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Posted by: King Rollo 13th March 2017, 06:15 PM

For my next top 20,I have chosen that time between the decline of glam rock and the rise of punk and disco so I am expecting a variety of genres and probably at least one novelty record. I was nine years old at this time so I should remember most of these.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th March 2017, 06:41 PM

20. Reach Out I'll Be There - Gloria Gaynor

Peak position - 14

When I listened to this on Spotify,I thought it sounded very modern but it was a recent remix. I've tracked down the 1975 version on youtube. It's faithful to the original recording by the Four Tops. She hasn't changed the song at all. She had a no.2 hit in 1974 with another cover but she'll really only be remembered for 'I Will Survive'.

Posted by: King Rollo 13th March 2017, 06:59 PM

19. What Am I Gonna Do With You - Barry White

Peak position - 5

Written about his wife,this has his trademark sound all over it. A deep soul voice backed by an orchestra as well as a conventional rhythm section. Very good. This was one of only three top 5 hits,I thought he had more than that.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th March 2017, 05:06 PM

18. Ding-a-dong - Teach In

Peak position - 13

Back in the 70s,on the two Sundays which preceded the Eurovision Song Contest,the BBC would show videos of all the finalists' songs so the viewers would know them before watching the final. This was the first song on the first of these programmes. On hearing it,my mother told me "That's the winner" before she had heard any of the other songs,and she was right. It was performed first on the night in Stockholm and is one of only three songs to win the contest from being first on. I don't think I've heard it since 1975 and it's not quite as good as I remember but still one of the best winning songs with a simple,catchy chorus. Dutch band Teach In were to last only five more years before splitting up.

Posted by: King Rollo 15th March 2017, 05:29 PM

17. Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John

Peak position - 12

I only know his singles,but this is one of my favourite Elton John songs. It's quite long with an orchestral arrangement featuring flutes,horns and strings. It's named after his friend Billie Jean King's tennis team,the Philadelphia Freedoms. The single fared better in the USA where it reached no.1.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th March 2017, 05:15 PM

16. The Tears I Cried - The Glitter Band

Peak position - 8

I've managed to avoid Gary Glitter on this countdown. This is just his backing band who had six top ten hits in their own right. I remember some of those songs but not this one. It's not very good. The Glitter Band never split up and two of this line up are still touring.

Posted by: King Rollo 16th March 2017, 05:39 PM

15. Let Me Be The One - The Shadows

Peak position - 12

Another backing band now. This was the UK's Eurovision entry. I still remember Bruce Welch forgetting some words at the beginning of the song. I've watched a clip on youtube just now and he makes it worse by saying "I knew it" before the next line. UK finished second,14 points behind Netherlands. The big talking point at the time was whether The Shadows would have won the contest if this cock up hadn't occurred. Having listened to both songs again for this thread,I would say the Dutch song was better and deserved to win.

Posted by: popchartfreak 16th March 2017, 07:59 PM

Adore the Gloria Gaynor and Elton songs, both topped my charts. As did Teach-In which was far and away the best record in the contest that year, though the Shads had a decent try. I was babysitting the night of the contest at Innsworth in Glos. The kids were prob trying to spoil my enjoyment but they didn't....

Posted by: King Rollo 17th March 2017, 06:14 PM

14. Life Is A Minestrone - 10cc

Peak position - 7

10cc are one of my favourite groups,so I'm very familiar with this one. It's an infectious pop song with their usual clever wordplay. It was chosen ahead of 'I'm Not In Love' as the first single from their third album. I would love the original line-up of 10cc to get back together but that's as about as likely as Abba reforming. Graham Gouldman is the only one still in the band.

Posted by: King Rollo 17th March 2017, 06:34 PM

13. Skiing In The Snow - Wigan's Ovation

Peak position 12

A big 60s influence on this one. It's a decent pop song with that horn in the chorus being the thing I remember most about it. The original version of the song was recorded by The Beach Girls. At the time it was easy to get them mixed up with Wigan's Chosen Few who had a top 10 hit with Footsee in January of the same year. Wigan's Ovation perservered until 1984 with little further success.

Posted by: popchartfreak 18th March 2017, 09:16 AM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Mar 17 2017, 06:14 PM)

Posted by: fiesta 18th March 2017, 03:29 PM

Love 10cc!

I always believed that Skiing In The Snow was originally by the Invitations, but having checked it would appear you are right, with The Beach Girls recording coming two years prior tho theirs! Written by Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer who wrote some classics including the Four Seasons Lets Hang On

Posted by: King Rollo 18th March 2017, 07:25 PM

12. I Can Do It - The Rubettes

Peak position - 7

Always remembered for their white suits and caps. This is a combination of pop,rock'n'roll and doo-wop. I like its fast pace and energy. The Rubettes are one of many 70s groups who now have two line-ups touring separately after an acrimonious court case.

Posted by: King Rollo 18th March 2017, 07:45 PM

11. Play Me Like You Play Your Guitar - Duane Eddy and the Rebelettes

Peak position - 9

Duane Eddy was part of the first top 20 I reviewed from 1958 and here he is again. This was his first top 40 hit since 1963 so I'll add this to the comeback thread on the UK charts forum. I'm not too keen on the Rebelettes vocals but Duane's twangy guitar sound is still in good shape.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th March 2017, 07:36 PM

10. The Ugly Duckling - Mike Reid

Peak position - 10

Here's the novelty song I predicted and it's not the last one. Long before he was Frank Butcher,Mike Reid was in the pop charts. It's not great but good to hear again for nostalgia's sake. The song was written in 1952 for the musical 'Hans Christian Andersen'.

Posted by: King Rollo 19th March 2017, 08:05 PM

9. Honey - Bobby Goldsboro

Peak position - 2

A sad country ballad with strings and a choir. There's no explanation on how Honey died. He says she died at home while he wasn't there. If you're going to kill off a character in a song,at least give them a dramatic or heroic death. 'Honey' was the best selling single worldwide in 1968. This is a re-issue. In the UK,it peaked at no.2 in both 1968 and 1975. I can't think of any other singles to miss the no.1 spot by one place on two separate chart runs. If you can think of any,let me know. Bobby is now busy writing childrens' books and oil painting.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th March 2017, 07:08 PM

8. Fancy Pants - Kenny

Peak position - 4

This is horrible,especially the high pitched chorus. Kenny were a boy band whose four top 20 hits were all in the space of nine months. There were never heard from again and split up in 1979.

Posted by: King Rollo 20th March 2017, 07:28 PM

7. Girls - The Moments and The Whatnauts

Peak position - 3

A smooth soul tune,not bad. Both groups were on the same label. The Moments had two other top 10 hits. Both groups are still going today but there are two versions of The Moments.

Posted by: PeteFromLeeds 20th March 2017, 08:51 PM

Never realised The Ugly Duckling charted! I do like what he did with the song though!

Posted by: King Rollo 21st March 2017, 05:54 PM

6. There's A Whole Lot Of Loving - Guys & Dolls

Peak position - 2

This started out as a jingle in a TV ad for McVities fruit shortcake biscuits. Guys & Dolls were put together to cash in on its popularity but they didn't have time to record the single before it was rushed out so the original session vocalists are actually singing it. There is a rich sound to the harmonies and production on this. It's better than I remember. David Van Day and Thereza Bazar left the group two years later to form Dollar. The rest of them soldiered on until 1985.

Posted by: King Rollo 21st March 2017, 06:21 PM

5. Funky Gibbon/Sick Man Blues - The Goodies

Peak position -4

On the other hand,Funky Gibbon is worse than I remember it. It got all the airplay at the time,so I haven't heard the other A side,Sick Man Blues,before. That's a song about vomiting so I wouldn't recommend that one either. Bill Oddie takes the lead vocal on both songs. The Goodies TV series was excellent. Good family fun with lots of slapstick.

Posted by: popchartfreak 21st March 2017, 09:12 PM

A mixture of great pop and dire pop 1975 charts

I frothed at the mouth at that travesty of a cover that was The Ugly Duckling. Charming turned into Leave it Arrrrrt Eastender annoyance.

Funky Gibbon, nah. Try Father Christmas Do Not Touch Me for a funny Goodies record.

Fancy Pants also naff.

I like or love the rest!

Posted by: common sense 22nd March 2017, 10:04 AM

Thanks for this King Rollo. The mid 70's is my era as I was born in 1960. I also said that Teach-In would win after it was on that show! I bought it too, catchy song.

Posted by: common sense 22nd March 2017, 10:14 AM

I love Honey but I know many people hate it too.

Another record also reached No.2 twice in separate chart-runs. Crazy For You did it for Madonna in 1985 and 1991. Just checked to make sure. Those are the only two though.

Posted by: fiesta 22nd March 2017, 04:02 PM

Oh didnt know Theres a whole lot of lovin was originally in tv ad. The song was written/ produced by members of Butterscotch (had a hit in 1970 with You Dont Know), they are probably better known however for writing Cant Smile Without You Barry Manilow

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd March 2017, 07:23 PM

4. Swing Your Daddy - Jim Gilstrap

Peak position - 4

When I saw this on the list,I wasn't sure what it was but now I've played it,I remember it. I like the backing vocals as much as the lead vocal,good song. Not much on his wiki page on what he's been doing since the 70s but on the youtube page for this song,he's actually replied to the people who say they like it. He says he is still singing with a group called the Originals from Motown.

Posted by: King Rollo 22nd March 2017, 07:42 PM

3. Love Me Love My Dog - Peter Shelley

Peak position - 3

I loved this song at the time and it still sounds good today. He famously performed the song on Top Of The Pops with a well behaved shaggy dog by his side. He had one other top 5 hit,Gee Baby,and is not to be confused with Pete Shelley,the lead singer with the Buzzcocks.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd March 2017, 06:46 PM

2. Fox On The Run - Sweet

Peak position -2

I like this one. One of the best 70s glam rock songs with a great intro. It was the first Sweet single they wrote themselves. They were a bit unlucky with chart positions. This is one of five singles that stalled at no.2. Blockbuster was their only no.1. As with other groups in this countdown,there are now two separate line-ups in existence.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd March 2017, 07:03 PM

1. Bye Bye Baby - The Bay City Rollers

A simple but catchy pop song. I hated it at the time but it sounds alright now. It's a cover of a Four Seasons song from 1965. Rollermania was at its height that year and this was the first single to spend six weeks at no.1 since Hot Love by T Rex in 1971. Most of the group reformed in 2015 and they are working on a new album.

Posted by: King Rollo 23rd March 2017, 07:21 PM

My favourite 3 from that top 20:

1. Life Is A Minestrone - 10cc
2. Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
3. Fox On The Run - Sweet

Thanks to all who have left comments. I'll be back soon with a top 20 from the 80s.

Posted by: common sense 24th March 2017, 02:57 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Mar 16 2017, 05:39 PM)

Posted by: common sense 24th March 2017, 03:01 PM

QUOTE(King Rollo @ Mar 20 2017, 07:08 PM)

Posted by: King Rollo 24th March 2017, 04:36 PM

Yes,that was the singer Tony Kenny. I read that his producer Mickie Most was also the second Kenny's producer so he gave them the same name.