n April, 1958, singer Laurie London was in the runner-up position with his inspirational hit "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands." Thirteen years later, a group from London (in Ontario, Canada) took an equally inspiring tune to #2.

Debuting in the Billboard Top 40 on March 27, 1971, "Put Your Hand In The Hand" was Canadian pop quintet Ocean's sole Top 40 hit, climbing to the #2 position for 1 week and remaining on the chart for 12 weeks. It was the lead track on Ocean's 1971 LP of the same name, which peaked on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart at #60 and remained on the chart for 13 weeks. It was certified as a gold seller by the R.I.A.A. on May 3, 1971.

"Put Your Hand In The Hand" was written by Gene MacLellan, who was on a bit of a roll after penning Anne Murray's first Top 10 hit, the #8 single "Snowbird." Another track Gene wrote for Murray's album, "Put Your Hand In The Hand," became a #67 Country hit for the singer but didn't become a pop hit for Murray. However, it did see the light of day after another Canadian act covered the tune.

Ocean consisted of singer Janice Morgan, guitarist David Tamblyn, keyboardist Greg Brown, bassist Jeff Jones, and drummer Charles Slater. Adopting an organic, spiritual approach to their music, the group put more emphasis on compatibility and likability than musical prowess. Partially because of this the group members were somewhat weak in the songwriting area and decided to cover the MacLellan song. Their biggest concern, however, was that the single would label them as a gospel act, which would be viewed as quite a departure for the band once known as Leather and Lace.

Produced by Greg Brown, "Put Your Hand In The Hand" entered the chart at #87. The song soon ascended skyward, reaching the Billboard Top 40 in its third chart week. Five weeks later, the song sat at #2, behind the equally inspiring "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night. Ocean's song also reached the Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary charts, peaking at #4.

Because of its universal message the song found many outlets in 1971. On the country charts, in addition to Murray's version, Beth Moore earned her only hit single with the #61 song. The tune also earned a Grammy Award for Best Soul Gospel Performance, but not as recorded by Ocean, Beth Moore, or Anne Murray; Shirley Caesar took the honor.

Unfortunately Ocean could have used a little more divine intervention. The group's next hit, "Deep Enough For Me," stalled at #73. Its follow-up, "We Got A Dream," fared even worse, peaking at #82. Its flip side, "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," came to prominence in 1973 when it served as the title for a Nitty Gritty Dirt band album meant to unify the worlds of country and rock. It was also the closing track on Allman Brothers Band member Gregg Allman's solo album, Laid Back, that same year.

By the time of the group's final chart hit, the #76 "One More Chance," Ocean had dried up as a singles act. The group members returned to Canada where they lived together, hand in hand, on a farm in Markham. Chuck Slater, however, didn't find much peace, and committed suicide.

- Christopher G. Feldman, The Billboard Book of No. 2 Singles, Billboard, 2000.

 

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