This was the number one song in Australia 50 years ago

Bretrick

Bretrick

Well-known Member
Location
Perth Western Australia
Paper Lace are an English pop rock band formed in Nottinghamin 1967. They achieved fame and success in 1974, when they had three UK Top 40 UK hit singles.
Billy don't be a hero, ( 1 ) The Night Chicago Died ( 3 ) and The Black Eyed Boys ( 11 )
In the United States they are considered a one-hit wonder, having had a single US number one hit in 1974 with their signature, "The Night Chicago Died"

"The Night Chicago Died" is about a shoot-out between the Chicago Police and gangsters tied to Al Capone.
It was inspired by the real-life Saint Valentines Day Massacre, although that involved Capone's men killing seven of Bugs Moran's gang members and had nothing to do with the police. No confrontation large enough to leave around one hundred police deaths ever happened. Al Capone was arrested in 1932 for income tax evasion.

Paper Lace sent the song to the mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, who greatly disliked it. A member of Daley's staff is quoted as saying that Paper Lace should "jump in the Chicago River, placing your heads under water three times and surfacing twice. Pray tell us, are you nuts?”

The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace 1974​

 

Last edited:
January said:
I remember that song Billy don't be a hero. Was big when I was a teenager.

Very sad song really.
Click to expand...
It is a sad song. Set in the American Civil War. There is always someone who raises their hand to do the tough stuff.
More fighting men were needed, so as this was before radio communication someone had to go on horseback with the request.
Poor Billy.
 

I remember The Night Chicago died. I was raised in Chicago, and I don't know what Mayor Daley's fuss was about. It's a song, about part of our heritage. What other town can boast the home of such a notorious gangster? Although, Al Capone was actually from Cicero, which hardly gets any credit at all.
 
@kate - That may be factually correct but because it came out during the Vietnam war and the US civil war isn't really known about so much in Australia, it was generally associated with the Vietnam war here.
 
When I was in England I heard "Two Little Boys," on the radio and stood in the kitchen and cried. So I mentioned it down at the pub and everyone groaned. Evidently it was played to death in England and Australia, yet we Yanks never heard it at all! At least I didn't.
 

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