325 Hello Phil Fearon* - Don't Wanna Say Goodnight

( * as  part  of  Kandidate )

Chart  entered :  19  August  1978

Chart  peak  : 47

Number  of  hits  : 13  ( 4  with  Kandidate, 7 with  Galaxy, 2  solo )

Phil  Fearon  was  born  in  Jamaica  in  1956  but  moved  to  London  with  his  family  at  the  start  of  the  sixties. He  started  his  career  in  music  by  running  a  reggae  sound  system  then  joined  a  group  called  Hott  Waxx  who  became  Brit-funkers  Hi-Tension  after  he'd  left.   The  seven  piece   Kandidate  were  formed  around  1975  with  Phil  as  the  guitarist. He  co-wrote  their  first  single  "I'm  Coming"   released  on  the  Vulcan  label  in  November  1975. I  haven't  heard  it.  Information  on  the  band  is  scarce  so  I've  no  idea  what  they  did  before  they  turned  up  on  RAK  in  June  1978  with  this  single. Presumably  Mickie  Most  was  looking  for  his  own  version  of  The  Real  Thing.

"Don't  Wanna  Say  Goodnight"  was  written  by  ex-Argent  man  Russ  Ballard, fresh  from  his  triumph  with  Hot  Chocolate's  So  You  Win  Again.  Unfortunately  "Don't  Wanna  Say  Goodnight"  is not  of  the  same  calibre. The  song  is  indifferent  at  best  and  the  bland,  over-produced  backing  track  is  only  interesting  as  predictive  of  the  late  eighties  wine  bar  funk  of the  likes  of  Swing  Out  Sister  and  Curiosity  Killed  The  Cat. The  harmonies  are  impressive  but  highlight  rather  than  mask  Teeroy  Morris's  thin  and  inadequate  lead  vocal. Phil  must  surely  have  thought  he  could   have  done  it   better. RAK's  promotional  muscle  made  the  single   a  minor  hit  which  was  perhaps  more  than  it  deserved.