29 DECEMBER 1966
Georgie Fame capped off a very good year for himself (and his band the Blue Flames) when his reggae-ish single ‘Sitting in the Park’ entered the UK charts during this week, and went on to peak at #12. It did not chart in the US.
Maybe it's just that lilting beat, the flutes, the slightly spacey feel, and the imagery of sitting in the park, but the song has a distinctly stoner vibe about it. It's also rather summery for a single released in December, and might well have charted a bit higher six months earlier.
This had already been a US hit for Billy Stewart in 1965, when it reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stewart's original had more of a 'soul' feel, but Fame adds new sounds and does an excellent job.
Maybe it's just that lilting beat, the flutes, the slightly spacey feel, and the imagery of sitting in the park, but the song has a distinctly stoner vibe about it. It's also rather summery for a single released in December, and might well have charted a bit higher six months earlier.
This had already been a US hit for Billy Stewart in 1965, when it reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Stewart's original had more of a 'soul' feel, but Fame adds new sounds and does an excellent job.
B-side: 'Many Happy Returns'
Recorded:
Released: 16 December 1966
Highest chart position: #12 (UK)
Length: 3:15
Label: Columbia – DB 8096
Writer: Billy Stewart
Producer: Denny Cordell
