The First Class

The First Class

Best remembered for the smash "Beach Baby," '70s pop group First Class was the studio creation of the British songwriting and production team of John Carter and Ken Lewis, who together previously enjoyed success under the guises of the Flowerpot Men, Carter-Lewis & the Southerners, and the Ivy League. For "Beach Baby" -- a slice of richly harmonic pop in the mold of classic Beach Boys -- the duo enlisted the services of singer Tony Burrows, the voice of other pre-fab hitmakers including the Edison Lighthouse ("Love Grows [Where My Rosemary Goes]"), White Plains ("My Baby Loves Lovin'"), the Brotherhood of Man ("United We Stand") and the Pipkins ("Gimme Dat Ding"); upon its release in 1974, the single reached the Top Five on the U.S. pop charts and also scored in the U.K. A self-titled album and follow-up singles including "Dreams Are Ten a Penny" and "Funny How Love Can Be" tanked, however, and after releasing a second LP, The First Class SST, Carter and Lewis dissolved the project in 1976. Jason Ankeny