A number 22 hit for Hotlegs in 1970:
Even if Graham Gouldman hadn't joined the trio of Eric Stewart, Lol Crème and Kevin Godley and they'd evolved into 10cc, Hotlegs would still be worthy of admiration simply for creating one of the most completely strange hit singles of the '70s. There is no element of "Neanderthal Man" that isn't really weird, from the lyrics (here presented in their entirety: "I'm a Neanderthal man/You're a Neanderthal girl/Let's make Neanderthal love/In the Neanderthal world," repeated endlessly for four minutes and 20 seconds) to the downright bizarre arrangement. The song is basically completely inverted in its mixing, with the native American-style tom-tom rhythm the most prominent instrument and Eric Stewart's lead vocal buried so far behind layers of processed guitars and synthesizers that you have to pay close attention to even hear it. The joke, of course, is that you're straining to hear some of the most inane lyrics of the decade. It's something of a pity that this novelty hit overshadowed the rest of Hotlegs' sole album, which has some truly lovely, Bee Gees-style pop songs, but they ended up doing okay for themselves in their next incarnation.
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