O’Sullivan Shows Superstar Quality
by Bill Rice, The Times Record, September 14, 1973
U.S. Tour Launched in Area
Pop singer-songwriter Gilbert O’Sullivan bounced onto the Saratoga Performing Arts Center stage like a tennis ball Iast evening to begin his first American tour.
If his Saratoga performance is any indication, it can’t help but be a success. The Irish-born Britisher has the stuff to make it so.
First of all, he has what all really big pop singers must have — the charisma of a Bobby Sherman or a David Cassidy.
Secondly, he has lots of what many pop stars have little of — real talent.
O’Sullivan is a teeny-bopper’s Elton John. He writes his own songs (music and lyrics) and plays piano while he sings, sounding much better than he sounds on records too.
There were only 2,440 enthusiastic fans in the audience. If there were six or seven thousand, which there could have been a few weeks ago on a warmer night, the place would have gone crazy.
But school is in and most of the teeny boppers were probably tucked in bed so the girlish squeals at Saratoga were probably only a taste of what the singer will face later on his five-week four.
O’Sullivan almost never stopped bouncing once he arrived on stage. All his music is hummable and clapable, and most of it is original, but it becomes somewhat repetitious when not broken up by music of other writers.
His big one, of course, is “Alone Again (Naturally)” in this country before critics in England would admit it was a good one.
He sang it, along with the poignant “Clair” and “Get Back,” follow-up successes to his first hit.
O’Sullivan seemed nervous in the beginning and spent more time than he needed to in adjusting mikes and his stool. But he is quite good at talking about nothing to the audience in between songs, something he won’t have to worry about when he hits his first big crowd. No one will hear him anyway.
He failed to be flustered by witless rowdies shouting things from the lawn, a test he will probably not have to face elsewhere.
O’Sullivan needs more variety — and perhaps a bit more theatrics — in his act to really make it spectacular. He was on the right track when he grabbed the orchestra director Johnny Spencer and did a polka around the stage. lt doesn’t have much to do with the music, I know, but this is the kind of thing that is selling these days.
The show was enhanced immeasurably on the first half by the dynamic singing of Maureen McGovern, one of the few who made it to the top when the good ship Poseidon went down.
She wasn’t in the movie, but her voice was used on the soundtrack for Carol Lynley on the song “The Morning After.” The song won an Academy Award and her version of it eventually made its way to the top of the pop music charts.
Her hit was no fluke. The girl can really sing. She has a fine delivery and excellent stage presence to go with a good voice.
The show opened badly with comedian Marty Barris, who had some funny routines but very bad jokes. The problem was that most of his act consisted of the bad jokes.
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