Bobby Bloom
Bloom in 1970
Born
Robert Bloom

January 15, 1946 (1946-01-15)
New York City, US
DiedFebruary 28, 1974 (1974-03-01) (aged 28)
Los Angeles, California, US
Musical career
GenresPop, calypso, rock
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years activeEarly 1960s–1974
LabelsPolydor
Buddah
Kama Sutra
L&R

Robert Bloom (January 15, 1946[1] – February 28, 1974) was an American[1] singer-songwriter. He is known best for the upbeat 1970 hit, "Montego Bay", which was co-written with and produced by Jeff Barry.

Background

Bloom was born in Brooklyn, NY. In the early 1960s, while still in his teens, Bloom had been a member of the doo-wop group, The Imaginations.[2][3] He received a big break in 1969 when he was awarded a contract to write and record a jingle for Pepsi, paving the way for his later success with "Montego Bay". He also played a role as a songwriter for the Kama Sutra/Buddah group of labels,[4] co-writing "Mony Mony" for Tommy James and the Shondells and, with Jeff Barry, "Sunshine" for The Archies.[4] Bloom co-wrote songs with Jeff Barry and Neil Goldberg for the Monkees' album Changes and their 1971 single "Do It in the Name of Love". He often recorded demos of his songs at the recording studio of MAP City Records, owned by friends Peter Anders and Vincent "Vini" Poncia Jr., with chief engineer Peter H. Rosen[5] at the controls. Early solo projects included "Love Don't Let Me Down" and "Count on Me".[4]

The recordings that followed his success with "Montego Bay" in 1970, "Heavy Makes You Happy", which became a hit for the Staple Singers in 1971, "Where Are We Going" and The Bobby Bloom Album all used the same combination of pop, calypso, and rock.[4]

Career

By October, 1965, Bloom's single, "I Still Remember" bw "Rough And Tough" was released on Kapp K-710.[6] According to Cash Box, this was one of the records due for release in Holland that Hans 1. Kellerman was very enthusiastic about.[7]

Under the pseudonym of Bobby Mann,[8] he recorded the song, "Make the Radio a Little Louder". Backed with "Heart of Town", it was released on Kama Sutra KA 210.[9][10] With the production credited to Bloom and Linde, it was in the Billboard Spotlight Singles section for the week ending June 4, 1966. It was predicted to reach the top 60 of the HOT 100 Chart.[11] It was covered by English group that was managed and produced by Ron Fairway, The Ways and Means. It was the B side to their single, "Sea of Faces" which was released later that year.[12][13][14]

Bloom and Marty Kupersmith composed the song " You Bring Me to My Knees". Producer Gary Katz was a friend of theirs and as a result the song was brought to Eric Mercury.[15] It was included on Mercury's 1969 album, Electric Black Man. Two other Bloom compositions would be included on the album. One was a sole Bloom composition, "Life Style" and the other, "Again N' Again" was co-written with Linde.[16]

It was reported by Record World in the November 22, 1969 issue that Jeff Barry had produced Bloom's first single for the Earth Label. The single was written by Barry, Barry, Jim Carroll, Joey Levine and Kris Resnick.[17] The song which took its theme from the Woodstock Rock Festival was one of the four Sleeper Picks Of The Week by Record World in the December 13 issue.[18][19]

Montego Bay

In 1970, he had his big hit with "Montego Bay" which got to no. 8 in the US and no. 3 in the UK.[20]

Further activities

Bloom had a UK hit with "Heavy Makes You Happy".[21] It was released in the UK on Polydor 2001-122 in 1970.[22] It spent a total of five weeks in the UK charts, peaking at no. 31 on January 31.[23]

Bobby Bloom appeared on American Bandstand with The Staple Singers. The songs performed by The Staple Singers were, "Heavy Makes You Happy", "You've Got to Earn It". Bloom performed "We're All Goin' Home". The show was aired on May 15, 1971.[24] "We're All Goin' Home" made its debut at no. 112 in the Bubbling Under The HOT 100 chart on the week of June 19, 1971.[25][26] It was still at the same position the following week.[27] The following week on June 26, it made its debut at 95 in the Billboard Hot 100.[28] On its third week in the chart, it peaked at no. 93 for the week ending July 10.[29][30]

Later that year, Bloom released the single "We Need Each Other" which he co-wrote with Jeff Barry. Backed with "You Touch Me", it was released on MGM. Reviewed in the September 11 issue of Record World, the reviewer speculated that it could be Bloom's big follow up to "Montego Bay".[31]

His single, "Sha La Boom Boom" was released in 1972. Released on MGM 14437, Billboard had it as a recommended single in the December 16 issue.[32] It debuted at no. 123 in the Billboard US Hot 100 Bubbling Under chart for the week of February 17, 1973. It peaked there and stayed in the chart for a total of three weeks.[33][34]

Death

Having suffered from depression toward the end of his life, Bloom died on February 28, 1974, in an accidental shooting at his home in Hollywood, at the age of 28.[4]

Bloom had accidentally shot himself while cleaning his gun. The surviving members of Bloom's family did not believe Bloom would have shot himself, and the investigation never followed up on leads.[35] Jeff Barry learned later he was the sole beneficiary of Bloom's life insurance policy. In a 1995 interview, Jeff Barry states that Bobby Bloom was shot by another guy in a fight over a girl. He states that Bloom burst into a room after kicking down a door and was then shot. The case was never followed up.[36]

Discography

Albums

  • 1970: The Bobby Bloom Album (L&R Records) (US #126)
  • 1971: Where Are We Going (Buddah)

Singles

Year Title Label Peak chart positions
US
[2][37]		 US Adult
[37]		 AUS
[38]		 UK
[1]
1965 "I Still Remember" Kapp[39] ― ― ― ―
1967 "Love, Don't Let Me Down" Kama Sutra ― ― ― ―
"Count On Me" ― ― ― ―
1968 "All I Wanna Do Is Dance" White Whale ― ― ― ―
1969 "Jill" Buddah ― ― ― ―
"Turn On" ― ― ― ―
"Sign of the V" Earth ― ― ― ―
1970 "Montego Bay" L&R 8 18 9 3
"Make Me Happy" MGM 80 ― ― ―
1971 "Where Are We Going" Roulette 84 ― ― ―
"Heavy Makes You Happy" MGM ― ― ― 31
"We're All Goin' Home" 93 ― ― ―
"We Need Each Other" ― ― ― ―
"(It's) Emergency" Map City ― ― ― ―
1972 "I Really Got It Bad for You" MGM ― ― ― ―
"Sha La Boom Boom" ― ― ― ―
1973 "Island" ― ― ― ―
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

[40]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 64. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955–2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 66. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  3. ↑ Leszczak, Bob (2014). Encyclopedia of Pop Music Aliases, 1950–2000 (illustrated ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 33. ISBN 9781442240087.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Proefrock, Stacia. "Bobby Bloom: Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  5. ↑ "The History of Creativity Cafe and V.A.R.I.O.U.S." Creativity.net. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ 45Cat - Bobby Bloom - Discography, USA
  7. ↑ Cash Box, November 13, 1965 - Page 72 Cash Box HOLLAND
  8. ↑ Rock Obituaries: Knocking On Heaven's Door, By Nick Talevski - Pages 38 - 39 Bobby Bloom
  9. ↑ Billboard, June 4, 1966 - Page 18 SPOTLIGHT SINGLES, TOP 60, Spotlights- Predicted to reach the top 60 of the HOT 100 Chart
  10. ↑ 45Cat - Bobby Bloom - Discography, USA
  11. ↑ Billboard, June 4, 1966 - Page 18 SPOTLIGHT SINGLES, TOP 60, Spotlights- Predicted to reach the top 60 of the HOT 100 Chart
  12. ↑ The Strange Brew - The Ways and Means
  13. ↑ Popsike - WAYS AND MEANS - SEA OF FACES UK 1ST PRESS PYE 7N17217 RARE BEAT POP VG/EX
  14. ↑ hitparade.ch - Bobby Mann – Make The Radio A Little Louder
  15. ↑ JazzFM91, 2019/09/16 - Music News, Eric Mercury is Canada’s hidden gem of ‘60s soul
  16. ↑ Discogs - Eric Mercury – Electric Black Man
  17. ↑ Record World, November 22, 1969 - Page 28 Barry - Bloom Boom
  18. ↑ Record World, December 13, 1969 - Page 43 Bobby Bloom: Sign of the Rising Star
  19. ↑ Record World, December 13, 1969 - Page 1 ★ SLEEPER PICKS OF THE WEEK
  20. ↑ MusicVF.com - Bobby Bloom Top Songs, Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography
  21. ↑ Official Charts - HEAVY MAKES YOU HAPPY by BOBBY BLOOM
  22. ↑ Music Metason - ArtistInfo, Bonbby Bloom, Heavy Makes You Happy
  23. ↑ Official Charts - HEAVY MAKES YOU HAPPY by BOBBY BLOOM
  24. ↑ tvdb - Season 14, S14E37 The Staple Singers / Bobby Bloom
  25. ↑ Billboard, June 12, 1971 - Page 59 Bubbling Under The HOT 100
  26. ↑ Billboard, June 19, 1971 - Page 14 Bubbling Under The HOT 100, 112. WE'RE ALL GOIN' HOME Bobby Bloom, MGM 14246
  27. ↑ Billboard, June 19, 1971 - Page 41 Bubbling Under The HOT 100, 112. WE'RE ALL GOIN' HOME Bobby Bloom, MGM 14246
  28. ↑ Billboard, June 26, 1971 - Page 60 Billboard HOT 100 For Week Ending June 26, 1971, THIS WEEK 95, LAST WEEK _, Weeks On Chart 1
  29. ↑ Billboard, July 10, 1971 - Page 52 Billboard HOT 100 For Week Ending July 10, 1971 , THIS WEEK 93, LAST WEEK 95, Weeks On Chart 3
  30. ↑ Billboard, July 17, 1971 - Page 52 Billboard HOT 100 For Week Ending July 17, 1971 , THIS WEEK 99, LAST WEEK 93, Weeks On Chart 4
  31. ↑ Record World, September 11, 1971 - Page 10 RECORD WORLD SINGLE PRODUCT
  32. ↑ Billboard, December 16, 1972 - Page 61 RADIO ACTION AND PICK SINGLES, Also Recommended
  33. ↑ Top 40 Weekly.com - 02/17/1973 | 123 | Bobby Bloom –•– Sha La Boom Boom (MGM 14437)
  34. ↑ Mike Curb - Page 14 BLOOM, Bobby, 2/17/73 123 3 Hot100 3. Sha La Boom Boom MGM/Curb 1443
  35. ↑ Jeremy Simmonds (2008). The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1556527548. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
  36. ↑ "Bobby bloom | Bubblegum University". Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  37. 1 2 "Bobby Bloom Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  38. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  39. ↑ "45 Discography for Kapp Records". Global Dog Productions. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008.
  40. ↑ "45 Discography for M-G-M Records – 14000 series". Global Dog Productions. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019.
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