Posted on 12/31/2021 8:04:00 AM PST by SamAdams76
Exactly a half century ago, a British instrumental band led by a man named Tom Parker (pictured at left in 1972), debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at the inauspicious position of #100 with a track titled "Joy".
The track was basically an electrified version of Johann Sebastian Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring and due to the novelty of a classical piece being set to a rock arrangement, radio station programmers around the country jumped on it and quickly added it to their rotations.
Despite the slow start, "Joy" would rocket into the Top 40 just three weeks later at #35. The following week, "Joy" leaped 20 spots to #15 and eventually peaked at #6 the week of February 26, 1972.
DJ Casey Kasem would have fun with this on his "American Top 40" show by pointing out that Johann Sebastian Bach was the oldest songwriter on this week's countdown.
Anyway, it is a great pop arrangement of a Baroque era classic that older Freepers might remember from more innocent days. At the time, I was 10 years old and was riding in the back of my father's Chevy Impala station wagon as the song came on the AM radio station (WRKO - Boston). My father would always turn it up loud and everybody in the family liked that song. How could you not like that song?
Apollo 100 was probably named in honor of the Apollo moon missions that were still being launched at that time and no doubt we were thinking that Apollo mission #100 would probably be a mission to Mars or Venus. But alas, the Apollo program would come to an end at the close of 1972 with mission #17. We have not landed people on the moon since, but we can still listen to this stellar track from one-hit wonder Apollo 100.
Apollo 100 would attempt to duplicate the success later that year later with an electrified version of Mendelssohn's 4th but it was not to be. The record stalled out at #94 and after a follow-up album of similar material entitled "Master Pieces", Apollo 100 would fade into oblivion and Tom Parker would spend the rest of his life being confused with Elvis Presley's manager.
But Tom Parker did have his one shining moment of pop glory and that all began a half century ago at this very time. Tom passed away back on April 18, 2013 at the age of 69.
A lot of other well known hits also debuted on the Hot 100 fifty years ago tomorrow (January 1, 1972) including "Lion Sleeps Tonight" by Robert John, "Stay With Me" by The Faces, "Tupelo Honey" by Van Morrisson and "Precious And Few" by Climax. Topping the charts that week was "Brand New Key" by Melanie.
Precious and Few, and a girl I knew named Susie, and... damn, I’m getting old...
1972 was a great year for pop music. I was 15 at the time and music on the radio was a big part of my life.
And a dog named "Boo"?
In 1972, Nancy Pelosi was only 65 years old.
Yes, I had that 45 in 72. When I was in college much later, the multi record LP said that the professor required us to buy had that song on it. When I told him I had that in my record collection as a kid he asked me what was on the other side of the 45? I told him I didn’t know I never flipped it over. I have it to this day on my iPhone.
Not sure if this was based off a classical composition like "Joy" was or an original composition by Apollo 100, but thanks to YouTube, which has pretty much every piece of music ever recorded, you can hear it at the link below and despite the title, it does not feature Richard Simmons in leg warmers, I promise.
I bought a copy of the song shortly after it was released on a 45 RPM record.
I don’t if I ever listened to the flip side either. I just listened to it on YouTube and it was not even vaguely familiar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2RNe2jwHE0
Jethro Tull did this Bach piece before Apollo 100’s “Joy”.
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