de. 17 September 1973. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  50. ^ "Barry Blue - Dancin' (On A Saturday Night)... Best Of". Discogs.com. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  51. ^ "Barry Blue Grewatest Hits". Discogs.com.
  52. ^ "Barry Blue - The very best of". Discogs.com. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  53. ^ "Barry Blue - Out of the Blue – 50 Years of Discovery". Horizonsmusic.co.uk.
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