Here’s an obscure little tune from the early ’70s that you might remember when you hear it. The song is “Fallin’ Lady” by Punch and it’s today’s classic song of the day.
Punch was a sunshine pop band out of California that consisted of four vocalists: Charles Merriam (who also wrote most of their songs), Steve Adler (who sang lead), Kathy Ward, and Dee Steele. Their lone album, Punch, was produced by industry pro Bones Howe and recorded at Wally Heider Recording Studios in Hollywood. For the instrumental backing, Bones enlisted members of the Wrecking Crew, including Mike Deasy on guitar, Joe Osborn on bass, and Hal Blaine on drums.
“Fallin’ Lady” was the main single from the Punch LP, credited to Charles Merriam and Bones Howe. A&M Records released the single in October of 1971 and it was a very minor hit, peaking at just #110 on the Billboard Hot 100. (I know, #110 is not technically in the top 100, but there you go.)
Punch moved from A&M Records to Bell Records in 1972 and released a few more non-charting singles. In 1973, they changed their name to Sonoma, moved to Dunhill Records, and released some more non-charting records. After yet another label change, this time to MCA Records, they called it a day.
I first heard “Fallin’ Lady” on the third CD in Rhino’s Super Hits of the ’70s: Have a Nice Day collection. If you’re a lover of ’70s AM radio hits, that collection is a must-have, although it’s long out of print. (Try searching eBay.)
