Liverpool band The Yachts became the UK’s prototype for Power Pop as punk evolved into the New Wave.

It’s just as well I never became an A&R man for a record company because my idea of a hit single was always hopelessly wrong.

I was convinced this song would top the charts and turn The Yachts into superstars as soon as I first heard it in September 1977.

I felt the same about Brickfield Nights by The Boys: another surefire No.1. Neither of them even dented the Top 50.

The Yachts, who formed in early 1977, were probably the first example of powerpop as punk’s primal roar evolved into New Wave and catchy tunes finally became permissable again.

Few were as catchy as this blend of cheesy Farfisa organ and heavenly harmonies, with a smart meta lyric.

Like so many of the best bands to come along in the mid-to-late 1970s, they were art students, growing out of an earlier Liverpool band with the terrible name Albert & The Cod Warriors (sometimes just Albert Dock) who had supported The Sex Pistols at one of their earliest gigs in 1976.

Their first gig as The Yachts was opening for Elvis Costello at Eric’s, earning them a deal with Stiff Records who put this out as a one-off single. It’s written by singer JJ Campbell and keyboard player Henry Priestman, and produced by Will Birch of The Kursaal Flyers – another great pop group of that era.

I fondly remember their John Peel sessions, with songs such as Yachting Type, Mantovani’s Hits and Box 202, which set witty lyrics to catchy singalong tunes with a retro feel.

I still love their debut album on Radar Records, produced in New York by the great Richard Gottehrer who had just produced Blondie’s debut for his label Sire, launching the careers of The Ramones and Talking Heads… and Madonna.

The second was produced by Martin Rushent but still failed to make them household names, despite a tour with The Who. Perhaps they were just too clever for popular appeal.

They never had a hit record but came close under the terrible pseudonym The Chuddy Nuddies with a novelty single called Do The Chud, a split single whose B-side was Big In Japan by a band also called Big In Japan, featuring Clive Langer, Ian Broudie, and Jayne Casey.

The Yachts’ most prominent member, Priestman, went on to bigger ad better things as a member of various groups (It’s Immaterial, The Christians, Bette Bright & The Illuminations, and Wah!) before producing Mark Owen and Melanie C.