Please help me identify a song that stuck in my head for 50 years. solved: 'Girlie' by the Peddlers

LennyLowrent

Early 1970's.  It was a hit. It has a very recognisable organ riff. It was probably sung by a band.
For years I suspected Procol Harum but no...
I remember it being very theatrical.
Could be a European band (Dutch..?)
I was 11 years old and spoke no English at all, as with all other English hits, I sang Gibberish to it, and you can't google that...
I hummed the organ riff to many people,  they all said it was a very well known song but none of them could name it or the performers.

Friday night my sister and I spent half the night singing that bloody tune to 3 different song recognising apps. (With and without Shiraz) shtummmm !!!

So - and here is where you my educated Addicks come in.

Yesterday, due to the 40 degrees scorcher of a saturday, I decided to do something about this and put an end to my misery.
Sat in front of what I call 'my home studio' and recorded a sample version based on the tune in my head. I called it '11 years' and replaced the Hebrew Gibberish with English ones.

So now, please good souls, take a moment of your time (it's short) and help me solve the 50 years mystery.

Here it is:

Listen to 11 Years on #SoundCloud

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/vDmH4

Bournemouth Addick

My best guess would be something by Focus. 

DaveMehmet

Don’t recognise it but the band you’re talking about could be Focus?

Chizz

LennyLowrent said:

Early 1970's.  It was a hit. It has a very recognisable organ riff. It was probably sung by a band.
For years I suspected Procol Harum but no...
I remember it being very theatrical.
Could be a European band (Dutch..?)
I was 11 years old and spoke no English at all, as with all other English hits, I sang Gibberish to it, and you can't google that...
I hummed the organ riff to many people,  they all said it was a very well known song but none of them could name it or the performers.

Friday night my sister and I spent half the night singing that bloody tune to 3 different song recognising apps. (With and without Shiraz) shtummmm !!!

So - and here is where you my educated Addicks come in.

Yesterday, due to the 40 degrees scorcher of a saturday, I decided to do something about this and put an end to my misery.
Sat in front of what I call 'my home studio' and recorded a sample version based on the tune in my head. I called it '11 years' and replaced the Hebrew Gibberish with English ones.

So now, please good souls, take a moment of your time (it's short) and help me solve the 50 years mystery.

Here it is:

Listen to 11 Years on #SoundCloud

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/vDmH4

https://youtu.be/aUbQJNvd7UI 

LennyLowrent

Chizz said:

LennyLowrent said:

Early 1970's.  It was a hit. It has a very recognisable organ riff. It was probably sung by a band.
For years I suspected Procol Harum but no...
I remember it being very theatrical.
Could be a European band (Dutch..?)
I was 11 years old and spoke no English at all, as with all other English hits, I sang Gibberish to it, and you can't google that...
I hummed the organ riff to many people,  they all said it was a very well known song but none of them could name it or the performers.

Friday night my sister and I spent half the night singing that bloody tune to 3 different song recognising apps. (With and without Shiraz) shtummmm !!!

So - and here is where you my educated Addicks come in.

Yesterday, due to the 40 degrees scorcher of a saturday, I decided to do something about this and put an end to my misery.
Sat in front of what I call 'my home studio' and recorded a sample version based on the tune in my head. I called it '11 years' and replaced the Hebrew Gibberish with English ones.

So now, please good souls, take a moment of your time (it's short) and help me solve the 50 years mystery.

Here it is:

Listen to 11 Years on #SoundCloud

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/vDmH4

https://youtu.be/aUbQJNvd7UI 

Sorry, but no....
Focus was one of my suspects (still is) but it is not this one.
The clue is in the organ riff...

lordromford

Wow. 18 minutes to answer a 50 year old question. Fair play to you @Chizz. 

Although somehow I knew someone would answer @LennyLowrent’s question pretty quickly. Charltonlife has a lot of collective knowledge.
(I listened and didn’t have a clue!)

cafcfan1990

lordromford said:

Wow. 18 minutes to answer a 50 year old question. Fair play to you @Chizz. 

Although somehow I knew someone would answer @LennyLowrent’s question pretty quickly. Charltonlife has a lot of collective knowledge.
(I listened and didn’t have a clue!)

Shame it was wrong 

Henry Irving

Curved air?

lordromford

cafcfan1990 said:

lordromford said:

Wow. 18 minutes to answer a 50 year old question. Fair play to you @Chizz. 

Although somehow I knew someone would answer @LennyLowrent’s question pretty quickly. Charltonlife has a lot of collective knowledge.
(I listened and didn’t have a clue!)

Shame it was wrong 

Haha! Sounded similar to me! Shows how much I know 😳

Bournemouth Addick

Henry Irving said:

Curved air - Radar Love?

Wasn't that Golden Earing or did one cover the other? 

Henry Irving

Having listened to your version  neither me or Lady Irving have a clue.

Sounds like some awful prog rock nonsense so probably not a big UK hit.

Covered End

Bournemouth Addick said:

Henry Irving said:

Curved air - Radar Love?

Wasn't that Golden Earing or did one cover the other? 

Yes, Golden Earing.

robinofottershaw

Don't think it is Focus, although Thijs Van Leer could certainly sing in gibberish, e.g. Hocus Pocus.

Chizz

lordromford said:

Wow. 18 minutes to answer a 50 year old question. Fair play to you @Chizz. 

Although somehow I knew someone would answer @LennyLowrent’s question pretty quickly. Charltonlife has a lot of collective knowledge.
(I listened and didn’t have a clue!)

Enormous difference between 'an answer' and 'a correct answer' though..!

Covered End

Henry Irving said:

Having listened to your version  neither me or Lady Irving have a clue.

Sounds like some awful prog rock nonsense so probably not a big UK hit.

Yes, an absolute Prog Rock dirge. Rick Wakeman?

Six-a-bag-of-nuts

The guitar riff at the beginning sounds awfully familiar.
Focus does seem a prime suspect. Maybe Emerson Lake and Palmer?
Will rack my brain
Edit: Organ, not guitar (twit)

Addick Addict

How about something by Van Der Graaf Generator?

SporadicAddick

I haven't got a clue, but fair play to you for recording your own version and sticking on soundcloud. Great story if you can find it...

Fanny Fanackapan

As this was "our era" , I played this to Mr F as he's usually very good at this sort of stuff.

But sadly, not even a guess was made.

Mind you, he IS tone deaf and the family has banned him from joining in to VFR at The Valley.

LennyLowrent

Addick Addict said:

How about something by Van Der Graaf Generator?

Your guess is as good as mine. If you find something on YouTube  that sounds similar, post it here

golfaddick

Covered End said:

Henry Irving said:

Having listened to your version  neither me or Lady Irving have a clue.

Sounds like some awful prog rock nonsense so probably not a big UK hit.

Yes, an absolute Prog Rock dirge. Rick Wakeman?

This was my thinking. Something from Yes or Emmerson Lake & Palmer like Fanfare for the Common man.

LennyLowrent

golfaddick said:

Covered End said:

Henry Irving said:

Having listened to your version  neither me or Lady Irving have a clue.

Sounds like some awful prog rock nonsense so probably not a big UK hit.

Yes, an absolute Prog Rock dirge. Rick Wakeman?

This was my thinking. Something from Yes or Emmerson Lake & Palmer like Fanfare for the Common man.

My suspicion is that its a european band (Dutch..?)

Dave Rudd

Someone should bung this question in the general direction of Oliver Street.

He is the fount of all knowledge, prog-rockwise.

@Oliver Street ... can you hear me, Neil?

SomervilleAddick

Any more clues? I assume you were listening on the radio. You mention you couldn’t speak English at the time. Where were you living? Most radio in the 70s would be chart dominated so that might give us some clues. 

Baldybonce

The Hammond  organ was very popular 50 years ago with prog rock bands.

Does sound European but maybe early by Jethro Tull, Curved air.

Esparanto?

Henry Irving

Bournemouth Addick said:

Henry Irving said:

Curved air - Radar Love?

Wasn't that Golden Earing or did one cover the other? 

Yes, if you remember the 70s you weren't there

SporadicAddick

SomervilleAddick said:

Any more clues? I assume you were listening on the radio. You mention you couldn’t speak English at the time. Where were you living? Most radio in the 70s would be chart dominated so that might give us some clues. 

Israel,  1971

LennyLowrent

SomervilleAddick said:

Any more clues? I assume you were listening on the radio. You mention you couldn’t speak English at the time. Where were you living? Most radio in the 70s would be chart dominated so that might give us some clues. 

Lived on a kibbutz in Israel. You are right, it could have been at the chart, but over there the chart was devided to hebrew songs and foreign songs, It could be on any year any time from 1968ish to 1972ish...
Hard work mate...

Six-a-bag-of-nuts

Addick Addict said:

How about something by Van Der Graaf Generator?

Good shout

LennyLowrent

Thanks everyone, it's 11:30pm here in Perth Western Australia. I'm off to bed and will dream of you all... got a feeling by the time I wake up, someone will provide the answer (I'm really as clueless as any of you)
Cheers

lordromford

LennyLowrent said:

Thanks everyone, it's 11:30pm here in Perth Western Australia. I'm off to bed and will dream of you all... got a feeling by the time I wake up, someone will provide the answer (I'm really as clueless as any of you)
Cheers

Not as clueless as me, clearly. 😂