Today’s classic song of the day sounds like something from the mid-60s, but was actually released late in 1975. The track, which has a definite Carolina Beach Music vibe, is “Hold Back the Night” by the Trammps and it went to #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January of 1976.
You might remember the Trammps from their previous hit “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart” in 1972. Or perhaps you know them from their disco-era hit, the aptly named “Disco Inferno” in 1977. That last one was their biggest hit, peaking at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Trammps were an R&B vocal group with beginnings in the ’60s doo-wop group the Volcanos. They later changed their name to the Moods, then finally to the Trammps. Their early releases as the Trammps, including “Hold Back the Night,” were on Buddah Records, then they signed with Philadelphia-based Golden Fleece Records for awhile before landing with Atlantic Records. It was while they were with Atlantic that the group released “Disco Inferno,” which benefited greatly from being included on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
The band went through a number of changes over the years, with the original members (lead singer Jimmy Ellis, Earl Young, and brothers Stanley and Harold ‘Doc’ Wade) not reuniting until 2005, when the group was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. They quickly split apart again, with two different groups of musicians performing as the Trammps on competing oldies circuits.
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, Brit rocker Graham Parker performing a really good cover of “Hold Back the Night” in 1977. It’s almost as good as the original.
