Rocket/ The Ladies

This is the U.K. release, which has one of those ready-to-punch-out center holes. On this release, the A side finds the Mud lead singer trying out his best Elvis vocal impersonation before the chorus, when the group turns to a 1960s male-girl-group sound for inspiration. How does a group like Mud, which had no fewer than 11 top 10 hits in the U.K. over a 3-year period, including 3 chart-toppers, manage to be totally ignored in the U.S.? Yes, they were a pretty lightweight, sort of bubblegum outfit that rode on the glam wave (which also was ignored here), but still they could rock pretty hard and were imminently danceable. With Chinn-Chapman backing them up with good material and production, there were plenty of great pop hooks too. I think there was some kind of prejudice in the U.S. against British groups in the 1970s, though I'm not sure why. (Think early 10cc, Mott the Hooples, T Rex, Sparks, Slade, early David Bowie, Hot Chocolate, Gary Glitter, Wizzard, Sweet, Showaddywaddy, and others.) Still, if you like great pop music, Mud singles are well worth seeking out. This particular single reached #6 in Britain in 1974.