Angels One-Five - Toody

Label: Pye
Year of Release: 1973

Hurrah, it's another Howard and Blaikley flop, and guess what - I know absolutely nothing about the band in question performing this work.  All online sources suggest that this was their only single, which either means they were a session group created in the studio by the prolific hit-makers, or they were given a cautious water-testing one-single only deal by Pye.  The latter option would have been unlikely for an act with high-profile industry figures behind them (albeit industry figures whose success rate was rapidly waning) so the former seems very likely.

There's no real reason why "Toody" couldn't have been a hit.  It's another slightly bubblegum flavoured kick towards the Northern Soul circuit, far too modern, plastic and false to have been taken seriously by various Wigan disco floor dancers, but still having that influence clearly trickling through its radio friendly grooves.  There's even a gravelly declaration of "What am I gunna do?" backed by a synthesised noise after the chorus which appears to have been influenced by the glam scene, making this for its time a modern, aware pop disc plucking the best bits from the seventies scene.  During a good week it's likely this would have fared well in the chart rundown, and in no way is it a Howard/ Blaikley sixties throwback.

Despite its failure, I've come across quite a few copies of this in second hand stores in my time, which would suggest that it sold a reasonable amount in the London area at least.  It's certainly no rarity, which makes me wonder if Pye over-estimated demand and pressed too many copies, or if it was one of those pesky records which bubbled under the charts for a very long period of time.  You know where to send your answers to, should you have any.