The original recording of the song by its composer, Lally Stott, was a Top 15 hit in France and a minor hit in Italy, Australia and in the United States. Stott's record company, Philips, was reluctant to release the song overseas, and apparently offered it to two other groups: Scottish folk-pop group Middle of the Road, who were working in Italy at the time, and the Trinidadian brother-and-sister duo Mac and Katie Kissoon. While it is unclear which group Stott offered his song to first, Mac and Katie Kissoon produced their cover version first. Middle of the Road's version then initially became a hit in continental Europe only, but later grew in popularity in the United Kingdom. In the UK, it reportedly got a boost from DJ Tony Blackburn, who favored this version over the one previously produced by Mac and Katie Kissoon. However, Middle of the Road's take never charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, and it nearly flopped in the UK because it so quickly followed the Kissoons. Middle of the Road's recording eventually reached #1 in the UK and stayed there for five weeks in June 1971 (the Kissoons' version only reached #41). In the United States, the Kissoons' recording became a greater success, reaching #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 (Lally Stott's original had previously reached only #92).