CHRISTIE – "Yellow River"

I love this little record. I can’t mount a huge argument against a six, given your definitions of the rankings, except that I do own a copy. And, coincidentally, played it yesterday evening, without knowing it would be today’s entry.

Having linked to Robin Carmody’s wonderful essay on early 1970s British bubblegum pop, I can’t improve on this critique:

“Such bounce to “Yellow River”, such determination to get where you need to end up! Such drive!”

With its references to suviving a war, this managed to convey a smidgen of socio-political oomph for me as an 11-year old immersed in the Vietnam disputes on the home front in America, circa 1970. Much of it was in that terrific finger-picked guitar, a little was in the exhileration in the singing, and the rest was in the drummer, who wants to get home so badly, he can’t help but speed up the beat in a couple places.

One of the better one-hit wonders of the era and a record that’s preserved its spark over three-and-a-half decades – probably because it doesn’t get overplayed on oldies stations. I’d probably give it a 7, just because I do own a copy. And someday I’ll track down a copy of the flop follow-up, “San bernadino,” if only to find out how a person tackles the problem of writing a song about San Bernadino.

It’s really nice to see a modest, enjoyable record like this get its due – not overinflated, but not dismissed too easily, either.

I must revise what I said in the Edison Lighthouse thread–“Rosemary” wasn’t the last single I bought, as I also bought “Yellow River.” (I’m now thinking that the last single might have been Dusty Springfield’s “Willie and Laura Mae Jones” in 1971).

I never realized until the past few days (doing my Popular homework in advance) that Christie were a British group. For some reason I thought them Canadian. But wwolfe is right–to an American audience in 1970, the sentiments seemed to express some of the war-weariness encompassing the country.

As I’ve said elsewhere, I admit a great fondness British bubblegum that I simply can’t find for the US variety. Robin Carmody’s essay goes along way in explaining my own thoughts, but I’ve always found this sort of British pop much less infantile than its US counterpart. It wasn’t trying to reach a sub-teen audience, it spoke of feelings and events that could very well be part of teen or young adult experience, and it wasn’t sung by children (as in the case of some #1’s coming up soon).

“Yellow River,” for what it’s worth, is a fine piece of unpretentious, well-crafted pop. I, too, would probably give it a 7.

One of the better one-hit wonders of the era … someday I’ll track down a copy of the flop follow-up, “San Bernadino”

Not such a flop – made the top ten in UK and reached #1 in continental Europe!

Some more info about Christie here: http://rant58.tripod.com/id481.htm

I have their fourth single “Iron Horse” on a K-Tel comp. That really was a flop (in UK at least) and indeed is a bit rub IIRC.

The Tremeloes didn’t turn down the song; they recorded it. It was CBS’ decision to go with the Christie version as the single.

There was a French-language version of this circulating in France that summer – it was called L’Amérique and I can’t remember who recorded it but although I remember Christie’s version very clearly it was the French one that immediately leaps into my mind as part of the soundtrack to that unforgettable summer!

When Ruby Wax first came to Britain she shared a flat with Jeff Christie.

She’s mentioned this in numerous interviews so I doubt she’ll sue.

I can’t remeber what the joke was at school at the time but it linked this song to relieving oneself. Oh how we laughed.

insightful

That French-language version that Rosie mentions above was by Franco-American crooner Joe Dassin (a man whose pop genius was at times almost Abba/Boney M/Moroder-worthy, if, uh, somewhat more sedate) and that’s the one I grew up on. I love the Christie version, it’s got one of those great melodies that are early 70s K-Tel pop’s great gift to the world. It’s worth at least a high 9 to me.

A couple more things … the photo posted at the top of this thread by Tom is from the cover of a Russian CD. The image was pilfered by the Russian manufacturers from a photo on my site. I know this because several other exclusive images were also downloaded and reproduced in the booklet of this Russian product. Oh, those Russians!

You may also be interested to know that the city of San Bernardino last year adopted the Christie song as its official anthem.

So long, boy …

Just now heard this for the first time and it’s not exactly bowling me over but it’s not unpleasant either. I find the pace a little annoying – anything this thin-sounding played this fast has a tendency to feel like a children’s TV theme song or something. The hook’s not bad but it’s a little too omnipresent. Like bad folk songs, we’re stuck in a fairly uninteresting chord progression and just waiting for the chorus to come back around again. The instrumental breaks aren’t bad though. I should probably come back to it after a while – I piled hate on “Blackberry Way” and while I certainly still don’t like it I have to confess that it is head-sticky in a way I didn’t give it credit for.

Please tell me they changed it to “Yellow PAGes, Yellow PAGes!”

“Yellow PAGes, Yellow PAGes!” it was…I’m sure Jeff Christie enjoyed the royalties!

What were the names of the group members?

Regardin comment 25 I know the guitarist who played on the yellow river song and he told me that yellow pages bought the rights to the tune and therefore don`t recieve any royalties. Incidentally the gutarist name is Tommy Waugh. He is the father of Martin Waugh who has played with the likes of Sopie Ellis Bextor, Mika and Lily Allen. Talented family indeed.

The melody before the chorus of this is very similar/the same(?) to the bits where the orchestra sing in Albert Ketelbey’s light classical standard of mid-20th century radio “In A Persian Market”. Possibly a subconscious influence? Some of his stuff is well worth checking out if you can get into nostagia for a time for an England before you were born – going by the entries in You Tube it seems a few of people can.

I believe the song was wrote to say about an American Soldier in Vietnam war and the war was won and he was going home to a place called Yellow River, if there is a place in the USA? But that’s how I see this song as it was made about the time I believe about the Vietnam War that finished.

“Let your fingers do the walking
Yellow PA-GES, yellow PA-GES”

The ad took over the song as completely as the Nimble ad took over the Honeybus’s lovely I Can’t Let Maggie Go.

mmm, as per #2, I’d have cited Creedence as being the primary source. “Proud Mary” specifically.

I love this song takes me right back to the 70ies
Easy to play on accostic but not so easy to sing ha ha

Mineło 5 dekad 1970-2020 utwór zawsze na czasie gdziekolwiek jestem