Don't Give Up On Us Baby by David Soul

Don't Give Up On Us Baby

1976

David Soul

Why is it that every time I hear the lovely instrumental intro for 1977's first big One Hit Wonder... which was also an international hit and one of the prettier songs of the year...I have this vision of a red Ford Gran Torino with a white vector stripe sliding to a perfect, tire-screaming, rubber burning sliding stop...hmmm, why could it be????

Could be because the artist who sang this classic love song was also the actor who played Detective Ken Hutchinson on the legendary '70s crime drama 'Starsky and Hutch. Yep...Ken Hutchinson recorded 'Don't Give Up On Us Baby'. OK, actually, David Soul recorded the song at the same time he was portraying 'Hutch'. And it was legitimately huge...If you polled any given group of 100 people who were teenagers in 1977, you'd be hard pressed to find five who couldn't, upon hearing the intro, join right in with David Soul as he crooned that first 'Don't Give Up On Us Baby...' And that's pretty much world wide, BTW...not just in the good ol' U S of A.

David Soul actually started his career as a singer and recorded some pop songs in the early 60's that went...nowhere. So he got an inspired idea. He donned a ski-mask, took a picture of himself wearing it, and sent said photograph to The William Morris Agency...one of the premiere entertainment talent agencies in New York City,...introducing himself as David Soul and telling them that he wanted to be known for his music. They liked his idea...really really liked it...and he was immediately added to the regular cast of daytime talk show The Merv Griffith Show (Huge in the mid-late 60s) as the infamous 'Covered Man', a role he took on, and sang in, for two years.

His singing career didn't go anywhere just yet, but his acting career took off when he was cast in an episode of Flipper, then signed a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1967. This began a string of guest shots as well as supporting and costarring roles that ultimately culminated in his snagging the role he's best known for in 1975...and in '76 he used his success in acting to kick off the singing career he'd always wanted in the first place.

He actually released an album before he recorded 'Don't Give Up On Us Baby', but in his words 'There was absolutely nothing there worthy of being released as a single'. At the suggestion of his label... Private Stock...he teamed up with songwriter/producer Tony Macaulay, and recorded 'Don't Give Up On Us Baby'.

It was released in late '76 and began climbing the charts in both the US and the UK, finally landing the coveted top spot in both markets in April of '77. It'd hang on to #1 in the UK for four weeks, and for a single week in the US. It'd also be his only Billboard Hot 100 hit in the US, though he'd have several more hits...including another #1, with a tune also penned by Tony Macaulay called 'Silver Lady', as well as a #2 UK hit called 'Going In With My Eyes Wide Open'...in the UK.

This is another one that was played over and over on the Top 40 stations during the Winter, Spring, and Summer of '77, and as I noted above, just about everyone who was a teenager back then recognizes it instantly, (And we liked it...immensely)...but many have no clue about the connection between a classic late '70's love song and an action packed Cop show featuring one of the baddest Ford Torinos to ever grace the Small Screen.

This is also another one that you'll still hear on the Oldies Station today...most likely one that features a mix of oldies (Like 107.3 here in the Richmond area), and again., it's a good thing when a classic from our Misspent Youth turns up and starts the memories flowing.

So Enjoy! Don't Give Up On Us Baby' By David Soul.

And as a bonus...David Soul's second UK #1 Hit...Silver Lady. This one has a completely different sound from 'Don't Gie Up On Us Baby'

A Second bonus...#2 UK Hit 'Going In With My Eyes Open, also penned by Tony Macaulay. David Soul really did have an awesome voice.

And as a final bonus...if we're talking David Soul. AKA Ken Hutchenson, we gotta' have a car chase scene from Starsky and Hutch...better yet, a chase scene with Two of the iconic 'Striped Tomatoes!

In this scene, BTW, watch for a black '59 Chevy that almost gets creamed numerous times during the chase (We TV Viewers aren't supposed to notice things like that ya know) This same car shows up numerous times during the seasons the show was aired, a couple of times as the pursued vehicle.