THE HIT HAMMER: Billy Preston's "Will It Go Round in Circles"

(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)

Billy Preston - "Will It Go Round in Circles"

Hit Number 1: July 7, 1973

Stay at Number 1: 2 Weeks

"Will It Go Round in Circles" all started from a joke. Billy Preston, a highly underrated keyboard virtuoso, was joking with his songwriting partner, Bruce Fisher, about having a song with no melody. Suddenly, Preston had the idea to make a song out of having a song with "no melody." Preston took it and ran with it, adding in having a story with no morals and a dance with no steps. Before his joke, Preston had already seen plenty of success. He'd collaborated with the Beatles on more than one occasion, and he was technically already credited with a #1 hit when he played the keyboards on the Beatles' "Get Back". (The song was labeled as being by the Beatles featuring Preston) He also almost got to #1 in 1972 with the funkadelic instrumental "Outa Space", but it only made it to #2. (It's an 8) "Will It Go Round in Circles", though it only exists because of a dumb joke, it was something Preston never had before to this point. It was his first #1 hit that was solely his.

Preston's chart-topper came after a switch to A&M records, where he began to work with Fisher on his songs. At the time, Fisher was working at the mailroom at NBC in Burbank, California. After Preston's song blew up, he was able to quit his job there and permanently became a songwriting partner to Preston. Ironically, "Circles" is a lot like George Harrison's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)", which preceded "Circles" at #1. It's super repetitive, and almost lives up to its own name. The song moves around in circles. But like "Give Me Love", "Circles" is allowed to be repetitive, because it has enough fun movement surrounding it to where the song remains interesting. Preston is a man with a song with no melody, a story with no morals and a dance with no steps. But his song has anything but "no melody." Preston came up with a monster piano riff for the song, and there's also a fun harmonica solo midway through the song. It's nothing too crazy or amazing, it's just a fun listen.

As for Preston, "Circles" opened the door for him to see even more success throughout the '70s. We'll see him again in this blog.

GRADE: 7/10

JUST MISSED:

Paul Simon's loose, cult-classic "Kodachrome" peaked at #2 behind "Will It Go Round in Circles". It's an 8.