Listen: O Lucky Man / Alan Price
O Lucky Man / Alan Price

Tried watching this on Netflix a few nights back, no luck. Despite so many films getting streamed on the site, it doesn’t really apply to the music ones yet. Not enough of them that is. I have a feeling it will be decades before they get around to DATELINE DIAMONDS. But rejoice, they do have the Scott Walker film.

Back when current, O LUCKY MAN, the film, resided somewhere near HAROLD & MAUDE in the cult movie space. Nice thing was, the soundtrack sold slow and steady, week after week. I know, I was working at a one stop then. I was sure most of the folks buying the soundtrack had no idea they were actually getting a great album as well as their musical connection to the film, or that Alan Price had a history of flawless singles prior.

‘O Lucky Man’ was not only a UK A side but a US one as well. How it escaped any radio or sales success in either territory is one of the world’s great wonders to wonder about.

Listen: Poor People / Alan Price
Poor People / Alan Price

Just like The Troggs ‘Wild Thing’ from ’66, when the US single coupled their follow up, ‘With A Girl Like You’, as it’s flip side, so too was the US story of ‘O Lucky Man’, with American Warner Brothers deciding hastily to make their B Side ‘Poor People’.

Being so strong a song, as well as a film highlight, meant Warners UK chose ‘Poor People’ as their second single from the soundtrack. Again, not a blip of achievement anywhere. I barely remember either track even getting a review.

By no means a judgement on the quality of these two songs, or the entire soundtrack, which at present, has remained in print for 38 years.