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1st January 1974 Wot I Liked That Actual Week Then

 

It's a third week on top for Roy Wood as I turn sweet 16, and I definitely got record tokens for Xmas and birthday as I will be spending them next week. 50 years later I got itunes vouchers as a generous retirement gift from workmates, considerably more than the 50p or so I got then. Back to school, back to working towards GCE and CSE exams. And I was back onto full-time personal charting again for the next 50 years too, only expanded to allow non-charting tracks, albums and oldies that had been reissued.

 

Getting instant Radio 1 airplay were the new Chinn-Chapman Glam Rock stompers from The Sweet and Mud, both of them coming off number ones for me, and The Sweet seemed like the most immediate classic, Teenage Rampage new at 3, with Mud's Tiger Feet in at 9 and also boosting Dynamite ahead of it dropping out of my chart. Stevie Wonder gets his highest charting single at 2 in 5 years of big hits, Living For The City, and Jonathan King keeps the top 10's going as Bubblerock.

 

In the post-christmas static charts and lack of new releases, the rest of the chart jostles about a bit with the Xmas singles dropping hard.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) FOREVER - Roy Wood

2 ( 5 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY - Stevie Wonder

3 ( NEW ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE - The Sweet

4 ( 22 ) DYNAMITE - Mud

5 ( 6 ) ROLL AWAY THE STONE - Mott The Hoople

6 ( 7 ) STREET LIFE - Roxy Music

7 ( 3 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL - Cozy Powell

8 ( 13 ) MY COO CA CHOO - Alvin Stardust

9 ( NEW ) TIGER FEET - Mud

10 ( 23 ) (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION - Bubble Rock

 

11 ( 16 ) HELEN WHEELS - Paul McCartney & Wings

12 ( 9 ) REMEMBER (SHA LA LA LA) - The Bay City Rollers

13 ( 17 ) DO YOU WANNA DANCE - Barry Blue

14 ( 4 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON - Leo Sayer

15 ( 2 ) I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY - Wizzard

16 ( 14 ) BLACK CAT WOMAN - Geordie

17 ( 11 ) LOVE ON A MOUNTAIN TOP - Robert Knight

18 ( 19 ) TRUCK ON (TYKE) - T.Rex

19 ( 15 ) POOL HALL RICHARD - The Faces

20 ( 10 ) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY - Slade

 

21 ( 26 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW - Melanie

22 ( 24 ) THE LOVE I LOST - Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes

23 ( 8 ) STEP INTO CHRISTMAS - Elton John

24 ( 12 ) LITTLE SAINT NICK - The Beach Boys

25 ( 29 ) ROCKIN' ROLL BABY - The Stylistics

26 ( 28 ) RADAR LOVE - Golden Earring

27 ( RE ) SORROW - David Bowie

28 ( 25 ) LAMPLIGHT - David Essex

29 ( 21 ) I LOVE YOU LOVE ME LOVE - Gary Glitter

30 ( 18 ) AMOUREUSE - Kiki Dee

 

 

8th JAN 1974

 

Yes, freed from the UK singles charts - I now was free to include any tracks I liked, and I did so, album tracks, flops and especially American hits as I listened more to Paul Gambaccini's American charts countdown and also I discovered the American forces radio Europe network (living in Gloucester we had different radio signals from previous Lincoln where Radio Luxembourg was the only alternative to radio 1).

 

It was also the last year of school for a lot of kids who'd been caught by the raising of school leaving age, and weren't that interested in being there till 16. Hey ho. In those days local factories took on apprentices straight from school, and they wanted to be earning cash to go out to discos and suchlike. A new year and lots of new exciting records! The Sweet got their 5th consecutive number one with the stomping Teenage Rampage, one my brother bought and which I initially preferred to Chin-Chapman's classic Tiger Feet from Mud (the one I bought with my birthday record tokens, yes I was now sweet 16, all shy and innocent, and much more interested in DC Comics and Pop music, and Star Trek, than anything else. I even used to read science fiction novels back then. Yes I had time to actually read books. Wow!)

 

highest new entry was the radio played track for the album Band On The Run which had already topped the charts. I had little money for albums, so I can't express how frustrating it was to absolutely love a record and not be able to buy it. For months. A bit like 2014, then, only then it was rare, now it's common.

 

A third Chinn-Chapman hit machine track also entered high for Suzi Quatro and what a gem, though that was also a few weeks away from release. Lulu was back. With a Bowie bang! The absolutely marvellous cover of his The Man Who Sold The World set Lulu on a path to kinda-cool (occasionally) and a chameleon-like musical career after her pop days of the 60's. Meanwhile future-charters pop in lower down with flops that shoulda been hits, Gallagher & Lyle and Sutherland Brothers, writers of hit songs for others, most notably Tina Turner and Rod Stewart. Yes, Rod's Sailing was a Sutherland Brothers cover version. Can I just say he completely changed the band's version and turned it into a dirge? Just like almost all of his cover versions. Check out the original, way better.

 

 

1 ( 3 ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE The Sweet

2 ( NEW ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

3 ( 2 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder

4 ( 9 ) TIGER FEET Mud

5 ( 1 ) FOREVER Roy Wood

6 ( NEW ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

7 ( 10 ) (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION Bubble Rock

8 ( 7 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL Cozy Powell

9 ( 14 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Leo Sayer

10 ( 5 ) ROLL AWAY THE STONE Mott The Hoople

 

11 ( 6 ) STREETLIFE Roxy Music

12 ( 21 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

13 ( 8 ) MY COO CA CHOO Alvin Stardust

14 ( 15 ) I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY Wizzard

15 ( 12 ) REMEMBER (SHA LA LA LA) The Bay City Rollers

16 ( NEW ) THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD Lulu

17 ( 16 ) BLACK CAT WOMAN Geordie

18 ( 11 ) HELEN WHEELS Wings

19 ( 25 ) ROCKIN' ROLL BABY The Stylistics

20 ( 22 ) THE LOVE I LOST Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes

 

21 ( RE ) GOD BLESS Dexter Redding

22 ( 13 ) DO YOU WANNA DANCE Barry Blue

23 ( 17 ) LOVE ON A MOUNTAIN TOP Robert Knight

24 ( RE ) SOLITAIRE Andy Williams

25 ( 18 ) TRUCK ON (TYKE) T.Rex

26 ( NEW ) SHINE A LIGHT Gallagher & Lyle

27 ( NEW ) DREAM KID The Sutherland Brothers

28 ( RE ) SORROW David Bowie

29 ( 20 ) MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY Slade

30 ( NEW ) HOW COME Ronnie Lane

Edited by Popchartfreak

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15th JAN 1974

 

In which Paul McCartney gets the thrusting frantic sax rock album track to the top, the best thing he'd done since leaving The Beatles, and his 3rd number one outside the fabs. The ever-present Cher gets a big chart entry with a gypsy murder ballad, what a corker, drama of the first order! The critically-acclaimed Todd Rundgren enters with his huge American classic hit Hello It's Me. such a gorgeous song, and a crime it's unknown in the UK, the melody and his honeyed vocals are achingly brilliant.

 

Candlewick Green (who?!) cover Jigsaw and get a hit in my chart. For once, though, the definitive version was 20 years in the future - Saint Etienne! ** Fancy, I think an all-girl combo (don't quote me it was a long-time ago!) cover The Troggs ** Schoolteacher Clifford has another of his wistful, lovely singles, only one of which was a hit (Gaye) ** The Isley Brothers back again with classy soul ** Alice Cooper enters with the last of his run of hit singles ** 10CC sneak in with one of their (at this point) semi-regular flops, a quirky, witty, inventive song all about the hit-making money-machine record industry manufactured stars. A bit like 2014 then. 10CC have never got the recognition they deserve because wit, sarcasm and irony seem to go over most music fan's heads, sadly, especially when you can't be pigeon-holed in musical terms.

 

 

1 ( 2 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

2 ( 4 ) TIGER FEET Mud

3 ( 1 ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE The Sweet

4 ( 3 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder

5 ( NEW ) DARK LADY Cher

6 ( 5 ) FOREVER Roy Wood

7 ( 8 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL Cozy Powell

8 ( 16 ) THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD Lulu

9 ( 10 ) ROLL AWAY THE STONE Mott The Hoople

10 ( 11 ) STREETLIFE Roxy Music

 

11 ( 12 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

12 ( 6 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

13 ( NEW ) HELLO IT'S ME Todd Rundgren

14 ( 9 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Leo Sayer

15 ( 19 ) ROCKIN' ROLL BABY The Stylistics

16 ( 13 ) MY COO CA CHOO Alvin Stardust

17 ( 17 ) BLACK CAT WOMAN Geordie

18 ( NEW ) WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE Candlewick Green

19 ( NEW ) WILD THING Fancy

20 ( 7 ) (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION Bubble Rock

 

21 ( 15 ) REMEMBER (SHA LA LA LA) The Bay City Rollers

22 ( 14 ) I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY Wizzard

23 ( 24 ) SOLITAIRE Andy Williams

24 ( NEW ) SCULLERY Clifford T. Ward

25 ( 20 ) THE LOVE I LOST Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes

26 ( 30 ) HOW COME Ronnie Lane

27 ( 21 ) GOD BLESS Dexter Redding

28 ( NEW ) HIGHWAYS OF MY LIFE The Isley Brothers

29 ( 23 ) LOVE ON A MOUNTAIN TOP Robert Knight

30 ( NEW ) TEENAGE LAMENT '74 Alice Cooper

31 ( NEW ) THE WORST BAND IN THE WORLD 10CC

 

Edited by Popchartfreak

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10CC deserve their own caption here, fab band, love 'em to bits.

 

Part 2 of January to follow...

  • Author

22nd JAN 1974

 

2nd week at the top for hero Paul McCartney & his missus, and had I been listing albums Band On The Run would have topping too, they played a different track when it topped the chart on Johnnie Walker’s Radio 1 lunchtime show so I got a good idea just how good it was - even if I didn’t have the money to buy it! Still Macca’s finest post-Beatles album.

 

Mud stuck at 2 again, and Cher up to 3, Suzi back into the top 10, Todd makes it for the first official time (though I Saw The Light would have made it a year earlier had I allowed non-chart singles), and highest new entry is a hot new radio exclusive for Alvin Stardust, following up his chart-topper My Coo Ca Choo - in the real world it was Jealous Mind that hit number 1. 10CC go top 20, Stealer’s Wheel get their third hit with Star (future Baker Street-man Gerry Rafferty on vocals) and ultimate soul vocalist Aretha Franklin returns for the first time in 2 years with a gorgeous Stevie Wonder cover. Juuuuust gorgeous.

 

1 ( 1 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

2 ( 2 ) TIGER FEET Mud

3 ( 5 ) DARK LADY Cher

4 ( 3 ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE The Sweet

5 ( 4 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder

6 ( 8 ) THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD Lulu

7 ( 12 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

8 ( 13 ) HELLO IT'S ME Todd Rundgren

9 ( 9 ) ROLL AWAY THE STONE Mott The Hoople

10 ( NEW ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

 

 

 

11 ( 6 ) FOREVER Roy Wood

12 ( 7 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL Cozy Powell

13 ( 11 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

14 ( 24 ) SCULLERY Clifford T. Ward

15 ( 15 ) ROCKIN' ROLL BABY The Stylistics

16 ( 16 ) MY COO CA CHOO Alvin Stardust

17 ( 10 ) STREETLIFE Roxy Music

18 ( 20 ) (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION Bubble Rock

19 ( 14 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Leo Sayer

20 ( 31 ) THE WORST BAND IN THE WORLD 10CC

 

21 ( 18 ) WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE Candlewick Green

22 ( 19 ) WILD THING Fancy

23 ( 28 ) HIGHWAYS OF MY LIFE The Isley Brothers

24 ( 21 ) REMEMBER (SHA LA LA LA) The Bay City Rollers

25 ( 22 ) I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERYDAY Wizzard

26 ( 30 ) TEENAGE LAMENT '74 Alice Cooper

27 ( NEW ) STAR Stealer's Wheel

28 ( 26 ) HOW COME Ronnie Lane

29 ( 25 ) THE LOVE I LOST Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes

30 ( NEW ) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME Aretha Franklin

31 ( 29 ) LOVE ON A MOUNTAIN TOP Robert Knight

 

Edited by Popchartfreak

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29th JAN 1974

 

3 weeks for Jet, Cher at 2, Suzi up to 4, and heading up a mini-invasion of new entries a new track from my hero Roy Wood. Not a single (and hit) for months, but those reggae bagpipes (all played by Roy of course) were off-the-wall fab to me and just beat out previous hero Marc Bolan with his first (and last) ballad single, the sprawling Teenage Dream.

 

At 14, no it’s not 1990, it’s 1974 and a high entry for non-UK hit The Joker. I like to think I’m ahead of the game at spotting hits but even so, 16 years!! Just behind The Hollies and their best-ballad, even though it had to wait until 1988 re-issue to hit my number one, it’s plaintive and emotional in a good way. Neil Young’s After The Goldrush gets a wonderful acapella treatment from Prelude, soft hippie cajun folkrock from Medicine Head, cajun stroprock from Brownsville Station (2 months ahead of charting), and sexy fabulous smooth soul from the great Barry White all entering.

 

1 ( 1 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

2 ( 3 ) DARK LADY Cher

3 ( 2 ) TIGER FEET Mud

4 ( 7 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

5 ( 10 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

6 ( 8 ) HELLO IT'S ME Todd Rundgren

7 ( 4 ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE The Sweet

8 ( 5 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder

9 ( NEW ) GOING DOWN THE ROAD Roy Wood

10 ( NEW ) TEENAGE DREAM Marc Bolan and T.Rex

 

 

 

11 ( 14 ) SCULLERY Clifford T. Ward

12 ( 6 ) THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD Lulu

13 ( 11 ) FOREVER Roy Wood

14 ( NEW ) THE JOKER The Steve Miller Band

15 ( NEW ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

16 ( 12 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL Cozy Powell

17 ( 13 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

18 ( 20 ) THE WORST BAND IN THE WORLD 10CC

19 ( 16 ) MY COO CA CHOO Alvin Stardust

20 ( 23 ) HIGHWAYS OF MY LIFE The Isley Brothers

 

 

 

21 ( 30 ) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME Aretha Franklin

22 ( 9 ) ROLL AWAY THE STONE Mott The Hoople

23 ( 18 ) (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION Bubble Rock

24 ( 24 ) REMEMBER (SHA LA LA LA) The Bay City Rollers

25 ( 19 ) THE SHOW MUST GO ON Leo Sayer

26 ( NEW ) SLIP AND SLIDE Medicine Head

27 ( NEW ) AFTER THE GOLDRUSH Prelude

28 ( NEW ) SMOKING IN THE BOYS ROOM Brownsville Station

29 ( NEW ) NEVER NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP Barry White

30 ( 26 ) TEENAGE LAMENT '74 Alice Cooper

31 ( 15 ) ROCKIN' ROLL BABY The Stylistics

32 ( 27 ) STAR Stealer's Wheel

 

 

 

Edited by Popchartfreak

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Author

5th Feb 1974

 

Mud climb to the top for the 3rd consecutive single (with Crazy peaking at 2 before that), that famous (in the UK) party classic that lads for once didn’t mind copying a dance to. Great stuff! Clifford and Hollies go Top 10, Todd Top 5, Aretha Top 20 and new entries: from Ringo Starr, covering a 50’s teen pop ballad to fun effect and a US Number One; Love Unlimited Orchestra, or the backing to soul girl group Love Unlimited, or Barry White essentially doing a gorgeous strings-based orchestral soul instrumental that also topped the US charts. I think it’s fairly clear that the American record buyer was doing a better job than the British singles buyer at this time, at least in terms of chart positions. Elsewhere a trio of worldwide flop singles (boo!) from The Tremeloes, now well out of step with the music scene, Neil Sedaka (not that he cared much given what happened next in his career) and Joni Mitchell (who was an albums artist anyway) and her fab Raised On Robbery.

 

 

1 ( 3 ) TIGER FEET Mud

2 ( 2 ) DARK LADY Cher

3 ( 5 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

4 ( 1 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

5 ( 6 ) HELLO IT'S ME Todd Rundgren

6 ( 11 ) SCULLERY Clifford T. Ward

7 ( 7 ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE The Sweet

8 ( 8 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder

9 ( 15 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

10 ( 4 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

 

11 ( 10 ) TEENAGE DREAM Marc Bolan and T.Rex

12 ( 13 ) FOREVER Roy Wood

13 ( 9 ) GOING DOWN THE ROAD Roy Wood

14 ( 14 ) THE JOKER The Steve Miller Band

15 ( 21 ) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME Aretha Franklin

16 ( 17 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

17 ( 16 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL Cozy Powell

18 ( 18 ) THE WORST BAND IN THE WORLD 10CC

19 ( 20 ) HIGHWAYS OF MY LIFE The Isley Brothers

20 ( NEW ) YOU'RE SIXTEEN Ringo Starr

 

 

 

21 ( NEW ) LOVE'S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra

22 ( 19 ) MY COO CA CHOO Alvin Stardust

23 ( 26 ) SLIP AND SLIDE Medicine Head

24 ( 12 ) THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD Lulu

25 ( 27 ) AFTER THE GOLDRUSH Prelude

26 ( 23 ) (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION Bubble Rock

27 ( 29 ) NEVER NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP Barry White

28 ( NEW ) DO I LOVE YOU The Tremeloes

29 ( NEW ) A LITTLE LOVIN' Neil Sedaka

30 ( NEW ) RAISED ON ROBBERY Joni Mitchell

 

 

 

31 ( 32 ) STAR Stealer's Wheel

32 ( 24 ) REMEMBER (SHA LA LA LA) The Bay City Rollers

 

Edited by popchartfreak

  • Author

12th Feb 1974

 

Cher finally gets to the top, and what a dramatic murder epic is still is to me. Fab, and her 2nd to date (with Sonny). Former topper Jet drops dramatically due to my “5 week only” rule on album tracks and non-hits - sadly I kept this all year, or else Jet would have hung around for weeks at the top until it was officially released. Anyway, where a record prematurely gets evicted it gets a bonus position of 31 to indicate it would have been much higher!

 

Highest new entry at 12 from Hudson-Ford, very much Part Of The Union part 2 in sound (The Strawbs hit essentially being Hudson-Ford) and all but forgotten these days, sadly. Barry White claws up slowly, but his Orchestra rockets to 6, Joni goes Top 20, and 2 more entries from ELO rockin’ it up and Charlie Rich croonin’ a country classic.

 

 

 

1 ( 2 ) DARK LADY Cher

2 ( 1 ) TIGER FEET Mud

3 ( 3 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

4 ( 5 ) HELLO IT'S ME Todd Rundgren

5 ( 9 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

6 ( 21 ) LOVE'S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra

7 ( 11 ) TEENAGE DREAM Marc Bolan and T.Rex

8 ( 10 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

9 ( 8 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder

10 ( 6 ) SCULLERY Clifford T. Ward

 

 

 

11 ( 7 ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE The Sweet

12 ( NEW ) BURN BABY BURN Hudson-Ford

13 ( 12 ) FOREVER Roy Wood

14 ( 15 ) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME Aretha Franklin

15 ( 16 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

16 ( 30 ) RAISED ON ROBBERY Joni Mitchell

17 ( 28 ) DO I LOVE YOU The Tremeloes

18 ( 20 ) YOU'RE SIXTEEN Ringo Starr

19 ( 23 ) SLIP AND SLIDE Medicine Head

20 ( 18 ) THE WORST BAND IN THE WORLD 10CC

 

 

 

21 ( 17 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL Cozy Powell

22 ( NEW ) MA MA MA MA BELLE Electric Light Orchestra

23 ( NEW ) MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD Charlie Rich

24 ( 22 ) MY COO CA CHOO Alvin Stardust

25 ( 27 ) NEVER NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP Barry White

26 ( 29 ) A LITTLE LOVIN' Neil Sedaka

27 ( 24 ) THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD Lulu

28 ( 14 ) THE JOKER The Steve Miller Band

29 ( 19 ) HIGHWAYS OF MY LIFE The Isley Brothers

30 ( 26 ) (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION Bubble Rock

31 ( 4 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

 

Edited by Popchartfreak

  • Author

19th Feb 1974

 

3rd week of all-change at the top, this time for Love Unlimited Orchestra. I still love it, reminds me of enforced Sunday family drives to Bristol Zoo and The American Museum near Bath, and listening to the chart rundown on the radio in the car on the way back. My beloved reel-to-reel tape recorder was in for repairs for most of Feb through April so I had to subsequently fill in gaps by buying as many singles as I could scrape pocket-money permitting (I babysat for other forces families for cash in those days when they fancied an evening out, and was popular as I was dependable, sensible and easily fobbed off with 50p rather than the more appropriate pound or two. That was the price of a new single, as it happens…)

 

Todd and Clifford make an early departure (enforced) while lots of chart activity a-goin’-on: Hudson Ford to 3, Ringo to 6, Charlie Rich at 8 and ELO 9 to make for a fresh Top 10. Roy Wood’s yonks-from-release Going Down The Road re-enters, while Brownsville Station re-enters due to UK chart success. New stuff, 60’s soul legends basically, Smokey Robinson's native american lament, The Temptations Eddie Kendricks (back in Chris Malinchak-sampled UK Top 40 this week), and The Four Tops, all flops in the UK where the much-slower singles chart was still stuffed with some of my earlier hits, or new entries like Alvin Stardust which had been in my charts for weeks, now at 2. Highest new entry, though, Robert Knight and his original of the British number from 1968 for Love Affair, following up B side chart hit Love On A Mountain Top. Nottingham TV-pushed band Paper Lace enter with future UK number one (and covered in the US too) bizarrely about dying in the American Civil War. We just don’t get songs about people and history anymore! That’s not a good thing, honest!

 

 

 

1 ( 6 ) LOVE'S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra

2 ( 3 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

3 ( 12 ) BURN BABY BURN Hudson-Ford

4 ( 1 ) DARK LADY Cher

5 ( 2 ) TIGER FEET Mud

6 ( 18 ) YOU'RE SIXTEEN Ringo Starr

7 ( 5 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

8 ( 23 ) MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD Charlie Rich

9 ( 22 ) MA MA MA MA BELLE Electric Light Orchestra

10 ( 16 ) RAISED ON ROBBERY Joni Mitchell

 

11 ( 8 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

12 ( 9 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder

13 ( 7 ) TEENAGE DREAM Marc Bolan and T.Rex

14 ( RE ) GOING DOWN THE ROAD Roy Wood

15 ( 20 ) THE WORST BAND IN THE WORLD 10CC

16 ( 11 ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE The Sweet

17 ( 19 ) SLIP AND SLIDE Medicine Head

18 ( 17 ) DO I LOVE YOU The Tremeloes

19 ( NEW ) EVERLASTING LOVE Robert Knight

20 ( 21 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL Cozy Powell

 

21 ( 14 ) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME Aretha Franklin

22 ( NEW ) JUST MY SOUL RESPONDING Smokey Robinson

23 ( NEW ) BOOGIE DOWN Eddie Kendricks

24 ( 25 ) NEVER NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP Barry White

25 ( 27 ) THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD Lulu

26 ( 24 ) MY COO CA CHOO Alvin Stardust

27 ( NEW ) I JUST CAN'T GET THE FEELING The Four Tops

28 ( NEW ) BILLY DON'T BE A HERO Paper Lace

29 ( 28 ) THE JOKER The Steve Miller Band

30 ( RE ) SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM Brownsville Station

 

31 ( 4 ) HELLO IT'S ME Todd Rundgren

32 ( 31 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

33 ( 10 ) SCULLERY Clifford T. Ward

34 ( 15 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

35 ( NEW ) REBEL REBEL David Bowie

 

Edited by Popchartfreak

  • Author

26th Feb 1974

 

Jet’s back at the top, having been released at last, for a fourth week at number one, bad news for Alvin as his bid for a second one falters at 2. Singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell hits 8 (lead single off the great album Court and Spark), while fellow singer-songwriter husband-wife James & Carly copy Melanie by covering an oldie, but as a duet. Real-oldie follows his son Dexter into the charts with a reissue of the late legend’s classic 1968 hit, Otis Redding and Dock Of The Bay, which would have been a big hit in 1969 for me had I allowed oldies in (it was a track on 16 Big Hits, a hits album I badgered my dad to buy ). Not the last time it would chart, though…

 

Ex-Flirtations and UK TV regular singer Pearly Gates had a girlie 60’s-stylee non-hit, Barry Blue appeals to kids with his School Love 50’s pastiche, having abandoned his Gary Glitter-sound alike phase. I doubt he knew what was coming, but the good news is the BBC can still play a record that sounds like Gary Glitter without fear of letters from Mr & Mrs Angry of Mayfair. Sneaking in for one solitary week a record you may have heard of, from Elton John. I was a huge fan of Elton, but I have never got this dirge. Honestly, the biggest-selling record in history, over-rated much! A week at 30 is about right, the far superior B side Bennie & The Jet was a massive US hit and should have been an A side in the UK in 1974 (not 1976 after the oomph had died out). Jambalaya I mention for it’s delightful mis-heard lyric (to me): the angelic, marvellous, sweet Karen singing jauntily “son of a gun we’ll have a big fart on the bayou” is a moment to treasure. Go on, listen to it, I’m right!

 

 

1 ( 32 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

2 ( 2 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

3 ( 4 ) DARK LADY Cher

4 ( 1 ) LOVE'S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra

5 ( 3 ) BURN BABY BURN Hudson-Ford

6 ( 5 ) TIGER FEET Mud

7 ( 7 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

8 ( 10 ) RAISED ON ROBBERY Joni Mitchell

9 ( 8 ) MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD Charlie Rich

10 ( 6 ) YOU'RE SIXTEEN Ringo Starr

 

 

 

11 ( 9 ) MA MA MA MA BELLE Electric Light Orchestra

12 ( 34 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

13 ( 11 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

14 ( 23 ) BOOGIE DOWN Eddie Kendricks

15 ( NEW ) MOCKINGBIRD James Taylor and Carly Simon

16 ( 19 ) EVERLASTING LOVE Robert Knight

17 ( 12 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder

18 ( 14 ) GOING DOWN THE ROAD Roy Wood

19 ( NEW ) (SITTING ON THE) DOCK OF THE BAY Otis Redding

20 ( NEW ) JOHNNY AND THE JUKEBOX Pearly Gates

 

 

 

21 ( 22 ) JUST MY SOUL RESPONDING Smokey Robinson

22 ( 20 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL Cozy Powell

23 ( 13 ) TEENAGE DREAM Marc Bolan and T.Rex

24 ( 28 ) BILLY DON'T BE A HERO Paper Lace

25 ( 16 ) TEENAGE RAMPAGE The Sweet

26 ( 21 ) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME Aretha Franklin

27 ( 24 ) NEVER NEVER GONNA GIVE YA UP Barry White

28 ( NEW ) SCHOOL LOVE Barry Blue

29 ( 26 ) MY COO CA CHOO Alvin Stardust

30 ( NEW ) CANDLE IN THE WIND Elton John

31 ( 25 ) THE MAN WHO SOLD THE WORLD Lulu

32 ( NEW ) JAMBALAYA The Carpenters

 

 

Edited by popchartfreak

  • 1 month later...
  • Author

5th March 1974

 

Spring has sprung, and family outings to Bristol Zoo one overcast Sunday while listening to the chart show. We have the photos, so I know we went, and I probably sulked at not being back in time for the chart show, but to be honest the only real memory I have is sitting in the car (yes we actually had one now, affluent!) overlooking the River Severn while the music played.

 

A 5th week at 1 for Jet, lots of rebounds for Love Unlimited Orchestra, Hollies, Steve Miller & Brownsville Station as my chart rules meant exits from the UK Top 50 and over 5 weeks uncharted meant records got the boot early, victims this week being Cher, Melanie & others, who are listed outside the 30.

 

New stuff? Queen. They got a spare slot on Top Of The Pops, and the record was SO exciting and unusual I charted it on one listen. That lead singer certainly grabbed attention, and the seaside singalong at the end was genius. The New Seekers were back with their final hit single (sort of) an old-fashioned jaunty singalong with a great melody. Ricky Wilde, Kim’s Bro, charted for the third time - poor Rick, always the bridesmaid, he never did get a hit! Gladys Knight at this stage was having sporadic hits, this was one of the flops, upbeat funk. Even funkier, minor classic Funky Nassau, it does what it says on the label.

 

At 29, another late legend to join Otis in my charts, Buddy Holly, dead for 15 years by then, and his greatest hit. It was amazing that Holly, having diesd when I was 1 year old, was pretty much a chart regular over the subsequent 15 years in the UK. Eddie Kendricks climbs to 6, a recent voice from the past on Chris Malinchak’s single, and Pearly Gates non-hit I note as I heard from a friend that she’d been on All-Star Family Fortunes 2 weeks ago (I don’t watch) along with 80’s disco diva Miquel Brown (her sis) and niece Sinitta. Funny ol’ world, don’t think about someone for 40 years, then boom! Back again!

 

1 ( 1 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

2 ( 4 ) LOVE'S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra

3 ( 2 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

4 ( 8 ) RAISED ON ROBBERY Joni Mitchell

5 ( 7 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

6 ( 14 ) BOOGIE DOWN Eddie Kendricks

7 ( 6 ) TIGER FEET Mud

8 ( 5 ) BURN BABY BURN Hudson-Ford

9 ( 15 ) MOCKINGBIRD James Taylor and Carly Simon

10 ( 11 ) MA MA MA MA BELLE Electric Light Orchestra

 

11 ( 16 ) EVERLASTING LOVE Robert Knight

12 ( 19 ) (SITTING ON THE) DOCK OF THE BAY Otis Redding

13 ( 10 ) YOU'RE SIXTEEN Ringo Starr

14 ( 13 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

15 ( 21 ) JUST MY SOUL RESPONDING Smokey Robinson

16 ( 9 ) MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD Charlie Rich

17 ( 20 ) JOHNNY AND THE JUKEBOX Pearly Gates

18 ( 24 ) BILLY DON'T BE A HERO Paper Lace

19 ( 28 ) SCHOOL LOVE Barry Blue

20 ( NEW ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE Queen

 

 

 

21 ( NEW ) I GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL The New Seekers

22 ( NEW ) I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION Gladys Knight & The Pips

23 ( NEW ) MRS MELINSKI Ricky Wilde

24 ( RE ) THE JOKER The Steve Miller Band

25 ( RE ) SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM Brownsville Station

26 ( NEW ) FUNKY NASSAU The Beginning Of The End

27 ( 22 ) DANCE WITH THE DEVIL Cozy Powell

28 ( 23 ) TEENAGE DREAM Marc Bolan and T.Rex

29 ( NEW ) IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE Buddy Holly

30 ( 26 ) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME Aretha Franklin

 

31 ( 3 ) DARK LADY Cher

32 ( 12 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

33 ( 17 ) LIVING FOR THE CITY Stevie Wonder

34 ( 18 ) GOING DOWN THE ROAD Roy Wood

35 ( NEW ) THE WOMBLING SONG The Wombles

Edited by Popchartfreak

  • Author

12th March 1974

 

6 weeks for Jet, big jump for the sentimental New Seekers, and loads of new entries shoving out loads of other tracks that would easily have been charting on long runs had I done a 75 in those days, notably UK number one Billy Don’t Be A Hero, peaking at 18! In at 4 highest new entry, former Poppy Family Canadian singer Terry Jacks with his hushed version of a Jaques Brel song. The sombre tone was excelled by Hot Chocolate having another musical change of direction, opting for moody death ballad Emma, a wannabe star who never made it. Oudoing both, though, Jim Croce in at 15 with Time In A Bottle, poignant is an understatement as he’d died in a plane crash a year or so before and this was his posthumous US chart-topper. Gorgeous song, and that’s a new entry for 3 consecutive weeks for 3 plane crash pop stars posthumously charting. Obviously all the rage…

 

In at 6, debuting, cool sound of Philadelphia, the cool Three Degrees. They weren’t cool for long, but in early ‘74 they were, as the Philly Sound ruled. It’s their best record, still. In at 14, a debut hit for 50’s doo-wop sounds, glam-stylee, studio session musicians using the name Rubettes. Plugged heavily on Radio Luxembourg it was months before the Beeb and chart entry status beckoned. Jonathan King’s back, never one to turn down a chance for cash, it’s a carbon copy treatment of another Rolling Stones classic to his previous hit, only this misfired. Jimmy Helms gets a third hit in my charts. You might know him better as a member of 90's hit band Londonbeat. I know him better as Jimmy Helms, great UK soul singer who's had his 70's TV performances wiped. They exist only in my memory...

 

Having another solo hit, the pure-voiced Art Garfunkel Shall Sing, just above Livvie. Yes, Eurovision, a bit military march-y, and I’m not even sure it was the best of her 6 songs that got voted for. Its low chart position (for me) shows I wasn’t that impressed compared to every UK entry from Puppet onwards. I saw Livvie in Bournemouth 2012 and she sang it live for the first time in decades, and it rather surprisingly brought a tear and smile to my face. Aaaahhhh!

 

1 ( 1 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

2 ( 2 ) LOVE'S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra

3 ( 3 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

4 ( NEW ) SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks

5 ( 21 ) I GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL The New Seekers

6 ( NEW ) THE YEAR OF DECISION The Three Degrees

7 ( 7 ) TIGER FEET Mud

8 ( 9 ) MOCKINGBIRD James Taylor and Carly Simon

9 ( 6 ) BOOGIE DOWN Eddie Kendricks

10 ( 5 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

 

 

11 ( 11 ) EVERLASTING LOVE Robert Knight

12 ( 20 ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE Queen

13 ( 17 ) JOHNNY AND THE JUKEBOX Pearly Gates

14 ( NEW ) SUGAR BABY LOVE The Rubettes

15 ( NEW ) TIME IN A BOTTLE Jim Croce

16 ( 8 ) BURN BABY BURN Hudson-Ford

17 ( 19 ) SCHOOL LOVE Barry Blue

18 ( NEW ) THERE'LL BE ANOTHER NIGHT Jimmy Helms

19 ( NEW ) EMMA Hot Chocolate

20 ( 22 ) I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION Gladys Knight & The Pips

 

 

 

 

21 ( RE ) I JUST CAN'T GET THE FEELING The Four Tops

22 ( NEW ) GET OFF MY CLOUD Bubble Rock

23 ( 25 ) SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM Brownsville Station

24 ( 14 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

25 ( 10 ) MA MA MA MA BELLE Electric Light Orchestra

26 ( 13 ) YOU'RE SIXTEEN Ringo Starr

27 ( 16 ) MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD Charlie Rich

28 ( NEW ) I SHALL SING Art Garfunkel

29 ( NEW ) LONG LIVE LOVE Olivia Newton-John

30 ( RE ) CANDLE IN THE WIND Elton John

 

 

31 ( 4 ) RAISED ON ROBBERY Joni Mitchell

32 ( 12 ) (SITTING ON THE) DOCK OF THE BAY Otis Redding

33 ( 15 ) JUST MY SOUL RESPONDING Smokey Robinson

34 ( 31 ) DARK LADY Cher

35 ( 32 ) WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW Melanie

Edited by popchartfreak

  • Author

19th March 1974

 

7 weeks at the top for Wings, making it one of my all-time longest runs at that time, making for a very rock-tastic Top 2 with newcomers Queen at 2. Hot Chocolate get their 7th Top 10, Rubettes their first, and the lead singer shown in the video and on TV, well he wasn't the one with the excruciatingly-pitched voice. It was a session-singer tiff and he emerged in his own right...later in 1974!

 

Not much new entry-wise, just Sunny rattling on about her medical complaint. I liked this record straight away, for a while, and long-term, errr not so much. A bit of ragtime from big movie The Sting at 30, just behind some 1972 US rock, the fab Listen To The Music, which still needs to be a proper-sized hit in the UK. By now about one-third of my charts were not yet UK Top 40 hits, though some would be later in the month or year.

 

1 ( 1 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

2 ( 12 ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE Queen

3 ( 4 ) SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks

4 ( 6 ) THE YEAR OF DECISION The Three Degrees

5 ( 5 ) I GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL The New Seekers

6 ( 2 ) LOVE'S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra

7 ( 3 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

8 ( 14 ) SUGAR BABY LOVE The Rubettes

9 ( 19 ) EMMA Hot Chocolate

10 ( 8 ) MOCKINGBIRD James Taylor and Carly Simon

 

 

11 ( 10 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

12 ( 13 ) JOHNNY AND THE JUKEBOX Pearly Gates

13 ( NEW ) DOCTOR'S ORDERS Sunny

14 ( 11 ) EVERLASTING LOVE Robert Knight

15 ( 15 ) TIME IN A BOTTLE Jim Croce

16 ( 9 ) BOOGIE DOWN Eddie Kendricks

17 ( 28 ) I SHALL SING Art Garfunkel

18 ( 18 ) THERE'LL BE ANOTHER NIGHT Jimmy Helms

19 ( 17 ) SCHOOL LOVE Barry Blue

20 ( 20 ) I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION Gladys Knight & The Pips

 

21 ( 22 ) GET OFF MY CLOUD Bubble Rock

22 ( 21 ) I JUST CAN'T GET THE FEELING The Four Tops

23 ( 16 ) BURN BABY BURN Hudson-Ford

24 ( 27 ) MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD Charlie Rich

25 ( 24 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

26 ( 26 ) YOU'RE SIXTEEN Ringo Starr

27 ( 25 ) MA MA MA MA BELLE Electric Light Orchestra

28 ( 23 ) SMOKIN' IN THE BOYS ROOM Brownsville Station

29 ( NEW ) LISTEN TO THE MUSIC The Doobie Brothers

30 ( NEW ) THE STING The Ragtimers

 

31 ( 7 ) TIGER FEET Mud

32 ( 29 ) LONG LIVE LOVE Olivia Newton-John

33 ( 31 ) RAISED ON ROBBERY Joni Mitchell

34 ( 32 ) (SITTING ON THE) DOCK OF THE BAY Otis Redding

35 ( 34 ) DARK LADY Cher

Edited by Popchartfreak

  • Author

26th March 1974

 

At last a new number one - Queen. I was an instant fan, they were fab, and this corker should have been bigger than it was. Bad news for Terry Jacks, who’s Seasons had to settle for runner-up in my charts (Number One everywhere else though!). Late summer chart-topper Sugar Baby Love hits 5 in my charts in Spring, Art Garfunkel gets his first solo Top 10 (after 6 with Paul Simon), and Joni Mitchell gets her 2nd in a row, straight in at 8 with the gorgeous Help Me, a fave on Old Grey Whistle Test, the album-oriented late evening “Later With Jools Holland” of its day, and which I was becoming more interested in.

 

Talking of Album-oriented - Prog rock pops in at 11, Genesis debut with the wonderfully quirky Wardrobe song, more Peter Gabriel than Phil Collins, but all members were to have chart entries galore for, ooh, the next 30 years. The Three Degrees had yet to chart, but I already was getting into their previous flop single, Dirty Ol’ Man. The lyrics, “You’re a dirty ol’ man, you can’t keep your hands to yourself”, obviously should have been aimed at a certain white-haired DJ in retrospect.

 

Just below them, the poor ol’ Glitter Band. Gary’s backing band, they had their own career take off as Gary’s was about to decline - maybe they saw the writing on the wall - but seem to have unfairly also been wiped from history for daring to have named themselves Glitter. Angel Face is a great glam-rock pop-song, they wrote their own stuff, and deserve at least the odd radio play! Merlin were one of those pop bands that never made it (not that surprisingly to be honest), but I liked them, and bought the album. So it sold at least one copy. Hooray!

 

 

1 ( 2 ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE Queen

2 ( 3 ) SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks

3 ( 1 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

4 ( 4 ) THE YEAR OF DECISION The Three Degrees

5 ( 8 ) SUGAR BABY LOVE The Rubettes

6 ( 13 ) DOCTOR'S ORDERS Sunny

7 ( 5 ) I GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL The New Seekers

8 ( NEW ) HELP ME Joni Mitchell

9 ( 17 ) I SHALL SING Art Garfunkel

10 ( 7 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

 

 

11 ( NEW ) I KNOW WHAT I LIKE (IN YOUR WARDROBE) Genesis

12 ( 14 ) EVERLASTING LOVE Robert Knight

13 ( 24 ) MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD Charlie Rich

14 ( 11 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

15 ( 9 ) EMMA Hot Chocolate

16 ( 21 ) GET OFF MY CLOUD Bubble Rock

17 ( 18 ) THERE'LL BE ANOTHER NIGHT Jimmy Helms

18 ( 10 ) MOCKINGBIRD James Taylor and Carly Simon

19 ( NEW ) DIRTY OL' MAN The Three Degrees

20 ( 29 ) LISTEN TO THE MUSIC The Doobie Brothers

 

 

21 ( 19 ) SCHOOL LOVE Barry Blue

22 ( 20 ) I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION Gladys Knight & The Pips

23 ( NEW ) ANGEL FACE The Glitter Band

24 ( NEW ) DREAM WORLD Don Downing

25 ( 30 ) THE STING The Ragtimers

26 ( 23 ) BURN BABY BURN Hudson-Ford

27 ( 25 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

28 ( 26 ) YOU'RE SIXTEEN Ringo Starr

29 ( NEW ) LET ME PUT MY SPELL ON YOU Merlin

30 ( NEW ) THE GOLDEN AGE OF ROCK 'N' ROLL Mott The Hoople

 

 

 

31 ( 6 ) LOVE'S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra

32 ( 12 ) JOHNNY AND THE JUKEBOX Pearly Gates

33 ( 15 ) TIME IN A BOTTLE Jim Croce

34 ( 16 ) BOOGIE DOWN Eddie Kendricks

35 ( 31 ) TIGER FEET Mud

Edited by popchartfreak

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Author

2nd April 1974

 

second week on top for Queen, and my chart starts to get more volatile as I get exposed to more and more non-chart music. I was still only compiling a 30, but my chart rules meant many a great record was evicted to make way, and far too early, so Ive expanded to 40 to include those that I still really loved from the week before but hadn’t room for.

 

New peaks for Three Degrees at 2, Rubettes at 3 (yet to chart anywhere else), and highest new entry from Mud at 6. The Cat Crept In is very much Tiger Feet part 2, but great nonetheless, and Mud at the time were on a roll after 3 in a row at the top of my chart. Genesis get a Top 10 hit 4 years before they did it in the real charts, and the Doobie’s almost make it at 11. New at 16 is Elton John. Not Candle, which peaked at 30, but the far superior B Side which hit the top in the USA. Benny & The Jets was a live slow stomping soul record, and should have been an A Side.

 

The Bee Gees by now were out of fashion completely, their new single Mr Natural stiffing everywhere except in my charts. I’m nothing if not loyal to great pop stars, and this was a perfectly good record, also skirting with smooth soul. R’n’b the way to go boys! Back with a 60’s girl group pastiche, Limmie & The Family Cooking were fun at 20, and rocking it big-time with menacing guitars and a big vocal is the stupendous On The Run, big on radio Luxembourg and nowhere else. Never became a hit sadly, but the lead singer of Scorched Earth became somewhat better known two years later, solo: Billy Ocean. To this day, still his best record.

 

The Wombles were back, and Mike Batt starting to get into his Womble stride, starting a string of inventive, musically diverse novelty records. Proving that novelty records can be fun and clever. I defy anyone not sing along to this one! At 25, the Luxembourg Eurovision entry, getting hammered on the station, at 26 Ricky Wilde’s glamtastic teenpop final try at a career. Kim’s pop career added synths but essentially used the same formula, so hooray for brother Ricky!

 

The Chi-Lites were back, 2 years on from some real gems and a number one Oh Girl, with a charming ditty later covered by UB40. Lieutenant Pigeon had had their day, and a number one in my chart with Desperate Dan (Mould Old Dough hit 2) but I had enough affection for the jaunty piano romping to chart this cover of an Irish ballad standard beloved of many a drunk. Finally, at 30, a song about sad DJ’s from storytale songwriter Harry Chapin, who wrote many fab songs only to die young on his way to a charity gig when a huge log came lose from the megatruck in front of his car.

 

1 ( 1 ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE Queen

2 ( 4 ) THE YEAR OF DECISION The Three Degrees

3 ( 5 ) SUGAR BABY LOVE The Rubettes

4 ( 6 ) DOCTOR'S ORDERS Sunny

5 ( 2 ) SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks

6 ( NEW ) THE CAT CREPT IN Mud

7 ( 8 ) HELP ME Joni Mitchell

8 ( 11 ) I KNOW WHAT I LIKE (IN YOUR WARDROBE) Genesis

9 ( 7 ) I GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL The New Seekers

10 ( 3 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

 

11 ( 20 ) LISTEN TO THE MUSIC The Doobie Brothers

12 ( 23 ) ANGEL FACE The Glitter Band

13 ( 25 ) THE STING The Ragtimers

14 ( 29 ) LET ME PUT MY SPELL ON YOU Merlin

15 ( 9 ) I SHALL SING Art Garfunkel

16 ( NEW ) BENNY AND THE JETS Elton John

17 ( NEW ) MR NATURAL The Bee Gees

18 ( 30 ) THE GOLDEN AGE OF ROCK 'N' ROLL Mott The Hoople

19 ( 12 ) EVERLASTING LOVE Robert Knight

20 ( NEW ) A WALKIN' MIRACLE Limmie & The Family Cooking

 

21 ( NEW ) ON THE RUN Scorched Earth

22 ( 13 ) MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD Charlie Rich

23 ( 24 ) DREAM WORLD Don Downing

24 ( NEW ) REMEMBER (YOU'RE A WOMBLE) The Wombles

25 ( NEW ) BYE BYE I LOVE YOU Irene Shears

26 ( NEW ) TEEN WAVE Ricky Wilde

27 ( 14 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

28 ( NEW ) HOMELY GIRL The Chi-Lites

29 ( NEW ) I'LL TAKE YOU HOME AGAIN KATHLEEN Lieutenant Pigeon

30 ( NEW ) W.O.L.D. Harry Chapin

 

 

31 ( 15 ) EMMA Hot Chocolate

32 ( 10 ) JEALOUS MIND Alvin Stardust

33 ( 16 ) GET OFF MY CLOUD Bubble Rock

34 ( 17 ) THERE'LL BE ANOTHER NIGHT Jimmy Helms

35 ( 19 ) DIRTY OL' MAN The Three Degrees

36 ( 18 ) MOCKINGBIRD James Taylor and Carly Simon

37 ( 21 ) SCHOOL LOVE Barry Blue

38 ( 31 ) LOVE'S THEME Love Unlimited Orchestra

39 ( 22 ) I'VE GOT TO USE MY IMAGINATION Gladys Knight & The Pips

40 ( 27 ) DEVIL GATE DRIVE Suzi Quatro

 

Edited by Popchartfreak

  • Author

9th April 1974

 

The manic, exciting pace of the music scene stepped up a pace this week with two memorable debuts, and a rare 1-2 new entry from nowhere. It was Eurovision, saturday night and as usual I was babysitting for cash at my regular’s near where I lived at RAF Innsworth. Got the kids to bed early so no interruptions (I hoped!) for a glorious evening entertainment. Olivia Newton-John and Irene Shears I already knew and had charted, but two lept right out at me, the fab Mouth & MacNeal (who had charted 2 years earlier for me on the back of a US hit) and a new act with garish clothes and a striking blonde, and a glampop stomper with a brilliant tune and lyric. It was called Waterloo and it was love at first sight. From this moment on Abba charted everything they released in my charts, and I was soooo happy they won. So good it became an American hit.. Mouth & MacNeal also charted at 24, the 4th from the contest in 1974.

 

In a normal week, the headline would have been all about Sparks, a quirky American duo of brothers from out of this universe. Tagged along with glam rock, but actually they were (and remain) unique in sound and unclassifiable. This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us came on the radio and blew my mind instantly with it’s insistent keyboard synth sound, the relentless quirky lyrics and flowing melody, and the crescendo of guitars interrupting that manic Russell Mael falsetto vocal. Not to mention brother Ron’s alien staring face when they finally got on telly. OMG! Brilliant.

 

This was all bad news for my 2nd fave pop group (after Wizzard) Mud, who had to settle for 3 with all my other faves pushed down 3 places. In at 9, though, a Swedish rock version of Jonathan KIng’s 1971 number one Hooked On A Feeling. It went to the top in the States, where they knew it as a bizarre cover of B.J.Thomas’ country pop original. JK added the ooga cha ga’s and it now seems immortality of sorts beckons as it’s selling well ahead of the release of big movie Guardians Of The Galaxy, in which it features prominently. It recharted in my chart a few weeks back. Just remember, ya heard it here first!:)

 

In at 16, a track no-one recalls, a Radio Luxembourg fave, The Friends Of St Francis with the joyous The Man Who Turned On The World. I’ve been trying to get hold of a copy of this for 40 years, with no luck. Come on itunes! Sweeping strings and choruses of voices over a mediaeval-style soloist. Fab. Elsewhere, another great Stevie Wonder (UK only) single, a solo hit from former Hollies, and Crosby Stills & Nash man, Graham Nash, On The Line, a minor entry for wannabee pop star Simon Jones, and a great Philly soul record from The Intruders. I really really needed to have done a Top 50 minimum by now, but that was still months away!

 

 

1 ( NEW ) WATERLOO Abba

2 ( NEW ) THIS TOWN AIN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US Sparks

3 ( 6 ) THE CAT CREPT IN Mud

4 ( 1 ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE Queen

5 ( 2 ) THE YEAR OF DECISION The Three Degrees

6 ( 3 ) SUGAR BABY LOVE The Rubettes

7 ( 4 ) DOCTOR'S ORDERS Sunny

8 ( 5 ) SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks

9 ( NEW ) HOOKED ON A FEELING Blue Swede

10 ( 21 ) ON THE RUN Scorched Earth

 

 

11 ( 8 ) I KNOW WHAT I LIKE (IN YOUR WARDROBE) Genesis

12 ( 7 ) HELP ME Joni Mitchell

13 ( 14 ) LET ME PUT MY SPELL ON YOU Merlin

14 ( 10 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

15 ( 24 ) REMEMBER (YOU'RE A WOMBLE) The Wombles

16 ( NEW ) THE MAN WHO TURNED ON THE WORLD Friends Of St Francis

17 ( 17 ) MR NATURAL The Bee Gees

18 ( 9 ) I GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL The New Seekers

19 ( 26 ) TEEN WAVE Ricky Wilde

20 ( 20 ) A WALKIN' MIRACLE Limmie & The Family Cooking

 

21 ( 18 ) THE GOLDEN AGE OF ROCK 'N' ROLL Mott The Hoople

22 ( 28 ) HOMELY GIRL The Chi-Lites

23 ( 12 ) ANGEL FACE The Glitter Band

24 ( NEW ) I SEE A STAR Mouth and MacNeal

25 ( 25 ) BYE BYE I LOVE YOU Irene Shears

26 ( 19 ) EVERLASTING LOVE Robert Knight

27 ( NEW ) MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL Stevie Wonder

28 ( NEW ) ON THE LINE Graham Nash

29 ( NEW ) SHE WAS JUST A YOUNG GIRL Simon Jones

30 ( NEW ) I'LL ALWAYS LOVE MY MAMA The Intruders

 

31 ( 11 ) LISTEN TO THE MUSIC The Doobie Brothers

32 ( 13 ) THE STING The Ragtimers

33 ( 15 ) I SHALL SING Art Garfunkel

34 ( 16 ) BENNY AND THE JETS Elton John

35 ( 22 ) MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE WORLD Charlie Rich

36 ( 23 ) DREAM WORLD Don Downing

37 ( 27 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE The Hollies

38 ( 29 ) I'LL TAKE YOU HOME AGAIN KATHLEEN Lieutenant Pigeon

39 ( 30 ) W.O.L.D. Harry Chapin

40 ( 31 ) EMMA Hot Chocolate

Edited by Popchartfreak

  • Author

16th April 1974

 

Still 1-2-3 for Abba, Sparks, Mud and Benny & The Jet shoots up to 4, Elton’s fab B side, all 4 could easily be number one really it was that tight at the time at the top. My charts starting to have less and less in common with the BBC charts, stuffed as they were with TV reality stars and MOR. My tastes were maturing more into albums acts and tracks, not unusual for 16-year-olds.

 

Highest new entry was fab Native Canadian Buffy at 13, always had a soft spot for her ballads. Graham Nash at 21 joined at 24 by Allan Clarke the other main Hollies vocalist, fresh off Air That I Breathe. Sideshow would be covered 2 years later by the Surprise Sisters, an even better version, and still frustratingly not a big hit. The Stylistics having a rare flop in the UK with Only For The Children, not that they cared they just flipped it over and the B Side became a huge UK and US hit (You Make Me Feel Brand New). Finally, new for Bowie, another old album track. Bowie new stuff was always punctuated with old stuff, not exactly being short of fab back catalogue for RCA and others to bung out in between albums. Then there's Roxy's Eno and his odd debut single. I liked it, ahead of it's time it was, and future legendary record producer or what!

 

It was around this time I was coerced into agreeing to go what they called school disco (or these days, “Prom”). I was new boy, Suzanne in our class was dateless, we were both nice so everyone reasoned we’d be perfect as a match. Sadly, no-one had counted on sheer terror, panic and cold sweats on my part at having to go out with a girl fro the first time, really. She could tell I was unhappy a couple of days later, and knew I’d been pushed into it, so she had a quiet word which gave me the opportunity to back out. Being a cowardly tit, and being very confused generally at that time, I took it and left her thinking it was her - I’d said it wasn’t that I didn’t like her and she just added in the “enough” on the end of the sentence. I was pretty much left in the cold for the rest of the year by the class, and I’ve felt awful about it for 40 years. As The Hollies (spot the link above) once sang, I’m truly Sorry Suzanne - it wasn’t you, honest, it was me. What a twa*t.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) WATERLOO Abba

2 ( 2 ) THIS TOWN AIN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US Sparks

3 ( 3 ) THE CAT CREPT IN Mud

4 ( 34 ) BENNY AND THE JETS Elton John

5 ( 4 ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE Queen

6 ( 5 ) THE YEAR OF DECISION The Three Degrees

7 ( 7 ) DOCTOR'S ORDERS Sunny

8 ( 8 ) SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks

9 ( 9 ) HOOKED ON A FEELING Blue Swede

10 ( 19 ) TEEN WAVE Ricky Wilde

 

 

11 ( 16 ) THE MAN WHO TURNED ON THE WORLD Friends Of St Francis

12 ( 13 ) LET ME PUT MY SPELL ON YOU Merlin

13 ( NEW ) I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THE FEELING Buffy Sainte-Marie

14 ( 10 ) ON THE RUN Scorched Earth

15 ( 15 ) REMEMBER (YOU'RE A WOMBLE) The Wombles

16 ( 17 ) MR NATURAL The Bee Gees

17 ( 22 ) HOMELY GIRL The Chi-Lites

18 ( 27 ) MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL Stevie Wonder

19 ( 11 ) I KNOW WHAT I LIKE (IN YOUR WARDROBE) Genesis

20 ( 18 ) I GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL The New Seekers

 

 

21 ( 28 ) ON THE LINE Graham Nash

22 ( NEW ) SEVEN DEADLY FINS Eno

23 ( 21 ) THE GOLDEN AGE OF ROCK 'N' ROLL Mott The Hoople

24 ( NEW ) SIDESHOW Allan Clarke

25 ( 24 ) I SEE A STAR Mouth and MacNeal

26 ( NEW ) ONLY FOR THE CHILDREN The Stylistics

27 ( NEW ) ROCK 'N' ROLL SUICIDE David Bowie

28 ( 39 ) W.O.L.D. Harry Chapin

29 ( 12 ) HELP ME Joni Mitchell

30 ( 23 ) ANGEL FACE The Glitter Band

 

 

31 ( 6 ) SUGAR BABY LOVE The Rubettes

32 ( 14 ) JET Paul McCartney & Wings

33 ( 20 ) A WALKIN' MIRACLE Limmie & The Family Cooking

34 ( 25 ) BYE BYE I LOVE YOU Irene Shears

35 ( 26 ) EVERLASTING LOVE Robert Knight

36 ( 29 ) SHE WAS JUST A YOUNG GIRL Simon Jones

37 ( 30 ) I'LL ALWAYS LOVE MY MAMA The Intruders

38 ( 31 ) LISTEN TO THE MUSIC The Doobie Brothers

39 ( 32 ) THE STING The Ragtimers

40 ( 33 ) I SHALL SING Art Garfunkel

 

Edited by popchartfreak

  • Author

23rd April 1974

 

In which new faves who came straight in at 1 (Abba) are knocked by old faves Wizzard coming straight in at 1, that’s 4 in a row chart-toppers and one more for Roy Wood solo. I always thought they should have hung on till December to issue this single, their last great glamrock record, but hey ho, no-one remembers Rock ‘n’ Roll Winter now anyway. DJ Johnny Walker fave Lucinda pops in at 4, for some reason I went mad on it immediately, I mean it’s good, but not great, and not a hit anywhere.

 

The Three Degrees replace themselves in the Top 10, in combo with house band at the Philadelphia record label, Mother Father Sister Brother, better known as MFSB. Big US hit that one, all strings n soul. In at 8 a debut hit for the fab Cockney Rebel (essentially Steve Harley of course) and the fab Judy Teen. Steve’s vocal style was unique, and this record sounded like nothing else before it, fresh and exciting.

 

Nemo are back, 2 years after The Sun Has Got His Hat On, with another 1930’s pastiche cover of an oldie from that period. The song had just become popular again thanks to the movie of that name, and also featured on cool sitcom MASH. Jonathan King didn’t fool me though, it as his 3rd hit in 4 months, the previous under Bubble Rock. Bay City Rollers also are back with soundalike follow-up to Remember, Shang A Lang, on their way to teenybop stardom now that the aforementioned JK wasn’t involved anymore.

 

Finally, Alvin’s 3rd hit, Andy Williams latest, a big amusing US hit from Jim Stafford and Native American band Redbone finally get a follow-up hit (in my charts) to the awesome atmospheric Witch Queen Of New Orleans. Bizarrely this one became a big US hit, but Witch Queen didn’t. Racism!

 

1 ( NEW ) ROCK 'N' ROLL WINTER Wizzard

2 ( 1 ) WATERLOO Abba

3 ( 2 ) THIS TOWN AIN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US Sparks

4 ( NEW ) LUCINDA Howard Werth

5 ( 10 ) TEEN WAVE Ricky Wilde

6 ( NEW ) T.S.O.P. (THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA) M.F.S.B. (featuring the Three Degrees)

7 ( 5 ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE Queen

8 ( NEW ) JUDY TEEN Cockney Rebel

9 ( 9 ) HOOKED ON A FEELING Blue Swede

10 ( 3 ) THE CAT CREPT IN Mud

 

11 ( 4 ) BENNY AND THE JETS Elton John

12 ( 13 ) I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THE FEELING Buffy Sainte-Marie

13 ( 18 ) MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL Stevie Wonder

14 ( 22 ) SEVEN DEADLY FINS Eno

15 ( 6 ) THE YEAR OF DECISION The Three Degrees

16 ( 7 ) DOCTOR'S ORDERS Sunny

17 ( 8 ) SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks

18 ( 21 ) ON THE LINE Graham Nash

19 ( NEW ) PAPER MOON Nemo (aka Jonathan King)

20 ( 14 ) ON THE RUN Scorched Earth

 

21 ( NEW ) SHANG A LANG Bay City Rollers

22 ( NEW ) RED DRESS Alvin Stardust

23 ( 24 ) SIDESHOW Allan Clarke

24 ( 26 ) ONLY FOR THE CHILDREN The Stylistics

25 ( 27 ) ROCK 'N' ROLL SUICIDE David Bowie

26 ( 11 ) THE MAN WHO TURNED ON THE WORLD Friends Of St Francis

27 ( 15 ) REMEMBER (YOU'RE A WOMBLE) The Wombles

28 ( NEW ) GETTING OVER YOU Andy Williams

29 ( NEW ) SPIDERS AND SNAKES Jim Stafford

30 ( NEW ) COME AND GET YOUR LOVE Redbone

 

 

31 ( 12 ) LET ME PUT MY SPELL ON YOU Merlin

32 ( 16 ) MR NATURAL The Bee Gees

33 ( 17 ) HOMELY GIRL The Chi-Lites

34 ( 19 ) I KNOW WHAT I LIKE (IN YOUR WARDROBE) Genesis

35 ( 20 ) I GET A LITTLE SENTIMENTAL The New Seekers

36 ( 23 ) THE GOLDEN AGE OF ROCK 'N' ROLL Mott The Hoople

37 ( 25 ) I SEE A STAR Mouth and MacNeal

38 ( 28 ) W.O.L.D. Harry Chapin

39 ( 29 ) HELP ME Joni Mitchell

40 ( 30 ) ANGEL FACE The Glitter Band

Edited by Popchartfreak

  • Author

30th April 1974

 

2 weeks for Wizzard at 1, presiding over a static chart, being as I was mad on all of the Top 3. The Rubettes re-entered at 6 as it finally started to sell and thus became eligible to re-enter having been cruelly evicted early under my daft rules which penalised non-UK-chart records. Of course it went on to top the UK charts - but not mine! There I’ve given it away!

 

Alvin, up at 7, a Mansfield lad, and his 3rd top ten in a row with the good glam Red Dress. New ones? Barry White’s relative flop single amongst a run of hits, Honey Please Can’t Ya See was actually as good as the hits, so probably Radio 1 chose not to play it. It charted at 25 in mine, and I’m right. Better, though, was the new entry at 27, the title track off the album, and follow-up to biggest record of 1974 so far (Jet), Band On The Run quietly brought it’s grand and gentle charms into the chart. The style of ballad, huge crescendo, gentle end on a long unedited single popped up the following year on a track nobody recalls, Boheme Rhapperseedee I think it was called. If ever a track could be called Epic, it’s Band On The Run. Macca was on fire!

 

Alan Price was back on one of his regular come-back hit sojourns, with his ode to home and the famous Jarrow March, The Jarrow Song, all brass-band and sweeping charm. His best tracks, it has to be said, were in the 60’s though. Ike & Tina finally get a follow-up hit to the eternal Nutbush City Limits - at least in my charts that is, rockin’ it big with a song about a chicken. I’m sure it’s poultry of some sort...! Finally, at 30, Arrows, UK-based US-hit-machine-protegees of Chinn-Chapman who were starting to show signs of being past their peak (too many acts vying for the songs!). One of Arrows B Sides eventually became a monster hit though - for Joan Jett. Yes, I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll was one a rare Chinnychap missfire, really shoulda been an A side boys. The link with Joan Jett is Suzi Quatro. Joan loved Suzi, Suzi was Chinn-Chapman’s star lady, Joan Jett gets their song big sales.

 

1 ( 1 ) ROCK 'N' ROLL WINTER Wizzard

2 ( 2 ) WATERLOO Abba

3 ( 3 ) THIS TOWN AIN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US Sparks

4 ( 6 ) T.S.O.P. (THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA) M.F.S.B. (featuring the Three Degrees)

5 ( 8 ) JUDY TEEN Cockney Rebel

6 ( RE ) SUGAR BABY LOVE The Rubettes

7 ( 22 ) RED DRESS Alvin Stardust

8 ( 4 ) LUCINDA Howard Werth

9 ( 9 ) HOOKED ON A FEELING Blue Swede

10 ( 5 ) TEEN WAVE Ricky Wilde

 

11 ( 12 ) I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THE FEELING Buffy Sainte-Marie

12 ( 15 ) THE YEAR OF DECISION The Three Degrees

13 ( 13 ) MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL Stevie Wonder

14 ( 21 ) SHANG A LANG Bay City Rollers

15 ( 18 ) ON THE LINE Graham Nash

16 ( 26 ) THE MAN WHO TURNED ON THE WORLD Friends Of St Francis

17 ( 10 ) THE CAT CREPT IN Mud

18 ( 19 ) PAPER MOON Nemo (aka Jonathan King)

19 ( 16 ) DOCTOR'S ORDERS Sunny

20 ( 17 ) SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks

 

 

21 ( 20 ) ON THE RUN Scorched Earth

22 ( 29 ) SPIDERS AND SNAKES Jim Stafford

23 ( 11 ) BENNY AND THE JETS Elton John

24 ( 31 ) LET ME PUT MY SPELL ON YOU Merlin

25 ( NEW ) HONEY PLEASE CAN'T YA SEE Barry White

26 ( 37 ) I SEE A STAR Mouth and MacNeal

27 ( NEW ) BAND ON THE RUN Paul McCartney & Wings

28 ( NEW ) THE JARROW SONG Alan Price

29 ( NEW ) RHODE ISLAND RED Ike & Tina Turner

30 ( NEW ) A TOUCH TOO MUCH Arrows

 

 

31 ( 7 ) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE Queen

32 ( 14 ) SEVEN DEADLY FINS Eno

33 ( 23 ) SIDESHOW Allan Clarke

34 ( 24 ) ONLY FOR THE CHILDREN The Stylistics

35 ( 25 ) ROCK 'N' ROLL SUICIDE David Bowie

36 ( 27 ) REMEMBER (YOU'RE A WOMBLE) The Wombles

37 ( 28 ) GETTING OVER YOU Andy Williams

38 ( 30 ) COME AND GET YOUR LOVE Redbone

39 ( NEW ) I CAN'T STOP The Osmonds

40 ( NEW ) YOU ARE EVERYTHING Marvin Gaye & Diana Ross

 

Edited by Popchartfreak

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Author

7th May 1974

 

Exams were very much flavour of the month, both CSE’s and GCE O Levels. I ended up doing CSE’s, on the grounds that I’d changed schools inconveniently about 7 months before and the syllabus wasn’t the same as North Kesteven. Boo hoo for me, though it did spread out the revising times (of the few notes I had) over a longer period which meant I could stay at home and revise to Radio One and Radio Luxembourg (many of the obscure chart entries come from them). How did I do? Glad you asked. Took months to get the results, but I got grade 1 for CSE Maths and French (O level equivalent grades) and passed in O levels, English Language, Geography, I think.

 

My fave comic book Legion Of Super Heroes was well revitalised by now, so it came as a shock to me that they actually killed off one of the heroes, Invisible Kid. Sounds petty, but heroes just didn’t killed in comic books, it wasn’t the done thing when they’d been around for over 10 years. These days they kill off superheroes on a monthly basis and re-invent them monthly too. Invisible Kid, however, stayed dead, despite being previous leader of the Legion and a popular character. He’s still dead. Of course so is the rest of the Legion now, those DC toads killed them off years ago in a pathetic attempt to start from scratch which failed, not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times in 20 years. Think Marvels’ Avengers and X-Men movies, combined, and that’s the Legion, who were there first. Marvel were the copies, there’s no justice sometimes...

 

Pop music: (at last). Sparks finally do it, after playing subordinate to Abba and Wizzard for 4 weeks, overhaul them both and properly start their career. Fab! Barry White gets to 11 with his flop UK single (it’s good) just ahead of the UK success of Seals & Croft’s song as performed (way better) by the Isley Brothers, Summer Breeze highest new entry at 12 and it’s still brilliant guitar-soul.

 

In at 13, The Locomotion. Not Kylie, no. Not Little Eva either (she’d peaked Top 3 in 1972 already). No, this was a plodding heavy pop metal cover from Grand Funk that inexplicably hit big in the USA and my charts - I think it was the novelty value of being a totally different cover version. Smiffy at 15, Tranquility at 20, Melanie at 30, all obscure radio faves that sold about 6 copies each. I never managed to find copies, and haven’t heard them for 40 years, so I’m going to treat myself right now - if I can find them on youtube. Back in a jiffy!

 

Smiffy is pedestrian glam rock. Tranquility is not on the net, sadly, but was their final single release (harmony folkrock) before splitting up. Songwriter Terry Shaddick apparently went on to co-write Physical for Olivia Newton-John, so he prob made a few bob out of it. Melanie’s track is OK, and her final john-chart-hit for 9 years. Showaddywaddy. TV talent-show winners with a record deal, who’d’a thought of that eh? 50’s throwback stylee, this debut hit was actually glamtastically stomping singalong fun. In other words utterly unlike 21st century talent show winners, give or take the odd Olly Murs.

 

Quo drop by trying to break the rules, but sounding like their earlier boogie hits instead, so pretty much sticking to the rules. Gigliola Cinquetti finally charts some weeks after Eurovision. This one was the main opposition to Abba and Mouth Macneal in the contest (and Olivia) and it was a slow ballad, so I hated it on principle for doing so well against my newly-beloved Abba. After it became the latest of 4 eurovision big hits in 1974, it kinda grew on me. It’s very MOR Italian big ballad, but it’s gorgeous!! Still.

 

1 ( 3 ) THIS TOWN AIN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US Sparks

2 ( 1 ) ROCK 'N' ROLL WINTER Wizzard

3 ( 2 ) WATERLOO Abba

4 ( 4 ) T.S.O.P. (THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA) M.F.S.B. (featuring the Three Degrees)

5 ( 5 ) JUDY TEEN Cockney Rebel

6 ( 6 ) SUGAR BABY LOVE The Rubettes

7 ( 8 ) LUCINDA Howard Werth

8 ( 7 ) RED DRESS Alvin Stardust

9 ( 9 ) HOOKED ON A FEELING Blue Swede

10 ( 22 ) BENNY AND THE JETS Elton John

 

11 ( 24 ) HONEY PLEASE CAN'T YA SEE Barry White

12 ( NEW ) SUMMER BREEZE The Isley Brothers

13 ( NEW ) THE LOCOMOTION Grand Funk Railroad

14 ( 34 ) ONLY FOR THE CHILDREN The Stylistics

15 ( NEW ) SEE YA LATER (LITTLE BABY LOVE) Smiffy

16 ( 30 ) A TOUCH TOO MUCH Arrows

17 ( NEW ) HEY ROCK 'N' ROLL Showaddywaddy

18 ( 10 ) TEEN WAVE Ricky Wilde

19 ( 12 ) THE YEAR OF DECISION The Three Degrees

20 ( NEW ) MIDNIGHT FORTUNE Tranquility

 

21 ( NEW ) BREAK THE RULES Status Quo

22 ( RE ) I'LL TAKE YOU HOME AGAIN KATHLEEN Lieutenant Pigeon

23 ( NEW ) GO (BEFORE YOU BREAK MY HEART) Gigliola Cinquetti

24 ( 26 ) I SEE A STAR Mouth and MacNeal

25 ( 21 ) SPIDERS AND SNAKES Jim Stafford

26 ( 29 ) RHODE ISLAND RED Ike & Tina Turner

27 ( 16 ) THE CAT CREPT IN Mud

28 ( 15 ) THE MAN WHO TURNED ON THE WORLD Friends Of St Francis

29 ( 28 ) THE JARROW SONG Alan Price

30 ( NEW ) LOVE TO LOSE AGAIN Melanie

 

 

 

31 ( 11 ) I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THE FEELING Buffy Sainte-Marie

32 ( 13 ) MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL Stevie Wonder

33 ( 15 ) ON THE LINE Graham Nash

34 ( 14 ) SHANG A LANG Bay City Rollers

35 ( 17 ) PAPER MOON Nemo (aka Jonathan King)

36 ( 19 ) SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks

37 ( 18 ) DOCTOR'S ORDERS Sunny

38 ( 20 ) ON THE RUN Scorched Earth

39 ( 27 ) BAND ON THE RUN Paul McCartney & Wings

40 ( NEW ) THE NIGHT CHICAGO DIED Paper Lace

Edited by Popchartfreak

Hello, John

 

Eurovision 1974 is my favourite contest ever :wub: , even not only because ABBA and Olivia. If my charts were compiled in 1974, I could easily have 5 different Eurovision songs at # 1 (mentioned "Waterloo", "Long Live Life" + also German "Die Sommermelodie", Irish "Cross Your Heart" and Norwegian "The First Day of Love")

 

Also love "Keep Me Warm", "Bye Bye I Love You" (first entry composed by Eurovision veteran Ralph Siegel) and "Mein Ruf Nach Dir".

 

There is my full ranking . Top 9 is very good.

01. ABBA - Waterloo (Sweden)

02. Cindy and Bert - Die Sommermelodie (Germany)

03. Tina Reynolds - Cross Your Heart (Ireland)

04. Anne-Karine Strom - The First Day Of Love (Norway)

05. Olivia Newton-John - Long Live Love (United Kingdom)

06. Ireen Sheer - Bye, Bye, I Love You (Luxembourg)

07. Carita Holmstrom - Keep Me Warm (Finland)

08. Mouth and MacNeal - I See A Star (Netherlands)

09. Piera Martell - Mein Ruf Nach Dir (Switzerland)

10. Jacques Hustin - Fleur De Liberte (Belgium)

11. Gigliola Cinquetti - Si (Italy)

12. Romuald - Celui Qui Reste Et Celui Qui S'en Va (Monaco)

13. Paulo De Carvalho - E Depois Do Adeus (Portugal)

14. Korni Grupa - Moja Generacija (Yugoslavia)

15. Peret - Canta Y Se Feliz (Spain)

16. Kaveret - Natati La'khayay (Israel)

17. Marinella - Krasi, Thalasa Ke T' Agori Mou (Greece)

 

I'm never was a fan of Italian Eurovision songs. :)

 

Recap of all ESC 1974 songs here :

 

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