Playground in My Mind

May 24, 2024

This month I’m focusing on One Hit Wonders of the 70s.

Today our song is:  Playground in My Mind

Wikipedia tells us this about the song:

"Playground in My Mind" is a 1972 single by Clint Holmes. It was written by Paul Vance with Lee Pockriss, and is a nursery rhyme-styled song which features a duet with record producer Vance's seven-year-old son Philip, who sang on the chorus, as Michael.

"Playground in My Mind" had first been recorded by Billy Lawrence (II) in 1971 as "Playground In My Mind (Mama, Je T'aime)" on Atlantic Records, but failed to chart. Holmes' better known version was released in the U.S. in June 1972 but did not reach the Hot 100 chart until 24 March 1973, whereupon it rose to #2 on 16–23 June 1973, behind "My Love" by Paul McCartney and Wings. The single stayed on the chart for 23 weeks. The song was granted gold disc status by the R.I.A.A. on 3 July 1973.

The release went one better in Canada, topping the RPM 100 national singles charts there for three consecutive weeks in the same year (23 June - 7 July). On the Canadian Adult Contemporary chart, "Playground in My Mind" reached #1.

The following account was given in the autobiography, Johnny Holliday: From Rock to Jock:

I also helped break a record at WWDC. It was a tune called "Playground of My Mind," written by Paul Vance, whom I had known from my WINS days in the Big Apple. Clint Holmes, an excellent talent just waiting to be discovered, recorded it. Clint had found his local audience at Mr. Day's in Georgetown and various other D.C. nightspots. When Clint's record promoter dropped the single off at WWDC, we just jumped all over it. It became a hit overnight.

Enjoy!