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[Popchartfreak]

13th April 1974

It's straight in at 1 for Sparks' 2nd retro-chart entry as they grab the second USA Glam-Act slot with the fabulous This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us. I went big on the record after one hearing in 1974, it was like "OMG what on Earth is that!" and I bought it as soon as it was in the shops. 50 years on and Sparks are even more revered and current as ever, influencing many, copying few. Like ABBA and Queen, my love was immediate and long-lasting from 1974 onwards. They still sound like no-one else.

It's post-Eurovision and there are 3 acts debuting, Mouth & MacNeal's I See A Star was my 2nd-fave track on the night, it came 3rd and became a UK top 10 hit for Holland. It's also the duo's 3rd retro chart entry at 67. At 84, and second in the contest, it's the wonderful Gigliola Cinquetti with her Italian number one, Alle Porte Del Sole - her English-language version of Si will be out in a few weeks and that's the version I got to know and love, so Si is absent at the mo, but it's very nearly as good as her classic 1964 winner Non Ho L'Eta Per Amarti, a childhood fave, and still the best Eurovision winner. Probably. yet I didnt rate it that much on the night, and was glad ABBA just pipped her to the victory. That leaves Radio Luxembourg playlisted Bye Bye I Love You at 85 for Irene Sheer, which almost made the UK charts, for a 5th hit from one contest, a record until the 21st century.

Allan Clarke joins his Hollies smash with a second solo entry, Sideshow, a great song and future hit covered by the Chanter Sisters, new at 65, and at 71 a song that hasn't been heard since Radio Luxembourg stopped playing it, The Man Who Turned On The World, a sort of Christian Congregation-styled hit from Friends Of St. Francis. You wont find it on any streaming platform or download site, but it still sounds pretty good on Youtube and I havent heard it in 50 years! The Rollers are back for a 3rd year of retro chart entries, with their forthcoming TV show anthem as young girls went hysterical over them. The more hysterical they got the more I went off them, but Shang-A-Lang is singalong fluff, s'OK.

The Four Tops' hits have dried up now, but the music is still good, One Chain Don't make No Prison the latest at 75, and at 77 Andy Williams follows-up his smash Solitaire with Getting Over You, a decent version of Peter Noone's much-better 1973 original single version that went top 10 here. Finally, that leaves Christopher Rainbow at 83 who got some plays on the Johnnie Walker Radio 1 show with Solid State Brain - he had a few goes at breaking through into the charts, but never quite made it.


1 ( NEW ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1
2 ( 1 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1
3 ( 6 ) THE IMMIGRANT - Neil Sedaka # 3
4 ( 9 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL WINTER - Wizzard # 4
5 ( 5 ) SUMMER BREEZE - The Isley Brothers # 1
6 ( 2 ) ON THE RUN - Scorched Earth featuring Billy Ocean # 1
7 ( 7 ) I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - Dolly Parton # 2
8 ( 3 ) THE CAT CREPT IN - Mud # 3
9 ( 11 ) BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU’VE GOT - William De Vaughan # 9
10 ( 10 ) LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN - Neil Sedaka # 10

11 ( 14 ) TIME IN A BOTTLE - Jim Croce # 1
12 ( 4 ) WATERLOO - ABBA # 4
13 ( 39 ) I’M IN LOVE - Aretha Franklin # 13
14 ( 19 ) DREAM WORLD - Don Downing # 14
15 ( 8 ) EMMA - Hot Chocolate # 1
16 ( 21 ) JOHNNY AND THE JUKEBOX - Pearly Gates # 16
17 ( 13 ) ROCK THE BOAT - The Hues Corporation # 1
18 ( 15 ) SUGAR BABY LOVE - The Rubettes # 1
19 ( 27 ) JARROW SONG - Alan Price # 19
20 ( 12 ) DANCE (WHILE THE MUSIC STILL GOES ON) - ABBA # 12

21 ( 18 ) JUDY TEEN - Cockney Rebel # 18
22 ( 22 ) A WALKIN’ MIRACLE - Limmie & The Family Cooking # 22
23 ( 16 ) HONEY HONEY - ABBA # 16
24 ( 20 ) EVERLASTING LOVE - Robert Knight # 4
25 ( 29 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE - The Hollies # 1
26 ( 25 ) THESE DAYS - Ian Matthews # 1
27 ( 17 ) HASTA MANANA - ABBA # 17
28 ( 40 ) THE GOLDEN AGE OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL - Mott The Hoople # 28
29 ( 23 ) ANGEL FACE - The Glitter Band # 13
30 ( 32 ) IT DOESN’T MATTER ANYMORE - Buddy Holly # 14

31 ( 30 ) YOU WON’T SEE ME - Anne Murray # 15
32 ( 33 ) I GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL OVER YOU - The New Seekers featuring Lyn Paul # 4
33 ( 44 ) DANCING MACHINE - The Jackson 5 # 33
34 ( 28 ) HEAVENLY - The Temptations # 17
35 ( 41 ) BAND ON THE RUN - Paul McCartney & Wings # 1
36 ( 36 ) YEAR OF DECISION - The Three Degrees # 2
37 ( 35 ) T.S.O.P. (THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA) - M.F.S.B. & The Three Degrees # 6
38 ( 46 ) IT’S BETTER TO HAVE (AND DON’T NEED) - Don Covay # 38
39 ( 58 ) TEEN WAVE - Ricky Wilde # 39
40 ( 31 ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE - Queen # 1

41 ( 43 ) LIFE AND DEATH IN G & A PARTS 1 & 2 - Chairmen Of The Board # 41
42 ( 45 ) MAKIN’ MUSIC - Hot Chocolate # 42
43 ( 38 ) JET - Paul McCartney & Wings # 1
44 ( 24 ) MR. NATURAL - The Bee Gees # 10
45 ( 37 ) SOUND YOUR FUNKY HORN - K.C. & The Sunshine Band # 3
46 ( 26 ) MY MAMA SAID - ABBA # 25
47 ( 50 ) WHEN THE MORNING COMES - Daryl Hall & John Oates # 7
48 ( 48 ) BLAZING SADDLES - Frankie Laine # 6
49 ( 54 ) RHINESTONE COWBOY - Larry Weiss # 49
50 ( 51 ) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME (THAT’S WHAT I’M GONNA DO) - Aretha Franklin # 2

51 ( 52 ) LOVE’S THEME - Love Unlimited Orchestra # 1
52 ( 57 ) SCHOOL LOVE - Barry Blue # 7
53 ( 42 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE - Suzi Quatro # 2
54 ( 34 ) WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? - Candlewick Green # 7
55 ( 55 ) GONNA SING YOU MY LOVESONG - ABBA # 33
56 ( 60 ) EVERYDAY - Slade # 56
57 ( 53 ) HOMELY GIRL - The Chi-Lites # 8
58 ( 56 ) YOU ARE EVERYTHING - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 45
59 ( 72 ) MY GIRL BILL - Jim Stafford # 59
60 ( 61 ) REMEMBER YOU’RE A WOMBLE - The Wombles # 60

61 ( 47 ) TIGER FEET - Mud # 1
62 ( 78 ) GET UP - Blue Mink # 62
63 ( 49 ) WATCH OUT - ABBA # 49
64 ( 65 ) FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY - The O’Jays # 64
65 ( NEW ) SIDESHOW - Allan Clarke # 65
66 ( 59 ) JEALOUS MIND - Alvin Stardust # 3
67 ( NEW ) I SEE A STAR - Mouth & MacNeal # 67
68 ( 73 ) TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD - Rufus featuring Chaka Khan # 68
69 ( 69 ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE - The Sweet # 1
70 ( 62 ) LET ME ROLL IT - Paul McCartney & Wings # 27

71 ( NEW ) THE MAN WHO TURNED ON THE WORLD - The Friends Of St. Francis # 71
72 ( NEW ) SHANG-A-LANG - Bay City Rollers # 72
73 ( 77 ) SATISFACTION GUARANTEED - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes # 73
74 ( 74 ) THE SAME LOVE THAT MADE ME LAUGH - Bill Withers # 74
75 ( NEW ) ONE CHAIN DON’T MAKE NO PRISON - The Four Tops # 75
76 ( 71 ) DON’T YOU WORRY ‘BOUT A THING - Stevie Wonder # 71
77 ( NEW ) GETTING OVER YOU - Andy Williams # 77
78 ( 82 ) DON’T STAY AWAY TOO LONG - Peters & Lee # 78
79 ( 76 ) DAYBREAK - Nilsson # 76
80 ( 70 ) THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD - Lulu featuring David Bowie # 9

81 ( 79 ) IF YOU LOVE ME - Olivia Newton-John # 79
82 ( 80 ) LET ME PUT MY SPELL ON YOU - Merlin # 80
83 ( NEW ) SOLID STATE RAINBOW - Christopher Rainbow # 83
84 ( NEW ) ALLE PORTE DEL SOLE - Gigliola Cinquetti # 84
85 ( NEW ) BYE BYE I LOVE YOU - Irene Sheer # 85