(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)
Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds - "Fallin' in Love"
Hit Number 1: August 23, 1975
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
It's been said before, and it's worth saying again: Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds have got to be one of the most random acts to ever score a #1 hit. What makes their case even more weird is that they hit #1 in the middle of 1975, a year where iconic artists such as Elton John, Paul McCartney & Wings, the Eagles and the Bee Gees were also hitting #1. (In fact, they knocked the Bee Gees out of the #1 spot) I doubt many people are even aware of H, J.F. & R's existence, but even though they are a random act that happened to score a #1 hit, it's not like these guys just fell out of the sky. In 1971, they got to #4 with the cheesily triumphant "Don't Pull Your Love," which I have to admit, is a pretty good song. (It's a 7) And not only that, but all three of the Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds trio played in a '60s band called the T-Bones, and they got to #3 in 1966 with the instrumental "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)." (That one is an 8) But even still, it's not like these guys left much of a legacy in the music world, and it's why everyone says H, J.F. & R are an obscure group to hit #1.
By the time 1975 rolled around, the trio wasn't even still Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. At least not technically. Tommy Reynolds was the drummer for the trio, but in 1973 he left to go join a band called Shango. He was replaced by Alan Dennison, but the band's new label, Playboy Records, wanted them to keep their original name since they were already known to everyone as Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. But after the success of "Fallin' in Love," they changed their name to Hamilton, Joe Frank & Dennison. So now let's actually start talking about "Fallin' in Love." H, J.F. & R were a soft rock group that specialized in making generic soft rock love songs. And "Fallin' in Love" is about as generic a title as you can get, and frankly, the song itself is generic in stature. Danny Hamilton was the lead singer for the band, as well as their primary songwriter, but he was having a hard time finding lyrics for three songs on their upcoming album. So he actually got help from his wife, Ann, who came up with the "Fallin' in Love" title. Because of that, the song is credited to being written by Dan and Ann Hamilton.
I said how the song is generic, and that's because of its title, the lyrics as well as the instrumentation. I swear, 1975 is the only year this song could become a hit. Hamilton keeps lamenting that he's "fallin' in love again," but he stays optimistic that this love will continue to grow, and him and this girl will be together for eternity. How generic can you get?! Luckily, I kind of like the soft, mellow mid '70s rock, and "Fallin' in Love" manages to be pleasant on the ears, at the very least. Hamilton has a smooth voice that glides over the strings and harmonies behind him, and it creates a song that isn't particularly exciting, or amazing for that matter, but it's nice. "Fallin' in Love" is a nice, kind of pretty song. But it's nothing more than that.
I don't think I'll ever understand why or how this song hit #1, but as I say sometimes, these dudes could have gotten here with a much worse song. There have been some songs in this blog that I remember, but not because they are good. Rather they're so damn bad and dreadful that I can't get that uninspiring dreck out of my head. That's not "Fallin' in Love," but get back to me in an hour, and there's a chance I might forget about the existence of "Fallin' in Love" and Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds. Sorry guys, but it's better than me hating your song. Again, I find it to be a nice piece of easy-listening soft '70s rock. There's just nothing that stands out about it.
GRADE: 6/10
IN POP CULTURE:
Though it would lead to a big controversy involving copyright, Drake sampled "Fallin' in Love" on his 2010 song "Best I Ever Had," which almost made it to #1 itself. It made it to #2, and it's a 6. Here's the video for that song:
(Though "Best I Ever Had" didn't hit #1, Drake will still appear in this blog a lot of times)
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