Lost In The Flood: Hard-To-Find ’70s Albums (Alan O’Day’s “Appetizers”)

The Analog Kid blog has been featuring out-of-print ’80s albums on “The Lost Boys” series for quite a while, and now it’s time for the ’70s to join the party! “Lost In The Flood: Hard-To-Find ’70s Albums” will give you the chance to listen to some great music from the ’70s that can no longer be easily acquired on-line or at your local record store (especially since many of you probably no longer even HAVE a local record store!).

Alan O’Day’s “Undercover Angel” often makes appearances on biggest one-hit wonder lists, and deservedly so– the song was O’Day’s only Top 40 hit as a solo artist, and the record made it all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, “Undercover Angel” was the #1 song in the country on July 13, 1977– the very day that the little Analog Kid turned ten.

I can still remember where and when I bought the “Undercover Angel” single. My grandmother lived in the San Fernando Valley, and there was a little record shop on Riverside Drive located a few blocks from her house. I walked down to that store with my friend Albert and bought the 45, and we played it all afternoon on Grandma’s old console unit. I also remember going outside and playing nerf football that Saturday afternoon– Albert held the ball while I worked on my field goal kicking, using the power lines into Grandma’s house as a makeshift goal post. I’m 99% sure that I was wearing a Star Wars t-shirt that day, but that was likely true on almost any day during the latter half of 1977.

Whoa. Albert Azmon. I haven’t thought about Albert in 35 years. It really is amazing how music has framed so many memories in my life…

Alan O’Day may have been a one-hit wonder as a solo artist, but he did write a number of hits for other performers. 1974 was a particularly good year for O’Day the songwriter: he penned The Righteous Brothers’ “Rock And Roll Heaven,” Cher’s “Train Of Thought,” and Helen Reddy’s #1 smash “Angie Baby.” You remember– that’s the one that starts with these lines:

You live your life in the songs you hear

On the rock and roll radio

Whoa, indeed. That O’Day guy gets me. I mean, he really gets me!

I had never heard the full-length version of “Undercover Angel” until a few months ago– that’s when I finally found a quality used copy of Alan O’Day’s Appetizers LP. The album also included O’Day’s own version of “Angie Baby,” along with several other slightly naughty tunes. Wait– you mean that catchy little ditty entitled “Undercover Angel” is about a little boy wankin’ it? Yep, it sure is.

See? I told you that Alan O’Day understood the little Analog Kid!