Who Did It Better? Billy Don't Be A Hero

Who Did It Better?

Billy Don't Be A Hero

Written by British songwriters, Mitch Murray and Peter Callander, Billy, Don't Be A Hero was a #1 smash for two different groups - one on each side of the Atlantic. It wasn't supposed to be. However, the music business is a cutthroat, competitive world where the most innocent of mistakes can become the opportunity of a lifetime for a canny, discerning record executive.

It all began in 1970, when a Nottingham band that had been knocking about England for six years decided to try-out for a British televised talent competition called Opportunity Knocks. They had to audition three times before they got the nod, after which, the group managed to win the top spot five weeks in a row, garnering a viewership of seven million people.

One of those people was Connie Callendar, whose husband Peter, along with his songwriting partner Mitch Murray, were scouting about for talent to help launch a record company they were starting called Bus Stop Records. Murray and Callendar had a great track record, having written a number of hits, separately and together, for other artists, other labels. They had a half-finished story song about a soldier in a non-descript war whose fiancée back home longs for his return. Connie Callendar brought the group to the attention of her husband and both he, and his partner Murray, became convinced that Paper Lace were the act they'd been looking for.

An audition was arranged and the group signed on. Murray and Callendar finished the song, altering it slightly to fit the tenor of the group; it was a match made in pop heaven.

Released in early 1974, Paper Lace's version would take the #1 spot on March 16th  in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Plans to release it stateside however proved problematic. Bus Stop, a fledgling label, did not have a US distribution deal in place. Negotiations proved difficult, taking months. Eventually they found a willing partner in the form of Mercury Records.

Unfortunately for Paper Lace, Bus Stop, and Mercury, in the course of finding a willing distributor, Murray and Callendar had sent a master copy of the song to Jay Lasker, head of ABC Records. Lasker, in a shrewd move, declined to buy the master - not because he didn't think the song was a hit - but because he wanted one of his own artists to cut a version.

Enter Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods. By 1974, due to Bo's mother's connection working for Dick Clark, the group had managed two minor hits thanks to appearances on Clark's various television programs. They'd developed a small, but devoted following. Lasker handed the song over to the group and, as producer Steve Berri would later recall, “We cut it that very night and had it out two or three days later.”

Released on April 14th, 1974, the song received a huge boost one week later, when Paper Lace's version hit the market. The story of two versions of the same song appearing on the charts incited the imagination of several DJs who began playing the two back-to-back, inviting listeners to call in and tell them which was the hit. State side, Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods' was deemed the public's favorite, so it got the airplay. 

Sadly, Paper Lace's version entered Billboard's Hot 100 at #99, remaining on the charts for three weeks with a peak of #96. 

On May 11th 1974, Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods' version was at #38. However, once they performed Billy Don't Be a Hero on ABC's American Bandstand, it's ascent seemed assured. Twenty-nine days later, on June 9th, it hit the #1 spot where it would remain for a total of two weeks. Then, on July 6th, it would also go all the way to #1 in Canada. In addition, it proved a major hit in Latin America and Japan. The song would be Billboard's #21 song of 1974.

Realizing their blunder, Murray & Collander vowed to make it up to the band. They did exactly that by handing them their next story song; the historically inaccurate, but undeniably catchy The Night Chicago Died. This time, distribution deal in place, Mercury Records rush released the song and it paid off with the group's first (and only) #1 in the states. 

As for Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods? They would enjoy two more Top 40 hits in the US: Who Do You Think You Are (#15) and The Heartbreak Kid (#39).

 

However, popularity and sales don't guarantee respect. Billy Don't Be a Hero was poorly received on two fronts. First, there was a bit of controversy. The Viet Nam war was underway and conservatives felt the song was being critical of that war. And then there was the music press, which found the song to be insipid and annoying. In the end? Billy Don't Be a Hero nabbed the 8th spot on Rolling Stone magazine's readers' poll of 'The 10 Worst Songs of the 1970's'.

And that's the whole story!

Now? On with the contest.

The Song: Billy, Don't Be A Hero
The Competitors: Paper Lace vs. Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods

Billy, Don't Be A Hero - Paper Lace

Billy, Don't Be A Hero - Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods

Paper Lace

So, 1974 is one of my favorite years in AM Radio/Pop History. The story song ruled (Delta Dawn, The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia, Dark Lady).  Music was adolescent and rather innocent. To appreciate this particular song, one would do best by adopting that mindset, because, yes... this is cotton candy fluff. However, simplicity is not without it's charms - cloying though they may be. 

Those jangly guitars sound a bit out of tune. And then whistling! Fun? Annoying? Personally it's like a dentist drill. I don't like cheerful whistling, but it does set up the whole military theme of the song. That trap set... everything sounds a bit out of step, to be honest. 

I like the lead vocalist (he's also the drummer). Very straightforward and adding that harmony right out of the gate on the second line? Nice. The vocalist gets a bit sharp sounding as he reaches for those upper notes. You can hear the strain on his throat. Still, his are the type of vocals that would cut through the fog of the airwaves, getting a listener's attention. 

As we go into the chorus, things remain strident (well, it IS a military beat). I was hoping for some warmth, but the backing harmonies are buried in the mix so there's no bed for the vocalist to lie on top. The counter melody played by that guitar sounds terribly thin. 

Vocals on 'Come back and make me your wife...' made me laugh. You whine at me and my answer is a firm 'no'. Imagine listening to that for the rest of your life? I think it's being sung by one of the guys. That counter guitar is starting to win me over. Oh, dear, I think that may well be a female singing? Atrocious. Can't be (It's not. It's one of the guitarists - there are three in the group at this time). 

That lead-in guitar line into the second verse? An absolute classic. Adore. It digs in and I love it. Only halfway through this song and I am done with it. When I was a little kid? I ate this stuff up. Drama! But, on this side of things? I know how the whole thing ends, so? Cut to the chase.

I really enjoy the interplay between the vocalist (whom I rather like) and that guitar. It plays nicely on top of the jangly mess beneath. Notice how the bass guitar really doesn't figure into things? That was AM radio at the time. Bass guitar was for dirty, sexy music. Not Top 40 - which was Wonder bread white!

Again, the 'female' vocals are unintentionally funny. Like a parody. Time for the denouncement. Woah! Those vocals are saturated, treated. Reverb? Odd choice. Huh. They don't play it for all it's worth. In a rush. Could have spent a bit more time. Okay. Whistle time. Then they add back in those weirdly-tuned jangly guitars. Meh. Could fade a bit faster for my taste. 

This is bright, likable pop. I enjoy the lead vocalist and the counter guitar. It's very 'live', very believable.

Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods 

Well, that flute and drum opening will get your attention. And they get right to it, wasting no time. Lead vocalist, Bo Heywood... okay, a little precious for my taste. I prefer something less bubblegum. Oh, this is so cleaned up and the tempo is a bit brisker. Squeaky clean. Homogenized. Sanitized. Hermetically-sealed. Huge contrast to the 'live' sound of Paper Lace. 

Definitely a warmer sound, but why am I feeling rushed and uninvolved? That counter melody in the chorus? What is that? An accordion? 

That's odd, I remember the backing vocals on the chorus being much more prominent. Rather disappointed. This is really about the vocalist carrying the day.  In fact, he doesn't trade off the 'female' voice in this... which is a shame. This version? It lacks color. And I also have to say, I rather enjoyed the nuts and bolts, everyman approach of Paper Lace. You got a sense of them as a a band. Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods sound manufactured and faceless. Donaldson is a fine vocalist, but this arrangement? It doesn't interest me; it doesn't pull my ear. 

The denouncement. Huh. Why do I remember this being hella dramatic? They coast right through it. Okay, hate the way he sings 'away', ending with an long 'e' sound. Why do that? Nobody talks like that. Odd choice (and yes, I have a 'thing' about open vowel sounds). 

It fades out right on time. 

The Verdict

I am surprised. 

Again, I had my mind made up before we started; I assumed Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods would be my choice. It is the version I remember listening to on the radio - and they played the thing to death! 

However, my older sister had a cassette tape version of Paper Lace's album, that also contained The Night Chicago Died, which I would 'borrow' (much to her chagrin). This was back when cassettes came in these odd side-loaded black plastic boxes with a sticker wrapped around it. Oh, I wish I still had it. So, I guess I am familiar with both versions. 

That said, I find Paper Lace's version more appealing. It's more 'real'. Band-oriented. I can hear all the pieces being put together. Yes, the 'female' vocals are a scream, but I still prefer their un-sanitized version to the homogenized one Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods serve up. 

I enjoy live music. I like music I can relate to. It's like home cooking vs. factory sealed boil a bag food; real music vs. studio wizardry. I always appreciate something authentic, despite its flaws. In fact, it's those flaws that make it real and that's a kind of magic all on it's own. 

--- ---

That's my take on this. I must say, the song didn't make me cringe the way I expected it to. I rather enjoyed listening to this one again.

Okay, your turn. What did you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments section. I do love hearing your opinions. 

And, as always... thanks for reading!

(P.S. You really MUST watch Dewey Cox in action! Variety show 'magic' at it's finest.)

(And... is it just me? Or is he kind of weirdly hot? No? Just me? Oh. Okay.)

Billy Don't Be A Hero - Paper Lace

Billy Don't Be A Hero - Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods

Billy Don't Be A Hero - Dewey Cox