A timeless lament of loneliness turned into a joyful rock and roll celebration.
In the late 1970s, as disco’s hypnotic rhythms and punk’s rebellious fury dominated the airwaves, there was a unique corner of the music world dedicated to pure, unadulterated nostalgia. It was a space ruled by a group of dapper, high-energy musicians in Teddy Boy outfits who made it their mission to keep the spirit of 1950s rock and roll alive. And at the very heart of that revival stood the magnificent Showaddywaddy. In 1978, they delivered one of their most beloved and enduring hits, a magical rendition of a classic that many thought couldn’t be improved upon. That song was their version of “Blue Moon,” a single that soared to number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and became a staple of their impressive catalog of hits.
The genius of Showaddywaddy’s version lies not in its originality but in its masterful reinterpretation. The song itself is a venerable standard, a timeless piece of songwriting history penned by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart way back in 1934. It’s a tune with a long and storied past, famously performed by the likes of Frank Sinatra and, most notably, the doo-wop group The Marcels, whose 1961 version with its “bomp-a-bomp” intro became the definitive rock and roll take. But while The Marcels’ version was a playful vocal romp, Showaddywaddy’s was something else entirely: a full-throttle, brass-heavy, dancefloor filler.
What made their take so special was how they took the song’s inherent melancholy and flipped it on its head. The original “Blue Moon” is a song of loneliness and longing, a wistful ballad about standing alone until a rare, magical moment brings love. Showaddywaddy kept the familiar lyrics, but they filled the spaces between the words with a joyful exuberance. The quiet, solitary feel of the original was replaced with a driving beat, a jangling guitar, and the powerful, gang-style vocals that were a hallmark of their sound. When they sang “And then there suddenly appeared before me / The only one my arms will ever hold,” it wasn’t a fragile wish; it was a triumphant, declarative shout, an invitation to a party.
For those of us who remember the late ‘70s, this version of “Blue Moon” takes us back to a world of youth clubs and school discos, of flared trousers and platform shoes, of crowded dancefloors and the first tentative steps with a new crush. It was the kind of song that brought everyone together, the kind you couldn’t help but tap your foot to. Showaddywaddy had a special gift for taking these old tunes and infusing them with a youthful, high-spirited energy that felt both authentically vintage and perfectly modern for the time. Their success wasn’t just about mimicry; it was about honoring the past while making it a vibrant part of the present.
Decades on, a listen to Showaddywaddy’s “Blue Moon” feels like a cherished memory revisited. It’s the sound of simpler times, of innocent Saturday nights and the sheer, unadulterated fun of rock and roll. The song’s legacy is a testament to the band’s enduring appeal and their unique ability to transport an audience, not just to a different time, but to a different feeling entirely. It reminds us that even the loneliest of songs can be given new life, and that sometimes, a little bit of magic is all it takes to make the sadness disappear.