Pop-Tops
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox musical artist 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.
MembersEdit
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)
HitsEdit
Their first release to gain attention was "Oh Lord, Why Lord" (1968), written by Jean Marcel Bouchety and Phil Trim.<ref>[1] Template:Dead link</ref> 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",<ref>Template:Discogs master</ref> 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.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Where The composer and lyricist of the French song "Mamy Blue" was Hubert Giraud.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/> 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.
DiscographyEdit
AlbumsEdit
| Title | Year | Peak positions |
|---|---|---|
| GER | ||
| Canarios | 1968 | — |
| Mamy Blue | 1971 | 30 |
| Top Pops of Pop Tops | 1976 | — |
SinglesEdit
| Title | Year | Peak positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS <ref name=aus>Template:Cite book</ref> |
AUT |
GER |
ESP |
SWI |
UK |
US | |||
| "Oh Lord, Why Lord" | 1968 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 78 | Canarios |
| "Mamy Blue" <ref name="Billboard 29 January 1972">Template:Cite book</ref> | 1971 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 57 | Mamy Blue |
| "Suzanne Suzanne" | 1972 | — | — | 16 | 23 | — | — | — | Top Pops of Pop Tops |
| "Hideaway" | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "My Little Woman" | 1973 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Spanish releasesEdit
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
- 1969: Pepa / Junto a ti
- 1969: Dzim-dzim-dzas (Love and Care) / Young and Foolish
- 1970: 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 releasesEdit
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