I’d give roughly 10 to 1 odds that you don’t know who that guy is in the picture to the left.
That’s Rupert Holmes (born David Goldstein), British composer, singer-songwriter, musician, playwright, and novelist. He won two Tony Awards for his musical Drood and has released no fewer than 16 albums over the course of his lifetime (the most recent in 2005).
For our purposes today, however, Rupert Holmes is notable for penning the super-cheesy but deliciously addictive song that I think every bar band should know. When you’re picking among “bar-band cover songs,” the very best are always going to be super-cheesy and deliciously addictive in my book, and Holmes’ is one of the best.
And, if you like making love at midnight in the dunes of the cape, you’re going to loooooove this.
Of course, I’m talking about “Escape (The Pina Colada Song),” released in 1979 on Holmes’ album Partners in Crime. Here it is:
I think I’ve only ever heard two bar bands cover “Escape” live, but it was a smashing hit both times. Most striking was the number of people who knew every single word to the song. Anyway, that’s something I could stand to experience more often.
So get on that, bar bands, would ya?
Click here to return to the “anchor page” for #30DaySongChallenge2016 with the full list of this year’s picks