1st Time He PLAYED His BIG HIT Live was in a Karaoke Bar…30 Yrs AFTER it was a HIT-Professor of Rock

Summary

In this intriguing interview, Derek Hlth of Climax Blues Band recounts the story behind their 1981 hit 'I Love You,' which became a massive success despite the band's resentment towards it. The song, written in just an hour, led to Hlth's departure from the band and was never performed live by them in America. Decades later, he finally sang it in a karaoke bar, marking a poignant redemption for the song's legacy.

Takeaways

• 🎶 Derek and the Dominos' 'I Love You' became a massive hit in 1981, despite the band members' resentment towards the song.
• 😔 The band members' dislike for the song led to Derek being pushed out of the band, marking a significant turning point in his career.
• 🏆 'I Love You' was written for Derek's wife and composed in about an hour, showcasing Derek's natural talent for songwriting.
• 🎥 The song was produced with the help of John Ryan and featured a 30-piece string orchestra, adding to its grandeur and appeal.
• 💔 The band never performed 'I Love You' live in America, which is unusual for a hit song of that magnitude.
• 🎹 Derek played multiple instruments and sang all the harmonies for 'I Love You', highlighting his multi-instrumentalist abilities.
• 🤔 Tensions within the band were exacerbated by disagreements over songwriting credits and publishing rights.
• 🎤 Derek finally got to perform 'I Love You' live decades later at a karaoke bar in Clear Water, Florida, to an appreciative audience.
• 👨‍👧 Derek's daughter joined him on stage during the karaoke performance, adding a personal and emotional touch to the event.
• 📈 The song's success was overshadowed by internal band conflicts, which affected its potential to reach higher chart positions.
• 📚 The song has been covered by various artists and featured in films and TV, indicating its enduring popularity and cultural impact.

Q & A

Who is the singer and songwriter featured in the interview?

The singer and songwriter featured in the interview is Derek Holt, who was a member of the Climax Blues Band.

What was the name of the song that became a massive hit in 1981?

The song that became a massive hit in 1981 is titled 'I Love You'.

Why did the band members resent the song 'I Love You'?

The band members resented the song 'I Love You' because they did not like the ballad style of the song and it led to internal conflicts within the band.

How did the song 'I Love You' come to be created?

Derek Holt wrote 'I Love You' for his wife in about an hour, creating a fully worked-out demo of the song.

What was the role of John Ryan in the production of 'I Love You'?

John Ryan was the producer who pre-produced the songs for the album 'Flying the Flag' and was adamant that 'I Love You' could be a hit, leading to its inclusion in the album.

Why did the band never perform 'I Love You' live in America?

The band never performed 'I Love You' live in America due to internal conflicts and resentment towards the song, which eventually led to Derek Holt being pushed out of the band.

How did Derek Holt finally get to perform 'I Love You' live?

Derek Holt finally got to perform 'I Love You' live at a karaoke bar in Clear Water, Florida, where he was recognized and asked to sing his hit song.

What was the impact of the song 'I Love You' on Derek Holt's career with Climax Blues Band?

The song 'I Love You' became a hit but also led to Derek Holt being pushed out of Climax Blues Band due to the band members' resentment towards the song.

How long did it take Derek Holt to write 'I Love You'?

It took Derek Holt about two hours to write 'I Love You', including the chord structure, tune, and recording a demo.

What was the significance of 'I Love You' in Derek Holt's personal life?

The song 'I Love You' was a personal expression of gratitude for Derek Holt's wife and represented a culmination of his passion for music and life experiences.

Why was 'I Love You' not included on Climax Blues Band's greatest hits album?

The song 'I Love You' was not included on Climax Blues Band's greatest hits album due to the band's resentment towards the song and the conflicts it caused within the band.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Unwanted Hit Leads to Band Departure

The script introduces an interview with a singer-songwriter who experienced a significant success with a hit song in 1981 that his bandmates despised, leading to his departure from the band. Despite the song's massive success, the band never performed it live. The story takes a positive turn when the singer eventually performs the song decades later in a karaoke bar, with an interesting twist. The channel 'Professor of Rock' promises to delve into the story and the legacy of the song, 'I Love You', and its impact on the Climax Blues Band, formed in 1968.

05:02

🎹 The Making of a Controversial Hit

This paragraph delves into the creation of 'I Love You', a song that became a hit despite the band's lack of enthusiasm for it. The song was recorded in Studio City, California, with a notable musician, Nikki Hopkins, and a 30-piece string orchestra. The band's internal conflict over the song and its production costs created tension, ultimately leading to the songwriter's exit from the band. The song's success and the band's refusal to perform it live in America is highlighted, along with the emotional connection the songwriter had with the song, which he wrote as an expression of gratitude for his wife.

10:04

💔 Band Tensions and the Song's Legacy

The narrative continues with the songwriter reflecting on the band's reluctance to embrace the ballad 'I Love You' and the subsequent fallout, which included the cancellation of an American tour. The songwriter's disappointment in not being able to perform his hit song live in the US is emphasized. The paragraph also touches on the song's enduring popularity, especially for weddings and special events, and mentions various cover versions by other artists, demonstrating the song's cultural impact despite the original band's rejection.

15:06

🎵 Rediscovering Fame at a Karaoke Bar

The script recounts the story of how the songwriter finally got to perform his hit song 'I Love You' live decades later at a karaoke bar in Clearwater, Florida. The unexpected recognition and admiration he received from the bar patrons when he sang his song highlight the enduring love for the song among the public. This experience stands out as one of the most memorable moments for the artist, showcasing the disconnect between the band's reception of the song and its popularity among fans.

20:06

👨‍👧‍👦 Family Connection and Public Reaction

The final paragraph concludes the interview with a heartwarming story of the songwriter's daughter joining him to sing 'I Love You' at the karaoke bar, adding a personal and familial dimension to the song's legacy. The script also invites viewers to share their thoughts and memories of the song, emphasizing the song's recognition and the desire to keep the music alive. The channel encourages viewers to subscribe for more content that celebrates music and the stories behind the songs.

Keywords

💡AED

AED refers to 'Automated External Defibrillator', a device that can automatically diagnose life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and treat them with an electric shock. In the context of the video, it seems to be a metaphor for the sudden and significant impact the song had on the singer's career. The script mentions 'got AED from his ban', which is likely a typographical error and should be interpreted as a significant change or shock in his career due to the song's success.

💡Hit song

A 'hit song' is a popular and commercially successful music track that has achieved high sales and chart positions. In the video, the term is used to describe the song 'I Love You', which became one of the biggest hits in 1981, despite the band members' resentment towards it.

💡Band members

Band members are the individuals who make up a musical group, each contributing to the group's sound through their specific instrument or vocal performance. The script discusses how the band members of Climax Blues Band resented the hit song 'I Love You' to the point of forcing the songwriter out of the band.

💡Redemption story

A 'redemption story' is a narrative in which a character overcomes failure, disgrace, or personal flaws to achieve a positive outcome. The video describes the singer's redemption when he finally got to perform his hit song live in a karaoke bar, decades after the song's release.

💡Karaoke bar

A 'karaoke bar' is an establishment where patrons sing along to pre-recorded music tracks, often with lyrics displayed on a screen. In the script, the singer's redemption moment occurs in a karaoke bar in Clear Water, Florida, where he performs his hit song 'I Love You'.

💡Musical nostalgia

Musical nostalgia refers to the sentimental feelings evoked by music from the past, often associated with memories or a longing for bygone times. The video channel 'Professor of Rock' celebrates this concept by exploring the stories behind great songs and artists, as seen in the discussion of the 1981 hit 'I Love You'.

💡Publishing rights

Publishing rights in music refer to the legal rights to control the reproduction, distribution, and public performance of a musical work. The script mentions a dispute over publishing rights within the band, which contributed to the songwriter's departure after writing the hit song 'I Love You'.

💡Greatest hits

A 'greatest hits' album is a compilation of the most popular or commercially successful songs by a musical artist or band. The script notes the irony that despite 'I Love You' being a hit, it was not included in the Climax Blues Band's greatest hits album.

💡Ego

Ego refers to a person's sense of self-importance or self-esteem. In the video, it is suggested that 'ego' played a role in the band members' resentment of the hit song, leading to conflicts and the songwriter's departure.

💡Karaoke performance

A 'karaoke performance' is when someone sings along to a pre-recorded track with lyrics displayed on a screen, as in a karaoke bar. The script recounts the memorable karaoke performance of the songwriter singing his hit song 'I Love You' in Florida, which was a significant moment for him.

Highlights

The singer-songwriter was forced out of his band due to the massive success of a song he wrote in 1981.

The band members resented the hit song so much they never performed it live.

Decades later, the singer finally performed the song live at a karaoke bar.

The Climax Blues Band was formed in 1968 with various members joining over the years.

The band's 1976 single 'Couldn't Get It Right' reached the top three in America.

The song 'I Love You' was written for the singer's wife and completed in about an hour.

Despite being a hit, 'I Love You' caused tension within the band leading to the singer's departure.

The band never performed 'I Love You' live in America due to internal conflicts.

The song 'I Love You' was written on a cassette and later recorded with a 30-piece string orchestra.

The band's internal disagreements over songwriting and publishing rights contributed to the singer's exit.

The singer's wife and mother were deeply moved by the song 'I Love You'.

The song has been covered by various artists and featured in films and TV shows.

The song's popularity has endured, being used in weddings and special events.

The singer expressed his gratitude and passion for music through the song 'I Love You'.

The song was not included on the band's greatest hits album, despite its success.

The singer's unexpected performance of 'I Love You' at a karaoke bar in Florida was a memorable event.

The story of 'I Love You' serves as an example of the complex dynamics within bands and the impact of a hit song.

Transcripts

coming up an interview with a singer

songwriter who got AED from his ban for

writing a massive

hit it's pretty hard to believe but

today's guest wrote a song that became

one of the biggest hits in 1981 and his

band members hated it so much they

resented it so much they basically

forced him out of the band and in one of

the strangest stories I've ever heard in

an interview the band never performed

the song Live ever but in one of the

neatest Redemption stor I've heard

decades later this singer finally got to

sing the song in concert live happened

at a karaoke bar but there's a cool

twist to it let's send this cool

interview coming up and find

out hey music junkies professor of rock

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anywhere else we have a really

interesting story today I really enjoy

this Climax Blues bam formed in 1968 and

originally consisted of vocalist and a

harmonica player Colin Cooper guitarist

and vocalist beat ha coock John coffee

and drums who took over in 1971 there

basist and keyboardist Richard Jones and

today's guest singer and guitarist jerck

hle this is after years of trying to

make it iconic manager miles copelan who

also managed the police amongst many

others he helped the band Focus on their

hit making potential when their 1976

single couldn't get it right went to the

top three here in

America get

it four years later Derek brought in a

song that their producers were were

looking for hits you know for their new

album and he just written the song for

his wife he did it in about an hour he

had a fully worked out demo the powers

of be listened to it and it was in no

doubt about it massive hit they knew it

they were exactly

[Music]

right I love you made it way up the

charts and became a million seller and

yet the band resented its success Derek

was B basically pushed out of the band

because of it and even though they had

one of the biggest hits of that year the

band never performed it live in America

not

once that was until decades later Derek

finally got to do it find out what

happened and find out the legacy of the

song sinan in our interview here's Derek

[Music]

Cole you have this big International hit

in 76 we couldn't get it right and you

know

band they kept playing the game a bit

putting out singles but the next three

releases over three years they didn't

chart they didn't go anywhere especially

in the US but then you get into the 80s

and you're working on material for

flying the flag B's 11 fum I

believe was there renewed pressure to

come up with another radio hit did you

guys feel that pressure out could that's

exactly what happened to us because we

uh we signed a deal with Warner Brothers

it was a Four album

deal and the first two the first two

albums one we did in air

monserat which was George Martin studio

and we were the first band in there um

and we did an album called um real to

real yeah we did Shine On real to

real and then we were going to go and do

flying the flag but we had a producer

come over from La his name is John Ryan

he came to

pre-produce the songs for flying the

flag and we were in a rehearsal room and

he came over for a week to run through

all the songs we were going to do

basically because Warner Brothers wanted

us to have a producer previous two

albums we did ourselves we produced

couldn't get it right ourselves and we

thought oh we're all right we can just

produce

ourselves anyway Warner Brothers sent

John Ryan over and um he went through

all the stuff he said I can't really

hear anything bit like miles you know

has anybody got any more songs and I

said well I've got

one on a

cassette I said but nobody else likes

it what song was

that I love

you I

was it's interesting and sad at the same

time really because um as I said to you

that you know the the the guys in the

band didn't wer really keen on it you

know just like all to ballad you know

and um anyway John Ryan was adamant that

he thought it sounded like it could be a

hit so we all fly to LA and uh we go

into Studio City which is in vanise in

California and a few bands have been in

there Fleet with ma have been in there

and comp pety and people like that and

um we set

about you know recording the songs

anyway when I when it's time to do I

love

you I played the fender roads

piano and John Ryan bought in a keyboard

player called Nikki

Hopkins who's just a famous I mean he's

no longer with us but he was a very

famous guy played with the stones and

John lenon all sorts of people you know

quite quite a pedigree the

guy since then

never so it's me and him Sat he's at the

Grand Piano I'm on the fender roads

piano and the drummer John cuffley and

we basically put down the track I I sing

a guide vocal we we record the ba basic

backing

track and then I put the bass on it and

uh Pete put a bit of rhythm guitar on

it then John Ryan decided he said I

think this needs a 30 piece String

orchestra

[Music]

right hires these

musicians musical director David

Campbell who Sid's got on to phenomenal

stuff but they all arrive and of course

everybody's everybody in the band's

going God how much is this going to cost

you know right and uh so the vibe was

wasn't really that great anyway um

anyway yeah I I did all the singing did

all the all the harmonies myself got

Peete to play the guitar solo that was

on my

demo and then we had the whole album

finished and in K Warner Brothers to

have a listen and everybody just freaked

out about I love

you so they got right behind it and

suddenly I became like

you know the you know the the guy that

wrote the song and uh right but sadly it

went it all went sour with the band

which is so strange because the Beatles

the greatest band of all time in my

opinion they wrote ballads so did Pink

Floyd you know like Paul McCarney wrote

yesterday and he wrote Helter Skelter so

it's totally F you know why what's wrong

with The Ballad

I yest

[Music]

[Applause]

yeah yeah but you know I mean my song

was called I love

you I mean um Colin wrote a song you

know um making

[Music]

love you know and um Pete wrote

something like nothing but staright I

see nothing but

staright all these you know things mine

just happened to be called I love you

and uh I I happened to write it and be

the lead singer of it so that was just

[Music]

me it's such an interesting story but

such an inspiring song how did you write

it like you wrote it as I understand

just kind of kicking around home yeah I

got a little little demo Studio I got a

drum kit Fender roads piano bass a b

basically sat down at the piano and I

got the chord structure in about I don't

know an hour maybe and I had the tune in

my head so i' I put the piano down you

know the days when it was like eight

track eight real to real and um played

the drums put the bass on did the

harmonies played the guitar solo had the

whole thing

put it on a cassette and uh I probably

had the song in about two hours probably

gosh um do you know what I'm saying

about the planets aligning and uh for

some reason that just appeared one night

when I was I just went in about midnight

you know and uh laid the thing down and

in the morning when I played it back to

myself I thought that's that sounds

pretty good you

know I mean it's a great great song

where you express your gratitude for

what your wife meant to you and and I

mean it really hits the

[Music]

heart I just thought well it's very

difficult to describe isn't it I think

you know I've I I won't say I've been

lucky all my life but I've been grateful

for my life and to have become a

musician which I had no idea because as

far as I was concerned I was I was going

into

industry analyzing grinding wheels right

but I'd but I'd always got this talent

for playing a guitar and I had a passion

for music so I think I love you is a

culmination of a lot of things that

things had been good yeah and I think

from good things like being able to play

tour meet nice people meet nice my wife

and um

it it just poured out into a

song it's a harmless song you know it's

it's it's a positive song it is and um

you know it's same again I wish I could

have written a few more like that you

[Music]

know you really kind of put your heart

out there with this song yeah yeah I

think I think it it says everything

really and and I had no idea at the time

how how good it was going to be you know

you just write you you you continue to

write I still write songs not that

anybody will ever hear them but um

you're still you're still right with

passion you know and uh passion and

Truth

[Music]

Gaz so what did your wife think when you

showed it to her yeah just beautiful

beautiful I mean I remember playing it

to my my parents were alive then I

remember playing it to my mother and she

she was almost in

tears just said just sounds so beautiful

and no greater compliment them from your

mother you know oh yeah so yeah yeah

happy with that happy with that but then

then as I say the band sort of uh you

think it was because it was the song

that was chosen and it came from you

Eagles kind of got in the way I think

ego's got in the way but

also well I mean it's it's very

complicated story really but prior to

this album we we had a

meeting I don't know what I should tell

this story ear but it's the truth we had

a meeting about

publishing because up until that the

point of the album um everybody was

writing individually anyway but we

always used to share share the

publishing cuz that's that's the way it

worked it was a four-way four there were

four people in the band and I saw

everything as a four-way split I saw it

that way so but Pete wanted you know I I

you said I write more songs I want I

want the publishing on my songs col with

I want the publisher of my songs and I

said well I think we should still split

it four ways you know that's I how I

thought this is even before I love you

as even a single yeah so I lost the

argument so I write I love you and I get

100% of the

publisher right um well plus 50% goes to

the publisher that's another story so

really it started a basically

backfired and there was nothing I could

do about it because that's that's what

they

wanted and then we had an American tour

boook and they pulled the American tour

I love who as number 12 in the

charts they pulled the American tour we

went to Europe crazy wow and they said

we're not going to go on the road to

promote your career right that's me so I

couldn't live I couldn't I I just

couldn't live with it it was terrible

and

um had it been somebody else written I

love you I'd have gone have you got any

more songs like that yeah as you would

you

know straighten out

probably the worst thing I did was

leave I should have stuck it out really

and then I think but I just couldn't

stand the um the pressure and um just

not being just wasn't a nice environment

you

know uh so I consequently paid for that

and

um you know just went different ways

well it went to number 12 but it was so

much bigger than this CH position I mean

uh all-time favorite for millions of

people it could have gone all the way

had we have told I think so and and it's

it's deep meaning for placement in

weddings and anniversaries and special

events is it's definitely kept it alive

like I said my kids singing it the other

day it's just sad that this song could

have been even more because that was

back when touring really did make a

difference in pushing up the charts yeah

yeah the sad thing thing for me about

that having had the song My Song in the

charts to number 12 I never got to sing

it in America I know that's insane you

never got to sing it live no excuse me

that that's unheard of like I i' I've

heard of a band maybe playing their song

one time or you know uh like there's a

story about acdc's biggest hit they only

played it like on one tour and then they

stopped playing it for 30 years but they

played it at least you know a hundred

times on that tour you know so yeah so

it is is so crazy and I want to ask you

the karaoke story here in just a second

because I want to kind of end on that on

this song but I do want to point out a

couple of the covers really quick that

American band lzo Bane covered it

I want

you and nine days did it and it was on

the soundtrack for The New

Guy Tesla did it acoustically yeah they

they did a nice version

yeah two members of the h factor Pete

hok and you you know remember Steve

Hunter Steve Hunter was had been with

Lou Reed and Alice Cooper yeah Steve

Hunter exactly lovely guitarist as well

lovely and that became uh an album

for um it was a film soundtrack for it

was called The Wedding Band yeah which

was a miles Copeland production film so

he used all the songs on his publishing

and uh we just did covers of like

tempted squeez tempted and that that was

wonderful thank you thank you

quit and then it was featured in uh the

Kevin Smith movie Zach and mu the very

end of that so it's been used in pop

culture I remember it was difficult to

find for streaming for a while I

remember even right before streaming hit

people in you know MP3s remember buying

a greatest hits Climax Blues Band and it

wasn't on the greatest hits album I was

like what why is it this is you know the

was it arguably I thought was their

biggest hit I mean not in Char position

but it was just uh just crazy never rele

never it was only ever released in the

USA yeah never anywhere else because

Warner Brothers just the band packed in

and uh well the band carried on but

without me and um so that you know we we

missed the whole world really almost

like you got punished for writing a hit

song you got cut out of the band you got

you got basically cut out of the band

for writing a hit song it's crazy yeah

when when every band strives for a

second hit and we got one I know

[Music]

exactly I got you tell the P Community

Professor Rock Community about the when

you did get to perform this is such a

great story karaoke in in Clear Water

Florida the bar Florida tell us that

story yeah we went we had a holiday we

lived in the UK but we we we decided

we'd go to clear water in Florida and

have a have two weeks down in Florida

beautiful you know and uh we were

speaking with somebody by the pool there

and we said is there anywhere anywhere

to go you know because there wasn't a

lot going on around there to be honest

um and and he recommended we go to to an

English pub I think it was called the

Golden Lion in Clear Water yeah it was

either the Golden Lion or

um the the britania or something like

that so so we turn up at the uh the

golden line and they got a they had

English Beer on top and liver and onions

which I

love English type food and uh and on the

table on the tables were were karaoke

books and there's this guy setting up

setting up his

PA so we have a I have a couple of pints

of beer and livering onions and uh he

starts you know anybody want to come and

have a sing and uh I I looked in the

book and there's I love

you right with the lyrics and everything

and uh so my wife my wife goes up to him

and said um Can my husband Come and

sing right he said yeah what would you

like to sing he said you like to you

like to come and sing I love you because

he wrote

it right and saying it original sing and

the guy said no you know no way no way

so anyway he comes up to me he said you

know you Derek hson yeah come and sing

it so anyway he said ladies and

gentlemen Derek hord the Climax Blues

Band I love you and the place just stood

up soon as soon as I started singing it

it was obvious I I was that man you know

with the with the voice and it you know

I never bought to drink again all night

you know I was surrounded by you know

people wanting autographs and everything

and um yeah it was it's funny story but

it's true that's probably uh I've only

ever sung it you know one or two times

and that that's the one I remember the

most karaoke bar in Clear Water didn't

you have your 10-year-old daughter come

up and sing with you a little bit at the

end yeah yeah yeah she um we used to

have we used to run a pub in England as

it was like a live music venue and um

yeah talk about the thrill of having

your daughter Come and sing your song

with

you I

love they wouldn't even put it on their

greatest hits album what the hell make

sure to leave us a comment about this

amazing song what is your take what is

your memories of this song this is one

of those songs that you hear and you're

like oh I know this song and you don't

really maybe remember who sings it but

you know it let's have a great disc what

a story I love talking to these artists

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[Music]