Pop-Tops
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Pop-Tops | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Madrid, Spain |
| Genres | Pop |
| Years active | 1967-1974 |
| Labels | Barclay Sonoplay (Spain) Explosion (Spain) Bellaphon (Germany) |
| Past members | Phil Trim Julián Luis Angulo Alberto Vega Enrique Gómez Ignacio Pérez José Lipiani Ray Gómez Francisco Urbano Romero Rafael Guillermo Gertrudis |
Pop Tops (or Los Pop-Tops) were a vocal/instrumental band, formed in 1967 in Madrid, Spain, with Phil Trim from Trinidad and Tobago as lead singer. Their sound was a blend of baroque pop with the soulful vocals of Trim.
Members
[edit]Original set-up included
- Phil Trim (born January 5, 1940, in Trinidad and Tobago) – lead singer
- Julián Luis Angulo – guitar, vocals
- Alberto Vega – saxophone, clarinet, vocals
- Enrique Gómez – bass, trumpet
- Ignacio Pérez – organ, piano
- José Lipiani – drums
- Ray Gómez – guitar
Some changes occurred in members:
- Francisco Urbano Romero – drums (replacing José Lipani)
- Rafael Guillermo Gertrudis – keyboards, piano (replacing Ignacio Pérez)
Hits
[edit]Their first release to gain attention was "Oh Lord, Why Lord" (1968), written by Jean Marcel Bouchety and Phil Trim.[1] It was the first pop song to incorporate the melody of Pachelbel's Canon in D. That single's b-side, "The Voice of the Dying Man" (based on a Johann Sebastian Bach composition) was also recorded in Spanish as "La Voz del Hombre Caido".
They are best known for their 1971 hit "Mamy Blue",[2] referring to a son's poignant song addressed to his departed mother about his childhood memories and life in general, sometimes spelled "Mommy Blue", "Mammy Blue" or "Mummy Blue", which was a Top 10 hit throughout much of Europe, Japan (#2), and Canada (#42), and a minor Billboard Hot 100 chart hit in the United States (#57). It was covered in the US by the Stories peaking at No. 50 in 1973. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a platinum record.[3][where?] The composer and lyricist of the French song "Mamy Blue" was Hubert Giraud.[3] English lyrics were written by Phil Trim. The Pop Tops also recorded Italian and Spanish versions, with lyrics by Gefingal.
As follow-up singles they released "Suzanne Suzanne" (early 1972) and "Hideaway" (mid 1972), which were only minor hits in some European countries.
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| GER | ||
| Canarios | 1968 | — |
| Mamy Blue | 1971 | 30 |
| Top Pops of Pop Tops | 1976 | — |
Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [4] |
AUT |
GER |
ESP |
SWI |
UK |
US | |||
| "Oh Lord, Why Lord" | 1968 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 78 | Canarios |
| "Mamy Blue" [5] | 1971 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 35 | 57 | Mamy Blue |
| "Suzanne Suzanne" | 1972 | — | — | 16 | — | — | — | — | Top Pops of Pop Tops |
| "Hideaway" | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "My Little Woman" | 1973 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Spanish releases
[edit]Barclay, Spain
- 1967: Con su blanca palidez / I Can't Go On
- 1967: Viento to otoño (Autumn Winds) / Cry
- 1968: Somewhere / The Voice of the Dying Man (La voz del hombre caido)
- 1968: Oh Lord, Why Lord / Beyond the Sea (El mar)
- 1968: Oh Lord, Why Lord (in Spanish) / El mar
- 1968: Esa mujer (That Woman) / Adagio cardenal
- 1968: That Woman / The Man I Am Today
- 1968: Pepa / Junto a ti
- 1969: Dzim-dzim-dzas (Love and Care) / Young and Foolish
- 1969: Soñar, bailar y cantar (She's Coming Back) / Anytime
Explosion, Spain
- 1971: Dios a todos hizo libres (Road to Freedom) / Movimento de amor
- 1971: Road to Freedom / Who Will Believe
- 1971: Mamy Blue (span.) / Love Motion
- 1971: Mamy Blue / Grief and Torture
- 1972: Suzanne Suzanne / Happiness Ville
- 1972: Suzanne Suzanne (in Spanish) / Walk along by the Riverside
- 1972: Hideaway / What a Place to Live In
- 1973: My Little Woman / Girl, What's on Your Mind?
- 1973: Happy, Hippy, Youppy Song / Where Can I Go
- 1973: Happy, Hippy, Youppy Song (in Spanish) / Angeline
- 1974: What a Way to Go / Baby I Will Cry
German releases
[edit]Bellaphon, West Germany
- 1971: Mamy Blue / Road to Freedom
- 1971: Oh Lord, Why Lord / Walk Along by the Riverside (Remake)
- 1972: Suzanne Suzanne / Happiness Ville
- 1972: Hideaway / What a Place to Live In
- 1973: My Little Woman / Girl, What's on Your Mind?
- 1973: Happy, Hippy, Youppy Song / Where Can I Go
- 1973: What a Way to Go / Baby I Will Cry
References
[edit]- ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ Pop-Tops: Mamy Blue at Discogs (list of releases)
- ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 297. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 236. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (January 29, 1972). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 68–. ISSN 0006-2510.
MAMMY BLUE.
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