THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

642-The Osmonds-Crazy Horses.

1972-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 0.09.They needed something that sounded like a horse. They tried everything, until they finally found something on Donny’s Yamaha organ’s wah-wah pedal that sounded like a neighing stallion.

The Osmonds father was George, (1917-2007) and their mother was Olive, (1925-2004) together they had nine children, Virl, Tom, Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay, Donny, Marie, and Jimmy. George Osmond was a devout Mormon, and brought his family up to be the same, when he died in 2007, as well as his nine children, he left 55 grandchildren, and 48 great grandchildren. George and Olive were both members of the ‘Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,’ and brought their family up on a farm, in Ogden, Utah, United States. Virl and Tom, who were both born with severe hearing impairments, would work in the family business, while the other seven siblings would all perform in differing guises under ‘The Osmonds’ musical banner.

‘The Osmond Brothers’ musical career began in 1958, when Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay, began singing ‘Barbershop’ music for local audiences in and around Ogden, as well as during their weekly church services. Their big break came when they were booked to appear on a regular basis on the Andy Williams (1927-2012) (see also best songs 914 and 112) television show, between 1962-1969, and they would become a quintet for the first time in 1970, when joined by their younger brother Donny, whose solo career would then run concurrently alongside that of ‘The Osmonds,’ with whom he would remain a member. In the early 1970’s the youngest sibling ‘Jimmy’ also launched a successful solo career, as did the brothers only sister, ‘Marie,’ who would also team up with Donny, to record a number of successful charting duets.

The discography of The Osmonds includes 22 studio Albums released between 1963-2021, and 45 singles released between 1963-2018, there are also seven official compilation Albums, and three live Albums available. In America on the Billboard Hot 100, 10 of their singles reached the top 40, with ‘One Bad Apple’ from 1970 making the Number 1 spot, and ‘Crazy Horses’ peaking at Number 14, while in the UK, they have charted within the top 40 also on 10 occasions, with ‘Love Me for a Reason’ reaching Number 1 in 1974.

‘Crazy Horses’ was the title track, and the second of two singles released from The Osmonds 11th studio Album overall, from October 1972. The song was co-written by Alan, Merrill, and Wayne Osmond, with the production being by Alan Osmond, and Michael Lloyd, who was born Michael Jeffrey Lloyd on November 3rd, 1948, in New York City United States. At the age of 20 Lloyd was vice-president in charge of ‘A&R,’ at ‘MGM Records,’ with one of his early signings being Lou Rawls, (1933-2006) (see also best songs 322) whose career he helped resurrect. Lloyd would go on to work with The Osmonds on several of their hits, and then went on to produce for the teen idols Shaun Cassidy, and Leif Garrett. In the 1980’s he produced and arranged for Belinda Carlisle, and then in 1987 he was responsible as music supervisor for the soundtrack of the film ‘Dirty Dancing,’ and for producing the tracks (‘I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,’ (see also best songs 439) by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, and ‘She’s Like the Wind,’ performed by Patrick Swayze (1952-2009.)

‘Crazy Horses’ was a turning point in the career of The Osmonds, as prior to that they had always recorded songs written by other artists, and songs chosen for them by their record company. ‘Crazy Horses’ also saw the transition of the group from a ‘Bubblgum,’ ‘Pop’ orientated act, in to a ‘Hard Rock’ group. Donny Osmond has said,’Ozzy Osbourne (see also best songs 814) actually told me that ‘Crazy Horses’ is one of his favourite Rock and Roll songs.’ Speaking about how ‘Crazy Horses’ came about, Merrill Osmond has said,’We were rehearsing in a basement one day, when Wayne started playing this heavy rock riff. I came up with the melody, and Alan got the chords. The songs subject was way ahead of it’s time. It’s a song about the environment, those ‘Crazy Horses’ smoking up the sky, are gas guzzling cars, destroying the planet with their fumes.’

‘There’s a message floatin’ in the air, Crazy horses ridin’ everywhere. It’s a warning, it’s in every tongue, gotta stop them Crazy Horses on the run.’