Bassist Alan Longmuir, his younger brother Derek Longmuir, a drummer, along with school mate, lead singer Gordon "Nobby" Clark founded the group in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1967, as The Saxons. Shortly afterwards, seeking a less English-sounding moniker, they chose a new name allegedly by throwing a dart at a map of the United States. The dart landed on the map in the state of Arkansas, but since "Arkansas Rollers" did not sound quite right, and might also lead to problems with pronunciation, they tried again and this time the dart landed near the community of Bay City, Michigan.
The Bay City Rollers were managed from early on by the imposing and controversial Tam Paton, himself a former big band leader. Paton was notorious for his rigid control over all aspects of the band's career, including the shuffling in and out of group members at a very high rate. Short term members from this period include David Paton (member 1969-1970) and Billy Lyall (member 1969-1971), who went on to be founding members of another successful Edinburgh band, Pilot.
The Bay City Rollers received their first break when prominent record executive Dick Leahy caught their act by chance in an Edinburgh club. After signing with Leahy's Bell Records, the band's first hit was "Keep on Dancing" (UK #9, 1971), a cover of a 1965 Gentrys hit, recorded at the suggestion of pop impresario and producer Jonathan King. (Singer Nobby Clark was backed on vocals on "Keep on Dancing" by King himself.) Upon this release's success, they made guest appearances on BBC-TV's Top of the Pops. The group then won a Radio Luxembourg-sponsored song contest with the tune "Mañana", which was later popular in parts of Europe and in Israel.
Several non-charting singles were released over the following two years. This period did see the addition of long term members Eric Faulkner and Stuart "Woody" Wood.
In late 1973 they narrowly missed the UK chart with "Saturday Night", one of many singles written and produced for the band by the highly successful songwriting duo of Scotsman Bill Martin and Irishman Phil Coulter.
By the end of 1973, Nobby Clark had become disillusioned by the band's lack of success and decided to move on. He was replaced as lead singer by Leslie McKeown.
The five members at the very end of 1973 - the Longmuir brothers, Faulkner, Wood and McKeown - are generally referred to as the "classic line-up". In early 1974 McKeown hastily re-recorded lead vocals of the group's forthcoming single, "Remember (Sha La La La)", which became a sizable hit and a lead in to a series of UK chart hits.
Beginning with "Remember" (UK #6), the Rollers' popularity exploded, and they released a string of very successful hits on the British charts. Following in succession were "Shang-a-Lang" (UK #2), "Summerlove Sensation" (UK #3), and "All of Me Loves All of You" (UK #4).
By early 1975, they were one of the highest-selling acts in Britain. That year saw a successful UK tour (which prompted newspaper headlines about "Rollermania"), and a 20-week UK television series, Shang-a-Lang.
A cover of the Four Seasons' "Bye, Bye, Baby", stayed at #1 in the UK for six weeks in the spring of 1975, selling nearly a million copies to become the biggest seller of the year, and the subsequent single "Give a Little Love" topped the charts that summer, their second #1 hit. At the peak of their popularity in the UK, comparisons were even made to The Beatles.
By this time, BCR fans had a completely distinctive style of dress, the main elements of which were ankle length tartan trousers and tartan scarves which they had copied from another Tam Paton Band "Bilbo Baggins".
As the group's popularity swelled to superstardom in the UK, a concerted effort was made by Arista Records (the record company that evolved from Bell) to launch the Rollers in America. New Arista head Clive Davis was instrumental in grooming and overseeing the project. His work paid off as in early '76, the Rollers reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with "Saturday Night", the song which had missed the UK chart completely two years earlier. A second US hit came with "Money Honey" which hit #9, and finally reaching a lackluster 62 with a cover version of Dusty's love power. Prior to that, they made their American TV debut on Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell singing Saturday Night.
The dark side of the band's unending schedule of tours and appearances was the great amount of stress the band members felt. By early '76, the strain of success (and the discomfort of a mature man in a teen band) had taken its toll on bassist Alan Longmuir, who decided to leave the group. He was replaced for 7 months by 17 year old Ian Mitchell - the first band member born outside of Edinburgh, Scotland (he was from Northern Ireland). With Mitchell, the group released an album titled Dedication, and hit the charts with a cover version of the Dusty Springfield song "I Only Want To Be With You", which reached US #12, as well as "Yesterday's Hero" and "Dedication".
As the Rollers' popularity waned, the shuffling of personnel continued: Mitchell quit the band, replaced by Pat McGlynn. The group's commercial success began to decline towards the end of the 1970s. In 1977, they covered an unsuccessful 1973 single by String Driven Thing, "It's a Game" to give them their final UK Top 20 hit (#16 in the spring), but "You Made Me Believe in Magic" could only make #34 in the summer. It managed to just crack the top ten in the United States, but this would be their final major success there too. Summer of 1977 saw the group release the It's a Game album and world tour as a four-piece group - McKeown, Wood, Faulkner and Derek Longmuir.
In 1978, Alan Longmuir reunited with the band for the recording of Strangers in the Wind. The release of this LP was timed to coincide with the debut of the Rollers' US television show "The Krofft Superstar Hour" later renamed "The Bay City Rollers Show" on the NBC network. The show was a poor match for the band. Their time in the teen-idol spotlight was slipping away and their music had matured and become more sophisticated compared to the bubblegum hits they had released in '75-'76. The show and album were each dismal failures.
Les McKeown left to pursue a solo career after an on-stage fight with Faulkner in Japan.The Rollers fired Tam Paton in 1979. South African-born Duncan Faure was hired to replace McKeown as lead vocalist and the band shortened its name to The Rollers. Three albums were issued under this name, including Voxx (1980) and 1981's Ricochet, before the group disbanded.
During the 1980s and 1990s, there were various short-lived revivals featuring some of the original members, including a New Year's Eve 1999 concert. Interest was rekindled in Britain by television documentaries about the group and a television-advertised compilation of greatest hits, which entered the UK charts on release in 2004 at its #11 peak.
Currently, there is one touring version using the group's name: Les McKeown's Legendary Bay City Rollers.
Alan Longmuir died on 2 July 2018 in an Edinburgh hospital after contracting an illness while on holiday in Mexico. He was 70.
Love Me Like I Love You
Bay City Rollers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or is this good bye bye bye bye
I should have known better than to fall in love with you
Love with you
Well I guess I'll spend my whole life loving you
Loving you
One kiss so warm and tender one kiss and I surrender
My love to you forever more.
But do you love me like I love you baby
Say you'll always love me
Ooh like I love you
And do you need me like I need you baby
You know that I'll always be in love with you.
I should have known better than to give my heart away (heart away)
Well I know true love will always have it's day
Your love can last forever
In love we'll be together
Sharing our love forever more.
But do you love me like I love you baby
The lyrics of Bay City Rollers’ “Love Me Like I Love You” are an ode to unrequited love. The opening lines ask the question, “Do you love me like I love you?” indicating the singer’s doubts about their beloved’s feelings. The repeated phrase “goodbye goodbye goodbye” suggests that the singer fears a breakup and is desperate for their love to be returned. The second stanza expresses regret for falling in love, as it has left the singer vulnerable to heartbreak. However, they acknowledge that they will continue to love their beloved despite the risk of pain. The third stanza reinforces the singer’s devotion, as they declare their willingness to surrender their love forever. The final lines repeat the question from the beginning, leaving the listener uncertain about whether the singer’s love is reciprocated.
One interpretation of the lyrics is that they speak to the universal experience of loving someone who does not love you back. The singer’s doubts and fears are relatable, and their persistence in loving despite the risk of rejection or heartbreak is a sentiment that many people can understand. The lyrics also suggest a certain strength in vulnerability, as the singer is willing to expose their innermost feelings to their beloved, even if it might mean rejection or disappointment.
Overall, “Love Me Like I Love You” is a catchy pop song with lyrics that explore the complexities of love and emotion. The repeated refrain and upbeat melody contrast with the uncertainty and vulnerability of the lyrics, making for a layered and emotionally resonant piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you love me like I love you
Asking if the other person loves the singer as much as they love them
Or is this good bye bye bye bye
Wondering if the other person is planning to end the relationship
I should have known better than to fall in love with you
Regretting falling in love with the other person due to doubts about their feelings
Love with you
The feeling of being in love with the other person
Well I guess I'll spend my whole life loving you
Ready to devote their entire life to loving the other person
Loving you
Continuing to love the other person
One kiss so warm and tender one kiss and I surrender
Describing how a kiss from the other person makes the singer feel overwhelmed with love
My love to you forever more.
Promising to love the other person forever
But do you love me like I love you baby
Repeating the main question of the song
Say you'll always love me
Asking the other person to promise to always love the artist
Ooh like I love you
Asking the other person to love the singer with the same intensity
And do you need me like I need you baby
Asking if the other person needs the artist as much as they are needed
You know that I'll always be in love with you.
Confirming that the singer will always love the other person
I should have known better than to give my heart away (heart away)
Knowing that giving one's heart away is risky and can result in heartbreak
Well I know true love will always have it's day
Believing that true love will eventually be recognized and reciprocated
Your love can last forever
Believing that the other person's love can be eternal
In love we'll be together
Planning to be with the other person in love forever
Sharing our love forever more.
Intending to share a lifetime of love with the other person
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ERIC FAULKNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Leeanne Blackman
Rest In Peace Beautiful.To both Alan and Ian, you were, and still are a huge part of my life. Thank you for the music and memories. Luv you always 💕
Andres Andres
What a nice song!
Trevor Thompson
Rest in peace Alan and Ian still listening to your music always thanks for the music and the memories
Elizabeth Spedding
God bless Alan, Ian and Les.💕💕💕
David Reed
Big Fan of the Bay city Rollers Rollin, once upon a Star two of the best albums they Recorded full of classic tracks Lets Go,Rock and Roll Honeymoon was my favourites on once upon a star album and Angel Angel and shang a Lang on The Rollin album
Zoi Comeau
AMAZING MEMORIES
Piotr
Lata 70- te magia glam rocka !
Betsy Ross
Love this!
Chriac2 Patrick
J adore ce tube !
Stella Elkhenizy
Wow. I'd completely forgotten this song of theirs. Quite a nice one.