Bay City Rollers - It’s A Game

Disco-fied last chart blast from the Scots teen phenomenon

By 1978, the game, as it were, was up as far as the Bay City Rollers were concerned. In Britain they were purely and simply a singles band, and this, their fifth LP, just managed to breach the Top 20. America had been more prepared to accept the band on their musical merits, and the album received acclaim there for being a proficient pop creation. Production was by Harry Maslin, fresh from working with Bowie, though one doubts he had anything to do with the cover of Rebel Rebel, one of five outside songs (including transatlantic Top 40 singles It’s A Game and You Made Me Believe In Magic). The former was penned by String Driven Thing, while the latter saw the Rollers go disco. The dancefloor vibe penetrates this album in many places; you’d never recognize the Stylistics soundalike Love Fever in a blind hearing. Yes, folks, this is the Rollers’ Young Americans, which may help ascertain why the album did markedly better in the States. Best of all is bonus single B-side Are You Cuckoo, penned by Russ Ballard, which would have been a great game-show theme. Which brings us full circle…

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

7Ts/Cherry Red | GLAMCD 35

Reviewed by Michael Heatley
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