Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods
Encyclopedia
Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods are an American
pop music
group
, known mainly for their 1970s hit single
s, "Billy Don't Be A Hero
" and "Who Do You Think You Are".
in 1965 by their leader Bo Donaldson. Harold "Corky" Pickering, a member of the group, came up with The name "The Heywoods" or "Heywood" from a Rolling Stone album, named after a man with the last name of Heywood, which was a writer of at least one of The Rolling Stone songs. "Corky" Pickering liked the ring that this name gave and thought it was appropriate,the name just suited them.
They were first discovered while touring with The Osmonds
in the early 1970s and signed with Family Productions, releasing their first single in 1972, "Special Someone", but their big break came after moving to ABC Records
and working with the record producer
Steve Barri
in 1973. Although their first single with ABC, "Deeper and Deeper," failed to make a big impression on the charts
, beginning in 1974, the band released the songs "Billy Don't Be A Hero
", "Who Do You Think You Are", "The Heartbreak Kid" and "Our Last Song Together". "Billy Don't Be A Hero" sold over three and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
by the R.I.A.A. in June 1974.
In 1975, they began a migration across three other record label
s as the hits dried up by the end of the decade. By 1978, they were known as "The Bo Donaldson Band" and eventually split after trying country music
with no success in the 1980s. They reformed again in 1996 as a nostalgia act and still make appearances, most notably in the Barry Williams
hosted nostalgia show, Original Idols Live.
In 1996, Varese Vintage Records released Best of Bo Donaldson And the Heywoods, a 15-song compilation of material originally released on Family Productions (1972) and ABC Records (1973–1975). The CD contains all their charted singles and, in fact, includes 9 of the 11 songs featured on the 1974 LP Billy Don't Be a Hero. The CD booklet includes liner notes written by Gordon Pogoda
and the CD features such highlights as "Who Do You Think You Are" (written by Clive Scott & Des Dyer of Jigsaw (band)
), "The House on Telegraph Hill" and "The Heartbreak Kid". In 1975, the band was working on a second album of material for ABC including "Our Last Song Together", released as a single (and which made the pop charts), and "Take Me Make Me Yours", which to this day remains unreleased. But ultimately, the group left the label and joined Capitol Records, where they recorded songs by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, the writing/producing team behind the UK act The Sweet.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, known mainly for their 1970s hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s, "Billy Don't Be A Hero
Billy Don't Be a Hero
"Billy Don't Be A Hero" is a 1974 anti-war pop song by Paper Lace and was also recorded by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. It was written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander....
" and "Who Do You Think You Are".
History
The band was formed in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
in 1965 by their leader Bo Donaldson. Harold "Corky" Pickering, a member of the group, came up with The name "The Heywoods" or "Heywood" from a Rolling Stone album, named after a man with the last name of Heywood, which was a writer of at least one of The Rolling Stone songs. "Corky" Pickering liked the ring that this name gave and thought it was appropriate,the name just suited them.
They were first discovered while touring with The Osmonds
The Osmonds
The Osmonds are an American family music group with a long and varied career—a career that took them from singing barbershop music as children, to achieving success as teen-music idols, to producing a hit television show, and to continued success as solo and group performers...
in the early 1970s and signed with Family Productions, releasing their first single in 1972, "Special Someone", but their big break came after moving to ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
and working with the record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Steve Barri
Steve Barri
Steve Barri is an American songwriter and record producer.Early in his career Barri was a staff writer with Dunhill Records. He frequently collaborated with P.F. Sloan, and the partners were responsible for the success of The Grass Roots and contributed largely to the band's first album...
in 1973. Although their first single with ABC, "Deeper and Deeper," failed to make a big impression on the charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, beginning in 1974, the band released the songs "Billy Don't Be A Hero
Billy Don't Be a Hero
"Billy Don't Be A Hero" is a 1974 anti-war pop song by Paper Lace and was also recorded by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. It was written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander....
", "Who Do You Think You Are", "The Heartbreak Kid" and "Our Last Song Together". "Billy Don't Be A Hero" sold over three and a half million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A. in June 1974.
In 1975, they began a migration across three other record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s as the hits dried up by the end of the decade. By 1978, they were known as "The Bo Donaldson Band" and eventually split after trying country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
with no success in the 1980s. They reformed again in 1996 as a nostalgia act and still make appearances, most notably in the Barry Williams
Barry Williams
Barry William Blenkhorn , known professionally as Barry Williams, is an American actor best known for his role as Greg Brady in the ABC television series The Brady Bunch.-Early life and career:...
hosted nostalgia show, Original Idols Live.
In 1996, Varese Vintage Records released Best of Bo Donaldson And the Heywoods, a 15-song compilation of material originally released on Family Productions (1972) and ABC Records (1973–1975). The CD contains all their charted singles and, in fact, includes 9 of the 11 songs featured on the 1974 LP Billy Don't Be a Hero. The CD booklet includes liner notes written by Gordon Pogoda
Gordon Pogoda
Gordon Pogoda is an American composer, lyricist, and producer based in Los Angeles. In the past five years, he has signed publishing deals with EMI Music, Universal Music and Warner Chappell Music.- Biography :...
and the CD features such highlights as "Who Do You Think You Are" (written by Clive Scott & Des Dyer of Jigsaw (band)
Jigsaw (band)
Jigsaw were an English pop music group, fronted by the singer-songwriter duo of Clive Scott and Des Dyer. In Australia the group was called "British Jigsaw" due to the existence of a local band of the same name.-Overview:...
), "The House on Telegraph Hill" and "The Heartbreak Kid". In 1975, the band was working on a second album of material for ABC including "Our Last Song Together", released as a single (and which made the pop charts), and "Take Me Make Me Yours", which to this day remains unreleased. But ultimately, the group left the label and joined Capitol Records, where they recorded songs by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, the writing/producing team behind the UK act The Sweet.
Members
- Robert Walter "Bo" Donaldson - keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
- Mike Gibbons - lead vocalsHuman voiceThe human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
and trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air... - David Krock - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and backing vocalistBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Rick Joswick - lead vocals and tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
- Gary Coveyou - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and backing vocalist - Baker Scott - lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist - Richard Brunetti - drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
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