Reupload - Tony Hatch and the Cherry Children - Yoko/ Bahama Sound

 

There's no-one quite like Yoko/ And I know you will agree...

Label: Pye

Year of Release: 1970

If popular perception is to be believed - and, in fact, if John Lennon himself is to be believed - Yoko Ono did not enjoy a particularly warm welcome in the UK after she met Beatle John. Indeed, that refrigerated reception dipped down further to chest freezer levels when she allegedly "broke up The Beatles" (who seemed to be doing an excellent job of drifting off in separate directions without her alleged influence anyway).

The fact this single exists is more than surprising, then - rather, it's outright shocking. Surely, a novelty single filled with children merrily chirping their love and happiness for Yoko would have stood absolutely no chance of being a hit? Most Beatles fans, who would have been the core target market, wouldn't have cared for it, and Yoko Ono's own fans - at this point, either modern art enthusiasts or some of the hairier lovers of her peace protests and avant-garde pieces of "difficult listening" on Lennon flipsides - weren't going to buy a novelty record inspired by her. It sank into oblivion, and it's hard to understand how anyone thought it would do anything else. 

Musically, it's a sweet little concoction which is too innocent lyrically and well-arranged to be irritating, and while you probably won't rush to put it on your digital playlist, it's a fun few minutes. I'm glad it exists, and I only hope Yoko Ono heard it and it raised a smile with her too.

For those who really don't want to hear kiddies trilling on about Ms Ono, the flipside "Bahama Sound" is a particularly smooth, lush Tony Hatch arrangement which is appreciated by a lot of easy listening fans - so that might soothe your soul a lot more.

Tony Hatch, of course, is a legendary songwriter, producer and arranger whose fingers have been all over many hits, television themes ("Emmerdale", "Crossroads", "Neighbours", and "Mr & Mrs" to name but a few) and other soundtrack work. His list of credits is so colossally long that it's doubtful he even remembers recording this. 

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