"Join Together" was a hit for singer Steve Allen in 1974. The song was chosen for the Commonwealth Games that year. It was released on the Viking record label.
| "Join Together" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Steve Allen | ||||
| B-side | "Silas Peabody" | |||
| Released | 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1973 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Label | Viking VS 283 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Steve Allen | |||
| Producer(s) | Keith Southern[1] | |||
| Steve Allen singles chronology | ||||
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Background
editAllen had previously had a No. 1 hit in New Zealand with his version of "Top Of The World".[2][3] "Join Together" was recorded in Wellington in the EMI studios in the winter of 1973. The backing track was recorded with just four musicians. It had Allen on piano, vocals and drums, Mike Conway on drums, Dave Orams on bass, and organist Mike Le Petit. The other parts were added later.[4] It was an entrant in the Studio One competition. Competing against "Country Spring" by Larry Philip, "Take My Life" by Desna Sisarich, "Natural Man by Bunny Walters, "What Do You Do" by Lutha, and "Games Spirit" by Nash Chase,[5] it won by a margin of 30,000.[6] The song made it to No. 2 in the Top 20, and was kept from the No. 1 spot by Helen Reddy's 'Delta Dawn'.[7]
The song was banned in South Africa because the words freedom, race, peace, black and white were deemed unsuitable.[8]
References
edit- ^ 45Cat - Record Details, Catalogue: VS 283
- ^ 45Cat - Steve Allen (New Zealand) - Discography
- ^ Hawkes Bay Today, 30 July 2011 - Let's 'join together' again
- ^ New Zealand History - 'Join together' song, 1974 Commonwealth Games
- ^ The New Zealand Archive of Film, Television and Sound Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision Catalogue → 24039, Studio One
- ^ The New Zealand Herald, 30 July 1973 - $300 goes to winner of song contest
- ^ Hawke's Bay Today, 30 July 2011 - Let's 'join together' again
- ^ The Commonwealth Games: Extraordinary Stories behind the Medals, By Brian Oliver - Page 102
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