Twisted Tales: Singer Tony Burrows Is a One-Hit Wonder Five Times

Posted on Apr 20th 2007 5:00PM by Gaylord Fields
Comments

In the rich, storied annals of popular music, dozens upon dozens of singers have fronted nonexistent studio bands. These uncredited Joes and Janes never get the acknowledgment of the adoring public, which knows and loves their every sung note but have no idea of the names and faces behind the voices. In 1970, British session singer Tony Burrows had a brief moment in the sun -- actually three moments -- and in the process brought down heavy embarrassment to a TV music show while shining a harsh light onto the British pop hit factory.

Burrows, the owner of a bright, chipper voice tailor-made for AM radio, found himself in demand as a session vocalist after fronting several mid-'60s U.K. acts, including the Kestrels and the Ivy League. He was most often employed by various permutations of the songwriting and producing trio of Tony Macaulay, Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, and by 1970 Burrows had anonymously lent his vocal talents to several bubblegum-pop hits.

In Britain, the beloved BBC TV music countdown show 'Top of the Pops' would weekly feature a performance (usually lip-synced) of several of the bands currently inhabiting the Top 20 U.K. singles chart. On a February 1970 edition of the program, three of the hit groups invited to mime along to their current smash were Brotherhood of Man ('United We Stand'), White Plains ('My Baby Loves Loving') and Edison Lighthouse ('Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes'). When Brotherhood of Man were announced, out came Tony Burrows to sing the hit song. After completion, he strolled offstage to make room for another act, White Plains -- who just happened to be represented by Burrows, who once again took his place in front of the microphone. At the show's conclusion, when the No. 1 hit was finally announced, chart-toppers Edison Lighthouse were invited up to perform -- and, yes, it was Tony Burrows once more.

The show's producers were aghast, and after wiping the egg off their faces, reportedly unofficially banned the three-timing Burrows from 'Top of the Pops' out of sheer embarrassment. Evidently the producers must have reconsidered, as Burrows returned to the show a couple of weeks later as lead singer of the Pipkins' novelty hit 'Gimme Dat Ding.'

All four songs by all four ersatz groups also reached the U.S. top 20 that same year, as did Burrows once more in 1974, as the singer for studio combo First Class' No. 4 hit, the Beach Boys homage 'Beach Baby.' And so concludes the Twisted Tale of Tony Burrows, the only person to hold the rare and paradoxical distinction of being a one-hit wonder five times.