Paper Lace was a Nottingham based pop group, formed in 1969. They are
known to Americans as a classic one-hit wonder; however, in the UK they
were a classic two hit wonder. The core of the band originally formed in 1967
as Music Box, but changed their name to Paper Lace when Phil Wright joined
as drummer and lead singer.
The band took their name from lace products created from a special grade of
high quality paper manufactured in Nottingham; their hometown. Paper Lace
was one of hundreds of pop bands in England looking for the big time while
sloging their way through small club gigs and brief television appearances. A
season at Tiffany's, a Rochdale club, led to more television appearances, but
a passport to the charts did not arrive until a 1974 victory on Opportunity
Knocks, the ITV talent contest series.
Thanks to that show, songwriters/producers, Mitch Murray and Peter
Callender quickly signed them. The smash hit "Billy Don't Be A Hero" stayed
three weeks at Number one on the UK Singles Chart in March 1974. It was
followed by an equally catchy story song, which reached the Number 3 called
"The Night Chicago Died". Another hit, "The Black-Eyed Boys", took Paper
Lace to Number 11 in late 1974.
With their subject matter about the Vietnam War, it was logical that "Billy
Don't Be A Hero" should become a hit in the United States; however, Bo
Donaldson and the Heywoods were the first to release "Billy" in the United
States, and Paper Lace had to be content with a #96 placing. Although, the
follow-up song, "The Night Chicago Died", set in the Prohibition era with
reference to Al Capone, was untroubled by any such competition and topped
the Billboard Hot 100.
The group released two albums, "First Edition" (1972) and "Paper Lace
(1974); however, they quickly faded from the public eye as the band's
popularity waned. Philip Wright and Cliff Fish carried on as Paper Lace, with
other musicians filling in for the missing band members. In 1978, they
surfaced briefly with a sing-along version of "We've Got the Whole World in
Our Hands" with their local football team, Nottingham Forest Football Club.
The 7" single, with "The Nottingham Forest March" as the B-side, reached
Number 24 in the UK chart.
Since then, the band has ceased to be a creative unit and only performs
sporadically in a largely revamped lineup thoughout the UK. This first album,
however cheesy, is a worthy entry simply because the entirety of the band's
hit singles are all present.
01. (3:33) The Night Chicago Died
02. (4:03) Billy Don't Be A Hero
03. (2:49) Hitchin' A Ride
04. (3:05) Sealed With A Kiss
05. (4:23) Love Song
06. (2:53) You're A Long Time Coming
07. (3:48) The Black Eyed Boys
08. (2:31) Dreams Are Ten A Penny
09. (3:04) Mary In The Morning
10. (3:54) I Did What I Did For Maria
11. (3:03) Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen
12. (3:25) Cheek To Cheek
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Cheers
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