Farewell Wayne Osmond

Thanks for that riff

by Rick Johansen

In 1972, when I was still at Briz (Brislington) school in Bristol, girls were of no interest to me at the time but music was. The boys were divided into various groups. It was a bit of a contest between T. Rex and Slade. I was definitely in the former camp. However, the girls were in love: it was called Puppy Love.

A big family of boys called the Osmonds were making their way in the world and the best looking one, Donny, had released Puppy Love, a cover of an ancient Paul Anka song. If I had been interested in girls, they’d have preferred Donny, with his big shiny teeth and his even bigger hair. Maybe I did like girls, or maybe I just wanted them to like me, rather than this fabulously good-looking lad from Ogden, Utah. I concluded straight away that Puppy Love was terrible. In fact, all his music was terrible. Only a girl could possibly like it. Later in 1972, something strange and awkward happened. I loved – and I mean loved – an Osmonds song. But could I tell anyone?

Crazy Horses was released in the autumn of 1972 and, incredibly, featured a heavy guitar riff and a rip-roaring vocal from brother Jay, followed by brother Merrill who sang the higher notes in the chorus. It was quite magnificent and I really should have bought it, or at least ask my mum to buy it on the proviso that she didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t ‘come out’ as a Crazy Horses fan, except to my two school friends who I shall refer to only as Mike and Andy, on the grounds that their names were Mike and Andy. They had, and still have, impeccable taste.

The riff was composed by Wayne Osmond, whose death was announced today. And what a riff it was, Simple, powerful and like all the best riffs instantly memorable. 1972 was a great year for music, not far short of rock’s best year, 1971, and right up there with the best of the songs was Crazy Horses by The Osmonds.

If I had known back in 1972 that Donny didn’t even appear on the song, I could have been more open and honest. I could have fronted up to the hard lads and said, “Look, it’s okay to like Crazy Horses because Donny’s voice is breaking and he can barely sing anything at the moment”, but I couldn’t take the risk. 54 years on and I am out. Crazy Horses is a great song.

This blog only came about because of the death of Wayne Osmond, who leaves behind a wife of 50 years and five children. Beyond Crazy Horses, I know nothing about Wayne’s other musical contributions to the Osmonds or anyone else, but really that doesn’t matter. He inspired the Osmonds to play hard rock and brilliant hard rock at that. Crazy Horses is a fine epitaph and for that alone he deserves to rest in peace.

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