26th May 1973

 

It's a bloody invasion of classics with the entire top 3 new in, headed by Bobby Goldsboro's best record by quite a stretch, the sultry and laid-back Summer, The First Time out on release in the States. Paul McCartney enters at 2 with Wings, and his epic theme tune to the new James Bond film Live And Let Die - not the greatest Bond film by any stretch, but it gave new Bond Roger Moore the big start it needed, and it's definitely the 2nd best Bond theme (after Nancy Sinatra). Note the reggae bits were written by Linda McCartney and the varied mix all worked, Macca's best song since 1971, and higher than old mate George. That leaves the last great T.Rex single to enter at 3, The Groover didn't hang around in the charts and it was generally seen to be Bolan's first mis-step since T.Rex hit the charts, but it's still fab.

 

That means Chairmen Of The Board have to settle for going up to 4 with the fab funk, and Apollo 100's version of Jet Harris' version of Besame Mucho is at 5. It rocks. 50 years ago Virgin Records dropped it's first album, an obscure little solo project from a teenager called Tubular Bells. Largely instrumental, it was the springboard to a folkrock career for Mike Oldfield and the start of megabucks for Richard Branson, owner of the label, who (and this would have sounded like science fiction then) has spent money on attempting to build space rockets. The album is basically 2 multi-faceted long tracks, side 1 and side 2, and when they did bother to release a single it bizarrely ignored the segments that caused a sensation when they were used in The Exorcist later in the year, still the most disturbing film I've seen, and it also ignored what I have always veiwed as the "money-shot" the last 7 or 8 minutes of side 1, with Viv Stanshall of Bonzo Dog fame introducing each instrument one by one as it builds to a crescendo climax. Just brilliant, and in at 8.

 

Talking of folk albums, ex-Teacher Clifford T. Ward drops his album Home Thoughts, long a fave of Radio 2 DJ Terry Wogan, and on it there are the first 2 singles, Gaye is new at 10 and is still sweetly orchestral gorgeous, and the follow-up which flopped, and I have no idea when it came out so it's charting now as an album track, Wherewithall. I liked it, but I never charted it at the time. New at 71 50 years later. 3 more gems pop in side by side at 20 (Mott The Hoople's second hit single Honaloochie Boogie) 21 (Nazareth's next single off the new album, Bad Bad Boy) and 22 (Dave Edmunds following up chart-topper Baby I Love You with Born To Be With You a 50's cover done Phil Spector style again).

 

Paul Simon has a new album out, but the UK went for a different (much better) single than The States: Take Me To The Mardi Gras is full on New Orleans laid-back jazz, new at 43, and down the bottom end of the chart, there's a blues ballad from Ray Charles, The Temptations keeping the run going, ditto The Delfonics, and the B Side to The Groover, gives Marc Bolan a Midnight 5th on the chart.

1 ( NEW ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

2 ( NEW ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

3 ( NEW ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 3

4 ( 11 ) FINDERS KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board # 4

5 ( 13 ) BESAME MUCHO - Apollo 100 # 5

6 ( 4 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

7 ( 6 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

8 ( NEW ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 8

9 ( 2 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac # 2

10 ( NEW ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 10

 

11 ( 5 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

12 ( 1 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

13 ( 7 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

14 ( 3 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

15 ( 12 ) ANOTHER WITHOUT YOU DAY - Miki Anthony # 12

16 ( 8 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

17 ( 18 ) GIVE ME LOVE (GIVE ME PEACE ON EARTH) - George Harrison # 17

18 ( 9 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro # 1

19 ( 14 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

20 ( NEW ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 20

 

21 ( NEW ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 21

22 ( NEW ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 22

23 ( 16 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’ - The Doobie Brothers # 8

24 ( 28 ) WELCOME HOME - Peters & Lee # 24

25 ( 10 ) WONDERFUL DREAM - Anne-Marie David # 10

26 ( 15 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate # 1

27 ( 20 ) THE MORNING AFTER - Maureen McGovern # 20

28 ( 27 ) THE PRETTIEST STAR (’73) - David Bowie # 27

29 ( 23 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy & Starring Shirley Jones # 7

30 ( 17 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia # 1

 

31 ( 22 ) I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White # 1

32 ( 55 ) HELLO STRANGER - Fire and Rain # 32

33 ( 19 ) THE WORLD IS A CIRCLE - Lost Horizon Original Soundtrack # 19

34 ( 25 ) 20th CENTURY BOY - T.Rex # 1

35 ( 34 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

36 ( 43 ) GUAVA JELLY - Johnny Nash # 36

37 ( 35 ) NATURAL HIGH - Bloodstone # 1

38 ( 24 ) CRACKED ACTOR - David Bowie # 15

39 ( 33 ) DRIVE-IN SATURDAY - David Bowie # 3

40 ( 49 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka # 40

 

41 ( 57 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross # 41

42 ( 36 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head # 10

43 ( NEW ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon # 43

44 ( 40 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

45 ( 32 ) BAD WEATHER - The Supremes # 14

46 ( 37 ) ELECTRIC SLIM & THE FACTORY HEN - T.Rex # 19

47 ( 31 ) FOREVER AND EVER - Demis Roussos # 11

48 ( 21 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt Kickers # 14

49 ( 71 ) IF YOU GOTTA BREAK ANOTHER HEART - Albert Hammond # 49

50 ( 26 ) DANCIN’ (ON A SATURDAY NIGHT) - Barry Blue # 26

 

51 ( 52 ) MY HEART KEEPS BREAKING - The Chi-Lites # 51

52 ( 62 ) MUSIC AND ME - Michael Jackson # 52

53 ( 50 ) YOU’LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN (IF YOU BREAK MY HEART) - The Stylistics # 50

54 ( 56 ) ONE OF A KIND (LOVE AFFAIR) - The Detroit Spinners # 54

55 ( 41 ) HELLO, HELLO, I’M BACK AGAIN - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 9

56 ( 51 ) SOLID GOLD EASY ACTION - T.Rex # 1

57 ( 45 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice # 1

58 ( 46 ) CRAZY - Mud # 1

59 ( 47 ) WISHING WELL - Free # 1

60 ( 60 ) ROOF TOP SINGING - New World # 60

 

61 ( 42 ) ACROSS 110TH STREET - Bobby Womack and Peace # 2

62 ( 66 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - Carpenters # 62

63 ( 38 ) I LIKE YOU - Donovan # 30

64 ( 29 ) ISN’T IT ABOUT TIME - Stephen Stills & Manassas # 29

65 ( 44 ) DO THE STRAND - Roxy Music # 10

66 ( 54 ) UNION SILVER - Middle Of The Road # 8

67 ( 67 ) I DON’T NEED NO REASON - Junior Walker & The All Stars # 67

68 ( 30 ) I’LL ALWAYS LOVE MY MAMA - The Intruders # 20

69 ( 39 ) HAIL - Redbone # 37

70 ( 72 ) TIME TO GET DOWN - The O’Jays # 70

 

71 ( NEW ) WHEREWITHALL - Clifford T. Ward # 71

72 ( 48 ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis # 19

73 ( 53 ) I’M DOIN’ FINE NOW - New York City # 9

74 ( 68 ) STIR IT UP - Bob Marley & The Wailers # 68

75 ( 63 ) BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY - Bette Midler # 63

76 ( NEW ) I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY (BUT OH THOSE LONELY NIGHTS) - Ray Charles # 76

77 ( 69 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The HotShots # 69

78 ( NEW ) THE PLASTIC MAN - The Temptations # 78

79 ( NEW ) MIDNIGHT - T.Rex # 79

80 ( NEW ) I DON’T WANT TO MAKE YOU WAIT - The Delfonics # 80

 

 

26th May 1973 My weekly chart of that week then...

 

It's 4 weeks on top for Wizzard, and 3 at 2 for The Sweet, as new threats emerge from Suzi Quatro, Can The Canning at 3, Stevie spreading sunshine at 4, Lou Reed Walking on the wild side at 5 and 10CC trying for a second chart-topper at 6 with Rubber Bullets. Detroit Emeralds make it 2 top 10's in a row and The Partridge Family make it 8 top 10's, plus 2 more for David Cassidy.

 

Cliff's flop Eurovision potential Tomorrow Rising pops in at 23, The Hot Shots reggae-fy the 1967 hit for the Royal Guardsmen, Snoopy Vs The Red Baron, and I adored everything to do with Snoopy and Peanuts, had the posters on my wall later in the decade at College, bought the books, cut out the daily cartoons from the Daily Mail when I could find them (ie without actually buying them). New in at 24 one ahead of Junior Campbell's follow-up hit Sweet Illusions. That leaves Neil Sedaka getting a 4th hit inside a year with Standing On The Inside, a bitter but defiant triumphant return to the top after years in the wilderness.

 

Out at the cinema? Lost Horizon musical, Live And Let Die, James Bond with new lead actor Roger Moore, and in music events, the Virgin Record label debuted with an odd little album called Tubular Bells from a teenager Mike Oldfield. I wonder what happened to Richard Branson, owner of the label?

 

 

1 ( 1 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard

2 ( 2 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet

3 ( 22 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro

4 ( 23 ) YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE - Stevie Wonder

5 ( 25 ) WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Lou Reed

6 ( 24 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC

7 ( 3 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head

8 ( 13 ) YOU WANT IT YOU GOT - The Detroit Emeralds

9 ( 8 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners

10 ( 26 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family

 

11 ( 4 ) GOOD GRIEF CHRISTINA - Chicory Tip

12 ( 5 ) BROKENDOWN ANGEL - Nazereth

13 ( 9 ) NO MORE MR NICE GUY - Alice Cooper

14 ( 10 ) MEAN GIRL - Status Quo

15 ( 16 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate

16 ( 12 ) DRIVE-IN SATURDAY - David Bowie

17 ( 11 ) TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE - Dawn

18 ( 19 ) HELLO HELLO I’M BACK AGAIN - Gary Glitter

19 ( 18 ) 2001 (ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA) - Deodata

20 ( 27 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

 

 

21 ( 21 ) TALK OF THE U.S.A. - Middle Of The Road

22 ( 29 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice

23 ( NEW ) TOMORROW RISING - Cliff Richard

24 ( NEW ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The Hot Shots

25 ( NEW ) SWEET ILLUSIONS - Junior Campbell

26 ( 6 ) CRAZY - Mud

27 ( NEW ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka

28 ( 7 ) I AM A CLOWN - David Cassidy

29 ( 14 ) ALL BECAUSE OF YOU - Geordie

30 ( 15 ) PYJAMARAMA - Roxy Music

 

2nd June 1973

 

It's up to the top spot for Marc Bolan and gang, and that makes another hat-trick of chart-toppers for T.Rex, as The Groover becomes the 8th retro number one, with a challenge from Mike Oldfield at 2, side one of Tubular Bells just ahead of Clifford T. Ward's Gaye, and other top 10 climbers from Dave Edmunds, his 3rd top 10 at 7, Nazareth's first at 8, and Mott's 2nd at 9. The top end of the chart continues to be manic with 2 more new entries just missing the top 10 - Paul Simon's next single of his new Rhymin' Simon album, Loves Me Like A Rock at 22 proves gospel takes the edge over his New Orleans Jazz-blues at 25, and the highest new one the final big record for Blue Mink, who are feeling a bit Randy at 21. Always did amuse me, that.

 

It's another rock goodie for The Osmonds, as Goin' Home is new at 33, their 6th chart entry as a group, and The New Seekers waste no time with yet another ballad new at 51, Goodbye Is Just Another Word. Geordie make it 3 in a row as Can You Do It enters at 68, and The Four Tops are Man Enough at 74.

 

 

1 ( 3 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

2 ( 1 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

3 ( 8 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

4 ( 10 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 4

5 ( 2 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

6 ( 5 ) BESAME MUCHO - Apollo 100 # 5

7 ( 22 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 7

8 ( 21 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

9 ( 20 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

10 ( 6 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

 

11 ( 4 ) FINDERS KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board # 4

12 ( 11 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

13 ( 7 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

14 ( 12 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

15 ( 13 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

16 ( 16 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

17 ( 14 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

18 ( 9 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac # 2

19 ( 15 ) ANOTHER WITHOUT YOU DAY - Miki Anthony # 12

20 ( 19 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

 

21 ( NEW ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 21

22 ( NEW ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 22

23 ( 23 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’ - The Doobie Brothers # 8

24 ( 24 ) WELCOME HOME - Peters & Lee # 24

25 ( 43 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon # 25

26 ( 17 ) GIVE ME LOVE (GIVE ME PEACE ON EARTH) - George Harrison # 17

27 ( 18 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro # 1

28 ( 29 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy & Starring Shirley Jones # 7

29 ( 26 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate # 1

30 ( 41 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross # 30

 

31 ( 32 ) HELLO STRANGER - Fire and Rain # 31

32 ( 40 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka # 32

33 ( NEW ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds # 33

34 ( 30 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia # 1

35 ( 31 ) I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White # 1

36 ( 35 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

37 ( 34 ) 20th CENTURY BOY - T.Rex # 1

38 ( 25 ) WONDERFUL DREAM - Anne-Marie David # 10

39 ( 27 ) THE MORNING AFTER - Maureen McGovern # 20

40 ( 67 ) I DON’T NEED NO REASON - Junior Walker & The All Stars # 40

 

41 ( 51 ) MY HEART KEEPS BREAKING - The Chi-Lites # 41

42 ( 49 ) IF YOU GOTTA BREAK ANOTHER HEART - Albert Hammond # 42

43 ( 52 ) MUSIC AND ME - Michael Jackson # 43

44 ( 44 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

45 ( 42 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head # 10

46 ( 28 ) THE PRETTIEST STAR (’73) - David Bowie # 27

47 ( 53 ) YOU’LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN (IF YOU BREAK MY HEART) - The Stylistics # 47

48 ( 39 ) DRIVE-IN SATURDAY - David Bowie # 3

49 ( 48 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt Kickers # 14

50 ( 62 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - Carpenters # 50

 

51 ( NEW ) GOODBYE IS JUST ANOTHER WORD - The New Seekers featuring Eve Graham # 51

52 ( 46 ) ELECTRIC SLIM & THE FACTORY HEN - T.Rex # 19

53 ( 47 ) FOREVER AND EVER - Demis Roussos # 11

54 ( 71 ) WHEREWITHALL - Clifford T. Ward # 54

55 ( 33 ) THE WORLD IS A CIRCLE - Lost Horizon Original Soundtrack # 19

56 ( 36 ) GUAVA JELLY - Johnny Nash # 36

57 ( 50 ) DANCIN’ (ON A SATURDAY NIGHT) - Barry Blue # 26

58 ( 37 ) NATURAL HIGH - Bloodstone # 1

59 ( 56 ) SOLID GOLD EASY ACTION - T.Rex # 1

60 ( 45 ) BAD WEATHER - The Supremes # 14

 

61 ( 70 ) TIME TO GET DOWN - The O’Jays # 61

62 ( 54 ) ONE OF A KIND (LOVE AFFAIR) - The Detroit Spinners # 54

63 ( 59 ) WISHING WELL - Free # 1

64 ( 38 ) CRACKED ACTOR - David Bowie # 15

65 ( 60 ) ROOF TOP SINGING - New World # 60

66 ( 57 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice # 1

67 ( 55 ) HELLO, HELLO, I’M BACK AGAIN - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 9

68 ( NEW ) CAN YOU DO IT - Geordie # 68

69 ( 75 ) BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY - Bette Midler # 63

70 ( 76 ) I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY (BUT OH THOSE LONELY NIGHTS) - Ray Charles # 70

 

71 ( 78 ) THE PLASTIC MAN - The Temptations # 71

72 ( 58 ) CRAZY - Mud # 1

73 ( 77 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The HotShots # 69

74 ( NEW ) ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? - The Four Tops # 74

75 ( 79 ) MIDNIGHT - T.Rex # 75

 

 

2nd June 1973 Wot I Liked That Week Then

 

It's 5 weeks on top for Wizzard 50 years ago as I still played the single to death almost every day after school, but threats are merging from Stevie Wonder grabbing his highest-placed track to date at 2 for Sunshine Of My Life. First Choice go top 10 with the fabulous Armed And Extremely Dangerous at 8 and Dave Edmunds enters at 26 with his follow-up to a chart-topper, Born To Be With You, his 50's cover a la Phil Spector again. George Harrison gets his 3rd solo chart entry at 28 with Give Me Love (averaging one a year pretty much until 1976), new singer-songwriter soul-style Linda Lewis debuts Rock A Doodle Doo at 29, and the brilliant Gerry Rafferty is back with his 2nd chart entry, with Joe Egan as Stealers Wheel, the classic Stuck In The Middle at 30. Five years from now the greatest record of all-time will pop up...

 

 

1 ( 1 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard

2 ( 4 ) YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE - Stevie Wonder

3 ( 3 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro

4 ( 5 ) WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Lou Reed

5 ( 6 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC

6 ( 2 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet

7 ( 8 ) YOU WANT IT YOU GOT - The Detroit Emeralds

8 ( 22 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice

9 ( 7 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head

10 ( 11 ) GOOD GRIEF CHRISTINA - Chicory Tip

 

11 ( 10 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family

12 ( 9 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners

13 ( 12 ) BROKENDOWN ANGEL - Nazereth

14 ( 14 ) MEAN GIRL - Status Quo

15 ( 15 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate

16 ( 16 ) DRIVE-IN SATURDAY - David Bowie

17 ( 20 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

18 ( 13 ) NO MORE MR NICE GUY - Alice Cooper

19 ( 17 ) TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE - Dawn

20 ( 18 ) HELLO HELLO I’M BACK AGAIN - Gary Glitter

 

21 ( 21 ) TALK OF THE U.S.A. - Middle Of The Road

22 ( 25 ) SWEET ILLUSIONS - Junior Campbell

23 ( 24 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The Hot Shots

24 ( 27 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka

25 ( 19 ) 2001 (ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA) - Deodata

26 ( NEW ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

27 ( 23 ) TOMORROW RISING - Cliff Richard

28 ( NEW ) GIVE ME LOVE (GIVE ME PEACE ON EARTH) - George Harrison

29 ( NEW ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis

30 ( NEW ) STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU - Stealers Wheel

9th June 1973

 

It's 2 in a row as Mud debut with Hypnosis straight in at 1 again, following on the Tango Rock of Crazy. This was my huge record of the summer, replacing See My baby Jive, as I bought the single, played it to death during the hot summer lazy days off school at RAF Swinderby near Lincoln. I have memories of babysitting with my Transistor Radio to relieve the boredom while I sat outside listening to Radio Luxembourg's top 30, they generally were a week or 2 ahead of the BBC chart as they chucked out MOR records and novelties in their made-up chart, and put tracks between 31 and 50 going up into the 30 on a Tuesday evening at 9.

 

Clifford T. Ward is at 2 with the lovely Gaye, and Wherewithall at 30, it wasn't possible to suggest you liked Gaye to teenagers at the time as the word "Gay" had become appropriated as an acceptable alternative to the more usually offensive Queer or Pouf, the absolute worst insult you could make to someone who was 15, short of the "F" and "C" words inserted to boot. Happy days. Just mention it as I don't suffer from Rosy-tinted-glasses-itus as some of the older generations tend to do when looking back at schooldays.

 

In a quiet week, Helen Reddy gets a 3rd retro entry with the very singalong Delta Dawn, and Ms. Reddy still had another 18 months to wait before she finally landed a UK hit. We all knew her records, and her iconic I Am Woman debut, as Women's Rights was very much a thing then. The Pearls get a 4th entry with Yo Yo, Chris Andrews' song from 1970, neither version a hit. I loved his Yesterday's Man hit in 1966, but had no idea he'd written this one as well. Nor, that he'd written Groovy Baby, Girl Don't Come, Long Live Love, and various other Sandie Shaw hits which I was about to buy on a Music For Pleasure album (ie budget) any year now. The Stylistics UK label pick an album track rather than the current US hit, Peek-A-Boo was the UK single, and finally Joan Armatrading debuts Lonely Lady, quite rocky and slightly prog for what I expected of legend Joan - I didn't get to hear her for another year or two.

 

1 ( NEW ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

2 ( 4 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 2

3 ( 3 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

4 ( 2 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

5 ( 1 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

6 ( 5 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

7 ( 6 ) BESAME MUCHO - Apollo 100 # 5

8 ( 7 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 7

9 ( 8 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

10 ( 10 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

 

11 ( 11 ) FINDERS KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board # 4

12 ( 9 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

13 ( 13 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

14 ( 14 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

15 ( 12 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

16 ( 17 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

17 ( 15 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

18 ( 21 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 18

19 ( 22 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 19

20 ( 51 ) GOODBYE IS JUST ANOTHER WORD - The New Seekers featuring Eve Graham # 20

 

21 ( 30 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross # 21

22 ( 25 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon # 22

23 ( 16 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

24 ( 33 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds # 24

25 ( 31 ) HELLO STRANGER - Fire and Rain # 25

26 ( 32 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka # 26

27 ( 20 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

28 ( 18 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac # 2

29 ( 40 ) I DON’T NEED NO REASON - Junior Walker & The All Stars # 29

30 ( 54 ) WHEREWITHALL - Clifford T. Ward # 30

 

31 ( 28 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy & Starring Shirley Jones # 7

32 ( 29 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate # 1

33 ( 24 ) WELCOME HOME - Peters & Lee # 24

34 ( 26 ) GIVE ME LOVE (GIVE ME PEACE ON EARTH) - George Harrison # 17

35 ( 41 ) MY HEART KEEPS BREAKING - The Chi-Lites # 35

36 ( 43 ) MUSIC AND ME - Michael Jackson # 36

37 ( 23 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’ - The Doobie Brothers # 8

38 ( 34 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia # 1

39 ( 35 ) I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White # 1

40 ( 36 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

 

41 ( 19 ) ANOTHER WITHOUT YOU DAY - Miki Anthony # 12

42 ( 37 ) 20th CENTURY BOY - T.Rex # 1

43 ( 38 ) WONDERFUL DREAM - Anne-Marie David # 10

44 ( 50 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - Carpenters # 44

45 ( 27 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro # 1

46 ( 44 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

47 ( 39 ) THE MORNING AFTER - Maureen McGovern # 20

48 ( 52 ) ELECTRIC SLIM & THE FACTORY HEN - T.Rex # 19

49 ( 45 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head # 10

50 ( 42 ) IF YOU GOTTA BREAK ANOTHER HEART - Albert Hammond # 42

 

51 ( 47 ) YOU’LL NEVER GET TO HEAVEN (IF YOU BREAK MY HEART) - The Stylistics # 47

52 ( 74 ) ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? - The Four Tops # 52

53 ( 61 ) TIME TO GET DOWN - The O’Jays # 53

54 ( 60 ) BAD WEATHER - The Supremes # 14

55 ( 68 ) CAN YOU DO IT - Geordie # 55

56 ( 69 ) BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY - Bette Midler # 56

57 ( NEW ) DELTA DAWN - Helen Reddy # 57

58 ( 70 ) I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY (BUT OH THOSE LONELY NIGHTS) - Ray Charles # 58

59 ( 48 ) DRIVE-IN SATURDAY - David Bowie # 3

60 ( 59 ) SOLID GOLD EASY ACTION - T.Rex # 1

 

61 ( NEW ) YO YO - The Pearls # 61

62 ( 63 ) WISHING WELL - Free # 1

63 ( 71 ) THE PLASTIC MAN - The Temptations # 63

64 ( 66 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice # 1

65 ( 46 ) THE PRETTIEST STAR (’73) - David Bowie # 27

66 ( 53 ) FOREVER AND EVER - Demis Roussos # 11

67 ( 49 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt Kickers # 14

68 ( 58 ) NATURAL HIGH - Bloodstone # 1

69 ( NEW ) LONELY LADY - Joan Armatrading # 69

70 ( NEW ) PEEK-A-BOO - The Stylistics # 70

 

71 ( 55 ) THE WORLD IS A CIRCLE - Lost Horizon Original Soundtrack # 19

72 ( 56 ) GUAVA JELLY - Johnny Nash # 36

73 ( 73 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The HotShots # 69

74 ( 57 ) DANCIN’ (ON A SATURDAY NIGHT) - Barry Blue # 26

75 ( 75 ) MIDNIGHT - T.Rex # 75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9th June 1973 My faves that week then

 

It's 6 weeks on top for See My Baby Jive as a new threat arrives from Junior Campbell, up to 2 with his gospel soul sounds of Sweet Illusions, peaking higher than Hallelujah Day and his biggest hit since Marmalade hit 1 with My Little One 2 years ago. The Hot Shots revive the Snoopy song at 3 and get a big kiddie-inspired chart placing, but I was 15 and that won't last long! It won't sound quite so good next week! The Pearls sneak in at 29 with a cover of Chris Andrews 1970 European single Yo Yo - it's not The Osmonds song of the same name, it's much catchier than that, and the Yesterday's Man 1966 hitmaker-writer should have hit with this one.

 

Neil Sedaka gets his 2nd top 10 with Standing On The Inside, and The Edgar Winter Group debut with the monster instrumental Frankenstein, at 18. Still sounds fresh and impressive, even if it wasnt one of top faves of the time. New at 21 hot off Top Of The Pops, T.Rex still sound Glamtastic with The Groover, Mott follow-up their Dudes with Honaloochie Boogie at 24, and Wings get the new theme tune to the latest Bond movie and do a classic job on it, Linda doing the reggae bits, Paul doing the rest, and George Martin gives it the orchestral bombast along with the rock sounds. Oddly that also wasn't a top 10 fave at the time, new in at 28.

 

1 ( 1 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard

2 ( 22 ) SWEET ILLUSIONS - Junior Campbell

3 ( 23 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The Hot Shots

4 ( 2 ) YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE - Stevie Wonder

5 ( 3 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro

6 ( 4 ) WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Lou Reed

7 ( 5 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC

8 ( 6 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet

9 ( 8 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice

10 ( 24 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka

 

11 ( 7 ) YOU WANT IT YOU GOT - The Detroit Emeralds

12 ( 12 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners

13 ( 9 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head

14 ( 17 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

15 ( 14 ) MEAN GIRL - Status Quo

16 ( 11 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family

17 ( 28 ) GIVE ME LOVE (GIVE ME PEACE ON EARTH) - George Harrison

18 ( NEW ) FRANKENSTEIN - The Edgar Winter Group

19 ( 20 ) HELLO HELLO I’M BACK AGAIN - Gary Glitter

20 ( 16 ) DRIVE-IN SATURDAY - David Bowie

 

21 ( NEW ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex

22 ( 26 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

23 ( 21 ) TALK OF THE U.S.A. - Middle Of The Road

24 ( NEW ) HONALOOCHI BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople

25 ( 19 ) TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE - Dawn

26 ( 29 ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis

27 ( 30 ) STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU - Stealers Wheel

28 ( NEW ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings

29 ( NEW ) YO YO - The Pearls

30 ( 10 ) GOOD GRIEF CHRISTINA - Chicory Tip

16th June 1973

 

It's a Jesus Christ Superstar film of the stage-show Original Soundtrack invasion with 6 new entries from the album, and on top it's Carl Anderson's jaw-dropping angry performance of Superstar, going one better than the London cast of the show did in 1969/70. Still my favourite Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice soundtrack (though it's bloody close with Evita) and the film was still 3 months away in the UK, by which time I'd have moved to live in Gloucester. New at 2 is Yvonne Elliman's new version of I Don't How To Love Him, so the first time any act has hit my charts twice with different versions of the same song, and she dominated the movie for me, I loved her voice and emotional performance, and also on Could We Start Again Please? new at 3 and Everything's Alright new at 5, so basically everything drops 4 places as a result this week.

 

New at 8, and out in the States, it's another early entry for an autumn UK hit, the wonderful Lonely Days Lonely Nights from Don Downing, still a great and largely forgotten catchy soul gem, and new at 38 The Undisputed Truth return yet again with another great Norman Whitfield production, Law Of The Land, which will yet again become a hit for The Temptations later in the year. Slade just miss the top 40 for now with Skweeze Me Pleeze Me, as they were now at the stage of instant UK number ones - but not with me, though I generally rated their singles.

 

Hosannah and King Herod's Song round up the JCS cast, and Mud's B side makes a 3rd Glamtangorock chart debut for them, Last Tango In London wasnt a decent pop track that I played quite a lot when I bought Hypnosis in 2 or 3 weeks as it presided over my charts in the Summer Of '73. That leaves one out, one in for Demis Roussos, as he wails his usual engaging way through another Greek-flavoured ballad, Goodbye My Love Goodbye, def one I heard at the time but never really noticed, and one which was busy charting across Europe - Mr R. still had another 2 and a bit years before he broke into the UK market.

 

1 ( NEW ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

2 ( NEW ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 2

3 ( NEW ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 3

4 ( 1 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

5 ( NEW ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

6 ( 4 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

7 ( 2 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 2

8 ( NEW ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 8

9 ( 3 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

10 ( 5 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

 

 

11 ( 13 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

12 ( 6 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

13 ( 9 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

14 ( 19 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 14

15 ( 20 ) GOODBYE IS JUST ANOTHER WORD - The New Seekers featuring Eve Graham # 15

16 ( 7 ) BESAME MUCHO - Apollo 100 # 5

17 ( 10 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

18 ( 8 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 7

19 ( 12 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

20 ( 18 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 18

 

21 ( 14 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

22 ( 17 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

23 ( 15 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

24 ( 11 ) FINDERS KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board # 4

25 ( 22 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon # 22

26 ( 21 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross # 21

27 ( 24 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds # 24

28 ( 16 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

29 ( 35 ) MY HEART KEEPS BREAKING - The Chi-Lites # 29

30 ( 29 ) I DON’T NEED NO REASON - Junior Walker & The All Stars # 29

 

31 ( 23 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

32 ( 31 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy & Starring Shirley Jones # 7

33 ( 25 ) HELLO STRANGER - Fire and Rain # 25

34 ( 30 ) WHEREWITHALL - Clifford T. Ward # 30

35 ( 27 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

36 ( 28 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac # 2

37 ( 32 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate # 1

38 ( NEW ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 38

39 ( 57 ) DELTA DAWN - Helen Reddy # 39

40 ( 52 ) ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? - The Four Tops # 40

 

41 ( 53 ) TIME TO GET DOWN - The O’Jays # 41

42 ( 26 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka # 26

43 ( NEW ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade # 43

44 ( 33 ) WELCOME HOME - Peters & Lee # 24

45 ( 38 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia # 1

46 ( 39 ) I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White # 1

47 ( 40 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

48 ( NEW ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast # 48

49 ( 42 ) 20th CENTURY BOY - T.Rex # 1

50 ( 46 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

 

51 ( 44 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - Carpenters # 44

52 ( 45 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro # 1

53 ( 41 ) ANOTHER WITHOUT YOU DAY - Miki Anthony # 12

54 ( 37 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’ - The Doobie Brothers # 8

55 ( 55 ) CAN YOU DO IT - Geordie # 55

56 ( 56 ) BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY - Bette Midler # 56

57 ( 47 ) THE MORNING AFTER - Maureen McGovern # 20

58 ( 61 ) YO YO - The Pearls # 58

59 ( 63 ) THE PLASTIC MAN - The Temptations # 59

60 ( 58 ) I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY (BUT OH THOSE LONELY NIGHTS) - Ray Charles # 58

 

61 ( 49 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head # 10

62 ( 34 ) GIVE ME LOVE (GIVE ME PEACE ON EARTH) - George Harrison # 17

63 ( 60 ) SOLID GOLD EASY ACTION - T.Rex # 1

64 ( 62 ) WISHING WELL - Free # 1

65 ( 59 ) DRIVE-IN SATURDAY - David Bowie # 3

66 ( 54 ) BAD WEATHER - The Supremes # 14

67 ( 69 ) LONELY LADY - Joan Armatrading # 67

68 ( 70 ) PEEK-A-BOO - The Stylistics # 68

69 ( 48 ) ELECTRIC SLIM & THE FACTORY HEN - T.Rex # 19

70 ( NEW ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast # 70

 

71 ( 36 ) MUSIC AND ME - Michael Jackson # 36

72 ( 64 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice # 1

73 ( NEW ) LAST TANGO IN LONDON - Mud # 73

74 ( 43 ) WONDERFUL DREAM - Anne-Marie David # 10

75 ( NEW ) GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE - Demis Roussos # 75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16th June 1973 My chart that week then

 

It's 7 weeks on top for the unbeatable Wizzard, not even T.Rex's new single could shift them, as The Groover stalls at 2, and lazy hot summer days were on the horizon as exams at school were in the air and the end of the 4th year was imminent - and pretty much good riddance on the whole. I had one friend, who for some reason suddenly stopped being my friend due to something he wouldn't tell me I'd done, and I hung around with a couple of girls from the 3rd year now an again during breaks when I wasn't out of school away from the bullies ruining my life, spending my dinner money on DC comics and bags of chips.

 

Music, though, kept me going - including First Choice fabulously up to 5, Dave Edmunds getting a 3rd top 10, and George Harrison getting his first good top 10 single in 2 and a half years. Never one to rush, our George. Meanwhile, Mud follow-up Crazy with the even better Hypnosis, still doing the Glamtangorock. Barry White debuts his own solo soul hit a year after he'd featured on Love Unlimited's version of his own song/production Walking In The Rain With The One I Love hit 2 (with his missus), and I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby starts at 26. Billy Preston gets his 4th chart entry with Will It Go Round In Circles, his second UK flop after Outa Space and 4 years on from Get back and That's The Way God Planned It. The Jackson 5 make it almost 4 years of charting too, over 10 of 'em with Hallelujah Day at 30.

 

1 ( 1 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard

2 ( 21 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex

3 ( 2 ) SWEET ILLUSIONS - Junior Campbell

4 ( 4 ) YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE - Stevie Wonder

5 ( 9 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice

6 ( 22 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

7 ( 5 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro

8 ( 10 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka

9 ( 17 ) GIVE ME LOVE (GIVE ME PEACE ON EARTH) - George Harrison

10 ( 3 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The Hot Shots

 

11 ( 8 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet

12 ( 7 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC

13 ( 26 ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis

14 ( 13 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head

15 ( 6 ) WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Lou Reed

16 ( 18 ) FRANKENSTEIN - The Edgar Winter Group

17 ( 14 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

18 ( 28 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings

19 ( 25 ) TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE - Dawn

20 ( 27 ) STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU - Stealers Wheel

 

 

21 ( 24 ) HONALOOCHI BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople

22 ( 29 ) YO YO - The Pearls

23 ( 16 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family

24 ( 12 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners

25 ( 11 ) YOU WANT IT YOU GOT - The Detroit Emeralds

26 ( NEW ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

27 ( NEW ) I'M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White

28 ( 23 ) TALK OF THE U.S.A. - Middle Of The Road

29 ( NEW ) WILL IT GO ROUND IN CIRCLES - Billy Preston

30 ( NEW ) HALLELUJAH DAY - The Jackson 5

23rd June 1973

 

It's 2 weeks on top for Carl Anderson, for his Jesus Christ Superstar anthem from the movie, as Yvonne Elliman switches places at 2 and 3, with Don Downing's fab Lonely Days up to 4. Paul Simon gets a 3rd solo top 10 with Loves Me Like A Rock, and highest new entry is the fab soul of That Lady, The Isley Brothers guitar work the equal of the vocals of Ronald Isley, in at 16 and their biggest track since the reissues of Behind The Painted Smile and This Old Heart Of Mine, Isleys version 3 having firmly arrived now.

 

New at 18, Hot Chocolate are on their 7th chart retro hit and 6th top 20, with Rumours very much in the vein of Brother Louie, but nonetheless good anyway. Ted Neeley makes it 5 top 20 JCS tracks, with a big climb to 19, and David Gates leaves Bread for now, and debuts his solo single Clouds at 58. Elton's getting ready to drop his next (double) album and starts with his first rocker, Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, not unreasonably commenting on pub life of the time. Not one of his best, though, in at 63. Al Green generously drops a future UB40 song, Here I Am at 67, not one I recall until UB40 finally made the song a hit in the UK.

 

Stealers Wheel get a 2nd entry, Gerry's 3rd, Everything Will Turn Out Fine, new at 70, Aretha drops her latest US single, the rather nice Angel at 71, and Mungo Jerry are Alright, Alright, Alright as they return to the vibes of Baby Jump, but jolly rather than angry, at 73. That leaves Vicky Leandros on her 4th chart entry new at 74, out-Greek-influencing Demis Roussos at 75.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

2 ( 3 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

3 ( 2 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 2

4 ( 8 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 4

5 ( 4 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

6 ( 11 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

7 ( 5 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

8 ( 6 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

9 ( 9 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

10 ( 14 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

11 ( 7 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 2

12 ( 10 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

13 ( 12 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

14 ( 17 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

15 ( 16 ) BESAME MUCHO - Apollo 100 # 5

16 ( NEW ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 16

17 ( 13 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

18 ( NEW ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 18

19 ( 48 ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast # 19

20 ( 18 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 7

 

21 ( 15 ) GOODBYE IS JUST ANOTHER WORD - The New Seekers featuring Eve Graham # 15

22 ( 22 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

23 ( 23 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

24 ( 19 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

25 ( 20 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 18

26 ( 26 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross # 21

27 ( 27 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds # 24

28 ( 28 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

29 ( 31 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

30 ( 21 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

 

31 ( 25 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon # 22

32 ( 24 ) FINDERS KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board # 4

33 ( 32 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy & Starring Shirley Jones # 7

34 ( 38 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 34

35 ( 39 ) DELTA DAWN - Helen Reddy # 35

36 ( 35 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

37 ( 40 ) ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? - The Four Tops # 37

38 ( 43 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade # 38

39 ( 29 ) MY HEART KEEPS BREAKING - The Chi-Lites # 29

40 ( 41 ) TIME TO GET DOWN - The O’Jays # 40

 

41 ( 37 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate # 1

42 ( 44 ) WELCOME HOME - Peters & Lee # 24

43 ( 36 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac # 2

44 ( 30 ) I DON’T NEED NO REASON - Junior Walker & The All Stars # 29

45 ( 45 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia # 1

46 ( 46 ) I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White # 1

47 ( 47 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

48 ( 33 ) HELLO STRANGER - Fire and Rain # 25

49 ( 55 ) CAN YOU DO IT - Geordie # 49

50 ( 50 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

 

51 ( 34 ) WHEREWITHALL - Clifford T. Ward # 30

52 ( 49 ) 20th CENTURY BOY - T.Rex # 1

53 ( 58 ) YO YO - The Pearls # 53

54 ( 54 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’ - The Doobie Brothers # 8

55 ( 52 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro # 1

56 ( 53 ) ANOTHER WITHOUT YOU DAY - Miki Anthony # 12

57 ( 57 ) THE MORNING AFTER - Maureen McGovern # 20

58 ( NEW ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 58

59 ( 70 ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast # 59

60 ( 67 ) LONELY LADY - Joan Armatrading # 60

 

61 ( 59 ) THE PLASTIC MAN - The Temptations # 59

62 ( 68 ) PEEK-A-BOO - The Stylistics # 62

63 ( NEW ) SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING - Elton John # 63

64 ( 63 ) SOLID GOLD EASY ACTION - T.Rex # 1

65 ( 73 ) LAST TANGO IN LONDON - Mud # 65

66 ( 64 ) WISHING WELL - Free # 1

67 ( NEW ) HERE I AM (COME AND TAKE ME) - Al Green # 67

68 ( 42 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka # 26

69 ( 56 ) BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY - Bette Midler # 56

70 ( NEW ) (EVERYONE’S AGREED THAT) EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT FINE - Stealers Wheel # 70

 

71 ( NEW ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 71

72 ( 51 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - Carpenters # 44

73 ( NEW ) ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT - Mungo Jerry # 73

74 ( NEW ) WHEN BOUZOUKIS PLAYED - Vicky Leandros # 74

75 ( 75 ) GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE - Demis Roussos # 75

 

 

 

Wot I liked then my actual chart of 23rd June 1973

 

It's still Wizzard on top for an 8th week, but the next number one is already on the chart lower down. Junior Campbell is the latest record to fall one short due to the Roy Wood behemoth. Dave Edmunds makes it 2 top 3's in a row and Mott The Hoople make it 2 top 4's in a row, with Linda Lewis getting her first Top 10 and top 5 - but not her last. Albatross (not due to the John Cleese Python sketch sadly) is up to 7 giving Fleetwood Mac a top 10 with the same song twice - that's the first song to do it in my original charts, bar songs that were on an EP (Sugar Sugar did that a year after the single).

 

Slade debut their latest Skweeze at 26, just ahead of Geordie on their 3rd chart entry Can You Do It, and Brian can do it, just 7 years to go to AC/DC. Paul Simon's US single was not issued in the UK due to advertising issues, so we had the much better Take Me To The Mardi Gras anyway, new at 29, and at 30 Chairmen Of The Board's final hit is new at 30, Finder's Keepers sounding like a very funky track The Banana Splits had sung on their show and which had been repeated recently then - creatives like Barry White got involved with that show's tunes, back in 1969, and hey presto 4 years on Bazza is up to 13 with his brilliant soul debut.

 

1 ( 1 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard

2 ( 3 ) SWEET ILLUSIONS - Junior Campbell

3 ( 6 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

4 ( 21 ) HONALOOCHI BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople

5 ( 13 ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis

6 ( 8 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka

7 ( 17 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

8 ( 4 ) YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE - Stevie Wonder

9 ( 5 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice

10 ( 7 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro

 

11 ( 2 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex

12 ( 11 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet

13 ( 27 ) I'M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White

14 ( 18 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings

15 ( 12 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC

16 ( 10 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The Hot Shots

17 ( 16 ) FRANKENSTEIN - The Edgar Winter Group

18 ( 9 ) GIVE ME LOVE (GIVE ME PEACE ON EARTH) - George Harrison

19 ( 14 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head

20 ( 15 ) WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Lou Reed

 

21 ( 26 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

22 ( 20 ) STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU - Stealers Wheel

23 ( 30 ) HALLELUJAH DAY - The Jackson 5

24 ( 22 ) YO YO - The Pearls

25 ( 19 ) TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE - Dawn

26 ( NEW ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade

27 ( NEW ) CAN YOU DO IT - Geordie

28 ( 23 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family

29 ( NEW ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon

30 ( NEW ) FINDER’S KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board

30th June 1973

 

It's a first Retro number one for Yvonne Elliman, finally getting the top spot with the same song she took to 2 in the stage version of Jesus Christ Superstar. She's also got 3 of the top 5, a female first, and only Don Downing is preventing a complete top 5 for the Movie version of the Rice & Lloyd-Webber musical, still not out in the UK. The Isley Brothers get their first top 10 with new material - all previous ones being 60's reissues - and That Lady is the track that turned around their career in the UK. Hot Chocolate meanwhile make it a 5th top 10.

 

The Osmonds drop their new album in the USA, and the best track on it is the ballad Let Me In, so we wave bye to Goin' Home from the 40 as the next single enters early at 15. In fact the entire top 10 is looking like it's October not June, as only 3 of them are in the current UK chart for this week in 1973. Even earlier, though, are Blue Swede - albeit known in Sweden as Bjorn Skifs & Blablues - as they copy Jonathan King's Ooga-chagga cover of Hooked On A Feeling, but with added oomph and vocal strength, and destined to be huge in the USA by early 1974, and then over 40 years later get a key feature in the first Guardians Of The Galaxy film.

 

Down the lower end there's a mini-invasion of familiar tracks of the time - The Drifters reviving their UK career with a first actual new, UK-based, hit, Like Sister And Brother; Dawn's ragtime follow-up to the monster Tie A Yellow Ribbon (the not-monster Sweet Gypsy Rose); CCS' final hit, The Band Played The Boogie; Marvin Gaye's future flop landmark legal case (Let's Get It On, which I never rated that much, nor any record that sounds a bit like it. Hi Ed!); Donny Osmond's huge Tab Hunter cover, Young Love. Tab Hunter was more photogenic than Donny's puberty-breaking era, but his version is slightly better. That leaves only Olivia's US breakthrough and UK flop Let Me Be There.

 

None of the rest of the newies was known to me at the time, I've just tried them out and quite like what I hear, so Sylvia gets a second on the chart, Sly & The Family Stone extend their Retro chart run to 5 years, Ronnie Dyson grabs a 4th retro entry with a future hit song in the UK in 2 different versions, Just Don't Want To Be Lonely, his version is pretty fine though, Earth, Wind & Fire debut with Evil - 2 years ahead of their Shining Star debut in my actual charts of the time, and 4 years ahead of their UK hit debut Saturday Night.

 

1 ( 3 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

2 ( 1 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

3 ( 4 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

4 ( 2 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

5 ( 7 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

6 ( 16 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 6

7 ( 18 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 7

8 ( 8 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

9 ( 5 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

10 ( 10 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

 

11 ( 6 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

12 ( 12 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

13 ( 13 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

14 ( 9 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

15 ( NEW ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 15

16 ( 19 ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast # 16

17 ( 14 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

18 ( 15 ) BESAME MUCHO - Apollo 100 # 5

19 ( 11 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 2

20 ( 20 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 7

 

21 ( 17 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

22 ( 23 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

23 ( 22 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

24 ( 24 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

25 ( 29 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

26 ( 34 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 26

27 ( 25 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 18

28 ( 28 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

29 ( 31 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon # 22

30 ( 21 ) GOODBYE IS JUST ANOTHER WORD - The New Seekers featuring Eve Graham # 15

 

 

31 ( 37 ) ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? - The Four Tops # 31

32 ( 30 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

33 ( 71 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 33

34 ( NEW ) HOOKED ON A FEELING - Blue Swede (Bjorn Skifs & Blablues) # 34

35 ( 35 ) DELTA DAWN - Helen Reddy # 35

36 ( 70 ) (EVERYONE’S AGREED THAT) EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT FINE - Stealers Wheel # 36

37 ( 58 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 37

38 ( 38 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade # 38

39 ( 33 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy & Starring Shirley Jones # 7

40 ( 49 ) CAN YOU DO IT - Geordie # 40

 

 

41 ( 27 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds # 24

42 ( 36 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

43 ( 41 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate # 1

44 ( 42 ) WELCOME HOME - Peters & Lee # 24

45 ( 50 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

46 ( 26 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross # 21

47 ( 45 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia # 1

48 ( 47 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

49 ( 32 ) FINDERS KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board # 4

50 ( 52 ) 20th CENTURY BOY - T.Rex # 1

 

 

51 ( 59 ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast # 51

52 ( 53 ) YO YO - The Pearls # 52

53 ( 54 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’ - The Doobie Brothers # 8

54 ( 46 ) I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White # 1

55 ( 55 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro # 1

56 ( 60 ) LONELY LADY - Joan Armatrading # 56

57 ( 62 ) PEEK-A-BOO - The Stylistics # 57

58 ( 63 ) SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING - Elton John # 58

59 ( 65 ) LAST TANGO IN LONDON - Mud # 59

60 ( 39 ) MY HEART KEEPS BREAKING - The Chi-Lites # 29

 

61 ( NEW ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters # 61

62 ( NEW ) JUST DON’T WANT TO BE LONELY - Ronnie Dyson # 62

63 ( 74 ) WHEN BOUZOUKIS PLAYED - Vicky Leandros # 63

64 ( NEW ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando # 64

65 ( 40 ) TIME TO GET DOWN - The O’Jays # 40

66 ( 73 ) ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT - Mungo Jerry # 66

67 ( NEW ) LET’S GET IT ON - Marvin Gaye # 67

68 ( NEW ) THE BAND PLAYED THE BOOGIE - C.C.S. # 68

69 ( 67 ) HERE I AM (COME AND TAKE ME) - Al Green # 67

70 ( NEW ) IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY - Sly & The Family Stone # 70

 

 

71 ( 75 ) GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE - Demis Roussos # 71

72 ( NEW ) EVIL - Earth, Wind & Fire # 72

73 ( NEW ) YOUNG LOVE - Donny Osmond # 73

74 ( NEW ) DIDN’T I - Sylvia # 74

75 ( NEW ) LET ME BE THERE - Olivia Newton-John # 75

 

 

 

My charts of the time 30th June 1973

 

It's 9 weeks on top the unstoppable Wizzard, the biggest new challenge is from David Bowie who was so popular a classic album track from late 1971 is issued as a single, Life On Mars bangs in at 3 and is very classic-sounding in an epic ballad sort of way, and of course anything sci-fi/planet related would appeal to me. Slade can;t be ruled out though as they get a 7th consecutive top 10 as Skweeze Me Pleeze Me hits 5. Barry White gets a first solo top 10, at least with me, it didnt even go top 20 in the UK charts.

 

Joe Simon debuts with Step By Step, bigger in the UK than the US suddenly after years of little success in the UK and a fair bit in the US, new at 16, while Sylvia's lush soul naughtiness, Pillow Talk, on her own label, and the only black female to get into the Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame for masterminding a key soul/disco/rap label, All Platinum. Todd Rundgren also finally gets a UK chart hit after being out in the US in January 1972, and his brilliant I Saw The Light in at 24.

 

1 ( 1 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard

2 ( 2 ) SWEET ILLUSIONS - Junior Campbell

3 ( NEW ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

4 ( 4 ) HONALOOCHI BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople

5 ( 26 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade

6 ( 3 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

7 ( 5 ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis

8 ( 7 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

9 ( 6 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka

10 ( 13 ) I'M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White

 

11 ( 10 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro

12 ( 11 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex

13 ( 8 ) YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE - Stevie Wonder

14 ( 14 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings

15 ( 15 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC

16 ( NEW ) STEP BY STEP - Joe Simon

17 ( 20 ) WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Lou Reed

18 ( 9 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice

19 ( 23 ) HALLELUJAH DAY - The Jackson 5

20 ( 16 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The Hot Shots

 

21 ( 21 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

22 ( 30 ) FINDER’S KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board

23 ( NEW ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia

24 ( NEW ) I SAW THE LIGHT - Todd Rundgren

25 ( 17 ) FRANKENSTEIN - The Edgar Winter Group

26 ( 27 ) CAN YOU DO IT - Geordie

27 ( 12 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet

28 ( 29 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon

29 ( 18 ) GIVE ME LOVE (GIVE ME PEACE ON EARTH) - George Harrison

30 ( 19 ) ONE AND ONE IS ONE - Medicine Head

 

7th July 1973

 

It's a 4th Retro chart-topper for Hot Chocolate with the relatively unknown lush dark funk of Rumours, you can't even find the real lyrics on the interweb, but the mysterious political and social sentiment applies in spades these days, if anything, so full marks for ongoing relevance. Just behind at 2 is The Osmonds' second-biggest retro hit, equal with One Bad Apple and behind the chart-topping Crazy Horses. I started to go off The Osmonds as a band with Let Me In - but it's a fine ballad actually. Aretha Franklin keeps up the charting for a 7th year, Angel being one of her lovelier ballads, never fails to emote perfectly. Blue Mink make it 3 top 10's in a row and 6 in all, as Randy climbs back up to a new peak.

 

Banging in at 14, it's Glitter's closing anthem at any of his gigs, and a real crowd singalong - I'm The Leader Of The Gang was a bit too laddish to match up to the early singles for me, but my younger brother was a fan, and it's still got that monster sound. New at 14. In a very quiet week for new tracks, The Goons' mid-50's UK smash record is back following their TV special The Last Goon Show Of All. My dad bought the Ying Tong Song on 78rpm when he was a teenager, and my grandad hated it so much he smashed it to pieces. He didn't go for Ying Tong second time round, Al Martino's Spanish Eyes and Wink Martindale's Deck Of Cards were the 1973 singles of choice, and neither did I buy it. Amusing once, it drives you mad on repeat listens. Judee Sill died in 1979, and never achieved success, but The Kiss was a nice BBC2 Whistle Test feature. That leaves a debut from a little band called Queen. Nobody's ever heard of them again I think! They originally opened their chart account in my charts in 1974 with 2 number ones - I wonder if the Retro version will favour them the same....

 

1 ( 7 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

2 ( 15 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

3 ( 1 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

4 ( 3 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

5 ( 6 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 5

6 ( 4 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

7 ( 2 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

8 ( 8 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

9 ( 33 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 9

10 ( 27 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 10

 

11 ( 5 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

12 ( 9 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

13 ( 11 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

14 ( NEW ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter # 14

15 ( 12 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

16 ( 10 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

17 ( 17 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

18 ( 14 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

19 ( 16 ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast # 16

20 ( 34 ) HOOKED ON A FEELING - Blue Swede (Bjorn Skifs & Blablues) # 20

 

21 ( 19 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 2

22 ( 20 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 7

23 ( 22 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

24 ( 21 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

25 ( 13 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

26 ( 26 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 26

27 ( 24 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

28 ( 31 ) ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? - The Four Tops # 28

29 ( 25 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

30 ( 23 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

 

31 ( 29 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon # 22

32 ( 37 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 32

33 ( 18 ) BESAME MUCHO - Apollo 100 # 5

34 ( 28 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

35 ( 32 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

36 ( 36 ) (EVERYONE’S AGREED THAT) EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT FINE - Stealers Wheel # 36

37 ( 61 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters # 37

38 ( 38 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade # 38

39 ( 67 ) LET’S GET IT ON - Marvin Gaye # 39

40 ( 30 ) GOODBYE IS JUST ANOTHER WORD - The New Seekers featuring Eve Graham # 15

 

41 ( 39 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy & Starring Shirley Jones # 7

42 ( 42 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

43 ( 43 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate # 1

44 ( 51 ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast # 44

45 ( 45 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

46 ( 64 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando # 46

47 ( 68 ) THE BAND PLAYED THE BOOGIE - C.C.S. # 47

48 ( 57 ) PEEK-A-BOO - The Stylistics # 48

49 ( 52 ) YO YO - The Pearls # 49

50 ( 35 ) DELTA DAWN - Helen Reddy # 35

 

51 ( 48 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

52 ( 41 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds # 24

53 ( 70 ) IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY - Sly & The Family Stone # 53

54 ( 40 ) CAN YOU DO IT - Geordie # 40

55 ( 50 ) 20th CENTURY BOY - T.Rex # 1

56 ( 53 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’ - The Doobie Brothers # 8

57 ( 54 ) I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White # 1

58 ( 47 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia # 1

59 ( 63 ) WHEN BOUZOUKIS PLAYED - Vicky Leandros # 59

60 ( 66 ) ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT - Mungo Jerry # 60

 

61 ( 49 ) FINDERS KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board # 4

62 ( 62 ) JUST DON’T WANT TO BE LONELY - Ronnie Dyson # 62

63 ( 58 ) SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING - Elton John # 58

64 ( 69 ) HERE I AM (COME AND TAKE ME) - Al Green # 64

65 ( NEW ) THE YING TONG SONG - The Goons # 65

66 ( 71 ) GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE - Demis Roussos # 66

67 ( 59 ) LAST TANGO IN LONDON - Mud # 59

68 ( 55 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro # 1

69 ( 56 ) LONELY LADY - Joan Armatrading # 56

70 ( 72 ) EVIL - Earth, Wind & Fire # 70

 

71 ( 75 ) LET ME BE THERE - Olivia Newton-John # 71

72 ( 73 ) YOUNG LOVE - Donny Osmond # 72

73 ( NEW ) THE KISS - Judee Sill # 73

74 ( 74 ) DIDN’T I - Sylvia # 74

75 ( NEW ) KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE - Queen # 75

 

 

 

 

7th July 1973 Wot I Liked That Actual Week Then

 

It's 10 weeks on top for See My baby Jive in it's last week inside the UK top 30, so it def will be outside the top 20 next week and new chart-topper will be happening. David Bowie looks well-placed at 2, his highest chart position to date with Life On Mars, but Chairmen Of The Board get a third top 10 in a row, following on from their chart-topper, and Sylvia is just behind with the sexy Pillow Talk at 7. New at 24, The Osmonds' are Goin' Home, still rocking, and at 28, a relative flop for Blue Mink's Randy - for some reason it just didn't click with me, partly cos Randy meant something else in those days, so it seemed an odd choice of name for a song. 50 years later, though, it's a great pop song.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard

2 ( 3 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

3 ( 4 ) HONALOOCHI BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople

4 ( 2 ) SWEET ILLUSIONS - Junior Campbell

5 ( 5 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade

6 ( 22 ) FINDER’S KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board

7 ( 23 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia

8 ( 6 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

9 ( 7 ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis

10 ( 8 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

 

11 ( 12 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex

12 ( 11 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro

13 ( 10 ) I'M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White

14 ( 9 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka

15 ( 14 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings

16 ( 13 ) YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE - Stevie Wonder

17 ( 16 ) STEP BY STEP - Joe Simon

18 ( 15 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC

19 ( 19 ) HALLELUJAH DAY - The Jackson 5

20 ( 26 ) CAN YOU DO IT - Geordie

 

21 ( 20 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The Hot Shots

22 ( 21 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

23 ( 24 ) I SAW THE LIGHT - Todd Rundgren

24 ( NEW ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds

25 ( 28 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon

26 ( 17 ) WALK ON THE WILD SIDE - Lou Reed

27 ( 18 ) ARMED AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS - First Choice

28 ( NEW ) RANDY - Blue Mink

29 ( 25 ) FRANKENSTEIN - The Edgar Winter Group

30 ( 27 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet

 

14th July 1973

 

It's a 2nd week on top for Hot Chocolate in a fairly static top 20, and a chart that has few new entries, Rumours' lush strings soul holding off a threat from Gary Glitter, as The Leader (self-labelling there) gives Mike Leander and The Glitter Band a 5th top 10, most of 'em top 5. If The Shadows get credit for backing Cliff, then The Glitter Band (most of the appeal is in the thumping instrumentation) will get it from me, as this climbs to 5.

 

Highest new entry is the latest Bay City Rollers flop - though Saturday Night was just outside the UK top 50 this week, and getting some airplay. It's a great pop record and deserved to be a hit, I really rated it at the time, as I did all of the pre-Les McKewan era singles, this one almost as good as Keep On Dancing and Manana. It eventually topped the US charts in 1976 in a new version, far and away their biggest hit in the USA, new at 34 here. Suzi Q is just behind at 40 with the rocking 48 Crash grabbing her a 3rd chart listing.

 

At 68, Ken Boothe debuts with Is It Because I'm Black, a credible reggae social commentary song over a year before he gets an actual UK chart-topper with a David Gates cover - who is at 26 this week with Clouds, Bread-less. Faron Young gets a 2nd country ballad hit, a new one to me, as is the Ken Boothe track, Just What I Had In Mind is pretty decent. Grand Funk also debut, and they'll be back before long, with their US hit We're An American Band at 72, and another significant debut for Kool & The Gang strutting their Funky Stuff 7 or 8 years early for the UK charts.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

2 ( 2 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

3 ( 3 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

4 ( 5 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

5 ( 14 ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 5

6 ( 7 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

7 ( 6 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

8 ( 8 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

9 ( 9 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 9

10 ( 4 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

 

11 ( 13 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

12 ( 11 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

13 ( 12 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

14 ( 15 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

15 ( 10 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 10

16 ( 20 ) HOOKED ON A FEELING - Blue Swede (Bjorn Skifs & Blablues) # 16

17 ( 17 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

18 ( 16 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

19 ( 18 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

20 ( 19 ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast # 16

 

21 ( 23 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

22 ( 22 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 7

23 ( 24 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

24 ( 28 ) ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? - The Four Tops # 24

25 ( 27 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

26 ( 32 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 26

27 ( 36 ) (EVERYONE’S AGREED THAT) EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT FINE - Stealers Wheel # 27

28 ( 29 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

29 ( 21 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 2

30 ( 26 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 26

 

31 ( 30 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

32 ( 34 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

33 ( 25 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

34 ( NEW ) SATURDAY NIGHT - Bay City Rollers # 34

35 ( 37 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters # 35

36 ( 38 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade # 36

37 ( 44 ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast # 37

38 ( 46 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando # 38

39 ( 31 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon # 22

40 ( NEW ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro # 40

 

41 ( 35 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

42 ( 48 ) PEEK-A-BOO - The Stylistics # 42

43 ( 45 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

44 ( 42 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

45 ( 43 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate # 1

46 ( 33 ) BESAME MUCHO - Apollo 100 # 5

47 ( 47 ) THE BAND PLAYED THE BOOGIE - C.C.S. # 47

48 ( 41 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy & Starring Shirley Jones # 7

49 ( 40 ) GOODBYE IS JUST ANOTHER WORD - The New Seekers featuring Eve Graham # 15

50 ( 53 ) IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY - Sly & The Family Stone # 50

 

51 ( 59 ) WHEN BOUZOUKIS PLAYED - Vicky Leandros # 51

52 ( 51 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

53 ( 52 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds # 24

54 ( 60 ) ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT - Mungo Jerry # 54

55 ( 62 ) JUST DON’T WANT TO BE LONELY - Ronnie Dyson # 55

56 ( 71 ) LET ME BE THERE - Olivia Newton-John # 56

57 ( 39 ) LET’S GET IT ON - Marvin Gaye # 39

58 ( 57 ) I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White # 1

59 ( 55 ) 20th CENTURY BOY - T.Rex # 1

60 ( 56 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’ - The Doobie Brothers # 8

 

61 ( 58 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia # 1

62 ( 70 ) EVIL - Earth, Wind & Fire # 62

63 ( 65 ) THE YING TONG SONG - The Goons # 63

64 ( 63 ) SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING - Elton John # 58

65 ( 66 ) GOODBYE MY LOVE, GOODBYE - Demis Roussos # 65

66 ( 61 ) FINDERS KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board # 4

67 ( 64 ) HERE I AM (COME AND TAKE ME) - Al Green # 64

68 ( NEW ) IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK - Ken Boothe # 68

69 ( 73 ) THE KISS - Judee Sill # 69

70 ( 72 ) YOUNG LOVE - Donny Osmond # 70

71 ( NEW ) JUST WHAT I HAD IN MIND - Faron Young # 71

72 ( NEW ) WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND - Grand Funk Railroad # 72

73 ( 75 ) KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE - Queen # 73

74 ( 74 ) DIDN’T I - Sylvia # 74

75 ( NEW ) FUNKY STUFF - Kool & The Gang # 75

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14th July 1973 My actual chart of that week way back then

 

After several weeks of climbing the UK top 50, Mud finally break into the top 30 and qualify for my top 20 charts of the time, so I'd already bought Hypnosis and it duly swaps places with Wizzard, who drop out of the UK top 30 and drop out of my top 20, and going one place higher than Crazy did. It's also the 4th Chinn-Chapman track to top my charts. That leaves Mott The Hoople in the runner-up spot, and The Osmonds' hitting a new chart peak of 4 with the fun Goin' Home.

 

Mungo Jerry and Elton John both make the top 20, but neither track is hitting the sort of chart peak of many of their previous singles for me, and that also applies to 3 chart hits that sneak in at the bottom end - I wasn't that fussed about Gaye (actually a great record and I would come to appreciate Clifford T. Ward), Touch Me In The Morning starting the Diana Ross downturn in quality for a few years, and Albert hammond getting a hit with record that's not up to his previous single by quite a long stretch - nor most of his hit songs for other acts.

 

That leaves 2 big monsters debuting modestly for this week from Gary Glitter and the Carpenters finally getting as close to a UK chart-topper as they came, ironically it's not anywhere near their greatest recording but set up nicely their Greatest Hits which would be massive for years.

1 ( 22 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

2 ( 3 ) HONALOOCHI BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople

3 ( 2 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

4 ( 24 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds

5 ( 7 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia

6 ( 6 ) FINDER’S KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board

7 ( 5 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade

8 ( 8 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

9 ( 9 ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis

10 ( 10 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

 

11 ( 17 ) STEP BY STEP - Joe Simon

12 ( 12 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro

13 ( 15 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings

14 ( 14 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka

15 ( 11 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex

16 ( NEW ) ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT - Mungo Jerry

17 ( NEW ) SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING - Elton John

18 ( 18 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC

19 ( 21 ) SNOOPY VS THE RED BARON - The Hot Shots

20 ( 19 ) HALLELUJAH DAY - The Jackson 5

 

21 ( 23 ) I SAW THE LIGHT - Todd Rundgren

22 ( 25 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon

23 ( 1 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard

24 ( NEW ) I'M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter

25 ( NEW ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - The Carpenters

26 ( 28 ) RANDY - Blue Mink

27 ( 4 ) SWEET ILLUSIONS - Junior Campbell

28 ( NEW ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross

29 ( NEW ) FREE ELECTRIC BAND - Albert Hammond

30 ( NEW ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward

21st July 1973 Retro Charts

 

It's a new entry at number one as Roger Daltry gets a second solo hit, complete with full orchestra, and smashes I'm Free in - a very under-rated majestic track this one, and already a retro chart entry for The Who hitting 20 in 1969, but Pete Townsend's Tommy song is much better than that given the full orchestral treatment, and is the only chart-topper for any member of The Who in the retro countdowns. That means The Osmonds hold at 2, but there's another threat new at 4 - the obscure debut single from ex-New Seekers lead male singer Peter Doyle: Rusty Hands Of Time was a great song, a great vocal, and got not a lot of airplay. I remember Junior's Choice playing it (cos I recorded it with Ed Stewart nattering over the end). Otherwise, unknown!

 

Cher's bangs in at 7 with another UK flop, the strong, powerful tribal ballad Half-Breed, which was semi-autobiographical for Cher's Native American heritage (grandparent I think), and a US chart-topper combined with her TV variety show performance. So that's a second solo top 10 for Cher. Medicine Head get a 3rd chart entry, Rising Sun new at 15, still twangy guitar and catchy folkpop, while First Choice follow-up the fabulous Armed & Extremely Dangerous with the more whimsical Smarty Pants at 60. LOve Unlimited also get a 2nd Barry White-created entry with Oh Love at 71, and Joe Walsh is 5 years early for his Life's Been Good-sounding guitar work on US smash (and UK flop) Rocky Mountain Way at 74.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry #

2 ( 2 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds #

3 ( 1 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate #

4 ( NEW ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle #

5 ( 4 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers #

6 ( 9 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin #

7 ( NEW ) HALF-BREED - Cher #

8 ( 3 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman #

9 ( 13 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud #

10 ( 5 ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band #

 

11 ( 12 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast #

12 ( 7 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast #

13 ( 6 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast #

14 ( 8 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro #

15 ( NEW ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head #

16 ( 11 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard #

17 ( 10 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing #

18 ( 18 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds #

19 ( 15 ) RANDY - Blue Mink #

20 ( 26 ) CLOUDS - David Gates #

 

21 ( 34 ) SATURDAY NIGHT - Bay City Rollers #

22 ( 17 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell #

23 ( 19 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield #

24 ( 14 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex #

25 ( 23 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth #

26 ( 27 ) (EVERYONE’S AGREED THAT) EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT FINE - Stealers Wheel #

27 ( 24 ) ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? - The Four Tops #

28 ( 20 ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast #

29 ( 25 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople #

30 ( 40 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro #

 

31 ( 16 ) HOOKED ON A FEELING - Blue Swede (Bjorn Skifs & Blablues) #

32 ( 21 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns #

33 ( 28 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet #

34 ( 30 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth #

35 ( 37 ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast #

36 ( 36 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade #

37 ( 35 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters #

38 ( 38 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando #

39 ( 31 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney #

40 ( 33 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings #

 

41 ( 22 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds #

42 ( 55 ) JUST DON’T WANT TO BE LONELY - Ronnie Dyson #

43 ( 39 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon #

44 ( 32 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC #

45 ( 41 ) ERES TU - Mocedades #

46 ( 29 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward #

47 ( 47 ) THE BAND PLAYED THE BOOGIE - C.C.S. #

48 ( 68 ) IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK - Ken Boothe #

49 ( 49 ) GOODBYE IS JUST ANOTHER WORD - The New Seekers featuring Eve Graham #

50 ( 50 ) IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY - Sly & The Family Stone #

 

51 ( 51 ) WHEN BOUZOUKIS PLAYED - Vicky Leandros #

52 ( 44 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 #

53 ( 52 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas #

54 ( 43 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners #

55 ( 48 ) WALKING IN THE RAIN - The Partridge Family featuring David Cassidy & Starring Shirley Jones #

56 ( 46 ) BESAME MUCHO - Apollo 100 #

57 ( 69 ) THE KISS - Judee Sill #

58 ( 45 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate #

59 ( 62 ) EVIL - Earth, Wind & Fire #

60 ( NEW ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice #

 

61 ( 42 ) PEEK-A-BOO - The Stylistics #

62 ( 53 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds #

63 ( 54 ) ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT - Mungo Jerry #

64 ( 59 ) 20th CENTURY BOY - T.Rex #

65 ( 61 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia #

66 ( 58 ) I’M GONNA LOVE YOU JUST A LITTLE MORE BABY - Barry White #

67 ( 60 ) LONG TRAIN RUNNIN’ - The Doobie Brothers #

68 ( 70 ) YOUNG LOVE - Donny Osmond #

69 ( 71 ) JUST WHAT I HAD IN MIND - Faron Young #

70 ( 72 ) WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND - Grand Funk Railroad #

 

71 ( NEW ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited #

72 ( 56 ) LET ME BE THERE - Olivia Newton-John #

73 ( 57 ) LET’S GET IT ON - Marvin Gaye #

74 ( NEW ) ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY - Joe Walsh #

75 ( 75 ) FUNKY STUFF - Kool & The Gang #

 

 

 

 

 

21st July 1973 My chart that week then

 

It's 2 weeks on top for Mud's Hypnosis, holding Mott at 2, while Sylvia rises to 3 to threaten with some Pillow Talk. That Glitter man is unstoppable in the UK charts with his gang, and rises to 6 in my charts of the time, as we enjoyed the summer holidays, getting ready to pack up all out belongings yet again as we were on the move to Gloucester's RAF Innsworth in September so it was school-free sunny laziness for me. The Carpenters mellow Yesterday Once More suited the tone, and rises to give them a 6th top 10 in my charts.

 

Equally laid-back, Touch Me In The Morning is up to 13, but the new entries are quite a bit more lively: Suzi Quatro's 2nd hit 48 Crash in at 21, Chinn-Chapman doing the duties, and Nazereth's 2nd hit is Bad Bad Boy, and possibly their best record new at 23. Dad told us tales of The Ying Tong Song, a 50's novelty record that was back in vogue due to the TV show "The Last Goon Show Of All" with Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe & Peter Sellers. It's very silly and dad's dad was so annoyed with it he smashed it to pieces when dad played it once too often. Dad's new fave was Spanish Eyes, Al Martino new at 29 some 21 years since topping the very first UK chart. Dad bought Spanish Eyes, he could easily match Al note-for-note. Finally, Barry Blue finally gets a hit, after co-writing others with Lynsey De Paul, and Dancing On A Saturday Night had taken weeks and weeks of airplay to get to be a hit, so it was already a bit saturated from airplay. New at 30.

 

1 ( 1 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

2 ( 2 ) HONALOOCHI BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople

3 ( 5 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia

4 ( 3 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

5 ( 4 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds

6 ( 24 ) I'M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter

7 ( 7 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade

8 ( 9 ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis

9 ( 25 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - The Carpenters

10 ( 10 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

 

11 ( 11 ) STEP BY STEP - Joe Simon

12 ( 8 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

13 ( 28 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross

14 ( 13 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings

15 ( 17 ) SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING - Elton John

16 ( 16 ) ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT - Mungo Jerry

17 ( 6 ) FINDER’S KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board

18 ( 15 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex

19 ( 29 ) FREE ELECTRIC BAND - Albert Hammond

20 ( 18 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC

 

21 ( NEW ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro

22 ( 21 ) I SAW THE LIGHT - Todd Rundgren

23 ( NEW ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth

24 ( 30 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward

25 ( 12 ) CAN THE CAN - Suzi Quatro

26 ( NEW ) YING TONG SONG - The Goons

27 ( 22 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon

28 ( 14 ) STANDING ON THE INSIDE - Neil Sedaka

29 ( NEW ) SPANISH EYES - Al Martino

30 ( NEW ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

28th July 1973

It's a brand new album debut for 10CC this week in 1973, and as it turned out one of my absolute fave albums of the decade when I managed to tape it off a friend in early 1976. So, in comes the best track off the album, the stunning Speed Kills, never a single, criminally as it is totally rifftastic. I expect the drug-related themes might not have got Radio 1 plays, but it is a fabulous studio creation from 4 fabulous musicians playing about in their studio, and getting ready to take on the rest of the world, and a second Retro chart-topper. The next single for 10CC is new in at 9, the quirky 50's-pastiche The Dean And I. The amusing Sand In My Face is in at 23, the rockpop Headline Hustler debuts at 32, and Ships Don't Disappear In The Night (Do They), also quirky, is at 65. Their album is varied, the songs meticulous, lyrics witty and/or moving and choruses are more of an occasional accident amongst a backdrop of chock-a-block production.

 

Medicine Head manage to get a 2nd top 10 despite the 10CC invasion, with Rising Sun, and out this week in the USA it's the soundtrack album to the big Western movie of 1973, the X-Rated Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, with a soundtrack composed and produced by Bob Dylan, including his classic Knocking On Heaven's Door, new at 15. Unusually, Dylan's version remains the best version, not even close, and Eric Clapton and Guns 'n' Roses are among those who have tried it out to lesser artistic success.

 

Another song that would be a future cover was sadly a UK flop in 1973, a shame as I Believe In Miracles is a fab soul dance song and track, in at 35. Love Unlimited drop their new album this week, with current single up to 60, but the next bigger single debuts early at 46, Under The Influence Of Love, and both are very Barry White-sounding, naturally, bar the vocals. A minor UK hit of the time was a 3rd Detroit Emeralds song, I Think Of You - I quite liked it, but never managed to tape it off the radio, and consequently it's one I literally haven't heard for 50 years. It's quite nice, new at 61. Ann Peebles future disco monster cover by Eruption, I Can't Stand The Rain, plops in at 74, as former rain-on-windowpane singers The Fortunes do a catchy reggae pop number that flopped, Whenever It's A Sunday.

 

That leaves another album debut, another one of my fave 70's albums, by my then-hero-of-the-year, Roy Wood with Boulders. 2 of the tracks retro-charted in 1972, and are joined by another 3 this week, current single Dear Elaine at 64, all gentle folk, Songs Of Praise at 66, a bit of gospel that the New Seekers tried out for Eurovision 1972, and the sci-fi folk-jazz of Miss Clarke & The Computer, a sort of HAL2000 IT obession. Every instrument and every voice on the album is Roy Wood. I was very impressed with that as a 15-year-old. Still am, it's a fun album.

 

1 ( NEW ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

2 ( 1 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry # 1

3 ( 4 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

4 ( 3 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

5 ( 2 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

6 ( 5 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

7 ( 7 ) HALF-BREED - Cher # 7

8 ( 15 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 8

9 ( NEW ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

10 ( 8 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

 

11 ( 10 ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 5

12 ( 6 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 6

13 ( 14 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

14 ( 17 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

15 ( NEW ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 15

16 ( 9 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

17 ( 11 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

18 ( 16 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

19 ( 12 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

20 ( 21 ) SATURDAY NIGHT - Bay City Rollers # 20

 

21 ( 13 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

22 ( 30 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro # 22

23 ( NEW ) SAND IN MY FACE - 10CC # 23

24 ( 20 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

25 ( 18 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

26 ( 22 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

27 ( 34 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 26

28 ( 35 ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast # 28

29 ( 25 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

30 ( 24 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

 

31 ( 26 ) (EVERYONE’S AGREED THAT) EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT FINE - Stealers Wheel # 26

32 ( NEW ) HEADLINE HUSTLER - 10CC # 32

33 ( 23 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

34 ( 37 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters # 34

35 ( NEW ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 35

36 ( 48 ) IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK - Ken Boothe # 36

37 ( 60 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice # 37

38 ( 32 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

39 ( 33 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

40 ( 28 ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast # 16

 

41 ( 29 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

42 ( 42 ) JUST DON’T WANT TO BE LONELY - Ronnie Dyson # 42

43 ( 38 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando # 38

44 ( 40 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

45 ( 39 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

46 ( NEW ) UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE - Love Unlimited # 46

47 ( 45 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

48 ( 19 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 10

49 ( 41 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 7

50 ( 44 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

 

51 ( 51 ) WHEN BOUZOUKIS PLAYED - Vicky Leandros # 51

52 ( 36 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade # 36

53 ( 43 ) TAKE ME TO THE MARDI GRAS - Paul Simon # 22

54 ( 27 ) ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH? - The Four Tops # 24

55 ( 46 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 2

56 ( 53 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

57 ( 52 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

58 ( 54 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

59 ( 59 ) EVIL - Earth, Wind & Fire # 59

60 ( 71 ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited # 60

 

61 ( NEW ) I THINK OF YOU - The Detroit Emeralds # 61

62 ( 31 ) HOOKED ON A FEELING - Blue Swede (Bjorn Skifs & Blablues) # 16

63 ( 58 ) BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate # 1

64 ( NEW ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood # 64

65 ( NEW ) SHIPS DON’T DISAPPEAR IN THE NIGHT (DO THEY?) - 10CC # 65

66 ( NEW ) SONGS OF PRAISE - Roy Wood # 66

67 ( 69 ) JUST WHAT I HAD IN MIND - Faron Young # 67

68 ( 57 ) THE KISS - Judee Sill # 57

69 ( 47 ) THE BAND PLAYED THE BOOGIE - C.C.S. # 47

70 ( 70 ) WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND - Grand Funk Railroad # 70

 

71 ( 50 ) IF YOU WANT ME TO STAY - Sly & The Family Stone # 50

72 ( NEW ) MISS CLARKE AND THE COMPUTER - Roy Wood # 72

73 ( NEW ) WHENEVER IT’S A SUNDAY - The Fortunes # 73

74 ( NEW ) I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN - Ann Peebles # 74

75 ( 74 ) ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY - Joe Walsh # 74

 

 

 

 

 

Wot I liked then way back in 28th July 1973

 

It's Mud still hypnotising on top of my summer chart back in '73, but Suzi Quatro goes a step higher than Can The Can did with 48 Crash up to 2, so a Chinn-Chapman double-top glamtastic chart. Nazereth hit their career chart peak of 3 (so far) as bad Bad Boy makes it a lively top 3, with Carpenters at 5 slowing things down a bit. The Goons tickle my funny bone, briefly, as Ying Tong Song hits 9, and a reactivated All Right Now is in at 11 for Free. Don't worry if it doesn't go any higher it'll be back again in the 70's. And 80's. And 90's.

 

Another 1970 oldie climbs to 13 for Al Martino, and Limmie & The Family Cooking finally sneak into the UK chart after weeks of airplay on Radio 1, or was it radio Luxembourg, with You Can Do Magic. The Drifters prove they don;t need all those 60's oldies to get a hit - Like Sister And Brother updates the sound and prepares the band for relocation to the UK and several years of non-stop hits, new at 28, their 3rd chart entry (and 4th song). New York City was another radio fave of the time, I'm Doing Fine Now took a while to grow on me too, but it's an actual soul minor classic, and First Choice get a second hit with Smarty Pants, which I didn;t like anywhere near as much as Armed & Extremely Dangerous. They would have further "hits" in my charts but this was their UK chart swansong.

 

1 ( 1 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

2 ( 21 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro

3 ( 23 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth

4 ( 5 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds

5 ( 9 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - The Carpenters

6 ( 6 ) I'M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter

7 ( 4 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

8 ( 3 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia

9 ( 26 ) YING TONG SONG - The Goons

10 ( 2 ) HONALOOCHI BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople

 

11 ( NEW ) ALL RIGHT NOW - Free

12 ( 7 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade

13 ( 29 ) SPANISH EYES - Al Martino

14 ( 13 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross

15 ( 12 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

16 ( 15 ) SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING - Elton John

17 ( 10 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

18 ( 24 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward

19 ( 16 ) ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT - Mungo Jerry

20 ( 11 ) STEP BY STEP - Joe Simon

 

21 ( 8 ) ROCK A DOODLE DOO - Linda Lewis

22 ( 14 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings

23 ( 17 ) FINDER’S KEEPERS - Chairmen Of The Board

24 ( NEW ) YOU CAN DO MAGIC - Limmie & The family Cooking

25 ( 18 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex

26 ( 30 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

27 ( 22 ) I SAW THE LIGHT - Todd Rundgren

28 ( NEW ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters

29 ( NEW ) I’M DOING FINE NOW - New York City

30 ( NEW ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice

4th August 1973

 

It's 2 weeks on top for 10CC's brilliant album track Speed Kills, as Cher rises to 5, and Bob Dylan gets his first ever Retro top 10, and fit only took 5 years from his Retro chart debut. In my actual charts, Lay Lady Lay was the first to do it. New in, it's a debut for Hudson-Ford's unusual, but fab, Pick Up The Pieces in at 10, fresh off their top 10 Part Of The Union, their ex-band going on with the folk stuff under dave Cousins, while Hudson Ford get pretty-much into genre hopping, or in the case of this single, genre-defying. I've never been able to classify it!

 

In a busy week for high new entries, Guy Darrell's 1966 flop finally charts, thanks to the Northern Soul scene. It actually used to get on my nerves back in the summer of '73, but I've come to love it with the passage of time, I've Been Hurt at 13. The Detroit Spinners grab a 4th track of the year, with the fab Ghetto Child at 17, and actor and singer David Essex kick-starts his cool teen-idol career with the throbbing, sparse Rock On at 21. Girls at school who liked David Essex records tended to be cooler than the Donny Osmond & David Cassidy fans, or at least a little bit more mature on the whole! I record that observation as a Partridge Family Fan.

 

Neil Sedaka really starts to show his mature songwriting development with Our Last Song Together at 29, and it's not even 2 years since he restarted his pop career. Stevie Wonder drops his new album Innervisions, with a 7-minute cut of a future edited-version classic single, and also a new single out: Higher Ground at 38, and future UK-only single He's Misstra Know It All new at 71, as still-young Stevie gets all political in the days of Watergate obsessing the world, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974. Compared to current events, Watergate was pretty mild, just a bit of taping, breaking & entering, corruption and lying.

 

New at 44, The Doobie Brothers are new in with the rocking China Grove, never a UK hit sadly. Ditto Glen Campbell's A Beautiful Love Song, one I wasn't familiar with till this week, and it's pretty good at 67. Millie Jackson returns with a big song, Hurts So Good, one better-known to me as future reggae hit for Susan Cadogan in 1975 (I still prefer that version, but this is more powerful). That leaves The Pointer Sisters' big US hit Yes We Can Can in at 74, a full 6 years ahead of their UK chart debut.

 

1 ( 1 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

2 ( 2 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry # 1

3 ( 3 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

4 ( 4 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

5 ( 7 ) HALF-BREED - Cher # 5

6 ( 5 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

7 ( 8 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 7

8 ( 15 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 8

9 ( 9 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

10 ( NEW ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 10

 

 

11 ( 10 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

12 ( 36 ) IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK - Ken Boothe # 12

13 ( NEW ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 13

14 ( 6 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

15 ( 11 ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 5

16 ( 14 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

17 ( NEW ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 17

18 ( 27 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 18

19 ( 35 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 19

20 ( 22 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro # 20

 

21 ( NEW ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 21

22 ( 18 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

23 ( 23 ) SAND IN MY FACE - 10CC # 23

24 ( 12 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 6

25 ( 24 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

26 ( 32 ) HEADLINE HUSTLER - 10CC # 26

27 ( 17 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

28 ( 16 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

29 ( NEW ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 29

30 ( 19 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

 

31 ( 25 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

32 ( 21 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

33 ( 13 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

34 ( 29 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

35 ( 20 ) SATURDAY NIGHT - Bay City Rollers # 20

36 ( 26 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

37 ( 37 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice # 37

38 ( NEW ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 38

39 ( 33 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

40 ( 46 ) UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE - Love Unlimited # 40

 

41 ( 28 ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast # 28

42 ( 38 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

43 ( 41 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

44 ( NEW ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 44

45 ( 39 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

46 ( 30 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

47 ( 40 ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast # 16

48 ( 43 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando # 38

49 ( 44 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

50 ( 60 ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited # 50

 

51 ( 31 ) (EVERYONE’S AGREED THAT) EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT FINE - Stealers Wheel # 26

52 ( 34 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters # 34

53 ( 42 ) JUST DON’T WANT TO BE LONELY - Ronnie Dyson # 42

54 ( 48 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 10

55 ( 47 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

56 ( 50 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

57 ( 65 ) SHIPS DON’T DISAPPEAR IN THE NIGHT (DO THEY?) - 10CC # 57

58 ( 61 ) I THINK OF YOU - The Detroit Emeralds # 58

59 ( 73 ) WHENEVER IT’S A SUNDAY - The Fortunes # 59

60 ( 67 ) JUST WHAT I HAD IN MIND - Faron Young # 60

 

61 ( 45 ) 24 SYCAMORE - Gene Pitney # 1

62 ( 58 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

63 ( 57 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

64 ( 64 ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood # 64

65 ( 56 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

66 ( 66 ) SONGS OF PRAISE - Roy Wood # 66

67 ( NEW ) A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG - Glen Campbell # 67

68 ( 55 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward # 2

69 ( 72 ) MISS CLARKE AND THE COMPUTER - Roy Wood # 69

70 ( 49 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds # 7

71 ( NEW ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 71

72 ( NEW ) HURTS SO GOOD - MIllie Jackson # 72

73 ( 74 ) I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN - Ann Peebles # 73

74 ( NEW ) YES WE CAN CAN - The Pointer Sisters # 74

75 ( 70 ) WE’RE AN AMERICAN BAND - Grand Funk Railroad # 70

 

 

4th August 1973 my actual charts of the time

 

It's 3 weeks on top for Mud as the UK top 30 started to disenchant me somewhat, and I was having to chart tracks I wasn't that fussed about inside my charts, so most tracks are flattered, barring those that never made the UK 30 between 21 and 30 here. So that means Diana Ross climbs to 4, suiting the hot lazy days, Al Martino goes top 10, and Albert Hammond bounces back inside the top 20. Of more interest, the song from The Poseidon Adventure blockbuster, my then-all-time movie (bought the book, drew the poster, loved the cast), enters for Maureen McGovern, daughter of US Senator George McGovern, and topping the US charts.

 

Medicine Head return with a 2nd goodie, Rising Sun even better than One And One Is One, new at 24, and C.C.S. have on final chart fling with The Band Played The Boogie, their 4th and final charting single in my own charts (never really got Walkin' when I finally got to hear what I'd missed while living in Singapore).

 

1 ( 1 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

2 ( 2 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro

3 ( 5 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - The Carpenters

4 ( 14 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross

5 ( 3 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth

6 ( 8 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia

7 ( 4 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds

8 ( 7 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

9 ( 13 ) SPANISH EYES - Al Martino

10 ( 9 ) YING TONG SONG - The Goons

 

11 ( 11 ) ALL RIGHT NOW - Free

12 ( 6 ) I'M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter

13 ( 16 ) SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING - Elton John

14 ( 12 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade

15 ( 17 ) ALBATROSS - Fleetwood Mac

16 ( 24 ) YOU CAN DO MAGIC - Limmie & The family Cooking

17 ( 15 ) BORN TO BE WITH YOU - Dave Edmunds

18 ( 20 ) STEP BY STEP - Joe Simon

19 ( RE ) FREE ELECTRIC BAND - Albert Hammond

20 ( 22 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings

 

21 ( 28 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters

22 ( NEW ) THE MORNING AFTER - Maureen McGovern

23 ( 10 ) HONALOOCHI BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople

24 ( NEW ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head

25 ( 26 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

26 ( 29 ) I’M DOING FINE NOW - New York City

27 ( 30 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice

28 ( 18 ) GAYE - Clifford T. Ward

29 ( 19 ) ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT - Mungo Jerry

30 ( NEW ) THE BAND PLAYED THE BOOGIE - C.C.S.

11th August 1973

 

It's 3 weeks on top for 10CC, as Bob Dylan rises to 3, a new peak, with Knocking On Heaven's Door trying to jostle for the top spot. David Essex climbs into the top 10 for the first time with the fab moody Rock On, love the double-tracking and echo style. Ken Boothe also goes top 10 with a wonderful reggae flop that is new to me, a full year ahead of his UK chart break-through. Highest new entry at 18 is ex-Temptation Eddie Kendricks, on his solo smash, Keep On Truckin', easily the best thing he did outside the band.

 

New at 41, Nilsson's back with lovely cover of the Casablanca movie classic As Time Goes By, 4 years ahead of Dooley Wilson getting his original in the UK chart. Nilsson didn't have many UK hits but he's rarely out of my retro charts, always quality. In at 69, David Cassidy's Us single was a quirky ragtime styled cover of the Lovin' Spoonful's Daydream, not one I was aware of but way better than Rock Me Baby, so they may as well have stuck it out in the UK where darlin' david was WAY bigger than than in the US. Geordie make it 3 in a row with Electric Lady, Perry Como tries For The Good Times, and his 3rd chart entry too, Deodato covers the standard Rhapsody In Blue, jazz stylee, for a 2nd entry, and finally, The Stories sneak in with their mostly-insipid cover of Hot Chocolate's masterful Brother Louie. I was most put-out that my beloved band didn't get a US chart-topper break-through and this did. I like it a bit more these days, but I still feel sorry for Errol & Tony and the boys, though Emma did give them a hit, but not fame and the same UK chart consistency.

 

1 ( 1 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

2 ( 2 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry # 1

3 ( 8 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 3

4 ( 4 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

5 ( 3 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

6 ( 7 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 6

7 ( 10 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 7

8 ( 6 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

9 ( 21 ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 9

10 ( 12 ) IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK - Ken Boothe # 10

 

11 ( 17 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 11

12 ( 5 ) HALF-BREED - Cher # 5

13 ( 13 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 13

14 ( 14 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

15 ( 11 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

16 ( 9 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

17 ( 16 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

18 ( NEW ) KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (PART 1) - Eddie Kendricks # 18

19 ( 19 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 19

20 ( 18 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 18

 

21 ( 15 ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 5

22 ( 38 ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 22

23 ( 44 ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 23

24 ( 67 ) A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG - Glen Campbell # 24

25 ( 26 ) HEADLINE HUSTLER - 10CC # 25

26 ( 29 ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 26

27 ( 25 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

28 ( 22 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

29 ( 33 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

30 ( 28 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

 

31 ( 32 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

32 ( 24 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 6

33 ( 30 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

34 ( 40 ) UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE - Love Unlimited # 34

35 ( 37 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice # 35

36 ( 23 ) SAND IN MY FACE - 10CC # 23

37 ( 31 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

38 ( 27 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

39 ( 39 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

40 ( 20 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro # 20

 

41 ( NEW ) AS TIME GOES BY - Nilsson # 41

42 ( 50 ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited # 42

43 ( 36 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

44 ( 42 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

45 ( 66 ) SONGS OF PRAISE - Roy Wood # 45

46 ( 45 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

47 ( 43 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

48 ( 34 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

49 ( 64 ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood # 49

50 ( 55 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

 

51 ( 49 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

52 ( 47 ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast # 16

53 ( 54 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 10

54 ( 69 ) MISS CLARKE AND THE COMPUTER - Roy Wood # 54

55 ( 59 ) WHENEVER IT’S A SUNDAY - The Fortunes # 55

56 ( 56 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

57 ( 52 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters # 34

58 ( 41 ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast # 28

59 ( 71 ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 59

60 ( 57 ) SHIPS DON’T DISAPPEAR IN THE NIGHT (DO THEY?) - 10CC # 57

 

61 ( 35 ) SATURDAY NIGHT - Bay City Rollers # 20

62 ( 46 ) THE GROOVER - T.Rex # 1

63 ( 58 ) I THINK OF YOU - The Detroit Emeralds # 58

64 ( 73 ) I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN - Ann Peebles # 64

65 ( 65 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

66 ( 62 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

67 ( 63 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5 # 1

68 ( 48 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn featuring Tony Orlando # 38

69 ( NEW ) DAYDREAM - David Cassidy # 69

70 ( 72 ) HURTS SO GOOD - MIllie Jackson # 70

71 ( NEW ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie # 71

72 ( NEW ) FOR THE GOOD TIMES - Perry Como # 72

73 ( 74 ) YES WE CAN CAN - The Pointer Sisters # 73

74 ( NEW ) BROTHER LOUIE - The Stories # 74

75 ( NEW ) RHAPSODY IN BLUE - Deodato # 75

 

 

 

 

11th August 1973 My actual chart of that week way back then

 

It's still Mud on top for a 4th week with not much happening at the top end, but The Drifters grab a 3rd top 10 with Like Sister And Brother, and First Choice get a Smarty Pants 2nd, as do Medicine Head. Dawn now give 60's vocalist Tony Orlando some billing on Sweet Gypsy Rose, their ragtime latest new at 15, and it was all downhill MOR from here on after a run of 7 singles or so and a chart-topper with Knock Three Times.

 

In at 20, Bobby Goldsboro debuts in my original charts with the sultry fab Summer, The First time, matching the summer days of '73 mood-wise, while Peter Doyle drops his first solo single at 21, as good as anything the New seekers released, but a complete stiff - Rusty Hands Of Time happily got played on Junior's Choice so I managed to record it around 8 years before I managed to buy a copy. Just behind, and getting loads of airplay on Radio 1 ahead of actual release, Wizzard's next smash Angel Fingers, which I was instantly a fan of, but it was so annoying having to wait a few weeks to buy it that I never bothered in the end. I got it 2nd hand in 1974 instead.

 

The Bay City Rollers return with future 1976 US number one Saturday Night - but that was rerecorded version with Les McKewan on lead, and this was the original version that almost charted in the UK. The intro is great, the rest of the record is not bad. Roger Daltrey gives Tommy's I'm Free the huge orchestral treatment and it really works a treat. Dramatic! Love it still. Note, it's nothing to do with Mr. Humphries, though Are You Being Served had already debuted on BBC1. Hot Chocolate's dark, orchestral Rumours was a hint of things to come, and deserved to be a huge smash, but it was a modest hit only, and their 7th chart hit for me. That leaves Halloween classic Monster Mash getting an unseasonal reissue in the UK, having been a US hit in 1963 and 1970, but never a UK hit. I'd never even heard of it, it was so obscure. Who knew it was destined to be the most perennial of all Halloween songs! Bobby 'Boris' Pickett didnt have another hit but he obtained pop immortality.

 

1 ( 1 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

2 ( 2 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro

3 ( 3 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - Carpenters

4 ( 5 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth

5 ( 6 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia

6 ( 4 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross

7 ( 7 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds

8 ( 21 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters

9 ( 27 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice

10 ( 24 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head

 

11 ( 25 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

12 ( 9 ) SPANISH EYES - Al Martino

13 ( 26 ) I’M DOING FINE NOW - New York City

14 ( 10 ) YING TONG SONG - The Goons

15 ( NEW ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn/ Tony Orlando

16 ( 8 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

17 ( 11 ) ALL RIGHT NOW - Free

18 ( 16 ) YOU CAN DO MAGIC - Limmie & The family Cooking

19 ( 19 ) FREE ELECTRIC BAND - Albert Hammond

20 ( NEW ) SUMMER, THE FIRST TIME - Bobby Goldsboro

 

21 ( NEW ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle

22 ( NEW ) ANGEL FINGERS - Wizzard

23 ( 22 ) THE MORNING AFTER - Maureen McGovern

24 ( NEW ) SATURDAY NIGHT - Bay City Rollers

25 ( 12 ) I'M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter

26 ( NEW ) I'M FREE - Roger Daltrey

27 ( 13 ) SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING - Elton John

28 ( NEW ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate

29 ( NEW ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

30 ( 14 ) SKWEEZE ME PLEEZE ME - Slade

 

18th August 1973

 

It's a first retro chart-topper for Bob Dylan, thanks to his Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid Peckinpah Western soundtrack single, the fab Knocking On Heaven's Door, destined to be sampled by Gabrielle and a UK chart-topper in around 27 years time. Highest new entry is a third chart placing and second top 10 for Wizzard, as Roy Wood's semi-rewrite of a bit of an old tune brings Angel Fingers in at 5, while he has another Wizzard track and 3 solo tracks scattered around the chart. Eddie Kendricks meanwhile leaps to 4 with his super-funky Keep On Truckin' still sounding exciting - and outdoing The Temptations current single (flopped here) and the song the band will be nicking shortly - Law Of The Land.

 

Detroit Spinners make it a hat-trick of top 10's, and new in at 58, and on the Buddah record label now, Gladys Knight & her family debut Midnight Train To Georgia 3 years early for the UK market - it would eventually get reissued in 1976 after flopping in 1973, following some actual hits in 1975. The Rolling Stones drop their first ballad in 6 years as a single, Angie failed to impress me much at the time, though it would grown on me in later years a bit. New at 64. Albert Hammond gets his 4th chart entry with The Peacemaker, and also in The Jackson 5 turn funky, get a US hit and a UK flop out of it, and replace the way-better UK hit Skywriter in the chart, with Get It Together.

 

 

1 ( 3 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 1

2 ( 1 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

3 ( 2 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry # 1

4 ( 18 ) KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (PART 1) - Eddie Kendricks # 4

5 ( NEW ) ANGEL FINGERS (A TEEN BALLAD) - Wizzard # 5

6 ( 22 ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 6

7 ( 7 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 7

8 ( 9 ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 8

9 ( 6 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 6

10 ( 11 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 10

 

11 ( 13 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 11

12 ( 8 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

13 ( 19 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 13

14 ( 4 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

15 ( 15 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

16 ( 5 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

17 ( 24 ) A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG - Glen Campbell # 17

18 ( 17 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

19 ( 26 ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 19

20 ( 16 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

 

21 ( 14 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

22 ( 12 ) HALF-BREED - Cher # 5

23 ( 23 ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 23

24 ( 10 ) IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK - Ken Boothe # 10

25 ( 25 ) HEADLINE HUSTLER - 10CC # 25

26 ( 21 ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 5

27 ( 27 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

28 ( 28 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

29 ( 20 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 18

30 ( 29 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

 

31 ( 30 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

32 ( 33 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

33 ( 31 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

34 ( 41 ) AS TIME GOES BY - Nilsson # 34

35 ( 42 ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited # 35

36 ( 59 ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 36

37 ( 32 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 6

38 ( 35 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice # 35

39 ( 74 ) BROTHER LOUIE - The Stories # 39

40 ( 54 ) MISS CLARKE AND THE COMPUTER - Roy Wood # 40

 

41 ( 38 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

42 ( 39 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

43 ( 34 ) UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE - Love Unlimited # 34

44 ( 37 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

45 ( 45 ) SONGS OF PRAISE - Roy Wood # 45

46 ( 36 ) SAND IN MY FACE - 10CC # 23

47 ( 44 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

48 ( 48 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

49 ( 47 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

50 ( 46 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

 

51 ( 69 ) DAYDREAM - David Cassidy # 51

52 ( 43 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

53 ( 49 ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood # 49

54 ( 50 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

55 ( 70 ) HURTS SO GOOD - MIllie Jackson # 55

56 ( 51 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

57 ( 40 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro # 20

58 ( NEW ) MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - Gladys Knight & The Pips # 58

59 ( 56 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

60 ( 57 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters # 34

 

61 ( 55 ) WHENEVER IT’S A SUNDAY - The Fortunes # 55

62 ( 53 ) RANDY - Blue Mink # 10

63 ( 64 ) I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN - Ann Peebles # 63

64 ( NEW ) ANGIE - The Rolling Stones # 64

65 ( 65 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

66 ( 66 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

67 ( 58 ) KING HEROD’S SONG - Josh Mostel & Cast # 28

68 ( 71 ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie # 68

69 ( 73 ) YES WE CAN CAN - The Pointer Sisters # 69

70 ( 60 ) SHIPS DON’T DISAPPEAR IN THE NIGHT (DO THEY?) - 10CC # 57

 

71 ( 52 ) HOSANNAH - Ted Neeley & Cast # 16

72 ( 72 ) FOR THE GOOD TIMES - Perry Como # 72

73 ( NEW ) THE PEACEMAKER - Albert Hammond # 73

74 ( 63 ) I THINK OF YOU - The Detroit Emeralds # 58

75 ( NEW ) GET IT TOGETHER - The Jackson 5 # 75

 

 

 

 

18th Aug 1973 My chart that week then

 

It's 5 weeks on top for Mud, with Medicine Head in runners-up spot with Rising Sun, and a big leap for Bobby Goldsboro at 3, and Roger Daltrey at 4 with I'm Free, all fab records. My enthusiasm for the UK singles chart was waning a bit though, with me getting more enthusiastic for records that hadn't yet or didn't make the UK top 30. Not least Hudson-Ford, ex-Strawbs duo no longer Part Of The Union, they were picking up the pieces with a soaring unusual pop track at 24, just ahead of poster-boy David Essex, about to star in That'll Be The Day, a UK movie about the 50's pop biz, and with a dark, double-tracked, throbbing Rock On. That leaves the lovely Natural High from Bloodstone, soul delight, and Donny's UK chart-topper sneaking in, but it wasn't very good and his output was getting worse as The Osmonds continued to be good.

 

1 ( 1 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

2 ( 10 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head

3 ( 20 ) SUMMER, THE FIRST TIME - Bobby Goldsboro

4 ( 26 ) I'M FREE - Roger Daltrey

5 ( 4 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth

6 ( 8 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters

7 ( 2 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro

8 ( 9 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice

9 ( 11 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

10 ( 5 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia

 

11 ( 3 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - The Carpenters

12 ( 12 ) SPANISH EYES - Al Martino

13 ( 16 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

14 ( 7 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds

15 ( 15 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn/ Tony Orlando

16 ( 13 ) I’M DOING FINE NOW - New York City

17 ( 17 ) ALL RIGHT NOW - Free

18 ( 6 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross

19 ( 18 ) YOU CAN DO MAGIC - Limmie & The family Cooking

20 ( 14 ) YING TONG SONG - The Goons

 

21 ( 22 ) ANGEL FINGERS - Wizzard

22 ( 21 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle

23 ( 24 ) SATURDAY NIGHT - Bay City Rollers

24 ( NEW ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford

25 ( NEW ) ROCK ON - David Essex

26 ( 29 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

27 ( 28 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate

28 ( NEW ) NATURAL HIGH - Bloodstone

29 ( 23 ) THE MORNING AFTER - Maureen McGovern

30 ( NEW ) YOUNG LOVE - Donny Osmond

25th August 1973

 

It's straight in at 1 for Ike & Tina Turner's 70's classic, "farty synth noises" and all as John Peel opined in his otherwise positive review in Sounds music magazine - me I think it's still perfect in any way, and Tina's autobiographical masterpiece Nutbush City Limits would get re-recorded in her solo years to considerably less effect. Also new, at 6, is 60's pop star Manfred Mann, with added-on Earthband, and minus the rest of the old group. Joybringer is a semi-prog-rock revamp of Holst's Planets' Jupiter suite, with lyrics, and it works beautifully, sounding all futuristic too, with synth sounds. Synths sounded like the future. They were.

 

New in at 27, Rod starts up with his habitual covers, this one Goffin & King's fab Oh No! Not My Baby, a hit for the aforementioned Manfreds in the 60's, and this on is also one of Rod's best cover-jobs, avoiding the dull-pedestrian norm. His own songs were always his best stuff, but as he has admitted, he doesn't like writing songs if he can find an excuse to do something else. New at 32, Mott get a 4th retro entry with All The Way From Memphis, Glam Rock fun, and John Denver debuts at 65 with a track I've never heard before, but Farewell Andromeda is more Rocky Mountain High than Country Roads - thank goodness.

 

Quo keep 'em coming with caroline a lowly 68 for now, oddly as I'd always considered it one of their best records, yet didn't grab me as much as Paper Plane on one hearing after a bit of a break from it. Paper Roses is out in the States as yet another Osmond (Marie) enters the chart fray with a soppy cover of a soppy 60's country hit from the future anti-gay-rights campaigner Anita Bryant. Happily she's lived long enough to dwell on how she could have used that time on something more positive.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner # 1

2 ( 1 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 1

3 ( 3 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry & The London Symphony Orchestra # 1

4 ( 2 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

5 ( 4 ) KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (PART 1) - Eddie Kendricks # 4

6 ( NEW ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband # 6

7 ( 5 ) ANGEL FINGERS (A TEEN BALLAD) - Wizzard # 5

8 ( 7 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 7

9 ( 8 ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 8

10 ( 6 ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 6

 

11 ( 11 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 11

12 ( 10 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 10

13 ( 13 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 13

14 ( 17 ) A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG - Glen Campbell # 14

15 ( 15 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

16 ( 9 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 6

17 ( 14 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

18 ( 12 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

19 ( 20 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

20 ( 23 ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 20

 

21 ( 18 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

22 ( 34 ) AS TIME GOES BY - Nilsson # 22

23 ( 21 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

24 ( 27 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

25 ( 16 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

26 ( 36 ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 26

27 ( NEW ) OH NO! NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart # 27

28 ( 22 ) HALF-BREED - Cher # 5

29 ( 25 ) HEADLINE HUSTLER - 10CC # 25

30 ( 30 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

 

31 ( 19 ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 19

32 ( NEW ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople # 32

33 ( 28 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

34 ( 31 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

35 ( 64 ) ANGIE - The Rolling Stones # 35

36 ( 29 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 18

37 ( 33 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

38 ( 40 ) MISS CLARKE AND THE COMPUTER - Roy Wood # 38

39 ( 35 ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited # 35

40 ( 32 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

 

41 ( 39 ) BROTHER LOUIE - The Stories # 39

42 ( 58 ) MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - Gladys Knight & The Pips # 42

43 ( 43 ) UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE - Love Unlimited # 34

44 ( 37 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 6

45 ( 45 ) SONGS OF PRAISE - Roy Wood # 45

46 ( 42 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

47 ( 53 ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood # 47

48 ( 41 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

49 ( 51 ) DAYDREAM - David Cassidy # 49

50 ( 38 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice # 35

 

51 ( 44 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

52 ( 52 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

53 ( 50 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

54 ( 26 ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 5

55 ( 24 ) IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK - Ken Boothe # 10

56 ( 47 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

57 ( 48 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

58 ( 56 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

59 ( 54 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

60 ( 59 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

 

61 ( 63 ) I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN - Ann Peebles # 61

62 ( 68 ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie # 62

63 ( 46 ) SAND IN MY FACE - 10CC # 23

64 ( 75 ) GET IT TOGETHER - The Jackson 5 # 64

65 ( NEW ) FAREWELL ANDROMEDA (WELCOME TO MY MORNING) - John Denver # 65

66 ( 49 ) HONALOOCHIE BOOGIE - Mott The Hoople # 9

67 ( 65 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

68 ( NEW ) CAROLINE - Status Quo # 68

69 ( 55 ) HURTS SO GOOD - MIllie Jackson # 55

70 ( 69 ) YES WE CAN CAN - The Pointer Sisters # 69

 

71 ( 66 ) COULD IT BE I’M FALLING IN LOVE - The Detroit Spinners # 1

72 ( NEW ) PAPER ROSES - Marie Osmond # 72

73 ( 73 ) THE PEACEMAKER - Albert Hammond # 73

74 ( NEW ) LATE AGAIN - Stealers Wheel # 74

75 ( NEW ) ROCK AND ROLL PEOPLE - Bobbie McGee # 75

 

 

 

 

 

Wot I liked that week then 28th August 1973

 

It's 6 weeks on top for Mud as Bobby Goldsboro becomes the latest to peak at 2 with the fab Summer, The First Time, and Hudson-Ford looking good at 4 with Pick Up The Pieces. Roy Wood's solo single Dear Elaine debuts at 17, from his future-fave-of-mine album Boulders, as Wizzard get lots of plugging on the held-back-from release Angel Fingers. There was even a one-page ad in Disc and NME and the likes, 50's-style and actual lyrics you could use to sing along to. It was on my bedroom wall for a couple of years, and is looking a bit brown these days.

 

10CC also debut, with their 4th single, the quirky, 50's USA High School pastiche The Dean And I at 23, a little bit bubblegum, a bit jazzy, and no obvious hooks as was often the case. Their wonderful debut album was about to drop, and under-appreciated gem. That leaves The Detroit Emeralds grabbing a third and final (barring re-recordings) chart hit with the underwhelming I Think Of You. At home, the crates would have been arriving for packing up stuff for the move to Gloucester - but first I had a few days or a week or two back at school, the start of the 5th form, which was very odd, given I was about to leave.

 

1 ( 1 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

2 ( 3 ) SUMMER, THE FIRST TIME - Bobby Goldsboro

3 ( 2 ) RISING SUN - Medecine Head

4 ( 24 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford

5 ( 6 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters

6 ( 4 ) I'M FREE - Roger Daltrey

7 ( 9 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

8 ( 5 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth

9 ( 13 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

10 ( 7 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro

 

11 ( 14 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds

12 ( 19 ) YOU CAN DO MAGIC - Limmie & The family Cooking

13 ( 15 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn/ Tony Orlando

14 ( NEW ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood

15 ( 11 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - The Carpenters

16 ( 12 ) SPANISH EYES - Al Martino

17 ( 8 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice

18 ( 17 ) ALL RIGHT NOW - Free

19 ( 16 ) I’M DOING FINE NOW - New York City

20 ( 18 ) TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING - Diana Ross

 

21 ( 21 ) ANGEL FINGERS - Wizzard

22 ( 23 ) SATURDAY NIGHT - Bay City Rollers

23 ( NEW ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC

24 ( 26 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

25 ( 25 ) ROCK ON - David Essex

26 ( 27 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate

27 ( 28 ) NATURAL HIGH - Bloodstone

28 ( 22 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle

29 ( NEW ) I THINK OF YOU - The Detroit Emeralds

30 ( 10 ) PILLOW TALK - Sylvia

1st September 1973

 

It's a 2nd Retro week on top for Ike & Tina, as Manfred Mann's new band threatens with Joybringer at 2. Highest new entry though, comes from Maria Muldaur's new album, and overlooked as a blindingly obvious hit single for another 9 months, the fabulous summer of '74 jazz vibes of Midnight At The Oasis new at 9. She had some other decent stuff, but basically a one-hit wonder, sadly. The Jackson Sisters also go top 10 with I Believe In Miracles, an 80's retro minor hit in the UK in 1987, and a hit cover for The Pasadenas a few years later - and never a hit anywhere else, bizarrely, as it sounds ahead of it's time for 1973.

 

Neil Sedaka's Tra La Days Are Over album is charting in the UK, and from it Love Will Keep Us Together is new at 49 - 2 years ahead of being a smash US chart-topper for Captain & Tenille - admittedly a better version, but Neil's is fun too. Also with a new album out, The Chi-Lites drop in with UK flop Stoned Out Of My Mind, the first single, but there are 3 more to come in the UK as suddenly the band do start doing better in the UK with well-known tracks that flopped in the US, including one not even released as a single. I'm saving those for now till they chart, to spread 'em out a bit.

 

Leo Sayer has a US single out, the obscure Why Is Everybody Going Home, for a chart debut here, and rather nice it is too, I generally prefer his early years to his middle of the road years. He's still fab in concert though, a bundle of energy, well worth catching. Gilbert tries a bit of funk to limited success, Ooh Baby, but not to worry dreary ballads on the way soon, Barry White's US single sneaks in low down, and Garfunkel joins Simon in my chart with his debut solo US hit, All I Know, still in fine voice ahead of his debut album, which has one masterpiece on it.

 

1 ( 1 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner # 1

2 ( 6 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband # 2

3 ( 4 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

4 ( 7 ) ANGEL FINGERS (A TEEN BALLAD) - Wizzard # 4

5 ( 3 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry & The London Symphony Orchestra # 1

6 ( 2 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 1

7 ( 5 ) KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (PART 1) - Eddie Kendricks # 4

8 ( 12 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 8

9 ( NEW ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS - Maria Muldaur # 9

10 ( 13 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 10

 

11 ( 11 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 11

12 ( 9 ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 8

13 ( 10 ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 6

14 ( 20 ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 14

15 ( 26 ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 15

16 ( 27 ) OH NO! NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart # 16

17 ( 15 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

18 ( 16 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 6

19 ( 14 ) A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG - Glen Campbell # 14

20 ( 32 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople # 20

 

21 ( 8 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 7

22 ( 18 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

23 ( 24 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

24 ( 22 ) AS TIME GOES BY - Nilsson # 22

25 ( 19 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

26 ( 23 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

27 ( 28 ) HALF-BREED - Cher # 5

28 ( 17 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

29 ( 30 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

30 ( 21 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

 

31 ( 33 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

32 ( 68 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo # 32

33 ( 34 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

34 ( 29 ) HEADLINE HUSTLER - 10CC # 25

35 ( 42 ) MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - Gladys Knight & The Pips # 35

36 ( 65 ) FAREWELL ANDROMEDA (WELCOME TO MY MORNING) - John Denver # 36

37 ( 25 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

38 ( 35 ) ANGIE - The Rolling Stones # 35

39 ( 38 ) MISS CLARKE AND THE COMPUTER - Roy Wood # 38

40 ( 36 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 18

 

41 ( 31 ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 19

42 ( 40 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

43 ( 45 ) SONGS OF PRAISE - Roy Wood # 43

44 ( 49 ) DAYDREAM - David Cassidy # 44

45 ( 43 ) UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE - Love Unlimited # 34

46 ( 44 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 6

47 ( 37 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

48 ( 48 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

49 ( NEW ) LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 49

50 ( 53 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

 

51 ( 54 ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 5

52 ( 56 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

53 ( 39 ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited # 35

54 ( 51 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

55 ( 46 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

56 ( NEW ) STONED OUT OF MY MIND - The Chi-Lites # 56

57 ( 52 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

58 ( 59 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

59 ( 57 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

60 ( 58 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

 

61 ( 55 ) IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK - Ken Boothe # 10

62 ( 50 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice # 35

63 ( NEW ) WHY IS EVERYBODY GOING HOME - Leo Sayer # 63

64 ( 60 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

65 ( 41 ) BROTHER LOUIE - The Stories # 39

66 ( 62 ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie # 62

67 ( 61 ) I CAN’T STAND THE RAIN - Ann Peebles # 61

68 ( 72 ) PAPER ROSES - Marie Osmond # 68

69 ( 67 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

70 ( NEW ) OOH BABY - Gilbert O’Sullivan # 70

 

71 ( 64 ) GET IT TOGETHER - The Jackson 5 # 64

72 ( NEW ) I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO GIVE - Barry White # 72

73 ( 47 ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood # 47

74 ( 74 ) LATE AGAIN - Stealers Wheel # 74

75 ( NEW ) ALL I KNOW - Garfunkel # 75

 

 

1st September 1973 Wot I Liked That Actual Week Then

 

It's the end of 7 weeks on top for Mud 50 years ago as Hypnosis tumbles out of the UK top 30 and Wizzard's radio plugged single is finally out and in the chart, to grab Roy Wood & co a second chart-topper with Angel Fingers, preventing Barry Blue's greek-sounding summer pop hit from topping my chart. Dawn get a 6th top 10, 10CC a 3rd and Roy Wood gets his first solo top 10 for a total of 8 top 10's including his Move, ELO and Wizzard contributions over the last 5 years.

 

All the new entries are bunched together from 25 to 30 - The Jackson 5's exciting synth funk of Skywriter, their final great record as The Jackson 5 after nearly 4 years' worth of non-stop hits, Mott The Hoople grab a 3rd with All The Way From Memphis, Geordie are one up on a 4th with Electric Lady, 60's flop I've Been Hurt gets a Northern Soul belated hit for Guy Darrell, and Neil Sedaka keeps his comeback strong with Our Last Song Together, the feeling of goodbye relevant to packing up our stuff, having a final few days back at school for the 5th Form, before moving to Gloucester, and one song I associate with the new venue is Manfred Mann's Earthband's version of Holst's Jupiter Suite Joybringer, in all it's synth delight, which brings back Manfred (Minus the rest of the 60's hitmakers) for some revived career 70's hits 4 years on from Ragamuffin Man being the last, and a 3rd in total since Fox On The Run topped my chart in 1968.

 

1 ( 21 ) ANGEL FINGERS - Wizzard

2 ( 7 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

3 ( 2 ) SUMMER, THE FIRST TIME - Bobby Goldsboro

4 ( 4 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford

5 ( 3 ) RISING SUN - Medecine Head

6 ( 6 ) I'M FREE - Roger Daltrey

7 ( 13 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn/ Tony Orlando

8 ( 23 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC

9 ( 14 ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood

10 ( 5 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters

 

11 ( 8 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth

12 ( 9 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

13 ( 10 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro

14 ( 29 ) I THINK OF YOU - The Detroit Emeralds

15 ( 11 ) GOIN’ HOME - The Osmonds

16 ( 12 ) YOU CAN DO MAGIC - Limmie & The family Cooking

17 ( 15 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - The Carpenters

18 ( 16 ) SPANISH EYES - Al Martino

19 ( 19 ) I’M DOING FINE NOW - New York City

20 ( 18 ) ALL RIGHT NOW - Free

 

21 ( 24 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

22 ( 27 ) NATURAL HIGH - Bloodstone

23 ( 25 ) ROCK ON - David Essex

24 ( 1 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud

25 ( NEW ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5

26 ( NEW ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople

27 ( NEW ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie

28 ( NEW ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell

29 ( NEW ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka

30 ( NEW ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband

8th September 1973

 

It's a new number one for Manfred Mann, his first retro chart-topper, with Joybringer holding off the glam rok bombshell that is The Ballroom Blitz, The Sweet's greatest record just ahead of Hell Raiser, and that's a 5th or 6th top 10, 3 top 2's in a row. Rod Stewart gets a 3rd top 10, solo, plus one with Python Lee Jackson, and in a quiet week for new releases (no Record Mirror to comb through till next week, just Billboard magazine) it's a fairly slow chart. Seals & Croft get a 2nd chart entry, with We May Never Pass This Way Again - not quite up to Summer Breeze, but good. The Strawbs make it 3 - or rather dave Cousin does, as Hudson-Ford already are on their 3rd - with the decent Shine On Silver Sun, and I find that KC & The Sunshine Band (soon to change the music scene in 1974, end Glam and bring in disco) had an early single I'd not been aware of - new at 75, Blow Your Whistle is not bad, but way better to come.

 

1 ( 2 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband # 1

2 ( NEW ) THE BALLROOM BLITZ - The Sweet # 2

3 ( 1 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner # 1

4 ( 5 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry & The London Symphony Orchestra # 1

5 ( 6 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 1

6 ( 7 ) KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (PART 1) - Eddie Kendricks # 4

7 ( 3 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

8 ( 9 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS - Maria Muldaur # 8

9 ( 4 ) ANGEL FINGERS (A TEEN BALLAD) - Wizzard # 4

10 ( 16 ) OH NO! NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart # 10

 

11 ( 10 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 10

12 ( 12 ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 8

13 ( 8 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 8

14 ( 14 ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 14

15 ( 11 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 11

16 ( 15 ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 15

17 ( 32 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo # 17

18 ( 18 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 6

19 ( 20 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople # 19

20 ( 17 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

 

21 ( 19 ) A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG - Glen Campbell # 14

22 ( 26 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

23 ( 22 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

24 ( 13 ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 6

25 ( 35 ) MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - Gladys Knight & The Pips # 25

26 ( 30 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

27 ( 23 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

28 ( 36 ) FAREWELL ANDROMEDA (WELCOME TO MY MORNING) - John Denver # 28

29 ( 38 ) ANGIE - The Rolling Stones # 29

30 ( 31 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

 

31 ( 37 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

32 ( 29 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

33 ( 33 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

34 ( 21 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 7

35 ( 27 ) HALF-BREED - Cher # 5

36 ( 28 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

37 ( 25 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

38 ( 49 ) LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 38

39 ( 44 ) DAYDREAM - David Cassidy # 39

40 ( 56 ) STONED OUT OF MY MIND - The Chi-Lites # 40

 

41 ( 63 ) WHY IS EVERYBODY GOING HOME - Leo Sayer # 41

42 ( 40 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Undisputed Truth # 18

43 ( 39 ) MISS CLARKE AND THE COMPUTER - Roy Wood # 38

44 ( 53 ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited # 35

45 ( 43 ) SONGS OF PRAISE - Roy Wood # 43

46 ( 50 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

47 ( 47 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

48 ( 42 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

49 ( 46 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 6

50 ( 54 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

 

51 ( 58 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

52 ( 52 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

53 ( 41 ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 19

54 ( 51 ) I’M THE LEADER OF THE GANG (I AM) - Gary Glitter & The Glitter Band # 5

55 ( 48 ) EVERYTHING’S ALRIGHT - Yvonne Elliman, Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson & Cast # 5

56 ( 57 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

57 ( 24 ) AS TIME GOES BY - Nilsson # 22

58 ( 59 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

59 ( 34 ) HEADLINE HUSTLER - 10CC # 25

60 ( 75 ) ALL I KNOW - Garfunkel # 60

 

61 ( 72 ) I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO GIVE - Barry White # 61

62 ( 55 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

63 ( 61 ) IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK - Ken Boothe # 10

64 ( NEW ) WE MAY NEVER PASS THIS WAY (AGAIN) - Seals & Croft # 64

65 ( 62 ) SMARTY PANTS - First Choice # 35

66 ( 60 ) LIVE AND LET DIE - Wings # 2

67 ( 45 ) UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF LOVE - Love Unlimited # 34

68 ( 68 ) PAPER ROSES - Marie Osmond # 68

69 ( 64 ) RUBBER BULLETS - 10CC # 1

70 ( 66 ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie # 62

 

71 ( 69 ) WHY CAN’T WE LIVE TOGETHER - Timmy Thomas # 1

72 ( 70 ) OOH BABY - Gilbert O’Sullivan # 70

73 ( 71 ) GET IT TOGETHER - The Jackson 5 # 64

74 ( NEW ) SHINE ON SILVER SUN - The Strawbs # 74

75 ( NEW ) BLOW YOUR WHISTLE - KC & The Sunshine Band # 75

 

 

 

8th September 1973 My actual chart of that week way back then

 

It's a quiet week back in 1973 this week, and also this week in my retro chart above, as Angel Fingers gets 2 weeks on top, with Monster Mash heading towards a novelty number 2 for Bobby Pickett & co - it's still a great Halloween song, and it already sounded old (10 years) in 1973, 50 years on and it's still known by all and sundry. 10CC get a 3rd top 5, and there's new entries from Rod Stewart and his unexpected cover of a Goffin & King 60's classic, Oh No Not My Baby at 24; Quo make it 3 in a row with caroline new at 28, and 60's icons Ike & Tina Turner are back with a stone-cold classic, Tina's own song, Nutbush City Limits at 29. John Peel reviewed it in Sounds magazine not keen on the synth sounds, but liking the rest of it. I loved all of it.

 

This was also the week we moved to Gloucester and I ran out of space for my personal charts in my full notebook. Pressured to feel I should be maturing aged 15 and in the last year before O levels - and still delaying going to the new school for another week - I very annoyingly stopped doing my personal charts. It wouldn't last, I eventually used an old schoolbook for my charts, expanded them to a top 30, and allowed any tracks in at all that I was enjoying and that were out to buy, no more stuck with the UK top 30 controlling what I listed, and it would make quite the difference to my enthusiasm. However, I hate a chart gap so I went back and made up some weekly charts for the rest of 1973 after the event (still using the UK charts and whatever I had taped off the radio as a guide) and got a pretty accurate load of charts as it was still fresh in my mind what I liked most. They will start next week.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) ANGEL FINGERS - Wizzard

2 ( 21 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

3 ( 4 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford

4 ( 2 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

5 ( 8 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC

6 ( 7 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn/ Tony Orlando

7 ( 9 ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood

8 ( 3 ) SUMMER, THE FIRST TIME - Bobby Goldsboro

9 ( 6 ) I'M FREE - Roger Daltrey

10 ( 12 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

 

11 ( 5 ) RISING SUN - Medecine Head

12 ( 13 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro

13 ( 10 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters

14 ( 14 ) I THINK OF YOU - The Detroit Emeralds

15 ( 16 ) YOU CAN DO MAGIC - Limmie & The family Cooking

16 ( 23 ) ROCK ON - David Essex

17 ( 28 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell

18 ( 17 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - The Carpenters

19 ( 18 ) SPANISH EYES - Al Martino

20 ( 19 ) I’M DOING FINE NOW - New York City

 

21 ( 25 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5

22 ( 27 ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie

23 ( 30 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband

24 ( NEW ) OH NO NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart

25 ( 26 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople

26 ( 29 ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka

27 ( 22 ) NATURAL HIGH - Bloodstone

28 ( NEW ) CAROLINE - Status Quo

29 ( NEW ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner

30 ( RE ) SATURDAY NIGHT - Bay City Rollers

15th September 1973 Retro Chart

 

It's up for Ballroom Blitz, giving The Sweet a hat-trick of chart-toppers with the classic still-exciting Glam track, while highest new entry is Elton John and one of his great ballads, the title track from his forthcoming double-album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, probably his best album, new in at 8. In at 11, and one I didn;t know at the time, it's the ever-present Aerosmith debuting with the epic Dream On, out in the USA this week.

 

In a big week for high entries, Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, or Teddy Pendergrass and friends, enter at 25 with the Philly classic, The Love I Lost, Andy Williams covers Neil Sedaka and brings Solitaire into the chart at 26, outdoing Neil's version from earlier in 1973, and a 3rd song for Neil on the rundown, and at 27 it's country classic The Most Beautiful Girl from Charlie Rich, still 6 months away from hitting in the UK (as per usual in those days, US hits were often held back for ages), his 2nd chart entry.

 

Bryan Ferry gives Dylan a 2nd song on the chart, with the best version of A Hard Rain's A Gonna fall at 33, his first solo outing away from Roxy Music, and ahead of his covers album. The Temptations return at 46 with their version of The Undisputed Truth's Law Of The Land, a bit moodier and they push the original out, which is way funkier and faster. Colin Blunstone is on his 6th solo Retro hit, Wonderful at 68, The Four Tops are back again with Sweet Understanding Love, Greyhound are on single 5, Wily, Italy's Drupi enters early with Vado Via, and Roger daltrey is THinking of 2 chart tracks.

 

1 ( 2 ) THE BALLROOM BLITZ - The Sweet # 1

2 ( 3 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner # 1

3 ( 1 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband # 1

4 ( 6 ) KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (PART 1) - Eddie Kendricks # 4

5 ( 8 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS - Maria Muldaur # 5

6 ( 4 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry & The London Symphony Orchestra # 1

7 ( 5 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 1

8 ( NEW ) GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - Elton John # 8

9 ( 7 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

10 ( 9 ) ANGEL FINGERS (A TEEN BALLAD) - Wizzard # 4

 

11 ( NEW ) DREAM ON - Aerosmith # 11

12 ( 10 ) OH NO! NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart # 10

13 ( 13 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 8

14 ( 11 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 10

15 ( 40 ) STONED OUT OF MY MIND - The Chi-Lites # 15

16 ( 19 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople # 16

17 ( 25 ) MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - Gladys Knight & The Pips # 17

18 ( 18 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 6

19 ( 15 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 11

20 ( 17 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo # 17

 

21 ( 20 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

22 ( 22 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

23 ( 23 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

24 ( 26 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

25 ( NEW ) THE LOVE I LOST (PART 1) - Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes # 25

26 ( NEW ) SOLITAIRE - Andy Williams # 26

27 ( NEW ) THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - Charlie Rich # 27

28 ( 28 ) FAREWELL ANDROMEDA (WELCOME TO MY MORNING) - John Denver # 28

29 ( 12 ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 8

30 ( 27 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

 

31 ( 41 ) WHY IS EVERYBODY GOING HOME - Leo Sayer # 31

32 ( 31 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

33 ( NEW ) A HARD RAIN’S A-GONNA FALL - Bryan Ferry # 33

34 ( 21 ) A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG - Glen Campbell # 14

35 ( 34 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 7

36 ( 39 ) DAYDREAM - David Cassidy # 36

37 ( 38 ) LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 37

38 ( 24 ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 6

39 ( 14 ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 14

40 ( 16 ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 15

 

41 ( 36 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

42 ( 32 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

43 ( 30 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

44 ( 33 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

45 ( 44 ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited # 35

46 ( NEW ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Temptations # 46

47 ( 46 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

48 ( 29 ) ANGIE - The Rolling Stones # 29

49 ( 37 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

50 ( 35 ) HALF-BREED - Cher # 5

 

51 ( 47 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

52 ( 51 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

53 ( 48 ) COULD WE START AGAIN PLEASE? - Yvonne Elliman, Philip Toubus & Cast # 2

54 ( 49 ) ANGEL - Aretha Franklin # 6

55 ( 56 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

56 ( 52 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

57 ( 53 ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 19

58 ( 61 ) I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO GIVE - Barry White # 58

59 ( 64 ) WE MAY NEVER PASS THIS WAY (AGAIN) - Seals & Croft # 59

60 ( 50 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds # 10

 

61 ( 43 ) MISS CLARKE AND THE COMPUTER - Roy Wood # 38

62 ( 68 ) PAPER ROSES - Marie Osmond # 62

63 ( 45 ) SONGS OF PRAISE - Roy Wood # 43

64 ( 60 ) ALL I KNOW - Garfunkel # 60

65 ( 58 ) BAD BAD BOY - Nazereth # 8

66 ( 62 ) TUBULAR BELLS SIDE 1 - Mike Oldfield # 3

67 ( 72 ) OOH BABY - Gilbert O’Sullivan # 67

68 ( NEW ) WONDERFUL - Colin Blunstone # 68

69 ( 75 ) BLOW YOUR WHISTLE - KC & The Sunshine Band # 69

70 ( NEW ) SWEET UNDERSTANDING LOVE - The Four Tops # 70

 

71 ( NEW ) WEST COAST WOMAN - Painter # 71

72 ( NEW ) VADO VIA - Drupi # 72

73 ( NEW ) WILY - Greyhound # 73

74 ( 74 ) SHINE ON SILVER SUN - The Strawbs # 74

75 ( NEW ) THINKING - Roger Daltrey # 75

 

 

 

15th September 1973 My chart that week then

 

It's The Sweet topping my charts of 50 years ago - Ballroom Blitz becomes their 4th number one in a row! Hudson-Ford peak at 2, The Jackson 5 leap up to 5 with the synthtastic Skywriter for a 3rd top 10 of the year and 7th in total in 3 years. Mott The Hoople make it 3 top 10's in a row too, Memphis at 7, and David Essex gets his first with Rock On at 8. Geordie take Electric Lady higher than previous singles bar All Because Of You, while Quo, the Turners, and Rod threaten to the top.

 

As we settled into our new house at RAF Innsworth married quarters (still looking exactly the same 50 years on, pleasingly as if time has stood still near this part of Gloucester, I was ecstatic to find radio 1 radio reception round here was way better than the awful reception in the Lincolnshire sticks, and I could now tape records off Radio 1 as well as the chart show on Radio 2. Hooray! I still didn't manage to tape The New Seekers We've Got To Do It Now, new at 25. I got luckier with The Isley Brothers That Lady, as they return to the UK charts with new stuff for the first time in 4 years. Stealers Wheel get a 2nd chart hit too, setting Gerry Rafferty up for greater things in the future.

1 ( NEW ) BALLROOM BLITZ - The Sweet

2 ( 3 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford

3 ( 1 ) ANGEL FINGERS - Wizzard

4 ( 5 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC

5 ( 21 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5

6 ( 2 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

7 ( 25 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople

8 ( 16 ) ROCK ON - David Essex

9 ( 4 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

10 ( 22 ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie

 

11 ( 8 ) SUMMER, THE FIRST TIME - Bobby Goldsboro

12 ( 28 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo

13 ( 29 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner

14 ( 24 ) OH NO NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart

15 ( 9 ) I'M FREE - Roger Daltrey

16 ( 6 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn/ Tony Orlando

17 ( 11 ) RISING SUN - Medecine Head

18 ( 7 ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood

19 ( 15 ) YOU CAN DO MAGIC - Limmie & The family Cooking

20 ( 13 ) LIKE SISTER AND BROTHER - The Drifters

 

21 ( 10 ) LIFE ON MARS - David Bowie

22 ( 26 ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka

23 ( 23 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband

24 ( 12 ) 48 CRASH - Suzi Quatro

25 ( NEW ) WE’VE GOT TO DO IT NOW - The New Seekers

26 ( 17 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell

27 ( 18 ) YESTERDAY ONCE MORE - The Carpenters

28 ( NEW ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers

29 ( NEW ) EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT FINE - Stealers Wheel

30 ( 14 ) I THINK OF YOU - The Detroit Emeralds

22nd September 1973

 

It's a new entry on top for ELO, as Showdown becomes their second retro chart-topper, this time minus Roy Wood, with a track that's not entirely unlike a Motown song, but it's fab anyway. That leaves Elton up to 3 with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and Ringo new in at 4 with his best ever single, a George Harrison co-write, on Photograph. The autumn of 1973 was chock a block with exciting new classics at the time, and with my new chart rules there's also some great stuff from 1974 climbing into the 20 and the Xmas 1974 synth goodie Pepperbox new at 10 for The Peppers, courtesy of this week's Dutch chart.

 

Talking of Dutch, Golden Earring debut with their rock monster hit, Radar Love, still solid gold 50 years on, while The Hollies are also back, Allan Clarke back on vocals on the very CCR The Day That Curly Billy etc in at 25 for a 7th consecutive retro year chart career. Slade are also new in at 30 with My Friend Stan, a change of pace for Noddy & the lads, and sadly I can't reverse the N's in the title as per the record label of the time.

 

Jim Croce died this week 50 years ago in an air crash, and there will be some very poignant posthumous new stuff from Jim on the way, including I Got A Name new in at 56, and worth noting Glynis Johns, the Mary Poppins movie legend (and way more, including her theatre starring role in A Little Night Music at 53, Send In The Clowns) was already 50 years old in 1973. She's 100 this week. Finally down the bottom end, a Bob Marley classic (flop at the time) debuts with Get Up Stand Up, and his former mate Johnny nash is in with My Merry Go Round, not quite up to former standards but nice enough.

 

1 ( NEW ) SHOWDOWN - Electric Light Orchestra # 1

2 ( 1 ) THE BALLROOM BLITZ - The Sweet # 1

3 ( 8 ) GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - Elton John # 3

4 ( NEW ) PHOTOGRAPH - Ringo Starr # 4

5 ( 2 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner # 1

6 ( 3 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband # 1

7 ( 4 ) KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (PART 1) - Eddie Kendricks # 4

8 ( 6 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry & The London Symphony Orchestra # 1

9 ( 11 ) DREAM ON - Aerosmith # 9

10 ( NEW ) PEPPERBOX - The Peppers # 10

 

11 ( 9 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

12 ( 5 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS - Maria Muldaur # 5

13 ( 7 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 1

14 ( 10 ) ANGEL FINGERS (A TEEN BALLAD) - Wizzard # 4

15 ( 25 ) THE LOVE I LOST (PART 1) - Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes # 15

16 ( 26 ) SOLITAIRE - Andy Williams # 16

17 ( 27 ) THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - Charlie Rich # 17

18 ( NEW ) RADAR LOVE - Golden Earring # 18

19 ( 14 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 10

20 ( 15 ) STONED OUT OF MY MIND - The Chi-Lites # 15

 

21 ( 12 ) OH NO! NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart # 10

22 ( 13 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 8

23 ( 16 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople # 16

24 ( 33 ) A HARD RAIN’S A-GONNA FALL - Bryan Ferry # 24

25 ( NEW ) THE DAY THAT CURLY BILLY SHOT DOWN CRAZY SAM MCGEE - The Hollies # 25

26 ( 18 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 6

27 ( 28 ) FAREWELL ANDROMEDA (WELCOME TO MY MORNING) - John Denver # 27

28 ( 17 ) MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - Gladys Knight & The Pips # 17

29 ( 19 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 11

30 ( NEW ) MY FRIEND STAN - Slade # 30

 

31 ( 31 ) WHY IS EVERYBODY GOING HOME - Leo Sayer # 31

32 ( 21 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

33 ( 20 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo # 17

34 ( 23 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

35 ( 24 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

36 ( 30 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

37 ( 37 ) LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 37

38 ( 35 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 7

39 ( 22 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

40 ( 38 ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 6

 

41 ( 29 ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 8

42 ( 34 ) A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG - Glen Campbell # 14

43 ( 46 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Temptations # 43

44 ( 39 ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 14

45 ( 40 ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 15

46 ( 41 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

47 ( 58 ) I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO GIVE - Barry White # 47

48 ( 32 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

49 ( 43 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

50 ( 47 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

 

51 ( 42 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

52 ( 52 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

53 ( 56 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

54 ( 44 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

55 ( 73 ) WILY - Greyhound # 55

56 ( NEW ) I GOT A NAME - Jim Croce # 56

57 ( 59 ) WE MAY NEVER PASS THIS WAY (AGAIN) - Seals & Croft # 57

58 ( 62 ) PAPER ROSES - Marie Osmond # 58

59 ( 48 ) ANGIE - The Rolling Stones # 29

60 ( 49 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

 

61 ( 45 ) OH LOVE WE FINALLY MADE IT - Love Unlimited # 35

62 ( 55 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

63 ( 50 ) HALF-BREED - Cher # 5

64 ( 51 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

65 ( NEW ) GET UP STAND UP - Bob Marley & The Wailers # 65

66 ( 70 ) SWEET UNDERSTANDING LOVE - The Four Tops # 66

67 ( 68 ) WONDERFUL - Colin Blunstone # 67

68 ( 36 ) DAYDREAM - David Cassidy # 36

69 ( 71 ) WEST COAST WOMAN - Painter # 69

70 ( 69 ) BLOW YOUR WHISTLE - KC & The Sunshine Band # 69

 

71 ( NEW ) MY MERRY GO ROUND - Johnny Nash # 71

72 ( 67 ) OOH BABY - Gilbert O’Sullivan # 67

73 ( 72 ) VADO VIA - Drupi # 72

74 ( 64 ) ALL I KNOW - Garfunkel # 60

75 ( 75 ) THINKING - Roger Daltrey # 75

 

 

 

 

22nd September 1973 what I liked that week then

 

So, 50 years ago I was starting school at Chosenhill Comprehensive, as Ballroom Blitz topped my charts. In Lincoln everyone had long hair so it was a culture shock when the 5th form kids started telling me I was going to be told to get my haircut in this ex-Grammar School. Sure enough, I was told to see a tonsorial artist by the Games teacher. No idea what he meant, had to ask. Bizarrely, another ex-schoolmate of mine from Singapore (RAF Seletar) was already there. He was my my form rival for running the 400m fastest in tropical Singapore, but he was faster, his name was Lance. In the interim I had very much given up athletics, and as many sports as I could get away with. sadly they did Rugby for 2 terms, and no football, which at least was less bad than rugby and cricket.

 

Back in music, ELO were getting Radio 1 airplay and I was happily recording stuff, which meant Showdown was in at 2. Rod, Ike & Tina, & Quo all went top 10 for me, while other newies included The Detroit Spinners getting a second hit of the year, Ghetto Child, a whimsical Bowie novelty flop endeared itself to small children, and some bigger ones, The Laughing Gnome, Paul Simon attempted some fab gospel, The Hollies kept on the CCR vibe with a cowboy song, Junior Walker covered Neil Diamond as their oldies continued to get UK releases and belated chart hits, Gilbert droned on a bit, and wannabe glam star Bobby McGee couldnt quite pull off a Suzi Quatro.

 

At the cinema in Gloucester, I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar, loved the songs, and a fab now-cult-fave movie called The Last Of Sheila, an all-star murder whodunnit with terrific performances and script. It's not been on TV in decades, and isn't available anywhere except on overpriced overseas DVD. Which is very very annoying! So many movies from the 60s and 70's (like a lot of the music) is now hard to find and forgotten. Not by me, though. For example, Star Trek was about to start repeating from the beginning on UK TV and I could finally get to see those few early episodes again, especially Where No man Has Gone Before which had a major impact on me in 1969, and the rest that I'd never seen (series 1 and 2, and part of 3). Hooray! And in colour! Hooray!

 

 

1 ( 1 ) BALLROOM BLITZ - The Sweet

2 ( NEW ) SHOWDOWN - Electric Light Orchestra

3 ( 13 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner

4 ( 3 ) ANGEL FINGERS - Wizzard

5 ( 5 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5

6 ( 14 ) OH NO NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart

7 ( 7 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople

8 ( 12 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo

9 ( 2 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford

10 ( 4 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC

 

 

11 ( 8 ) ROCK ON - David Essex

12 ( 23 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband

13 ( 11 ) SUMMER, THE FIRST TIME - Bobby Goldsboro

14 ( 6 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

15 ( 10 ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie

16 ( 9 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

17 ( NEW ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners

18 ( NEW ) THE LAUGHING GNOME - David Bowie

19 ( NEW ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon

20 ( NEW ) THE DAY THAT CURLY BILLY SHOT DOWN CRAZY SAM MCGEE - The Hollies

 

 

21 ( 15 ) I'M FREE - Roger Daltrey

22 ( NEW ) HOLLY HOLY - Junior Walker & The All Stars

23 ( 16 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn/ Tony Orlando

24 ( 28 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers

25 ( 25 ) WE’VE GOT TO DO IT NOW - The New Seekers

26 ( 19 ) YOU CAN DO MAGIC - Limmie & The family Cooking

27 ( NEW ) OOH BABY - Gilbert O'Sullivan

28 ( 18 ) DEAR ELAINE - Roy Wood

29 ( NEW ) ROCK AND ROLL PEOPLE - Bobby McGee

30 ( 22 ) OUR LAST SONG TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka

 

29th September 1973

 

It's Ringo Starr on top, as Photograph gives the Ex-Beatle his first chart-topper on the Retro chart, joining George, Paul, John who have already done the deed. His best record, no question, thanks from help from George. Highest new entry at 18 is the 3rd hit from Nazareth, with their version of This Flight Tonight in at 18 - Joni Mitchell's song, but this version is the best version, and Naz's best record. Cliff Richard has a new single out to promote his forthcoming and final, not-very-good, film of the same name. The record's pretty decent, and the film at least had Deborah Watling as co-star, a former Doctor Who companion fave of mine with Patrick Troughton and Frazier Hines in 1967/8.

 

Big news on Top Of The Pops was a huge promo for David Cassidy's new double-A Daydreamer and The Puppy Song, both decent tracks but not amongst his best moments, this marked the point where David's career declined in the USA and peaked in the UK. It was all downhill chartwise after this until George Michael revived his career in 1986. Blue Mink have a new album, Roger Cook already haven given away his song Another "Without You" Day to Miki Anthony, but his band do a nice version of it anyway, new at 61, with Roger and Madeline Bell on joint vocals. probably should have been a single.

 

In at 66, Phil Everly gets his first solo retro chart success for me, with The Air That I Breathe - a good version, but Polydor's secretary's suggestion to Allan Clarke that his band might get a hit with it was spot on. Brownsville Station debut with Smokin' In The Boys Room, and like The Hollies' cover still 5 months away from UK hitdom, and sounding not entirely unlike Alice Cooper. David Gates gets a 2nd solo entry at 73 and The Who at 75 drag 5:15 into my chart for the first ever time, as I don't recall hearing it much (if at all) at the time and I certainly never recorded it despite it making the UK charts.

 

1 ( 4 ) PHOTOGRAPH - Ringo Starr # 1

2 ( 1 ) SHOWDOWN - Electric Light Orchestra # 1

3 ( 2 ) THE BALLROOM BLITZ - The Sweet # 1

4 ( 3 ) GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - Elton John # 3

5 ( 5 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner # 1

6 ( 6 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband # 1

7 ( 9 ) DREAM ON - Aerosmith # 7

8 ( 10 ) PEPPERBOX - The Peppers # 8

9 ( 11 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

10 ( 8 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry & The London Symphony Orchestra # 1

 

11 ( 15 ) THE LOVE I LOST (PART 1) - Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes # 11

12 ( 16 ) SOLITAIRE - Andy Williams # 12

13 ( 17 ) THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - Charlie Rich # 13

14 ( 18 ) RADAR LOVE - Golden Earring # 14

15 ( 12 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS - Maria Muldaur # 5

16 ( 7 ) KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (PART 1) - Eddie Kendricks # 4

17 ( 24 ) A HARD RAIN’S A-GONNA FALL - Bryan Ferry # 17

18 ( NEW ) THIS FLIGHT TONIGHT - Nazareth # 18

19 ( 25 ) THE DAY THAT CURLY BILLY SHOT DOWN CRAZY SAM MCGEE - The Hollies # 19

20 ( 30 ) MY FRIEND STAN - Slade # 20

 

21 ( 13 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 1

22 ( 19 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 10

23 ( 31 ) WHY IS EVERYBODY GOING HOME - Leo Sayer # 23

24 ( 14 ) ANGEL FINGERS (A TEEN BALLAD) - Wizzard # 4

25 ( 20 ) STONED OUT OF MY MIND - The Chi-Lites # 15

26 ( 27 ) FAREWELL ANDROMEDA (WELCOME TO MY MORNING) - John Denver # 26

27 ( 22 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 8

28 ( 21 ) OH NO! NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart # 10

29 ( 26 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 6

30 ( 43 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Temptations # 30

 

31 ( 32 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

32 ( 29 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 11

33 ( 34 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

34 ( 37 ) LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 34

35 ( 69 ) WEST COAST WOMAN - Painter # 35

36 ( 23 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople # 16

37 ( 35 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

38 ( 38 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 7

39 ( 47 ) I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO GIVE - Barry White # 39

40 ( 33 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo # 17

 

41 ( 40 ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 6

42 ( NEW ) TAKE ME HIGH - Cliff Richard # 42

43 ( 36 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

44 ( 28 ) MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - Gladys Knight & The Pips # 17

45 ( 45 ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 15

46 ( 39 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

47 ( 46 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

48 ( 41 ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 8

49 ( 56 ) I GOT A NAME - Jim Croce # 49

50 ( 52 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

 

51 ( 49 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

52 ( 51 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

53 ( 53 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

54 ( 44 ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 14

55 ( 57 ) WE MAY NEVER PASS THIS WAY (AGAIN) - Seals & Croft # 55

56 ( NEW ) DAYDREAMER - David Cassidy # 56

57 ( 42 ) A BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG - Glen Campbell # 14

58 ( 50 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

59 ( 66 ) SWEET UNDERSTANDING LOVE - The Four Tops # 59

60 ( 48 ) RUSTY HANDS OF TIME - Peter Doyle # 3

61 ( NEW ) ANOTHER ‘WITHOUT YOU’ DAY - Blue Mink # 61

62 ( 54 ) HYPNOSIS - Mud # 1

63 ( 67 ) WONDERFUL - Colin Blunstone # 63

64 ( 65 ) GET UP STAND UP - Bob Marley & The Wailers # 64

65 ( NEW ) THE PUPPY SONG - David Cassidy # 65

66 ( NEW ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE - Phil Everly # 66

67 ( 58 ) PAPER ROSES - Marie Osmond # 58

68 ( 55 ) WILY - Greyhound # 55

69 ( 62 ) SWEET ILLUSION - Junior Campbell # 4

70 ( NEW ) SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM - Brownsville Station # 70

 

71 ( 71 ) MY MERRY GO ROUND - Johnny Nash # 71

72 ( 60 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC # 9

73 ( NEW ) SAIL AROUND THE WORLD - David Gates # 73

74 ( 64 ) SUPERSTAR - Carl Anderson & Cast # 1

75 ( NEW ) “5:15” - The Who # 75

 

 

 

My charts of the time 29th September 1973

 

It's a second number one for ELO 50 years ago, as Showdown holds off Nutbush City Limits from the top spot, loved them both dearly. New in at 3, Elton John debuts Goodbye Yellow Brick Road just ahead of the forthcoming double album and tracks played on Johnny Walkers albums chart rundown on lunchdown Radio 1. Brick Road is a sort of Wizard Of Oz tribute, lovely, and Elton's 5th top 5. Quo hit a new chart peak for any of their singles, Caroline at 4, and Paul Simon grabs a 4th solo top 10. Bryan Ferry covers Bob Dylan in his quirky Glam style, and gets a first solo hit outside Roxy Music with A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall at 7. Slade meanwhile debut a milder sound, My Friend Stan in at 8 for an 8th consecutive Top 10.

 

The Temptations cover Undisputed Truth's Law Of The Land in Papa Was A Rolling Stone stylee, new at 24, The Strawbs get a 3rd chart entry with Shine On Silver sun at 28, 11 places lower than ex-bandmates Hudson-Ford. The American Jam Band sneak in at 29 with Jam Jam, and Marvin Gaye says Let's Get It On at 30 and 50 years later his family would lose a copyright lawsuit to Ed Sheeran who could prove the chords predated Marvin's soul hit.

 

 

1 ( 2 ) SHOWDOWN - Electric Light Orchestra

2 ( 3 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner

3 ( NEW ) GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - Elton John

4 ( 8 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo

5 ( 5 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5

6 ( 19 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon

7 ( NEW ) A HARD RAIN'S A GONNA FALL - Bryan Ferry

8 ( NEW ) MY FRIEND STAN - Slade

9 ( 4 ) ANGEL FINGERS - Wizzard

10 ( 1 ) BALLROOM BLITZ - The Sweet

 

11 ( 17 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners

12 ( 22 ) HOLLY HOLY - Junior Walker & The All Stars

13 ( 12 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband

14 ( 6 ) OH NO NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart

15 ( 14 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

16 ( 18 ) THE LAUGHING GNOME - David Bowie

17 ( 9 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford

18 ( 7 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople

19 ( 20 ) THE DAY THAT CURLY BILLY SHOT DOWN CRAZY SAM MCGEE - The Hollies

20 ( 11 ) ROCK ON - David Essex

 

21 ( 16 ) DANCING ON A SATURDAY NIGHT - Barry Blue

22 ( 13 ) SUMMER, THE FIRST TIME - Bobby Goldsboro

23 ( 29 ) ROCK AND ROLL PEOPLE - Bobby McGee

24 ( NEW ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Temptations

25 ( 24 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers

26 ( 23 ) SAY HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY SWEET GYPSY ROSE - Dawn/ Tony Orlando

27 ( 10 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC

28 ( NEW ) SHINE ON SILVER SUN - The Strawbs

29 ( NEW ) JAM JAM - The American Jam Band

30 ( NEW ) LET'S GET IT ON - Marvin Gaye

6th October 1973

 

It's Elton John on top with his 4th number one as the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road drops and invades an expanded chart to accommodate it, the title track at 1, and future US chart-topper (and B side in the UK, outrageously, until 1976) Bennie & The Jets new in at 4. There's also Harmony new at 72, a US single in 1980, and the starter epic Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding at 75. Missing is Grey Seal which has already charted in the 1970 charts as a B side, earlier version.

 

Charlie Rich's country classic is up to 6, Harold Melvin/Teddy Pendergrass are up to 10 for a first top 10, and future US number one, Show And Tell, brings Al Wilson in at 25 - still pretty obscure to the UK though, which is a shame. New at 36, Bowie is about to do a Bryan Ferry eg a covers album (see These Foolish Things new at 76), and his version of the Merseys' Sorrow is in at 36 - pretty good, but largely forgotten these days. In at 64, a radio hit I was a fan of at the time, String Driven Thing's It's A Game - it made the Breakers but never quite broke into the 50, so it was left to the Bay City Rollers to get the hit in 1977.

 

Future UK and US number one, The Joker, sneaks in for The Steve Miller Band - I charted it in early 1974, but the UK waited until an advert pushed it in 1990 to the top spot, at 66, and at 67 another one I charted in 1974 as The Three Degrees go full-on Philly on Dirty Ol' Man without convincing the UK record-buying public. Linda Lewis gets a 2nd chart entry with Play Around, another one I liked, still quite sweet, but not a hit. The Stylistics chart early with Rockin' Roll Baby as they move away from lush soul ballads, new at 74. At 77, one I have listed in my charts of the time, but one I'd forgotten, Jam Jam sort of discorock from the American Jam Band, whil Phil Cordell is back as Dan The Banjo Man, his previous alias being the fab Springwater. This one almost charted too. Al Stewart debuts, Terminal Eyes is a new one on me, but Dreamboat isn't as Limmie & co were on Top Of The Pops, at 80 and 79.

1 ( 4 ) GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - Elton John # 1

2 ( 1 ) PHOTOGRAPH - Ringo Starr # 1

3 ( 2 ) SHOWDOWN - Electric Light Orchestra # 1

4 ( NEW ) BENNIE AND THE JETS - Elton John # 4

5 ( 3 ) THE BALLROOM BLITZ - The Sweet # 1

6 ( 13 ) THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL - Charlie Rich # 6

7 ( 7 ) DREAM ON - Aerosmith # 7

8 ( 8 ) PEPPERBOX - The Peppers # 8

9 ( 5 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner # 1

10 ( 11 ) THE LOVE I LOST (PART 1) - Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes # 10

 

11 ( 18 ) THIS FLIGHT TONIGHT - Nazareth # 11

12 ( 14 ) RADAR LOVE - Golden Earring # 12

13 ( 6 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband # 1

14 ( 23 ) WHY IS EVERYBODY GOING HOME - Leo Sayer # 14

15 ( 10 ) I’M FREE - Roger Daltry & The London Symphony Orchestra # 1

16 ( 9 ) SPEED KILLS - 10CC # 1

17 ( 17 ) A HARD RAIN’S A-GONNA FALL - Bryan Ferry # 17

18 ( 19 ) THE DAY THAT CURLY BILLY SHOT DOWN CRAZY SAM MCGEE - The Hollies # 18

19 ( 15 ) MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS - Maria Muldaur # 5

20 ( 20 ) MY FRIEND STAN - Slade # 20

 

21 ( 16 ) KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ (PART 1) - Eddie Kendricks # 4

22 ( 12 ) SOLITAIRE - Andy Williams # 12

23 ( 21 ) KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan # 1

24 ( 22 ) I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES - The Jackson Sisters # 10

25 ( NEW ) SHOW AND TELL - Al Wilson # 25

26 ( 30 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Temptations # 26

27 ( 25 ) STONED OUT OF MY MIND - The Chi-Lites # 15

28 ( 34 ) LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER - Neil Sedaka # 28

29 ( 39 ) I’VE GOT SO MUCH TO GIVE - Barry White # 29

30 ( 49 ) I GOT A NAME - Jim Croce # 30

 

31 ( 27 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners # 8

32 ( 26 ) FAREWELL ANDROMEDA (WELCOME TO MY MORNING) - John Denver # 26

33 ( 28 ) OH NO! NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart # 10

34 ( 31 ) I DON’T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM - Yvonne Elliman # 1

35 ( 24 ) ANGEL FINGERS (A TEEN BALLAD) - Wizzard # 4

36 ( NEW ) SORROW - David Bowie # 36

37 ( 33 ) LET ME IN - The Osmonds # 2

38 ( 42 ) TAKE ME HIGH - Cliff Richard # 38

39 ( 66 ) THE AIR THAT I BREATHE - Phil Everly # 39

40 ( 29 ) RISING SUN - Medicine Head # 6

 

41 ( 32 ) I’VE BEEN HURT - Guy Darrell # 11

42 ( 35 ) WEST COAST WOMAN - Painter # 35

43 ( 37 ) LONELY DAYS LONELY NIGHTS - Don Downing # 3

44 ( 61 ) ANOTHER ‘WITHOUT YOU’ DAY - Blue Mink # 44

45 ( 38 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford # 7

46 ( 43 ) CLOUDS - David Gates # 20

47 ( 55 ) WE MAY NEVER PASS THIS WAY (AGAIN) - Seals & Croft # 47

48 ( 40 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo # 17

49 ( 41 ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder # 6

50 ( 46 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers # 4

 

51 ( 44 ) MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA - Gladys Knight & The Pips # 17

52 ( 59 ) SWEET UNDERSTANDING LOVE - The Four Tops # 52

53 ( 53 ) SEND IN THE CLOWNS - Glynis Johns # 5

54 ( 36 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople # 16

55 ( 65 ) THE PUPPY SONG - David Cassidy # 55

56 ( 50 ) ERES TU - Mocedades # 1

57 ( 51 ) SEE MY BABY JIVE - Wizzard # 1

58 ( 63 ) WONDERFUL - Colin Blunstone # 58

59 ( 52 ) SUMMER (THE FIRST TIME) - Bobby Goldsboro # 1

60 ( 47 ) RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate # 1

 

61 ( 56 ) DAYDREAMER - David Cassidy # 56

62 ( 54 ) CHINA GROVE - The Doobie Brothers # 14

63 ( 48 ) ROCK ON - David Essex # 8

64 ( NEW ) IT’S A GAME - String Driven Thing # 64

65 ( 58 ) HELL RAISER - The Sweet # 1

66 ( NEW ) THE JOKER - The Steve Miller Band # 66

67 ( NEW ) DIRTY OL’ MAN - The Three Degrees # 67

68 ( 70 ) SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM - Brownsville Station # 68

69 ( 45 ) HE’S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL - Stevie Wonder # 15

70 ( NEW ) PLAY AROUND - Linda Lewis # 70

 

71 ( 64 ) GET UP STAND UP - Bob Marley & The Wailers # 64

72 ( NEW ) HARMONY - Elton John # 72

73 ( 73 ) SAIL AROUND THE WORLD - David Gates # 73

74 ( NEW ) ROCKIN’ ROLL BABY - The Stylistics # 74

75 ( NEW ) FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND/LOVE LIES BLEEDING - Elton John # 75

76 ( NEW ) THESE FOOLISH THINGS - Bryan Ferry # 76

77 ( NEW ) JAM JAM - American Jam Band # 77

78 ( NEW ) DAN THE BANJO MAN - Dan The Banjo Man # 78

79 ( NEW ) DREAMBOAT - Limmie & The Family Cooking # 79

80 ( NEW ) TERMINAL EYES - Al Stewart # 80

 

 

 

 

6th October 1973 Wot I Liked That Actual Week Then

It's 2 weeks on top for ELO 50 years ago, with The Jackson 5's Skywriter challenging for the top spot as Slade make it 7 top 5's out of 8. Manfred Mann, the man, gets his first top 10 since Ragamuffin Man in 1969, courtesy of his Earthband at 8, with some assist from Holst. Dylan the man is back for the first time since 1969, and he's Knockin' On Heaven's Door with the fab Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid movie tune, Bob having done the soundtrack to the film. X-Rated due to the violence, so I've never seen it!

 

Stevie Wonder is back funky and political, Higher Ground at 22, Dawn and Geordie both re-enter, while a quick chart note for The Rolling Stones' Angie and UK chart-topper Eye Level, neither of which I was that bothered about at the time, but which are pretty decent-sounding 50 years later. The Stones' make it 5 years of charting along with Manfred Mann and Bob Dylan. 5 years was an eternity in chart terms back in those days, and it seemed so long ago as to be nostalgic to a 15-year-old. To a 65-year-old 5 years is pretty recent.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) SHOWDOWN - Electric Light Orchestra

2 ( 5 ) SKYWRITER - The Jackson 5

3 ( 3 ) GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - Elton John

4 ( 2 ) NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS - Ike & Tina Turner

5 ( 8 ) MY FRIEND STAN - Slade

6 ( 7 ) A HARD RAIN'S A GONNA FALL - Bryan Ferry

7 ( 6 ) LOVES ME LIKE A ROCK - Paul Simon

8 ( 13 ) JOYBRINGER - Manfred Mann’s Earthband

9 ( 4 ) CAROLINE - Status Quo

10 ( 10 ) BALLROOM BLITZ - The Sweet

 

11 ( 11 ) GHETTO CHILD - The Detroit Spinners

12 ( 9 ) ANGEL FINGERS - Wizzard

13 ( 17 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Hudson-Ford

14 ( 25 ) THAT LADY - The Isley Brothers

15 ( 14 ) OH NO NOT MY BABY - Rod Stewart

16 ( 19 ) THE DAY THAT CURLY BILLY SHOT DOWN CRAZY SAM MCGEE - The Hollies

17 ( 18 ) ALL THE WAY FROM MEMPHIS - Mott The Hoople

18 ( 15 ) MONSTER MASH - Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers

19 ( 12 ) HOLLY HOLY - Junior Walker & The All Stars

20 ( 20 ) ROCK ON - David Essex

 

21 ( 23 ) ROCK AND ROLL PEOPLE - Bobby McGee

22 ( NEW ) HIGHER GROUND - Stevie Wonder

23 ( 16 ) THE LAUGHING GNOME - David Bowie

24 ( RE ) TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE - Dawn

25 ( 27 ) THE DEAN AND I - 10CC

26 ( RE ) KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR - Bob Dylan

27 ( NEW ) EYE LEVEL - The Simon Park Orchestra

28 ( RE ) ELECTRIC LADY - Geordie

29 ( NEW ) ANGIE - The Rolling Stones

30 ( 24 ) LAW OF THE LAND - The Temptations