I was obsessively listening to CHUM on the radio early in 1972 but I don't remember this from back then - it wasn't on the charts long, so perhaps it just evaded my notice. Listening to it many years later, I am in awe of its combination of choral harmonies and cheesy English pop. I don't think there's anything else like it in the world.
The English Congregation were known as The Congregation in England; they were renamed in North America to avoid confusion with the Mike Curb Congregation. They were a collection of musicians assembled by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, who are British singer-songwriters who were responsible for writing a number of hit songs in the 1960s and early 1970s. Their compositions include The New Seekers' "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", the Hollies' "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress", and White Plains' "My Baby Loves Lovin'".
Cook and Greenaway recorded their own version of "Softly Whispering I Love You" under their performing name of David and Jonathan in 1967. The English Congregation's version of the song reached #4 on the UK singles chart and made it to #29 on the Billboard Hot 100. This congregation released five other singles and four albums between 1971 and 1973 before everybody went on to other projects.
Created April 28, 2026.