The Rubettes: The Singles 1974-77 is a 38-track double CD that including all nine of 70s pop legends The Rubettes’ hit singles.

‘Sugar Baby Love’ hit No.1 across Europe when first released in 1974 as well as No.2 in Australia and No.37 in the USA. It was followed by Top Ten hits ‘Juke Box Jive’ (No.3), ‘I Can Do It’ (No.7) and ‘Baby I Know’ (No.10) as well as Top 30 entries for ‘Tonight’, ‘Foe-Dee-Oh-Dee’, ‘Little Darling’ and ‘You’re The Reason Why’.

As well as the hits, this release contains rarer ‘side projects’ such as the three singles as a duo by members John Richardson and Alan Williams as well as keyboardist Bill Hurd’s only solo 45.

Informative liner notes plus picture sleeves from around the globe are a feature of the deluxe booklet.

CD 1:
1. Sugar Baby Love
2. You Could Have Told Me
3. Tonight
4. Silent Movie Queen
5. Saturday Night
6. Juke Box Jive
7. When You’re Falling In Love
8. I Can Do It
9. If You’ve Got The Time
10. At The High School Hop Tonight
11. Foe-Dee-Oh-Dee
12. With You
13. Little Darling
14. Miss Goodie Two Shoes
15. I Still Love You (as Alan & John)
16. Love Bonds (as Alan & John)
17. Take Good Care Of My Baby (as Alan & John)
18. The Price Of Living (as Alan & John)

The first set opens on the timeless, and complete with fantastic vocal range, hit single Sugar Baby Love and the smooth as silk You Could Have Told Me and they are backed by the mid-tempo, free-flowing balladry of Tonight, the beautiful Silent Movie Queen, the rock and roller Saturday Night, the lively pop-rock of Juke Box Jive, the fervent When You’re Falling In Love, and then we get both the teenage bop of I Can Do It and the sugary, country-rock candy of If You’ve Got The Time.

Along next is the rambunctious rocker At The High School Hop Tonight and the foot-tapping, finger-snapping delights of Foe-Dee-Oh-Dee and they are in turn backed by a B-side that should have become a hit of its own, With You, the seductive Little Darling, the guitar rocker Miss Goodie Two Shoesand the disc rounds out with a quartet as Alan & John: the lush ballad I Still Love You, the dutiful Love Bonds, the sweeping harmonies of Take Good Care Of My Baby, and closes on the simply gorgeous, albeit sung with a strained vocal, The Price Of Living.

CD 2:
1. You’re The Reason Why
2. Julia
3. Under One Roof
4. Sign Of The Times
5. Fools And Lovers (Bill Hurd)
6. Everybody Knows (Bill Hurd)
7. Allez Oop
8. Rock Is Dead
9. Dark Side Of The World
10. Baby I Know
11. Dancing In The Rain
12. Married (as Richards ‘N’ Williams)
13. Who Makes The World Go Round? (as Richards ‘N’ Williams)
14. Ladies Of Laredo
15. I’m In Love With You
16. Ooh-La-La
17. I Really Got To Know
18. Come On Over
19. Let Him Bleed
20. Cherie Amour

The second disc opens on the soaring pop-rock of You’re The Reason Why and the rocking album cut Julia and they are followed by the country-pop cut Under One Roof, the Beatles-eque Sign Of The Times, then come two solo cuts from The Rubettes’ keyboardist Bill Hurd, the romantic hipsway of Fools And Lovers and the jaunty Everybody Knows, and then we get back to the band, and next is their upbeat Allez Oop, the glam rocker Rock Is Dead, the lyrical escapism of Dark Side Of The World and the soft pop track Baby I Know.

Along next is the melodic one-two pop-rock punch of Dancing In The Rain and, as Richards ‘N’ Williams we are brought forth the sweetness within Married and the hand-clapper Who Makes The World Go Round?, and then the band brings us the harmonica-driven balladry of Ladies Of Laredo, the quietly Disco-driven I’m In Love With You, the drum-fed Ooh-La-La, the underrated I Really Got To Know, the collection rounding out on the Eagles-esque Come On Over, the Garfunkel-imbibed Let Him Bleed, closing on the joyously impassioned Cherie Amour.

Official 2CD Purchase Link