This entry was posted on July 30, 2011 at 12:04 pm and is filed under Music. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
3 Comments on “Billy Don’t Be a Hero: Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods”
This was originally recorded by Paper Lace after they won the British TV talent show Opportunity Knocks. It topped the UK charts and Paper Lace went on to record two more UK Top 20 hits, one of which was “The Night Chicago Died,” which also reached #1 in America.
Peter Callender and Mitch Murray wrote both this and “The Night Chicago Died.” Among the other songs the duo wrote together were Vanity Fare’s hit “Hitchin’ a Ride” and Georgie Fame’s UK chart-topper “The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde.”Callender and Murray originally wrote this song about a cabin boy called Billy, before changing the setting to the American Civil War. Murray wanted to give the song to a major artist, but Callender’s wife, Connie, saw Paper Lace win Opportunity Knocks and told Peter about them.
This song sold more than 3 million copies and earned a gold record. Four more Top 40 singles followed for Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods: “Who Do You Think You Are,” “The Heartbreak Kid,” “House on Telegraph Hill” and “Our Last Song Together.”
sblake,
I’ve never heard of Paper Lace. I’m going to have to listen to that song to jog my memory as I don’t remember it either. That’s strange as I am usually quite good with songs, not the writers of songs, but I usually remember #1 songs.
This is the only Bo and the Heywoods I remember, and I do remember all the words, even sang along!
keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
July 30, 2011 at 12:05 pm
yousendit link:
https://rcpt.yousendit.com/1182946347/f51aa662f91cc4856a61d753f9712749?cid=tx-02002207350200000000&s=19104
July 30, 2011 at 9:37 pm
This was originally recorded by Paper Lace after they won the British TV talent show Opportunity Knocks. It topped the UK charts and Paper Lace went on to record two more UK Top 20 hits, one of which was “The Night Chicago Died,” which also reached #1 in America.
Peter Callender and Mitch Murray wrote both this and “The Night Chicago Died.” Among the other songs the duo wrote together were Vanity Fare’s hit “Hitchin’ a Ride” and Georgie Fame’s UK chart-topper “The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde.”Callender and Murray originally wrote this song about a cabin boy called Billy, before changing the setting to the American Civil War. Murray wanted to give the song to a major artist, but Callender’s wife, Connie, saw Paper Lace win Opportunity Knocks and told Peter about them.
This song sold more than 3 million copies and earned a gold record. Four more Top 40 singles followed for Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods: “Who Do You Think You Are,” “The Heartbreak Kid,” “House on Telegraph Hill” and “Our Last Song Together.”
July 30, 2011 at 10:44 pm
sblake,
I’ve never heard of Paper Lace. I’m going to have to listen to that song to jog my memory as I don’t remember it either. That’s strange as I am usually quite good with songs, not the writers of songs, but I usually remember #1 songs.
This is the only Bo and the Heywoods I remember, and I do remember all the words, even sang along!