A Canadian Pop Whiz Returns: Listen to @PeterFoldy’s “Carly”

PETER FOLDY, “Carly”

If you lived in Canada in the 1970’s listening to Top 40 radio, then you already know Peter Foldy’s national hits from that era, 1973’s “Bondi Junction” and 1976’s “Roxanne” and “Julie Ann” – simple, catchy and sunny pop songs led by a highly recognizable voice – as well as a self-titled album in 1974.  After recording a few more singles in the late 70’s including 1979’s pop/disco “Love City”,  Peter, who was born in Hungary, but raised in Canada and Australia, where he chummed with The Bee Gees, returned to his pre-pop love of film and photography, and he wrote or directed a number of major motion pictures featuring Oscar winning stars in the intervening years up to 2000 (check him out on IMDB).  

So 40 years after his first album, Peter Foldy has released a brand new one called Nine Lives.   Recognizing that there is an audience with the love of 70’s music alive and well online, the songs on Nine Lives nary skip a beat, as if there was a direct path that purposefully led here in the first place.  There is an immediate reference to the 70’s with Peter’s redux of “Roxanne”, but it’s a downtempo flip side of the perky original, fully aware of the passage of time and seemingly the other side to the crushing and longing of the original.  But the winner on the record is “Carly”, an upbeat and highly contemporary gem full of fine musicianship and a story to which anyone can relate.  Peter’s voice is a bit older sounding, but pure and uniquely Peter, there is no one else who could have sung “Carly” and have it stand solidly beside his other hits.  So even if you don’t know of Peter Foldy and those early records, you owe it to yourself to hear “Carly” (and watch the lyric video above) because it’s destined to get stuck in your head in the best kind of way.  

I was fortunate enough to meet L.A.-based Peter in my college radio days at the time of “Love City”, and thanks to connecting online through my involvement with radio station D-Moos.com, got to do so again when he was in Toronto a few weeks back.  Welcome back, Peter!  Nine Lives and all of Peter’s hits are available on iTunes.