Hot Shot (Barry Blue song)

"Hot Shot" is a song written by Barry Blue and Lynsey de Paul,^[1] that was released as a single on 2 September 1974 on the Bell Record label by Barry Blue.^[2][3] It was Blue's last chart entry with an original song, reaching no. 23 on the UK Singles Chart.^[4] Despite this, it is considered as one of Blue's best songs.^[5] The song was also his biggest hit in Sweden where it reached no. 1 on the Poporama singles chart,^[6] and in Zimbabwe where it peaked at no. 3.^[7] "Hot Shot" also reached no. 8 on the Hessischer Rundfunk Hitparade,^[8] and spent three weeks on the Dutch Tipparade in 1975,^[9] peaking at no. 19.^[10]

Blue performed the song on twice on BBC TV's Top of the Pops on 11 October 1974 as a new release,^[11] and on 31 October 1974^[12] when it entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 29.^[13] The latter show also featured the song's co-writer, Lynsey de Paul, who was performing her own hit at the time "No Honestly".^[14][15] He also performed the song on the pop music program, Lift Off with Ayshea.^[16]

As well as being included on Blue's 1974 Hot Shots album,^[17] "Hot Shot" has been included on many compilation albums.^[18] In 1996, it appeared for the first time on CD as a track on Blue's album Greatest Hits.^[19] In 2002, it appeared as a track on Barry Blue - The Singles Collection,^[20] and in 2003 on Dancin on a Saturday Night.^[21] It also was a track on the 1975 compilation album, Supersonic,^[22] the 1976 K-Tel album, 44 Superstars,^[23] the German 1974 compilation Hit-Fabrik - 28 Schlager Am Laufenden Band on the Polydor label,^[24] the Austrian 1975 compilation LP Pop Market 1,^[25] and provided the title as well as one of the track to the album Bell's Hot Shots Of The 70's.^[26] In the US it appeared on A History Of Bell U.K. 1970-1975, which was released in 1976 on the Arista label.^[27]