Robbed Hit of the Week 9/16/13 - Paul Young's "Love Of The Common People"...

Paul Young - "Love Of The Common People"
from the album No Parlez (1983)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #45

This week's "robbed hit" is by English singer Paul Young, who broke through to the American market with his top-40 single "Come Back And Stay". For his follow-up, Paul released a record he originally had put out as his second single in Britain (after "Iron Out The Rough Spots") but failed to do anything until after his success with both "Come Back" and his cover of "Wherever I Lay My Hat" which topped the UK charts.

"Love Of The Common People" was originally written as a folk song by John Hurley and Ronnie Wilkins, and recorded by the straight-laced vocal group the Four Preps in 1967. Young tailored his version on a reggae cover that was a top-10 hit in the UK in 1970. Trading folk for a lite-reggae sound with entrancing female back-up vocals, Paul's take on the record brought the hard-luck tune to a new generation of music fans...

While Young's "Love Of The Common People" went to #2 on the British charts (his second highest rank ever), and topped the charts in Ireland and the Netherlands, it stalled right under the American top-40 at #45. It also stopped at #42 on the dance chart as a double A-sided hit with "Come Back And Stay". However the next time Paul would be on the American pop chart he would find himself at the top care of another cover of a Hall & Oates song, "Everytime You Go Away".

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John Hurley's vision for his song is just as amazing, as you can see here from his recording in 1970. It reminds me of Jimmy Webb's best...