Let Me Be There - Olivia Newton-John (1973) 4/26/21

If you're like me, you've probably wondered who sang the bass part on today's "Great Song of 1973:" "Let Me Be There" by Olivia Newton-John.

His name was Mike Sammes, and for more than 30 years, he was a vocal arranger and session singer for countless acts in the UK and the US.

In fact, from 1955 through the mid '70s, he was fronted the Mike Sammes Singers, a group that provided background vocals for everything from radio jingles to Disney soundtracks. They also backed up singers like Tom Jones, Anthony Newley, and Englebert Humperdinck.

His booming bass on "Let me Be There" helped Olivia Newton-John sell more than a million copies, and score her first "Triple 10" on the Billboard charts: #3 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, #6 on the Hot 100 and #7 on the Country Chart. In Canada, the matching numbers were 3, 5 and 11.

In addition, Olivia was awarded the Grammy for "Best Female Country Vocalist!"

"Let Me Be There" by Olivia Newton-John (and Mike Sammes): A Great Song of 1973!"