This week’s featured Great Song of the ’70s…comes with a TV TV history lesson:

In the fall of 1975, a new series was set to debut on ABC. Its title was “Kotter,” and it starred Gabe Kaplan as a high school teacher who returns to his alma mater to teach a room full of lovable juvenile delinquents (including Vinnie Barbarino–played by a young John Travolta).

Producers asked John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful to write the theme song—but he had no end of trouble trying to come up with a rhyme scheme using the name “Kotter.”

So instead, he came up with lyrics that centered around returning to the school, and called it

“Welcome Back.”

The producers loved the song so much, they actually changed the name of the show to “Welcome Back, Kotter” and it was an instant ratings success.

Before long, the song hit the charts, and in early 1976, it went to #1 in the U.S. and #2 in Canada!

It was Great Song of the ’70s. and if you don’t agree, then up your nose with a rubber hose. (As Barbarino might say!) 🙂

— Mike Cook