The original recording of the song by Lally Stott was first released in September 1970 in Italy, where he had been living for several years. It was a hit, entering the Top 20 at the beginning of October. The record company, Philips, was reluctant to release it overseas, and offered it to two other groups: Scottish folk-pop group
Middle of the Road, who were working in Italy at the time, and the Trinidadian brother-and-sister duo
Mac and Katie Kissoon. Philips eventually released Stott's version elsewhere and it topped the charts in Australia and Rhodesia, as well as hitting the Top Ten in South Africa. It was not a hit in the US, though it peaked at number 92 on the
Billboard Hot 100, something that Middle of the Road never achieved. It was released in the UK on 15 January 1971 and initially became a hit in continental Europe only, before later growing in popularity in the UK. It entered the
UK Singles Chart in the final week of May and reportedly got a boost from
DJ Tony Blackburn, who favoured this version over the one by Mac and Katie Kissoon (which had recently been released), and topped the charts three weeks later for five weeks. Despite its popular appeal and popular chorus, the song has a theme of child abandonment. ==Appearances==