Amen Corner | Take It Easy

For his second week of leading SLS Fandango has followed the path set by Jim and invited us to share a song which was rejected by one artist that then became a big hit for another. You can see Fandango’s post at Substitute Music Teacher #2 to get the full picture. My choice for this will probably be obscure for North American readers, but it was a big deal for us in the UK back in 1969.

If paradise is half as nice as heaven that you take me to
Who needs paradise I’d rather have you
They say paradise is up in the stars
But I needn’t sigh because it’s so far
‘Cause I know it’s worth a heaven on earth
For me where you are

A look from your eyes, a touch of your hand
And I seem to fly to some other land
When you are around my heart always pounds
Just like a brass band

If paradise is half as nice as heaven that you take me to
Who needs paradise I’d rather have you
Oh yes I’d rather have you

They say paradise is up in the stars
But I needn’t sigh because it’s so far
‘Cause I know it’s worth a heaven on earth
To me where you are

A look from your eyes a touch of your hand
And I seem to fly to some other land

(If Paradise Is) Half as Nice was originally written by the Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Battisti for La Ragazza 77, alias Ambra Borelli, in 1968 as Il paradiso della vita (The paradise of life) – she released it solely as an album track. As a single it was a #8 hit in Italy for Patty Pravo under the title Il Paradiso (Paradise). It was translated into English by a guy called Jack Fishman and was actually offered to The Tremeloes, who were already a successful band, having enjoyed hits on both sides of the Atlantic. But they turned it down – that might be deemed a mistake! Amen Corner, a Welsh band, had already had four UK hits, two of which reached the top ten: they had just changed record companies and this was their first release on the new label. It spent two weeks at #1 here in February 1969, but after one more hit (Hello Susie, which reached #4 here) the band disbanded at the end of that year.

As far as I can tell Amen Corner had success in several other European countries as well as the UK but not in North America, which is why I think you guys may not know this one – prove me wrong! Andy Fairweather-Low, their vocalist, has had a long solo career, and has also appeared on records by a number of big names, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Roger Waters (of Pink Floyd). Blue Weaver, their keyboards player, has since been in the backing band for The Bee Gees and was a member of The Strawbs, a British band who at times espoused folk rock, prog rock and even had a brief flirtation with glam rock. I don’t think they had any chart success in the US so you guys might not know of them. I liked them though!

This song came out when I was fifteen. At the time I was mad about a beautiful girl who lived in the same village as me, and would have loved the chance to tell her that this was how I felt about her. We did go out a couple of times, but it never came to anything: she was a year older than me, had already left school and was much more sophisticated and grown up (in her mind, anyway) so I didn’t stand a chance, really! But the song still brings back happy memories of those days, which is why it will always be a part of my musical upbringing. I hope you like it, and if iI’ve planted an ear worm with that chorus of la-la-la, all I can say is sorry (not really!). Enjoy your Sunday, and I’ll see you again on Tuesday.

Song credits:

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Giulio Rapetti Mogol / Jack Fishman / Lucio Battisti