Today’s early ’70s song of the day is “Montego Bay” by Bobby Bloom. Released as a single in September of 1970, this one peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the Cash Box Top 100.
Bobby Bloom wrote “Montego Bay” with ace songwriter Jeff Barry. Mr. Barry is famous as half of a songwriting duo with his ex-wife Ellie Greenwich; together, they wrote hits like “Be My Baby” for the Ronettes, “Chapel of Love” for the Dixie Cups, “I Have a Boyfriend” for the Chiffons, “River Deep, Mountain High” for Ike and Tina Turner, “The Kind of Boy You Can’t Forget” for the Raindrops, “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” for Manfred Mann, “Leader of the Pack” for the Shangra-Las, and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” for Darlene Love. After their breakup, Mr. Barry co-wrote tunes like “Sugar Sugar” and “Jingle Jangle” for the Archies and “I Honestly Love You” for Olivia Newton-John. He also wrote a ton of theme songs for popular television shows, including the themes for One Day at a Time, Family Ties, and The Jeffersons.
“Montego Bay” was a song about Montego Bay, the capital of St. James parish in Jamaica. It’s a popular tourist destination, known for its white sand beaches, luxurious accommodations, and world-class golf courses. The song incorporates several Jamaican instruments to create an island feel.
Bobby Bloom broke into the music business in the early 1960s, when he was just a teenager from Brooklyn. (No, he wasn’t from Jamaica.) He co-wrote several hit songs for others, including “Mony Mony” for Tommy James and the Shondells and (with Jeff Barry) “Sunshine” for the Archies. It was the Archies association that paired him with Jeff Barry and led to them writing “Montego Bay,” which Barry also produced.
“Montego Bay” was Bobby Bloom’s only hit. He recorded and released a few more singles but they didn’t make a dent in the charts. Tragically, he died on February 28, 1974, of what some believed was an accidental gunshot. (Jeff Barry contradicts this, saying Bloom was shot in a fight over a girl.) Bobby Bloom was just 28 years old.
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, a promo video Mr. Bloom shot for Montego Bay in 1970. Think of it as a proto-MTV music video, ten years ahead of its time.
