Matt Knight’s “4:20 HIT of the Day” – 8/15/22
Every weekday, I’m going to drop a song that I like to call the 4:20 HIT of the Day. What does this mean? Simply, it’s a song that I think will give you some good vibes, ‘spark up’ nostalgia or just remind you about a tune that you might love but just haven’t heard in a while.
Today’s HIT was a song that bassist Derek Holt said “came completely out of nowhere.” Climax Blues Band’s “Couldn’t Get It Right” was written after their record label said that the 1976 album ‘Gold Plated’ didn’t have any “standout tracks.”
The song was specifically written and produced after the manager of the band demanded that the band append a radio-friendly song to the track listing. The band at the time had released eight albums and although that had translated into fame, they did not have a great impact on the charts. Copeland suggested a cover version of an Elvis Presley song; this suggestion was ignored, and instead the band came up with an original composition “from absolutely nowhere”. It was simply a case of sitting in the studio, conjuring up a rhythm, appending the traditional dual vocals for which Climax Blues Band were known, and coming up with a couple of hooks. In an interview with Songfacts, Derek Holt explained that the song was “just a lucky moment in time”, and that it is about being on the road in America. The chorus “kept on looking for a sign in the middle of the night” referred to searches for Holiday Inn signs, the sight of which meant that beds had been found for the night.
The song was originally released by RCA Records in early 1976. Later on that year, the song was picked up by Sire Records and the following year it made #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was ranked #32 on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1977.