Peak: #8 on the Hot 100
Streams: 5.1 million
Bobby Bloom’s career couldn’t have started better. In his mid-20s he not only co-wrote the classic “Mony Mony”with Tommy James, but also teamed up with Jeff Barry, the megawatt songwriter-producer behind such smashes as “Chapel of Love,” “Sugar Sugar,” and “Leader of the Pack.”
Together, Barry and Bloom created “Montego Bay,” which was Bloom’s only hit. I mean it as a compliment when I say this song should be playing at every Sandals Resort in the world.
We always need songs to play on vacation. When you’re trying to relax by the pool, you don’t want to hear some sad-ass ballad about alcoholism. You want a ditty like “Montego Bay.”
First of all, that calypso beat practically screams “take it easy.” Even as the instrumentation expands to include steel drums and what sounds like a tuba, the song maintains a relaxed rhythm. This is the sound of a party where everyone’s already in paradise. There’s no need to dance like crazy to escape the world outside: You just need to hoist your coconut filled with rum and savor the sunset.
The lyrics tell the same story: Bloom sings about the various people he can’t wait to meet on the island, including his pals Vernon and Gillian. I like that he uses specific names, because it helps me believe him when he says he’s going to have a blast on the beach. Other details — like driving his British friend’s car with the steering wheel on the opposite side — also make it seem like we’re invited into Bloom’s real life.
Then there’s his voice. Husky and rich, it adds a dash of passion to the story, especially when he belts out a few a cappella lines from “Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’” there at the end. That could be the cheesiest riff of all time, but Bloom sells it. He sounds like he’s singing a spontaneous hymn of celebration to the best day of his life.
Sadly, Bloom died less than four years after this song charted. In February 1974, he died under mysterious circumstances. Though the official report is that he died after accidentally shooting himself while cleaning his gun, there are others — including Jeff Barry — who insist he was murdered. It’s a sad ending to the story of his life, and it makes me retroactively hear rue in his soulful wailing on “Montego Bay.” But between this song and “Mony Mony,” Bobby Bloom still has a solid pop music legacy.
Wow, this one is fun. I've never encountered it before!
BTW, maybe YOU don’t want to hear some sad-ass ballad about alcoholism, but I'm ready for Stephen Bishop's "On and On" on any beach day.