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35 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Popular in the seventies, 28 Feb 2005
Leo first achieved success as a songwriter when Roger Daltrey had a top five hit in 1973 with Giving it all away, co-written by Leo. He soon got a recording contract and released a single (Why is everybody going home) that flopped and is not included here. Leo entered the UK charts at end of 1973 with his second single, The show must go on, which made number two in the UK. Three Dog Night covered the song and had an American hit with it so Leo's original was not released in America. Leo's next single, One man band, made the UK top ten while Three Dog Night covered the song for the American market. I guess this was sweet revenge for American artists, who had so often seen their songs covered by British artists in the sixties. While it may have been frustrating for Leo, it did at least prove that his song appealed to American record buyers and may have helped to create awareness of him in the industry. Leo made the UK top five with Long tall glasses, which finally gave him an American hit of his own. His next single, Moonlighting, made number two in the UK. There was a gap of several months (during which I think there was a failed single) before You make me feel like dancing returned Leo to the UK charts - it also made number two in the UK and went on to sell a million copies in America, where it made number one. Leo finally had a UK number one with When I need you, which became his second American number one. It now seemed that Leo was on a roll but history shows that this was the pinnacle of Leo's career. He made the UK top ten four more times, with How much love, I can't stop loving you though I try, More than I can say (a cover of the Bobby Vee that gave Leo his fourth UK number two hit) and Have you ever been in love. Leo had lesser UK hits with Thunder in my heart, Raining in my heart (a cover of Buddy Holly's classic), Heart stop beating in time, Orchard road, Till you come back to me and Unchained melody. This compilation includes all of Leo's hits except Unchained melody (a very minor UK hit for him - it stalled in the fifties) plus his own version of Giving it all away. Given that Unchained melody has been a number one UK hit on several different occasions, it seems extraordinary that Leo's version made so little impact, but he was out of fashion at the time of its release. If you are looking for a single CD of Leo's music, this contains everything you are likely to be looking for.
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