Rod Stewart Ultimate Hits is released on June 27th and to celebrate the release over the next few weeks we will be bringing you the low down on all the classic tracks that have been brought together in the compilation to include songs ranging from his 1971 hit, “Maggie May” to selections from 2024’s “Swing Fever,”
Today we focus on “In a Broken Dream”
Python Lee Jackson were an Australian rock band active from 1965 to 1968, before a brief spell in the United Kingdom from late 1968 to mid-1969. The group had recorded a single, “In a Broken Dream” (October 1970)
The song was written in the 1960s by the group’s keyboard player and singer, David Bentley. Believing his vocals were not correct for the song, Bentley brought in Rod to sing guide vocals this was before Rod’s success with Faces or in his solo career, Rod was suggested by DJ John Peel who had seen Python Lee Jackson live at The Arts Lab on Drury Lane so Rod was recruited as a session musician for three songs and paid by being bought a new set of car mats for his Marcos GT sports car, the other tracks were “Doin’ Fine” (a version of “Cloud Nine”) and “The Blues” and remained unreleased until 1970, Sue & Sunny were brought in for backing vocals. and John Peel produced the recording of “In a Broken Dream”.
In 1970 Miki Dallon re-produced the track for his Youngblood label and released it, having bought the masters from Peel. But the single was not a success on its initial release.
The group reformed in the UK in 1972 and Dallon re-released the single in August to coincide with Rod’s next single after “Maggie May“, “You Wear It Well”, from it peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 56 on the United States Billboard Hot 100. and No. 74 in Canada but despite the hit the group disbanded again later that year.
Single by Python Lee Jackson
B-side “Doing Fine”
Released 1970
Recorded 1969
Genre Rock
Label Young Blood International, GNP Crescendo
Songwriter David Keith Bentley
Producer Miki Dallon
The song appeared on the soundtrack for the 1996 film Breaking the Waves. and the original version was also included on the deluxe version of Rod’s 2015 studio album Another Country.
Rod also re-recorded a fantastic version of the song in 1992 with David Gilmour and John Paul Jones but did not release it. The recording was eventually released in 2009 as part of The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971–1998 box set.
The song was covered by English band Thunder and released as a single in 1995 and in 2015 American rapper ASAP Rocky sampled the song in his hit “Everyday” It was released on May 8, 2015, as the second single from his second studio album At. Long. Last. ASAP (2015), to make up for the delay of the album. The song was co-produced by Mark Ronson and alongside the sample from “In a Broken Dream” by Python Lee Jackson (featuring vocals from Rod Stewart) was a vocal feature from singer Miguel.
Rolling Stone ranked “Everyday” at number 38 on its annual year-end list to find the best songs of 2015.
Everyday Chart (2015) Peak positions were – Australia (ARIA) 49, Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 94, France (SNEP) 192, Ireland (IRMA) 92, Sweden [Sverigetopplistan) 86, UK Singles (OCC)56, US Billboard Hot 100 92, US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 31, US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard) 23′
In a rare and exclusive interview with David Bentley in issue 76 of SMILER David Bentley told the full story of the band Python Lee Jackson and the classic track “In A Broken Dream”.