1967, Radio 1 searched for pop music that was not being featured on the pirate radio stations. When they first began broadcasting in Sept. The pirate radio stations would broadcast rock ‘n roll, R&B and soul music 24/7, and they became enormously popular.īBC Radio 1 was determined to provide a source of pop music that would compete with the pirate stations. Although they were illegal in Britain, the stations were typically located on European soil, or in some cases on ships moored offshore outside British territorial waters. There were only a couple of hours per week that featured rock ‘n roll music, and those programs tended to be broadcast in the middle of the night.Īs a result, the 60s saw a proliferation of “pirate radio” stations.
Since the BBC covered news, weather and sports in addition to music programs, the coverage of rock music was terrible. However, a few months earlier the BBC had formed BBC Radio 1.Īt that time, the BBC had a monopoly on radio broadcasting. They had released a single record, Baby Now That I’ve Found You, that seemed headed for obscurity. While the income from the patrons covered their rent, the band members often subsisted on leftover food from the club.īut in 1967 the Foundations had a stunning piece of good fortune. While they were the house musicians at that venue, they also managed the place and did the cooking and cleaning.Īpparently the Butterfly Club would open at 8 pm, and The Foundations members would typically finish up at 6 or 7 the next morning. At that time the band members were literally starving artists. The group first came together in 1967, when they ran a basement establishment in Bayswater, London called the Butterfly Club. In addition to the usual rock combo of guitar, bass and drums, The Foundations also featured keyboards, two saxophonists and a trombone player. The Foundations were inspired by Motown, and they were attempting to produce a home-grown British sound that might compete with Motown. Lead singer Colin Young is second from left. Here is a photo of The Foundations from around 1968. In addition, one original member of the band was trained at a music conservatory, while others had prior experience in jazz ensembles. The oldest member of the group was saxophonist Mike Elliott, who was 38, while the youngest member, drummer Tim Harris, was just 18. The Foundations were also diverse in the age and experience of their members. They had British members, West Indians, and a Sri Lankan. The Foundations were the first multi-racial group to have a #1 hit in the U.K. The first interesting aspect was their diversity. In the U.S., they were essentially “two-hit wonders,” however the band was noteworthy in many respects. The Foundations were a 60s-era British R&B band. The Foundations and Build Me Up, Buttercup: Then we will discuss covers of this song by David Johansen and by McBusted. Next we will consider how the song features in the closing credits of the movie, There’s Something About Mary. We will first review the original song by The Foundations. This week we will discuss a tremendously enjoyable tune, Build Me Up, Buttercup. Hello there! This week we will return to our occasional series, Tim’s Cover Story Goes to the Movies, where we feature a song that plays a part in a major motion picture.
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