In October 1975, Neil Sedaka had one of the biggest hits of his career with the song “Bad Blood.” The pop-rock single hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 11, 1975, and stayed there for three weeks.
Sedaka, who had previously had success in the 1950s and ‘60s with songs such as “Calendar Girl” and “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen,” was experiencing a major career lull in the early 1970s. The singer-songwriter moved to London during that time, where he met music superstar Elton John, who swept in to save the day.
In a vintage interview preserved by Historic Films, Sedaka recalled that John asked if he could come over to hear the new music he was working on. “He listened to the new songs, and he said, ‘You know I could make you a star again in America,’” Sedaka recalled. “He said, ‘I’m starting a record company, Rocket Records, in America. I’d like you to be the first artist, and I’d like I’d like it to be called Sedaka’s Back.”
The Sedaka’s Back compilation album was released in November 1974 and spawned the hit “Laughter in the Rain.”
But one year later, the follow-up album Overnight Success solidified Sedaka’s comeback. Not only was the single “Bad Blood” a major hit, but it received extra clout with John performing backup vocals on the tune.
Sedaka would go on to find comeback success once again that year when his song “Love Will Keep Us Together” was recorded by the Captain and Tennille and became the No. 1 song of the year.
The story of Sedaka’s comeback is recounted on his official website, where it is stated that John “midwifed his return to the American charts in 1975.”
“I had been off the scene for about 12 years,” Sedaka said in an interview with Classic Chat. ”And Elton John, a good friend, was starting a record company, Rocket Records. And he said, ‘I’m going to make you a record star again.’ And he put me on his label, and we lo and behold after 12 or 13 years I had a number one record.”
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