An interesting final group of the year with no fewer than 4 instrumental hits, all of which are nice and some of which are beautiful. There’s no doubt about the classic coming out on top though.

 

9 America A Horse With No Name Only Top 40 for this English-American folk trio and a US #1: it's a beautiful sultry song with wistful lyrics about escaping

8 Johnny Pearson Orchestra Sleepy Shores He also had a big hit with Sounds Orchestral and this beautiful piece with piano and strings was the theme to "Owen, M. D."

8 John Barry Theme From 'The Persuaders' Last hit for this composer with a crime drama tune: I love the metallic sound to the main tune and it has an air of intrigue

7 Faces Stay With Me 1st hit for them written by Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, and a strong classic song that has been covered numerous times

7 Middle Of The Road Soley Soley Written by a Spanish composer and my favourite of theirs and their last big hit, this is catchy and has a real sweetness to it

6 Ronnie Dyson When You Get Right Down To It Only hit for this US singer with a Delfonics cover: he has a beautiful voice and this is done in a very soulful and classy way

6 Val Doonican Morning A cover but one of Val's better hits here with dramatic chanted multi-tracked verses and very effective use of the violins

5 San Remo Strings Festival Time Only hit for this US instrumental group comprising a whole orchestra: it's a very jolly and catchy number with a festival feel

5 The New Seekers I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony) 308th #1 conceived as a Coca-Cola advert jingle and then turned into a full song: it's a sweet albeit an unchallenging track

4 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Theme From 'The Onedin Line' The piece is by composer Khachaturian used as a BBC drama theme: it's good but I don't love classical music out of context

3 New World Kara Kara A similar style to "Tom-Tom Turnaround" with a catchy chorus that could be sung round a campfire, but not that interesting

3 Cat Stevens Morning Has Broken Originally a 1931 Christian hymn here tuned into an international hit: not really my cup of tea of Yusuf does do a nice job

2 Melanie Brand New Key Her biggest hit and a US #1 that will be parodied as "Combine Harvester"; a good tune but these original lyrics are very naff

2 Neil Reid Mother Of Mine Only Top 40 for this "Opportunity Knocks" child star who also had a #1 album; he can certainly sing but this is quite shrill

 

 

America were US forces kids living in the UK who got Neil Young's dad to compliment him on his best record when he heard it on the radio - oops! It's classic though, love it still and America went over to the USA and the UK turned their back on them chart-wise despite a series of great singles right into the 80's. 10/10 Under-rated here. Owen MD had the playground joke that appealed to kids at the time: Janet (the elderly house-keeper, in Scottish accent): "Dr Finlay, Dr Finlay, I've got heart-burn!" Dr. Finlay: "Janet, it's not heart-burn, get your t*t out of my soup". I'm sure kids dont have jokes that bad these days.... :teresa: This melody is lovely though, I like it even more than I did at the time. 7/10

 

The Persuaders TV show had the fab Tony Curtis and suave Roger Moore as a big-star draw for a UK comedy-crime romp aimed at the US market with big backing and filmed in colour on film, ITV - the BBC didnt have the cash for that! The John Barry theme remains brilliant, as does almost everything he did. TBH it was better than the TV show, much as I adored Tony Curtis. 9/10. The Faces was a good rocker in contrast to Rod's ballad solo stuff. 7/10. Soley Soley was Middle Of The Road's loveliest single, great tune, and Soley was my grandma's adopted surname in her later years - though not legally, it was just frowned on to live in "sin" in those days but she had already been widowed twice at a young age and wasn't doing that again. 9/10.

 

Ronnie Dyson's cover was a great song, nice singer 7/10. Val's Morning was his last good record, quite unusual, 5/10, Festival Time is one I never heard on the radio at the time (must have been a TV or Radio 2 track), and it didn't impress me in 2021 apparently, either. The New Seekers was a huge tune, and a second chart-topper for The New Seekers for me, but time has not been kind - 7/10. The advert remains iconic and ahead of it's time as all adverts now follow the template laid down 53 years ago with a multi-ethnic "cast".

 

Mum loved The Onedin Line and most historical dramas, and the theme tune was mildly pleasant but un-memorable. 4/10. Kara Kara sounded like a traditional camp-fire singalong but it wasn't. Quite catchy though. 6/10. Morning Has Broken, a school assembly tune made acceptable from a pop star that switched from one religion to another and gave up his career to do so. Before accepting that popular music was pretty positive PR for one getting a bad name thanks to fundamentalists. I can't get past the school assemblies though 4/10.

 

Brand New Key was quirky and catchy and an instant chart-topper for me at the time, but again time hasnt been as kind thanks to the bloody Wurzels, though Melanie had better songs. Still like it though 8/10. Mother Of Mine just made me cringe as a 14-year-old. And as a 64-year-old. 2/10.

Average score for 1971 was 5.31 which must be the lowest for a while. I suspect the next few years won’t have huge average scores either.

 

Gold medal for year: Your Song - Elton John

Silver medal for year: Have You Ever Seen The Rain? - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Bronze medal for year: Get It On - T.Rex

 

Also scoring 9s:

Riders On the Storm - The Doors

My Sweet Lord - George Harrison

Back Street Luv - Curved Air

A Horse With No Name - America

Theme From ‘Shaft’ - Isaac Heyes

Double Barrel - Dave And Ansil Collins

Hot Love - T Rex

It’s Too Late / I Can Feel The Earth Move - Carole King

Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield

He’s Gonna Step On You Again - John Kongos

Run, Baby Run (Back Into My Arms) - The Newbeats

 

Worst hit of the year: Ray Stevens is very close but just pipped by Good Old Arsenal - The Arsenal 1st Team Squad.

1972 Group 1:

 

#3874 08/01/1972 Sly And The Family Stone Family Affair 15 39-30-22-23-{15}-19-18-31->8

#3875 08/01/1972 Al Green Let's Stay Together 7 41-29-17-10-9-{7}-10-12-20-26-31-41->12

#3876 08/01/1972 Martha Reeves And The Vandellas Bless You 33 47-39-{33}-40-42->5

#3877 08/01/1972 Donnie Elbert Where Did Our Love Go 8 49-28-16-{8}-8-12-19-22-31-44->10

#3878 08/01/1972 Greyhound Moon River 12 50-33-24-15-{12}-14-12-23-27-40-44->11

#3879 15/01/1972 Barry Ryan Can't Let You Go 32 34-34-{32}-40-43->5

#3880 15/01/1972 Bread Baby I'm A-Want You 14 38-28-20-{14}-18-15-25-29-39-48->10

#3881 15/01/1972 The Chi-Lites Have You Seen Her 3 40-27-17-7-5-{3}-6-6-14-24-29-45->12

#3882 15/01/1972 The Pioneers Give And Take 35 41-{35}-36-37-42-47->6

#3883 15/01/1972 Sonny And Cher All I Ever Need Is You 8 42-30-19-16-10-{8}-11-18-24-28-48-38->12

#3884 15/01/1972 Shirley Bassey Diamonds Are Forever 38 49-46-43-39-{38}-44->6

#3885 22/01/1972 Stevie Wonder If You Really Love Me 20 37-25-22-22-{20}-20-43->7

#3886 22/01/1972 Don McLean American Pie 2 49-27-17-15-6-3-{2}-2-2-3-4-7-16-22-37-37->16

#3887 29/01/1972 T.Rex Telegram Sam 1 3-{1}-1-2-2-14-18-25-36-44-48-47->12

#3888 29/01/1972 Chicory Tip Son Of My Father 1 30-11-2-{1}-1-1-3-4-12-16-25-30-32->13

We’re back here after 9 months! We’ll see how 1972 pans out but this is in fact an excellent 1st group where most of the top half with quite a lot of songs that are classics of their genre.

9	Don McLean	American Pie	1st hit for this US artist and a fabulous 8 minute  folk crossover hit with wonderful storytelling and captivating lyrics
9	Al Green	Let's Stay Together	His 1st hit was oddly bigger than this follow up here, but this was a US #1 and it's a magical, beautifully delivered soul song
8	T.Rex	Telegram Sam	309th #1: their 5th straight Top 2, very much in the "Get It On" style but also excellent with its own intriguing poetic story
8	Sly And The Family Stone	Family Affair	A US #1 and a pioneering funk soul record with electronica gently bubbling alongside Sly's deep and rich mournful vocals
8	Shirley Bassey	Diamonds Are Forever	From the Bond film of the same name, this is great and Shirley excels with this kind of high drama show tune style track
7	Chicory Tip	Son Of My Father	310th#1: 1st hit for this UK band with a track originally in German; the 1st #1 to use a synthesiser and a lovely vibrant song
7	The Chi-Lites	Have You Seen Her	1st big hit for them and a soul classic: the sung parts and harmonies are gorgeous and the hopeless spoken part works well
6	Barry Ryan	Can't Let You Go	His last hit: a bouncy piano led number with a strong tune very well delivered, and an enjoyable saxophone interlude
6	Stevie Wonder	If You Really Love Me	An interesting track with a slowed down verse and upbeat chorus: not his best but Stevie brings a lot of character to it
6	Sonny And Cher	All I Ever Need Is You	Their last hit as a duo with a Ray Charles song: a very sweet version of this ballad though it's clear who has the star quality
5	Greyhound	Moon River	A nice cover here that I much prefer to "Black And White": a more upbeat soul style take on the song with sweet harmonies
5	Bread	Baby I'm A-Want You	Another hit in their easy listening style with a falsetto heavy chorus: it's fine but sounds rather like a Bee Gees throwaway
4	Donnie Elbert	Where Did Our Love Go	1st hit for this US soul singer: it's a fairly inessential cover although I do like the performance and his falsetto is strong
3	Martha Reeves And The Vandellas	Bless You	Last hit for Martha and group in a Jackson 5 style: they give it a soulful performance but the song isn't strong enough
3	The Pioneers	Give And Take	Their last Top 40: there's nothing unpleasant about this happy go lucky song about compromise but it's pretty forgettable

1972 Group 2:

#3889	29/01/1972	The Fortunes	Storm In A Teacup	7	35-23-16-9-{7}-8-11-14-22-30-44->11
#3890	29/01/1972	Bee Gees	My World	16	38-26-20-17-{16}-16-20-29-38->9
#3891	29/01/1972	Badfinger	Day After Day	10	45-28-17-13-{10}-10-13-16-23-49-50->11
#3892	05/02/1972	Slade	Look Wot You Dun	4	25-9-{4}-4-4-8-13-18-28-38->10
#3893	05/02/1972	The Sweet	Poppa Joe	11	46-30-26-14-{11}-12-12-17-22-28-38-41->12
#3894	05/02/1972	The Temptations	Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)	32	47-36-{32}-38-46->5
#3895	05/02/1972	Holly Sherwood	Day By Day (Godspell Medley)	29	48-31-{29}-29-30-34-39->7
#3896	05/02/1972	Jonathan King	Flirt	22	49-37-34-30-26-{22}-23-27-46->9
#3897	05/02/1972	Nilsson	Without You	1	50-27-16-5-3-{1}-1-1-1-1-2-2-3-10-15-26-30-36-49-41->20
#3898	12/02/1972	Michael Jackson	Got To Be There	5	39-22-8-{5}-6-7-8-10-22-27-33->11
#3899	12/02/1972	Colin Blunstone	Say You Don't Mind	15	47-31-28-17-17-{15}-30-36-46->9
#3900	12/02/1972	Jimi Hendrix	Johnny B. Goode	35	50-39-{35}-42-45->5
#3901	19/02/1972	Paul Simon	Mother And Child Reunion	5	28-17-7-7-{5}-6-8-14-22-30-48-46->12
#3902	19/02/1972	Peter Straker And The Hands Of Dr Teleny	The Spirit Is Willing	40	41-43-{40}-48->4
#3903	19/02/1972	Les Crane	Desiderata	7	49-50-37-23-20-9-{7}-9-9-12-19-30-37-44->14

'American Pie', 'Let's Stay Together' and 'Telegram Sam' all great so good top picks from that week. 'Diamonds Are Forever' is a classic too. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of 'Have You Seen Her' though.

Great start to 1972, especially 'American Pie' and 'Family Affair' - when I listened to the former for the first time, it was unlike anything I'd previously heard with its many verses and references to popular musical history. The latter is a classic of soul that may have influenced Prince's vocal styling.