(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)
David Soul - "Don't Give Up on Us"
Hit Number 1: April 16, 1977
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
It might seem very comical to somebody when they see that Hutch from Starsky & Hutch had a #1 song on the Hot 100. After all, this was an action-packed show centered around two detectives patrolling the fictional city of Bay City, California. It seems strange that some intellectual detective dude could not only make a hit, but for that song to be such a slow, approachable love song seems rather ridiculous. That's until you get a better idea on David Soul's (the actual name of Hutch, of course) background. Soul always wanted to be a singer, and while his family was living in Mexico City of all places, he was inspired even more to pursue music after some fellow college students of his taught him how to play the guitar. Impressively, he also began to perform on stage as an actor and co-founded the Firehouse Theater in Minneapolis when he was in his early 20s. It wasn't until he began performing as "The Covered Man" on The Merv Griffin Show, a ridiculous performance where Soul would wear a mask while performing music, that he would begin getting national recognition.
Even though he made it clear while performing as "The Covered Man" that he wanted to be known for his music, acting is the direction his career mainly went. He'd sign a contract with Columbia Pictures, and began to appear in a ton of films/TV shows, mostly as guest-starring roles, before landing his role as Hutch in Starsky & Hutch, which is clearly the point his entertainment career took off. In the middle part of the '70s is when Soul, finally a national star, decided to give his music career another shot. He'd struggle for a while, but after teaming up with Tony Macaulay, a British musical theater composer, Macaulay would write "Don't Give Up on Us," a pretty simple love song about a guy not wanting to see his relationship end. This was the song that finally got Soul to become a music star. It would be a #1 hit for a week in 1977, though it would be the only hit Soul would have in America.
Though I appreciate the resiliency Soul had regarding his music career struggles, and it's cool to see him getting his moment at #1, "Don't Give Up on Us" is a song that's never done much for me. We're in a time where pop music was beginning to shift more over to disco and more fun, upbeat styles of music, where "Don't Give Up on Us" is just an ordinary sleepy love ballad. Soul has a good voice, and there are some lush strings that sound pretty I suppose, but there's nothing that special about it. It's not even something I'd put under the "yacht rock category," as yacht rock, to me, is easy-listening music that feels breezy and makes you feel good. "Don't Give Up on Us," is just, well, bland. Often times on here I talk about music that isn't necessarily bad, but it's forgettable. "Don't Give Up on Us" is really just a boring, forgettable song. Props to Soul for sticking with his music, but his #1 hit isn't a favorite of mine.
After "Don't Give Up on Us," Soul didn't do a whole lot in America. By my research, he still remained relevant in the acting world, but he also didn't have a role that was as notable as his time in Starsky & Hutch. He actually became more relevant in England, where he not only had more hits on England's pop charts, but he still landed acting roles all the way to the 2010s. Today, I'm not sure what he's doing, but Wikipedia says he's still active so who knows. Funny enough, the guy's been married five times, so for a guy who sang "Don't Give Up on Us," the irony is incredible. But no matter how you slice it, and even though I'm not crazy about his song, the fact that Hutch had a #1 hit is a notable moment in Hot 100 history.
GRADE: 4/10
IN POP CULTURE:
Starsky & Hutch was remade as a comedy film in 2004 starring Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch. There's a scene where Owen Wilson sings "Don't Give Up on Us," which is pretty funny actually. Surprisingly, Wilson isn't that bad of a singer. Here's that scene:
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