Never heard it before today. And I was 17 that year.
I suppose beauty (or value) is in the ear of the listener.
This song and this performance don’t start my engine at all.
But so what? That just me, and it doesn’t take away what the song means to you.
You are correct that 1971 was a MAJOR year of good popular music. When I think of that year, a few hits come to mind;
1. Theme from Shaft, Issac Hayes. 2. Maggie May, Rod Stewart 3. That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard it Should Be, Carly Simon. 4. Mr. Bojangles, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, If You Could Read My Mind, Lightfoot..and many, many others.
I was born in 1957, and if I heard this song even once in my life, I must have instantly forgotten it. Of all the great music around at the time, why would anyone want to remember this one?
The only reason I remember this record is because I was in college radio at the time. All kinds of musical crap came across my desk as Music Director. This qualified as musical crap.
First time I’ve heard it. The vocal melody has parts that are nearly identical to the song Come On Feel the Noise by Quiet Riot from 1983:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxgMGk9JPVA
Wouldn’t surprise me if the QR singer had heard the Stott song and unintentionally reused some of the melody in his own song.
I was 12 that year and very into music but I nevery heard of this guy or his song.