A Tender Wish for Love Framed in the Glow of Youthful Longing
When Bay City Rollers released Dedication in 1976, the album quickly climbed to number 26 on the US Billboard 200, marking one of the high points of their international fame during the mid seventies. Nestled among its energetic pop rock anthems is “Let’s Pretend”, a song that softens the band’s sound into something more intimate and wistful. Though originally written by Eric Carmen for the Raspberries, the Rollers transformed it through their own shimmering vocal blend, giving the track a tender youthful innocence that matched perfectly with their global appeal at the time.
“Let’s Pretend” thrives on a simple but emotionally potent idea: the aching wish to step outside reality for just a moment and let imagination fill the gaps where real life hesitates. The Bay City Rollers lean into that yearning with a performance that feels almost weightless. Les McKeown’s voice carries a quiet vulnerability that stands apart from the band’s brighter, more exuberant singles. Here, he sounds like someone caught between hope and hesitation, confessing a desire he cannot quite speak outright. The harmonies swell around him like a soft push of courage, sweetening the melody while deepening the emotional pull.
The song’s structure mirrors this inner longing. Each verse unfolds like a hesitant confession, gently shaping a picture of two people who want to be closer but cannot yet bridge the final distance. The chorus then arrives like a warm rush, inviting both listener and subject into a shared dream where doubts dissolve and affection becomes effortless. It is a moment of suspended time, the kind of idealized space that pop music at its most romantic has always been able to create.
Within the context of Dedication, “Let’s Pretend” serves as one of the album’s emotional anchors. The record marked a period of transition, featuring a mix of original material and carefully chosen covers that reflected the band’s growing maturity and their desire to reach beyond the teen idol mold. This track, in particular, adds depth to that evolution. It highlights their ability to interpret a song with genuine feeling rather than relying solely on youthful exuberance. The Rollers’ version brings a softness and clarity that underline the emotional heart of the lyric, turning a classic power pop gem into something more delicate and dreamy.
Today, “Let’s Pretend” stands as one of the most quietly affecting moments in the Bay City Rollers catalog. It captures youth at its most sincere and open hearted, that fleeting stage when hope feels infinite and love seems just within reach if only we dare to imagine it. Through their gentle touch, the band preserved a moment of emotional honesty that still glows softly, like a memory recalled in the warm light of nostalgia.