THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

697-Sutherland Brothers and Quiver-Arms of Mary.

1976-Number 5 single.

Best Bit-At 0.39. Mary sounds like she was an excellent teacher. I wonder if she made a career out of it.

The Sutherland Brothers were the Scottish ‘Folk’ and ‘Soft Rock’ duo of Iain George Sutherland, (1948-2019) who was born on November 17th, 1948, in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and his younger brother Gavin Sutherland, who was born on October 6th, 1951, in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Iain was a vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player, and Gavin is a vocalist, and bass player. ‘Arms of Mary’ was written by Iain Sutherland, but their most commercially successful song ‘Sailing,’ (see also best songs 179) was written by Gavin Sutherland. The Sutherland Brothers who were active between 1968-1979, started their career as ‘A New Generation,’ before becoming the ‘Sutherland Brothers Band,’ with two additional group members being added. In 1972 they signed with ‘Island Records,’ with one of their single releases being their original version of ‘Sailing.’ With the lack of commercial success of their early singles and Albums, the brothers made the decision to diversify and expand their ‘Folk’ based sound, by joining forces with a local ‘Rock’ group called ‘Quiver,’ there after all subsequent releases were billed as ‘Sutherland Brothers and Quiver,’ through until the parting of the ways in 1978.

‘Quiver’ were a ‘Progressive Rock,’ and ‘Soft Rock’ group who were formed in England in 1970 by Tim Renwick, and Cal Batchelor. The other group members between 1970-1978 were Bruce Thomas, (bass) who in 1977 joined Elvis Costello’s backing group the ‘Attractions’ (see also best songs 836.) Peter Wood (1950-1993) (keyboards) who was the co-writer of Al Stewart classic ‘Year of the Cat,’ (see also best songs 130) and Willie Wilson, (drums) who would go on to tour with ‘Pink Floyd,’ on their ‘The Wall’ tour, in 1981 and 1982. One of the groups co-founders Tim Renwick (guitar) also worked alongside Pink Floyd, and Al Stewart.

The discography of ‘Quiver’ includes two studio Albums released in 1971 and 1972, and then a further six as ‘Sutherland Brothers and Quiver,’ released between 1973-1977. Prior to joining forces with Quiver, the Sutherland Brothers (band) released two studio Albums in 1972, and another one after the parting of the two groups in 1979, there are also two official Sutherland Brothers and Quiver compilation Albums, and three Gavin Sutherland solo Albums available. Prior to joining Quiver, the Sutherland Brothers released three singles in 1972, and a further five between 1978-1979. As Sutherland Brothers and Quiver, there were 10 singles issued between 1973-1977, with two of those tracks reaching the UK top 40, with ‘Secrets’ from 1976 being the other, and peaking at Number 35. In America on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, (‘I Don’t Want to Love You But) You Got Me Anyway,’ from 1973, charted the highest at Number 48, while ‘Arms of Mary’ stalled at Number 81.

‘Arms of Mary’ was the second of three singles released from ‘Reach for the Sky,’ which was the fourth studio Album by Sutherland Brothers and Quiver from 1975. The song was written by Iain Sutherland, with the production being by Ron Howard, and Albert Howard, who are the American record production duo known as the ‘Albert Brothers.’ The duo have engineered or produced for many of the worlds top artists including, ‘Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs,’ by Derek and the Dominos, (1970) and ‘CSN,’ the Crosby, Stills, and Nash reunion Album (1977.)

‘Arms of Mary’ has several well known cover versions, including the Canadian group ‘Chilliwack,’ who in 1978 reached Number 32 on the Canadian singles chart, and Number 67 on Billboard, with their recording. The Everly Brothers recorded the song in 1985, and the Irish boy band ‘Boyzone’ released a version in 1995, while the German Techno band Scooter released their own version called ‘Mary Got No Lamb,’ in 2016, from their album ‘Ace.’

‘Arms of Mary’ is the tale of a boys first sexual encounter, as the narrator fondly reminisces.

‘The lights shine down the valley, the wind blows up the alley, oh well I wish I was lying in the arms of Mary. She took the pains of boyhood, and turned them in to feel good, oh how I wish I was lying in the arms of Mary.’