"The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace.

OK, girls and boys, more 70s one-hit wonders: Loosely inspired by the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, this bubblegummy 1974 Peter Callander/Mitch Murray pop-rock tune was the only U.S. hit for a Nottingham, UK band. #1 Billboard Hot 100, Certified Gold Disc. The narrator's mother waits in anguish for news about the fate of her husband, a police officer involved in a gun battle with Al Capone's gang. Song? Group? Answer: "The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace. Neither one of the composers had ever been to Chicago, so they took historic and geographic licenses. The "east side of Chicago" is Lake Michigan (oops!). The group's version of "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" charted in the UK, but Bo Donaldson and The Heywoods' rendition was released in the U.S. first, so Paper Lace's did't chart. Chicago is very dear to us, as our daughter Gina did her undergraduate work at DePaul University. We have so many wonderful memories from our visits when she lived there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2OFubG0dPo&list=RDw2OFubG0dPo&start_radio=1

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