Monday, January 12, 2015

40 Year Itch: Life Gets Me Higher

The many expressions of Karen Black trying to land the jetliner in Airport'75



     1975's most catchy ear worm came from Scottish popsters Pilot, whose follow-up to "Magic" is "January", their only #1 hit in the UK,  and such a massive smash in Australia, it stayed atop the pop charts Down Under for eight weeks. In the US, however, the tune peaked at just #87.




 In 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, singer David Paton explains that the song is not about this first month of the year.

   " My wife was reading a book and the main character was called January. She told me this and I wrote the chorus with that in mind. The verse was about how I felt at the time with the success of 'Magic'. I didn't write the song in January, it was in October, just after the release of 'Magic.' It was quickly recorded as the next single. We were recording the album, Second Flight, in Air Studios in London when 'January' got to #1. I didn't know the song was #1 until I arrived at the studio where I was greeted with handshakes and congratulations."



January of 1975 also witnessed the chart entry of "January Jones" by country singer Johnny Carver. I'm sure my readers will be upset by all the images of the Mad Men star by that name.





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