Robert Knight - Love On A Mountain Top

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This record started my music career. I started DJing at Blackpool Mecca at the tender age of seventeen, and within a year, I had broken this record massive, till it first got bootlegged, and then reissued legally, and made number two on the national pop charts because of it. John Peel came up to Blackpool from Radio One, to interview me, to find out how an obscure 1960s soul record had suddenly appeared at number two on the pop charts, and all down to just one DJ originally. This was in 1973, and then twenty six years later, I got to film Robert performing it for our documentary "The Strange World Of Northern Soul". Born on the 24 April 1945, in Franklin, Tennessee, USA, Knight made his professional vocal debut with the Paramounts, a harmony quintet comprising school friends. Signed to Dot Records, they recorded "Free Me" in 1961, a US R&B hit, outselling the cover version by Johnny Preston. After this initial success their subsequent releases flopped and resulted in the group breaking up. Unfortunately, they also broke their contract with Dot and were prevented from recording for four-and-a-half years. Knight continued his studies in chemistry at the Tennessee State University where he formed vocal trio the Fairlanes. In 1967, Knight was spotted performing with the Fairlanes in Nashville, and was offered a contract as a solo artist by the Rising Sons label. His first recording, "Everlasting Love", written by label owners Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, was an immediate success and earned him a US Top 20 hit. This enduring song was an even bigger success in Britain the following year where a cover version by Love Affair reached number 1, and in doing so, kept the singer from progressing further than a Top 40 position. Knight scored two further pop hits at home, "Blessed Are The Lonely" and "Isn't It Lonely Together". In 1973, he overshadowed his previous chart entry in the UK when "Love On A Mountain Top" reached number two. However, the reissued "Everlasting Love" went some way to making amends the following year, this time achieving Top 20 status. He continues to occasionally perform and record.

Channel: Music
Uploaded: December 6, 2007 at 11:12 am
Author: IanLevine

Length: 0:02:39
Rating: 4.86
Views: 22,910

Tags: Northern-Soul Classic Sixties-Soul Male-Soul Anthem Blackpool-Mecca Soul-Groups Motorcity

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Video Comments:
Stoopare (Saturday 20th of September 2008 05:59:27 AM)
Classic stomper
biffmatic2002 (Sunday 14th of September 2008 09:58:28 AM)
You just cant beat classics like this. I just love this one.
bigbustyboop (Thursday 21st of August 2008 06:36:51 AM)
ohh the oldies are best
tonysouldays (Wednesday 13th of August 2008 01:39:25 PM)
this record reminds me of a girl i was crazy over thanks ian .
familyhenry (Thursday 7th of August 2008 03:43:19 PM)
Absolutely love this song.
text40 (Thursday 10th of July 2008 12:24:58 PM)
a good classic to, guess i am gonna have a soul revival by myself tonite.
rosto79 (Wednesday 9th of July 2008 06:31:31 PM)
amazing song,at the moment i'm read the book "last night a dj saved my life" ! nothern soul's part is the best..ian levin on youtube? wow! legend ;) greetz from italy,sorry for my bad english. R.
meggiegriff (Friday 5th of September 2008 02:43:26 PM)
Written by Bill Brewster? Used to knock around with him years ago. Amazing book - mentions Cleethorpes All Nighters, the stomp of the feet as you walk up to the pier and the smell of Brut talc as you push the doors open - how true...I used to go at the tender age of 16, happy days.
GeordieSmiler (Wednesday 2nd of July 2008 11:47:53 AM)
Another one of my fav songs....
IanLevine (Saturday 24th of May 2008 03:38:36 AM)
Please please please send him a message and tell him so.