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It's an easy guess that if you're a music fan, you're well aware of the British Invasion of 1964. Once the Beatles came to America, British groups dominated the US charts for several years--well into the '70s and 80s.
But you may not be aware that before all that--in the late 50s and early 60s--British music fans experienced an American Invasion of sorts. Soul music, as well as Rhythm and Blues, captured the attention of young people throughout the United Kingdom--people like John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger.
Just as many American bands would emulate the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, etc...many British groups would emulate Motown, Memphis, and Chicago style soul.
In the '70s, when Philadelphia soul became popular in the US--thanks to groups like The Spinners, The O'Jays, and The Stylistics--groups in the UK started experimenting with it as well.
One group in particular, was Sweet Sensation, who tried their hand at copying The Stylistics--especially lead singer and falsetto virtuoso Russell Tompkins, Jr.
Sweet Sensation's' lead singer Marcel King also had a marvelous falsetto, and put it to good use on "Sad Sweet Dreamer:" today's "Great Song of 1975."
The song went all the way to #1 in the UK, and was a solid Top 10 hit in Ireland (#3), South Africa (#8) and Canada (#10), In the US, it reached a more-than-respectable #14.
The song sounded so "Philadelphia," very few people in the US would have guessed Sweet Sensation were from about 3500 miles away.
Can you tell?
Sweet Sensation was basically a one-hit wonder in the US, but had a handful of other hits elsewhere.
Their one big American hit, "Sad Sweet Dreamer," was certainly a "Great Song of 1975."
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