1975 Typically Tropical: Barbados

One of the changing social mores that enjoyed tremendous popularity in the Seventies were the emergence of cheap flights and package holidays to the continent, courtesy mainly of Mr Freddy Laker. Two weeks in the sun became affordable to all and with them came the emergence of a certain type of 'souvenir' pop song that celebrated this very fact, like Sylvia's 1974 hit 'Y Viva Espana'. 'Barbados' is frequently lumped in as part and parcel of this niche genre but I'm not so sure; Barbados as a holiday destination has never been the Costa Cheap and this is very much its own song in any case.

Told from the point of view of a (presumably black) Brixton bus driver, 'Barbados' is all about his desire to fly to Barbados on Coconut Airways to see some sun and his girlfriend. Simple enough eh? Well, not quite. If 'Barbados' had actually been penned and recorded by a black bus driver from Brixton then it would have a certain feelgood charm, but with the revelation that 'Typically Tropical' are basically Geraint Wyn Hughes and Jeffrey Calvert*, two white British session musicians, then their affected West Indian patois on the vocals (which only really extends as far as replacing 'de' for 'the' and 'me' for 'my') and the whole 'Coconut Airways' shtick starts taking on a less charming hue.

In many respects, 'Barbados' is the flip of 10cc's later 'Dreadlock Holiday', albeit minus the implied violence but with still enough racial stereotyping to cause no small offence. And not just that, the girl he's dying to see just so happens to be called 'Mary Jane', adding the implication (either by accident or design), that the 'flying' he intends to do to escape the rain of 'Brixton town in the night' is more via Class B than any recognised carrier. Because of course, all black bus drivers spend their evenings getting stoned on ganja, don't they?

'Barbados' is a jolly enough romp to be sure with a sunshine upbeat that sounded just dandy during the hot UK summer of 1975. To modern ears though, it's condescending (I won't be so uncharitable as to call it racist) and embarrassing and the ferociously catchy tune is probably now best sampled as The Vengaboys 1999 number one reworking 'We're Going To Ibiza' (although that's not without problems of its own). 'Barbados' itself is best placed alongside witch ducking, bear baiting and 'Love Thy Neighbour' in the cupboard marked 'well it seemed like a good idea at the time'.

* Hughes and Calvert would go on to play more than a bit part in my further musical education by penning 'I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper' for Sarah Brightman, notable for being the first single I ever bought with my own money. In my defence, I also bought 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' at the same time, a fact I'm always keen to trumpet whenever I'm asked. As for the Brightman single, well it seemed like a good idea at the time.