In The 1970s David Essex

London boy made good who was born David Albert Cook in 1947. It was 1971 when David Essex appeared on stage in Godspell, which brought him to the attention of the movie industry. This led to him starring in That’ll Be The Day in 1973 where he played a drifter who finally got into the music industry with the help of Ringo Starr. The films soundtrack was a very successful album too, but included nothing from David himself. 

So David wrote his own record and it became No. 1 in some territories, and No. 3 in the UK. The song was the very haunting Rock On which had reverb delays and guitar work from Herbie Flowers and reflected the 1950s style of That’’ll Be The Day.

The film and the pop single along with a cute smile and a very handsome face made David a huge teen star. But this guy not only had the looks he had the skills too. In 1974 he scored his No.1 slot with Gonna Make You A Star which was produced by Jeff Wayne of ELO fame. It will be remembered for the “Don’t Think So” lyrics that would be a cutaway to other 1970s stars shouting it out on Top Of The Pops. The Goodies are the best remembered.

1975 and Hold Me Close was a hit again produced by Jeff Wayne and again another UK No. 1, from Essex’s hit album All The Fun Of The Fair. He was now a true pop star.

During the 1970s he appeared in the stage version of Tommy and was on the concept album War Of The Worlds by Jeff Wayne, and he found time to star in the stage musical of Evita. Evita gave him another chart hit with Oh What A Circus reaching No. 3.

 

Eight top twenty hits in the UK and more to follow in the 1980s. Proving Davids was much more than a pretty face.

If I Could was a top twenty hit from 1976.