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> Random Top 20 18/04/75, Every single reviewed
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King Rollo
post Mar 13 2017, 06:15 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 13 2017, 06:41 PM
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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'.
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King Rollo
post Mar 13 2017, 06:59 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 15 2017, 05:06 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 15 2017, 05:29 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 16 2017, 05:15 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 16 2017, 05:39 PM
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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.
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Popchartfreak
post Mar 16 2017, 07:59 PM
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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.... laugh.gif
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King Rollo
post Mar 17 2017, 06:14 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 17 2017, 06:34 PM
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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.
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Popchartfreak
post Mar 18 2017, 09:16 AM
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QUOTE(King Rollo @ Mar 17 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.


ditto absolutely!
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fiesta
post Mar 18 2017, 03:29 PM
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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
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King Rollo
post Mar 18 2017, 07:25 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 18 2017, 07:45 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 19 2017, 07:36 PM
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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'.
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King Rollo
post Mar 19 2017, 08:05 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 20 2017, 07:08 PM
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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.
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King Rollo
post Mar 20 2017, 07:28 PM
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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.
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PeteFromLeeds
post Mar 20 2017, 08:51 PM
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Never realised The Ugly Duckling charted! ohmy.gif I do like what he did with the song though!
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King Rollo
post Mar 21 2017, 05:54 PM
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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.
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