Completely Conspicuous 293: Don't Give Up on Us

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Ric Dube as we discuss actor-turned-singer David Soul's massive 1977 hit song. I've also got the Bonehead of the Week and music from Mean Creek, Los Campesinos and Shearwater.

Show notes:

- Recorded at More Lost Time world HQ

- David Soul, aka Hutch from "Starsky and Hutch," just turned 70

- "Don't Give Up on Us" hit #1 in April 1977

- Soul started out as a folk singer

- "Don't Give Up on Us" in the same vein as wuss rock by Bread, Dan Hill, Manilow

- Ric: Soul was on Private Stock Records, which churned out pop hits

- Label run by Larry Uttal, who was previously a hitmaker for Bell Records

- Private Stock master tapes were all lost after label went bankrupt

- Soul just had the one hit

- The B-side was weird song called "Black Bean Soup" that sounded like old Robert Palmer

- John Travolta was another actor with a record deal in the '70s

- Travolta was a teen idol after "Welcome Back, Kotter" and "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble"; pre-Saturday Night Fever and Grease

- Big single was "Let Her In," even schmaltzier than the David Soul song

- No vocal range whatsoever

- "Rack jobbers" were big business; putting records in racks in drugstores and supermarkets for impulse shoppers

- To be continued

- Bonehead of the Week

Music:

Mean Creek - Cool Town

Los Campesinos - What Death Leaves Behind

Shearwater - I Luv the Valley OH!

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The Mean Creek song is on the forthcoming album Local Losers on Old Flame Records. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Los Campesinos song is on the forthcoming album No Blues on Wichita Recordings. Download the song for free at Soundcloud.

The Shearwater song is on the album Fellow Travelers on Sub Pop. Download the song for free at Sub Pop.

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.