What if one singer was responsible for some of the biggest hits of the 1970s, yet hardly anyone knew his name?
In this episode, host Sandy Kaye sits down with legendary British session singer Tony Burrows, the remarkable voice behind a string of international smash hits including Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes), My Baby Loves Lovin’, Gimme Dat Ding, United We Stand, Melanie Makes Me Smile and Beach Baby.
Tony’s story is one of the most fascinating in pop music history. At the height of his success, he had four different songs in the British Top Ten simultaneously, all under different band names. Audiences believed they were listening to different groups, but the lead voice on many of those records was the same man.
In this candid and entertaining conversation, Tony reveals why he deliberately chose life as a studio singer rather than becoming a touring pop star, how he negotiated royalty deals that continue to pay dividends decades later, and what it was like to become one of the most successful anonymous voices in music history.
Tony shares incredible stories about recording some of the era’s biggest hits, appearing multiple times on Top of the Pops with different bands, and the strange circumstances that reportedly led to him being banned from the BBC for two years. He also discusses the astonishing resurgence of Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) through TikTok, where the song has found billions of new listeners more than half a century after its release.
Along the way, Tony reflects on working with some of music’s biggest names, including Elton John, Rod Stewart and Cliff Richard. He talks about contributing backing vocals to Elton John’s classic Tiny Dancer, touring with The Beatles during the height of Beatlemania, and recording the famous I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing Coca-Cola commercial that became a worldwide phenomenon.
This episode is packed with fascinating behind-the-scenes stories from the golden age of pop music, offering a rare glimpse into the world of session singers, hit-making songwriters and the music industry of the 1960s and 1970s. Tony’s warmth, humour and humility shine through as he looks back on an extraordinary career that helped soundtrack a generation.
If you love classic pop, one-hit wonders, studio musicians, British Invasion music, 70s nostalgia and the untold stories behind famous songs, you won’t want to miss this conversation.
🎵 Featured songs and projects discussed include:
Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)
My Baby Loves Lovin’
United We Stand
Gimme Dat Ding
Melanie Makes Me Smile
Beach Baby
Tiny Dancer
I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing
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