Pickettywitch, That Same Old Feeling

 

Pop groups are designed to a formula. One proven formula or another, based on the success of a previous one, like the explosion of girl groups - All Saints, Eternal, Atomic Kitten and plenty more - that cashed in to a greater or lesser extent on Spice Girls mania. One or two will do well out of being regarded as the second coming and no record company is going to pass up the opportunity to give it a go.

The sexy bird backed by some dodgy blokes was a motif also used by Middle of the Road amongst others. The boys were probably 'groovy' then and still were a decade or more later when the word changed to its opposite in pejorative import to dispproval but referred roughly to the same people.

Polly Brown takes on all the responsibility for making Pickettywitch look glam but that on its own wouldn't be enough. It's a gorgeous song with that poignant device of being upbeat while saying something sad, drenched in loss and nostalgia,

The cottage where we used to meet
Is overgrown now
We dreamed we'd live there too someday
Just on our own now
The letters you wrote me
Still bring that sentimental ring.

 

Nobody loses much credibility for supposing that Pickettywitch were one hit wonders. Freda Payne, who could have been the greatest of all of those, made no. 33 with her follow up so I don't know if she counts, but (It's Like A) Sad Old Kinda Movie got to no.16. 

You try to sell the fickle public something not very different to see if it will work again but lots of them think they've heard it all before and quite recently. There's a list of such projects waiting to be compiled - Lieutenant Pigeon, Waldo de los Rios, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Band, Peter Sarstedt, Thunderclap Newman, Tom Tom Club. I'd be glad of having had one big hit but the temptation to see if it could work again might be too much.