#yachtrock
366 Days of Yacht Rock
Day 163: Climax Blues Band - I Love You
The British band had a big hit across the pond in 1981 when “I Love You” hit #12 on the US pop charts. Despite it’s success, the song contributed to the band’s eventual break up a few years later. Most of the band was not a fan of the song, penned by bass player Derek Holt. Some of them refused to play on the recording, and those who did, did so reluctantly, as they felt the song’s sound was too soft for the band. It was producer John Ryan who insisted on the song’s inclusion on their 1980 albumFlying the Flag. Even after it became a breakout hit for them in the US, many of the band members did not want to perform what they felt was a Derek Holt solo song live, and because of this their subsequent US tour was cancelled. The only time the song has been performed on US soil was in 2005 as Derek Holt explains: “The only time I’ve ever performed that song live in America, I went to Florida last year (2005) to Clearwater with my family, and I ended up in a karaoke bar. It’s called Big Ben’s, it’s like an English pub. My wife and I sat down, the reason we went to the pub was because we dig liver and onions and a pint of real English beer. So we went down there and sure enough there’s karaoke on, and the karaoke book gets put onto your table. We were sifting through it, and I’m looking at Climax Blues Band. Couldn’t Get It Right wasn’t even in the book, but Climax Blues Band I Love You was in the book. So my wife called the guy over. She said, ‘This song I Love You,’ this guy here was in The Climax Blues Band and he wrote it and he sang it.’ And the guy said, ‘Never.’ Anyway, I went up on the stage, and of course as soon as I opened my mouth and started singing it, it was obvious it was me. I was him. And the place went wild. I never bought a drink again the whole night. That’s the one and only time. In fact, I’ve got a photograph of it with my little girl. She came up with me and helped me sing it. She’s only 10, but we stood there and everybody got up and danced and as soon as it finished everyone was like, ‘Bloody hell, where’s the limo?’”
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