Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1993
'74'75
Buy '74'75 now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = 74'75
| cover = The Connells - '74 - '75 album cover.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Single cover
| type = single
| artist = the Connells
| album = Ring
| B-side = New Boy
| released = 1993
| recorded = March 1993
| studio = Dreamland (Bearsville, New York)
| genre =
| length = 4:36
| label = Alternation
| writer = Mike Connell
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| misc = {{External music video|header=Audio|}}
}}
"'7475'" is a song by American band the Connells from their fifth studio album, 'Ring' (1993). The acoustic ballad was released as the album's third single in 1993, but it did not chart in the United States. It would later become a European hit for the band in 1995, reaching the top 10 in a total of 11 European countries and peaking at 1 in Norway and Sweden. It also charted in the top 20 of the United Kingdom. Since the Connells never had another hit, they are widely seen as a one-hit wonder.
In the song, singer Mike Connell nostalgically reflects on the passing of time and how people he used to know have changed now. The music video, directed by Mark Pellington, features students from Needham B. Broughton High School's Class of 1975 and compares the photographs from their yearbook, with how they look and have aged since then.
Critical reception
James Masterton described "74'75" as a "gently strummed song" in his weekly UK chart commentary in 'Dotmusic'. A reviewer from 'Music Week' rated it three out of five, adding, "Commercially alternative with a capital C, this laid-back, rootsy, countrified single drifts through the ears pretty agreably. Expect a positive response from nostalgic radio programmers." Rob Ross of Popdose called it "emotionally-charged and poignant." Michael Hamm of 'The Guardian' said the song was a "masterful piece of mass market soft-pop songwriting." American magazine 'Trouser Press' described it as "so sweet [it] borders on cloying".
Chart performance
"74'75" became a hit in Europe in 1995, particularly in Sweden and Norway, where it topped the singles charts. In Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, and Switzerland, it reached the top five. In Germany, the song peaked at No. 7 and remained on the chart for 28 weeks. The single also reached the top 10 in Austria, Ireland, and the Netherlands. "74'75" was the band's only top-20 hit in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at No. 14 in August 1995. In March 1996, the single re-appeared on the UK Singles Chart at No. 21. The song ended 1995 as Europe's 23rd-best-performing song, climbing to No. 8 on the Eurochart Hot 100. Following the songs's success, the Connells embarked on a European tour with Def Leppard.
Music video
The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Mark Pellington. It was shot at Needham B. Broughton High School in the band's hometown Raleigh, North Carolina in 1993, and features members of the Class of 1975, juxtaposing yearbook pictures with footage of the same people as they appeared in 1993. On November 14, 2015, to mark the 40th anniversary of the 19741975 class, a remixed video of the song was released, showing the class members as they looked 22 years after the original video was released.
Formats and track listings
'7-inch single'
:A. "74'75" 4:36
:B. "New Boy" (live at the Purple Dragon Studio in Atlanta, GA) 4:44
'French CD single'
#"74'75" (album version) 4:36
#"Logan Street" 3:39
'European maxi-CD single'
#"74'75" (album version) 4:36
#"Logan Street" 3:39
#"Fun & Games" (live at the Purple Dragon Studio in Atlanta, GA) 3:07
#"New Boy" (live at the Purple Dragon Studio in Atlanta, GA) 4:44
'UK cassette single'
#"74'75" 4:36
#"New Boy" (live at the Purple Dragon Studio in Atlanta, GA) 4:44
Credits and personnel
Credits are lifted from the European maxi-CD single and the 'Ring' album booklet.
'Studios'
*Recorded in March 1993 at Dreamland Studios (Bearsville, New York)
*Mixed in April 1993 at Carriage House Studios (Stamford, Connecticut)
*Mastered at Sterling Sound (New York City)
'The Connells'
*Mike Connell music, words, vocals, guitar
*David Connell bass
*George Huntley vocals, guitar, mandolin
*Doug MacMillan vocals, guitar
*Peele Wimberley drums, percussion
*Steve Potak piano, organ, keyboards
*The Connells production
'Recording and production'
*Lou Giordano production, mixing
*David Cook engineering
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Influence
Fran Healy of Scottish band Travis has said that he wrote "Writing to Reach You" while listening to "7475" on the radio.
See also
*List of number-one songs in Norway
*List of number-one singles and albums in Sweden
References
Category:Songs about nostalgia
Category:Songs about teenagers
Category:Songs about old age
Category:1990s ballads
Category:1993 singles
Category:1993 songs
Category:1995 singles
Category:The Connells songs
Category:Music videos directed by Mark Pellington
Category:Number-one singles in Norway
Category:Number-one singles in Sweden
Buy '74'75 now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1993