Monday, May 16, 2016

George Harrison - Blow Away (1979)

Blow Away
b/w Soft-Hearted Hana

Released: February, 1979 (Dark Horse)
Written by: George Harrison
Produced by: George Harrison and Russ Titleman
Album: George Harrison



Note: when I label a song a "Lost AT40 Single," I'm only speaking for myself.  Your mileage may vary.

So I'm listening to a rerun of an American Top 40 broadcast from May 5, 1979 and after backselling the Bee Gees' "Love You Inside Out," Casey Kasem introduced this song thus:
Well, in a recent interview in Rolling Stone, former Beatle George Harrison said he thought Beatle parodies, like the Rutles, were a great idea.  He said the Beatles needed to be deflated.  Maybe that's what he had in mind when he wrote his latest hit, titled "Blow Away." This week, up a notch to number 16.  George Harrison.
Fortunately, the song is better than that intro.  Harrison's guitar is immediately identifiable and there's a so-so verse, but when it gets to the chorus, things get real good fast:
All I got to do is to love you
All I got to be is, be happy
All it's got to take is some warmth to make it
Blow away, blow away, blow away.
Positive lyrics and hook-filled chorus? Count me in! Just the kind of message a kid dealing with adolescent angst at a new school needs (speaking about myself, of course). I've often written that I'm not much of a lyrics guy, but I couldn't miss these.  Harrison simply speading the gospel of love. Preach on, George.

Unfortunately, #16 was as high as this single rose in its 8 short weeks in the Top 40.  Its chart arc was as follows, beginning on 3/31/79: 32, 26, 24, 22, 17, 16, 16, 37. Shame. The question remains: why don't I ever hear this on the oldies stations?





1 comment :

  1. My "lost AT40 single" from George Harrison would be "All Those Years Ago." Peaking at #2 in 1981, it is one of my Harrison faves, but I never hear it on the radio either.

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