The Osmonds

The Osmonds were an American family musical group who reached international fame in the early to mid-1970s. Originally a vocal quartet (billed as the Osmond Brothers), formed by brothers Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay, and successively a quintet, bringing in younger brother Donny, The Osmonds later expanded to include 'Little' Jimmy, the youngest brother. Jimmy and Donny also enjoyed a degree of success as solo artists, with Donny briefly teaming up with only sister Marie as a recording duo.

Early singles, including a recording of One Bad Apple, later a hit for The Jacksons, and their debut 'rock' album Phase III (Jan. 1972) were hits in their native US and Canada, although it was not until the release of their next album Crazy Horses and the title track as a single towards the end of 1972 that the group began to enjoy international success, with the single peaking at no.2 for three weeks in November (kept off the top spot by Chuck Berry's My Ding-a-Ling). Meanwhile Donny had been enjoying UK hits since mid-1972 with songs such as Puppy Love, Twelfth of Never and Young Love.

A BBC Radio London special, first broadcast on Boxing Day 1972, told of how, when they took part in the Jimmy Young Show, "..their fans tried to storm Broadcasting House. Mayfair's telephone exchange was thrown into confusion as thousands of weeny-boppers dialled the special answering-service set up to give callers the latest information about their tour. Their London hotel was under siege for a week."

'Osmondmania' hit the UK in October 1973 as the group were in the Top 10 with single Let Me In (another UK no.2, held off the top by 'rival' and fellow American artist David Cassidy. plus Gary Glitter's mega-hit I Love You Love Me Love) and album The Plan, plus a media and live tour (see Record Mirror below). At the same time Marie was in the Top 10 with debut solo hit Paper Roses and Donny with his sixth Top 10 hit When I Fall In Love.

The success continued into 1974 with BBC TV and radio specials, including a full week of BBC One special programmes, beginning on 12 August featuring the group live in the studio, presented by Noel Edmonds. they were even recruited as special Top of the Pops host on the Thursday evening show. Radio 1 broadcast a six-part Osmonds Story broadcasting weekly beginning on Saturday 17 August. An Osmonds Christmas Party TV show, presented by the group from their studios in Provo, Utah, USA, was broadcast at lunch-time on Christmas Day on BBC One. Aside from the August no.1 Love Me For a Reason, hits had been relatively few for the group, with success fuelled mainly by hits singles from Donny and Marie (I'm Leaving It All Up To You, Morning Side of the Mountain). Despite waning success in the record market, UK media attention continued in 1975 and 1976, most notably by the broadcasting of American TV series The Osmonds, hosted mainly by Donny & Marie. The Osmonds' final Uk top 10 came in June 1975 with The Proud One.