6th July 1974

 

It's a first retro chart-topper for ex-Traffic singer Jim Capaldi on the fabulous It's All Up To You, a heart-on-sleeve ballad that needs to be better known, great song. The Rubettes get a second top 10 with Tonight at 7 leapfrogging former singer Paul Da Vinci at 9. Sparks also get a second consecutive top 10 with Amateur Hour, from Kimono My House. The singles releases over the summer of '74 were always down a bit on early '74, I felt at the time, so that leaves the highest new one at 29 as Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye's best duet together enters, yet another Stylistics cover with Stop, Look, Listen. The Stylistics meanwhile enter at 75 with the lacklustre Let's Put It All Together, oddly a bigger UK hit.

 

The O'Jays album track drops in at 32, Now That We Found Love will be reworked and covered by reggae band Third World in 1978, and it's even better than the original. Joni Mitchell meanwhile makes it 3 from 3 singles from her latest album as Free Man In Paris enters at 34. TV actor & singer Stephanie De Sykes enters with her Crossroads soap TV show in-show song, Born With A Smile On My Face at 50, and she'd be back with other tracks before going for songwriting on UK Eurovision entries in 1978 and 1980.

 

R. Dean Taylor gets signed up to a new label and releases the good-but-forgotten Window Shopping, still Motown-styled, singer Charlie James had some kids ITV pop show slots and enters with All Fingers And Thumbs which sounds quite good still, Lobo gets a 4th chart entry with Rings, one I've never heard before, and B.T. Express get an early new entry from the USA on Do It - it'll be another year or so before they are satisfied in the UK though.

 

 

1 ( 3 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

2 ( 2 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

3 ( 1 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

4 ( 4 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

5 ( 7 ) MONKEES THEME - The Monkees # 5

6 ( 5 ) SHE - Charles Aznavour # 5

7 ( 18 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 7

8 ( 12 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

9 ( 9 ) YOUR BABY AIN’T YOUR BABY ANYMORE - Paul Da Vinci # 9

10 ( 27 ) AMATEUR HOUR - Sparks # 10

 

11 ( 11 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

12 ( 14 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

13 ( 10 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

14 ( 19 ) OUR NATIONAL PASTIME - Rupert Holmes # 14

15 ( 24 ) SING HALLELUJAH - The New Seekers # 15

16 ( 22 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

17 ( 8 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

18 ( 17 ) THE POACHER - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance # 7

19 ( 6 ) ROCK ME GENTLY - Andy Kim # 6

20 ( 20 ) THE SIX-TEENS - The Sweet # 20

 

21 ( 15 ) YOUNG GIRL - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap # 3

22 ( 13 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

23 ( 25 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta # 23

24 ( 21 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

25 ( 35 ) THE BITCH IS BACK - Elton John # 25

26 ( 16 ) I’M A BELIEVER - The Monkees # 2

27 ( 26 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Thunderthighs # 4

28 ( 23 ) MACHINE GUN - The Commodores # 14

29 ( NEW ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 29

30 ( 30 ) FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE - Roberta Flack # 30

 

31 ( 31 ) HONEY HONEY - Sweet Dreams # 31

32 ( NEW ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 32

33 ( 33 ) FLOATING IN THE WIND - Hudson-Ford # 26

34 ( NEW ) FREE MAN IN PARIS - Joni Mitchell # 34

35 ( 37 ) SOMEWHERE IN HOLLYWOOD - 10cc # 35

36 ( 34 ) OOH I DO - Lynsey De Paul # 19

37 ( 32 ) SUGAR BABY LOVE - The Rubettes # 1

38 ( 29 ) THE MAN IN BLACK - Cozy Powell # 6

39 ( 39 ) TIME IN A BOTTLE - Jim Croce # 1

40 ( 41 ) I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - Dolly Parton # 2

 

41 ( 28 ) HOTEL - 10cc # 18

42 ( 44 ) BINGO - The Whispers # 42

43 ( 43 ) ON THE RUN - Scorched Earth featuring Billy Ocean # 1

44 ( 40 ) ROCK THE BOAT - The Hues Corporation # 1

45 ( 50 ) BARON SAMEDI - 10cc # 7

46 ( 47 ) SUMMER BREEZE - The Isley Brothers # 1

47 ( 61 ) YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW - Mike Batt # 47

48 ( 49 ) LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN - Neil Sedaka # 5

49 ( 45 ) RED DRESS - Alvin Stardust # 10

50 ( NEW ) BORN WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE - Stephanie De Sykes # 50

 

51 ( 54 ) GISMO MY WAY - 10cc # 51

52 ( 42 ) THE CAT CREPT IN - Mud # 3

53 ( 36 ) GUILTY - The Pearls # 32

54 ( 55 ) I’M LEAVING IT (ALL) UP TO YOU - Donny & Marie Osmond # 54

55 ( 52 ) LOVE’S THEME - Love Unlimited Orchestra # 1

56 ( 51 ) GOING NOWHERE - Neil Sedaka # 18

57 ( 38 ) ALWAYS YOURS - Gary Glitter # 20

58 ( 58 ) KISSIN’ IN THE BACK ROW OF THE MOVIES - The Drifters # 58

59 ( 48 ) TRAIN OF THOUGHT - Cher # 9

60 ( 65 ) I SHOT THE SHERIFF - Eric Clapton # 60

 

61 ( 53 ) CLOCKWORK CREEP - 10cc # 27

62 ( 46 ) ONE MAN BAND - Leo Sayer # 45

63 ( 71 ) A DREAM GOES ON FOREVER - Todd Rundgren # 63

64 ( 56 ) EVERLASTING LOVE - Robert Knight # 4

65 ( 59 ) BE MY DAY - The Cats # 59

66 ( 66 ) NOTHING FROM NOTHING - Billy Preston # 66

67 ( NEW ) WINDOW SHOPPING - R. Dean Taylor # 67

68 ( 72 ) CHARADE - The Bee Gees # 68

69 ( NEW ) ALL FINGERS AND THUMBS - Charlie James # 69

70 ( 67 ) THE BANGIN’ MAN - Slade # 65

 

71 ( 60 ) (YOU’RE) HAVING MY BABY - Paul Anka featuring Odia Coates # 60

72 ( NEW ) RINGS - Lobo # 72

73 ( NEW ) DO IT (‘TIL YOU’RE SATISFIED) - B.T. Express # 73

74 ( 75 ) LIGHT OF LOVE - T.Rex # 74

75 ( NEW ) LET’S PUT IT ALL TOGETHER - The Stylistics # 75

13th July 1974

 

It's 2 weeks on top for Jim Capaldi, something a certain other Capaldi has never come within a whisker of achieving. Jim can sing, though, and then some. Talking of Jims' Jimmy Ruffin enters at 3 with his 1966 soul classic What Becomes Of The Broken-Hearted after coming high in the Radio 1 listeners all-time favourite poll of 1974, with it having already charted at 12 as a leftover from 1966 when I started my 1967 Retro charts 7 years ago now. On the way to becoming a UK top 10 all over again in 1974.

 

Rupert Holmes gets his first retro top 10, but he might get a second in 2029 if I'm still doing retro charts, and The New Seekers get an unexpected top 10 with Sing hallelujah, one I didn't even chart as a 16-year-old - but it sounds pretty good actually and gives them a 6th top 10 and final one until a new line-up pops up in 1978. Mud enter at 19 with their latest Elvis impersonation - Rocket being their 7th to date - and I remember Mama Cass on Rosko's Roundtable lamenting the state of Elvis Presley's singles career and wishing he could do stuff like Rocket, which is great fun.

 

Barry Blue's also back with his 6th retro charter - not including songs for others - Miss Hit And Run sounding pretty good for a forgotten pop tune, at 33, and fresh from the Dutch charts Resonance enter with the funky fun of O.K. Chicago, imagine an instrumental with 70's cop show sounds. I was a fan of this one off Radio Luxembourg at the time. The Rollers add another to the list, Summerlove Sensation at 50 makes it a sweet 7th charter being as I got into their records earlier than record buyers and will shortly be exiting earlier than record buyers of 1974, as standards plummet after this one.

 

David Cassidy is on tour in the UK to fan mania, and a fan tragedy, but Please Please Me is a live recording Beatles cover that keeps the energy of the original for his live-liest single release since early Partridge singles. New at 64 one ahead of Johnny Nash who covers yet again another Bob Marley song, and Nice Time might be obscure and unknown but it's better than Clapton's Sheriff. Johnny is now on 6 years of retro hits for me.

 

Bobby Goldsboro does a cola ad, and the catchy tune gets lifted off as a hit single, Hello Summertime extending his run to 6 years too, at 69, while The Detroit Spinners have been hot in these charts for 4 years and have teamed up with Bacharach's soul singer of choice, Dionne Warwick who has hit hard times, much like Burt has - the knack of the sophisticated song having been absent for 4 years for both. You'd think Then Came You would do better than 71, then, but I've never rated it as a classic for either act.

 

That leaves Ray Stevens' parody of US late-night TV show Midnight Special (go on Youtube, it's stacked with classic line-ups and performances), and specifically Gladys Knight & The Pips & Jerry Lee Lewis, which was mildly amusing. New at 74, with Roy Wood's instrumental B side to Going Down The Road sneaking in at 75 - it's Roy Wood doing an instrumental tune in the style of a John Barry Bond theme - though it's more like The Persuaders theme than Bond. "The names Bond, Premium Bond."

 

 

 

1 ( 1 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

2 ( 3 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

3 ( NEW ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 3

4 ( 2 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

5 ( 4 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

6 ( 7 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 6

7 ( 10 ) AMATEUR HOUR - Sparks # 7

8 ( 6 ) SHE - Charles Aznavour # 5

9 ( 14 ) OUR NATIONAL PASTIME - Rupert Holmes # 9

10 ( 15 ) SING HALLELUJAH - The New Seekers # 10

 

11 ( 11 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

12 ( 13 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

13 ( 12 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

14 ( 17 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

15 ( 23 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta featuring Stevie Wonder # 15

16 ( 20 ) THE SIX-TEENS - The Sweet # 16

17 ( 25 ) THE BITCH IS BACK - Elton John # 17

18 ( 9 ) YOUR BABY AIN’T YOUR BABY ANYMORE - Paul Da Vinci # 9

19 ( NEW ) ROCKET - Mud # 19

20 ( 18 ) THE POACHER - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance # 7

 

21 ( 8 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

22 ( 5 ) MONKEES THEME - The Monkees # 5

23 ( 22 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

24 ( 21 ) YOUNG GIRL - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap # 3

25 ( 24 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

26 ( 16 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

27 ( 29 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 27

28 ( 32 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 28

29 ( 26 ) I’M A BELIEVER - The Monkees # 2

30 ( 34 ) FREE MAN IN PARIS - Joni Mitchell # 30

 

31 ( 19 ) ROCK ME GENTLY - Andy Kim # 6

32 ( 28 ) MACHINE GUN - The Commodores # 14

33 ( NEW ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 33

34 ( 31 ) HONEY HONEY - Sweet Dreams # 31

35 ( 27 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Thunderthighs # 4

36 ( 47 ) YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW - Mike Batt # 36

37 ( 36 ) OOH I DO - Lynsey De Paul # 19

38 ( NEW ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 38

39 ( 33 ) FLOATING IN THE WIND - Hudson-Ford # 26

40 ( 42 ) BINGO - The Whispers # 40

 

41 ( 40 ) I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - Dolly Parton # 2

42 ( 44 ) ROCK THE BOAT - The Hues Corporation # 1

43 ( 43 ) ON THE RUN - Scorched Earth featuring Billy Ocean # 1

44 ( 39 ) TIME IN A BOTTLE - Jim Croce # 1

45 ( 41 ) HOTEL - 10cc # 18

46 ( 50 ) BORN WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE - Stephanie De Sykes with Rain # 46

47 ( 30 ) FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE - Roberta Flack # 30

48 ( 38 ) THE MAN IN BLACK - Cozy Powell # 6

49 ( 49 ) RED DRESS - Alvin Stardust # 10

50 ( NEW ) SUMMERLOVE SENSATION - Bay City Rollers # 50

 

51 ( 54 ) I’M LEAVING IT (ALL) UP TO YOU - Donny & Marie Osmond # 51

52 ( 48 ) LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN - Neil Sedaka # 5

53 ( 37 ) SUGAR BABY LOVE - The Rubettes # 1

54 ( 55 ) LOVE’S THEME - Love Unlimited Orchestra # 1

55 ( 67 ) WINDOW SHOPPING - R. Dean Taylor # 55

56 ( 73 ) DO IT (‘TIL YOU’RE SATISFIED) - B.T. Express # 56

57 ( 66 ) NOTHING FROM NOTHING - Billy Preston # 57

58 ( 45 ) BARON SAMEDI - 10cc # 7

59 ( 69 ) ALL FINGERS AND THUMBS - Charlie James # 59

60 ( 35 ) SOMEWHERE IN HOLLYWOOD - 10cc # 35

 

61 ( 46 ) SUMMER BREEZE - The Isley Brothers # 1

62 ( 63 ) A DREAM GOES ON FOREVER - Todd Rundgren # 62

63 ( 71 ) (YOU’RE) HAVING MY BABY - Paul Anka featuring Odia Coates # 60

64 ( NEW ) PLEASE PLEASE ME - David Cassidy # 64

65 ( NEW ) NICE TIME - Johnny Nash # 65

66 ( 60 ) I SHOT THE SHERIFF - Eric Clapton # 60

67 ( 65 ) BE MY DAY - The Cats # 59

68 ( 68 ) CHARADE - The Bee Gees # 68

69 ( NEW ) HELLO SUMMERTIME - Bobby Goldsboro # 69

70 ( 72 ) RINGS - Lobo # 70

 

71 ( NEW ) THEN CAME YOU - Dionne Warwick & The Detroit Spinners # 71

72 ( 51 ) GISMO MY WAY - 10cc # 51

73 ( 75 ) LET’S PUT IT ALL TOGETHER - The Stylistics # 73

74 ( NEW ) MOONLIGHT SPECIAL - Ray Stevens # 74

75 ( NEW ) THE PREMIUM BOND THEME - Roy Wood # 75

 

I don't have a full chart, but can name # 1 in Gražios Dainos for this week.

 

Peggy March - Sommerliebe Good-Bye

 

 

She recorded a lot good tracks for German language countries in 70s.

I don't have a full chart, but can name # 1 in Gražios Dainos for this week.

 

Peggy March - Sommerliebe Good-Bye

 

 

She recorded a lot good tracks for German language countries in 70s.

 

I didnt know she was still singing in the 70's! I only know of her as Little Peggy March from an earlier decade! :o

I didnt know she was still singing in the 70's! I only know of her as Little Peggy March from an earlier decade! :o

 

Almost all her 70s singles were released only in Germany.

 

www.45cat.com/artist/peggy-march

 

"Vor dem Buckingham-Palast" was the first # 1 in the history of my chart.

 

well that's very jolly and very German-sounding Europop, it's unusual for an American singer to cross over like that! I Will Follow Him is a classic of course, after Sister Act everybody knows it :)

20th July 1974

 

It's Jimmy Ruffin grabbing the top spot with his 8-year-old Motown record, his first retro chart-topper, and a classic. If I ever get round to my 1966 retro charts it may not top then, as the competition is more fierce in 1966 than the summer of '74. Loads of good and great records about but not so many classics. What becomes Of The Broken-Hearted will chart again in covers though. The O'Jays get a third top 10 with future cover biggie Now That We Found Love at 7, and Resonance get one too, O.K. Chicago doing the trick for me in my original charts later in 1974. It's funking great.

 

Diana & Marvin get their biggest hit in any solo or duet version for around a year, and Bob & Marcia get a second run after their 1970 smash Young Gifted & Black was re-issued in the UK and bubbled under the charts for quite a while with a lot of airplay. Given I'd never heard of it until the 1974 almost-hit, and went big on it, it qualifies for a chart run here. New at 12. Barry Blue gets a 3rd top 20 in a row, Barry White leaps in at 22 with Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, his biggest solo hit to date at the time in the UK and US - though not for me, I"m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby was my Bazza biggie.

 

Mouth & MacNeal get their 3rd retro chart entry with a UK flop that got plays on Radio Luxembourg, and one I bought later in the year, We're Gonna Have A Party is their best record, I still maintain. In at 34, while Stevie Wonder is a but lower at 37 with his Richard Nixon critique, funky and bitter You Haven't Done Nothin'. We could do with a big vitriolic cover double-negative and all for a certain other former Republican President, cos Nixon was just a petty crook in comparison, all he did was bug opponents, and anyone he didn't approve of, and then lied about it. Honesty in politics was valued a tad more in those days across all parties.

 

Blues icon Bobby Bland debuts with his version of a great song, Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City. I've never heard it before, but the song I've like since I heard Whitesnake cover it. Kevin Ayers got a fair bit of Radio 1 Johnnie Walker lunchtime show plays with After The Show, and very nice too it was, and is. The Glitter Band follow-up Angel Face, but Just For You isn't quite as good as that one, Limmie & The Family Cooking are on a 4th retro chart entry with the Ragtime-ish Saxophone Jones, one I do recall hearing but never charted. Much like the real world then. It's quite fun actually.

 

Cat Stevens covers Sam Cooke, Another Saturday Night being his best shot at a hit in the UK since Morning Has Broken, but his best days were behind him for me at the time, and I've not really changed my mind much until he returned last decade as Yusuf, long overdue. Margie Joseph does a soulful cover of Macca's My Love, another newie to me, and the Stones return with a great video I enjoyed on Top Of The Pops, bubbles galore, but the record was to be their lowest-placing official single in 7 years or so. It's OK, bit It's Only Rock 'n; Roll isn't classic Rolling Stones. That leaves Firebird, a teeny Glam band on kids pop TV shows with Two Wheels. I charted it at the time, then never heard it again for 50 years until yesterday. S'OK, very 1974.

 

 

1 ( 3 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

2 ( 2 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

3 ( 1 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

4 ( 6 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

5 ( 4 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

6 ( 7 ) AMATEUR HOUR - Sparks # 6

7 ( 28 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 7

8 ( 5 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

9 ( 38 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

10 ( 9 ) OUR NATIONAL PASTIME - Rupert Holmes # 9

 

11 ( 27 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

12 ( NEW ) (TO BE ) YOUNG GIFTED & BLACK - Bob & Marcia # 12

13 ( 19 ) ROCKET - Mud # 13

14 ( 16 ) THE SIX-TEENS - The Sweet # 14

15 ( 15 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta featuring Stevie Wonder # 15

16 ( 13 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

17 ( 11 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

18 ( 8 ) SHE - Charles Aznavour # 5

19 ( 12 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

20 ( 33 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 20

 

21 ( 21 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

22 ( NEW ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE - Barry White # 22

23 ( 23 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

24 ( 14 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

25 ( 10 ) SING HALLELUJAH - The New Seekers # 10

26 ( 26 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

27 ( 20 ) THE POACHER - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance # 7

28 ( 30 ) FREE MAN IN PARIS - Joni Mitchell # 28

29 ( 18 ) YOUR BABY AIN’T YOUR BABY ANYMORE - Paul Da Vinci # 9

30 ( 25 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

 

31 ( 34 ) HONEY HONEY - Sweet Dreams # 31

32 ( 22 ) MONKEES THEME - The Monkees # 5

33 ( 24 ) YOUNG GIRL - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap # 3

34 ( NEW ) WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Mouth & MacNeal # 34

35 ( 32 ) MACHINE GUN - The Commodores # 14

36 ( 31 ) ROCK ME GENTLY - Andy Kim # 6

37 ( NEW ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 37

38 ( 36 ) YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW - Mike Batt # 36

39 ( 46 ) BORN WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE - Stephanie De Sykes with Rain # 39

40 ( 50 ) SUMMERLOVE SENSATION - Bay City Rollers # 40

 

41 ( 17 ) THE BITCH IS BACK - Elton John # 17

42 ( 29 ) I’M A BELIEVER - The Monkees # 2

43 ( 51 ) I’M LEAVING IT (ALL) UP TO YOU - Donny & Marie Osmond # 43

44 ( 35 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Thunderthighs # 4

45 ( 55 ) WINDOW SHOPPING - R. Dean Taylor # 45

46 ( 39 ) FLOATING IN THE WIND - Hudson-Ford # 26

47 ( 41 ) I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - Dolly Parton # 2

48 ( 43 ) ON THE RUN - Scorched Earth featuring Billy Ocean # 1

49 ( NEW ) AIN’T NO LOVE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY - Bobby “Blue” Bland # 49

50 ( 64 ) PLEASE PLEASE ME - David Cassidy # 50

 

51 ( 42 ) ROCK THE BOAT - The Hues Corporation # 1

52 ( 44 ) TIME IN A BOTTLE - Jim Croce # 1

53 ( 40 ) BINGO - The Whispers # 40

54 ( NEW ) AFTER THE SHOW - Kevin Ayers # 54

55 ( 57 ) NOTHING FROM NOTHING - Billy Preston # 55

56 ( 56 ) DO IT (‘TIL YOU’RE SATISFIED) - B.T. Express # 56

57 ( 62 ) A DREAM GOES ON FOREVER - Todd Rundgren # 57

58 ( 59 ) ALL FINGERS AND THUMBS - Charlie James # 58

59 ( 37 ) OOH I DO - Lynsey De Paul # 19

60 ( 48 ) THE MAN IN BLACK - Cozy Powell # 6

 

61 ( 54 ) LOVE’S THEME - Love Unlimited Orchestra # 1

62 ( 70 ) RINGS - Lobo # 62

63 ( 52 ) LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN - Neil Sedaka # 5

64 ( NEW ) JUST FOR YOU - The Glitter Band # 64

65 ( 45 ) HOTEL - 10cc # 18

66 ( 65 ) NICE TIME - Johnny Nash # 65

67 ( NEW ) SAXOPHONE JONES - Limmie & The Family Cooking # 67

68 ( 49 ) RED DRESS - Alvin Stardust # 10

69 ( NEW ) ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT - Cat Stevens # 69

70 ( NEW ) MY LOVE - Margie Joseph # 70

 

71 ( 71 ) THEN CAME YOU - Dionne Warwick & The Detroit Spinners # 71

72 ( 69 ) HELLO SUMMERTIME - Bobby Goldsboro # 69

73 ( NEW ) IT’S ONLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (BUT I LIKE IT) - The Rolling Stones # 73

74 ( NEW ) TWO WHEELS - Firebird # 74

75 ( 75 ) THE PREMIUM BOND THEME - Roy Wood # 75

27th July 1974

 

It's a brand new entry on top for KC as Queen Of Clubs goes better than the previous 3 charted tracks, and gives him a second chart-topper of 1974, following Rock Your Baby for George McRae. I can't understate how exciting this record sounded as disco kicked off proper, and still sounds, a forgotten manic funk monster of a track. As I was pretty much meandering that summer, hanging around with a mate, and deciding that repeating the 5th year was a better option than a low-paid job - I'd be put in for CSE's by the school, having missed most of the GCE courses when we moved to Gloucester. I got a few O levels or equivalent but not enough to do A Levels, apparently. In those days different school areas had different syllabuses, so there was not much that continuity moving school. Still, music and DC comics kept me happy!

 

New in at 4, and substantially bigger than it was for me at the time, I've Got The Music In Me sounds wonderful on loud and singalong mode, so Kiki Dee grabs her biggest track to date (of 4), as Mud make it 6 top 10's in a row, plus a B side interrupting, and Rainbow Children release a chanting chorus of kids behind a rock singalong, Rock 'n' Roll (Who Needs Rock 'n' Roll), a record Radio Luxembourg got behind I think but flopped entirely and remains obscure. Given the amount of records with 'rock' or 'rock 'n' roll' in the title I rather like this turnabout on it. Upbeat and singalong and I was huge on it at the time. Bought it.

 

The inrush of some great (non-chart) tracks continues as Mouth & MacNeal go top 20, America enter at 39 with Tin Man, nearly 3 years on from Horse With No Name starting and ending their UK chart career, but keeping on charting in the USA and here in my charts. It's mellow and tuneful. Two tracks that did chart are Olivia Newton-John's move away from Country songs, lovely ballad I Honestly Love You, and 60's veterans The Tymes charting with You Little Trustmaker, nice singalong soul, even if sounds like it was written for Liz Truss' parents to singalong to the night she was conceived.

 

Roy Wood gets a blip in his non-stop hit career with This Is The Story Of My Love (Baby) being a little too sombre for the Spector treatment, forthcoming album track Come Back Karen would have been a better pick. Steve Harley gets a 3rd charter with Mr. Soft which always made me think of ice-cream vans (Mr Softee was big back then) and down the bottom-end Cozy Powell adds a vocalist to my dismay, Na Na Na wasn't as great as the drum bangers, The USA opts for a cover of Elvis' All Shook Up, unchanged gender and all, rather than the not-great Too Big, and the summer means it's time for a Beach Boys revival, not least because Beach Baby is about to catch on in the States, so Surfin USA is back again, and debuts for the first time in any of my charts, ever, as a retro newie.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

2 ( 1 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

3 ( 2 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

4 ( NEW ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 4

5 ( 3 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

6 ( 7 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

7 ( 13 ) ROCKET - Mud # 7

8 ( 4 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

9 ( 8 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

10 ( 9 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

 

11 ( 5 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

12 ( 11 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

13 ( NEW ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (WHO NEEDS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL) - Rainbow Children # 13

14 ( 34 ) WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Mouth & MacNeal # 14

15 ( 6 ) AMATEUR HOUR - Sparks # 6

16 ( 20 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 16

17 ( 14 ) THE SIX-TEENS - The Sweet # 14

18 ( 37 ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 18

19 ( 12 ) (TO BE ) YOUNG GIFTED & BLACK - Bob & Marcia # 12

20 ( 10 ) OUR NATIONAL PASTIME - Rupert Holmes # 9

 

21 ( 16 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

22 ( 22 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE - Barry White # 22

23 ( 15 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta featuring Stevie Wonder # 15

24 ( NEW ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 24

25 ( 28 ) FREE MAN IN PARIS - Joni Mitchell # 25

26 ( 18 ) SHE - Charles Aznavour # 5

27 ( 17 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

28 ( 21 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

29 ( 19 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

30 ( 27 ) THE POACHER - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance # 7

 

31 ( 23 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

32 ( 24 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

33 ( 30 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

34 ( 29 ) YOUR BABY AIN’T YOUR BABY ANYMORE - Paul Da Vinci # 9

35 ( 26 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

36 ( 33 ) YOUNG GIRL - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap # 3

37 ( 40 ) SUMMERLOVE SENSATION - Bay City Rollers # 37

38 ( 35 ) MACHINE GUN - The Commodores # 14

39 ( NEW ) TIN MAN - America # 39

40 ( 49 ) AIN’T NO LOVE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY - Bobby “Blue” Bland # 40

 

41 ( 25 ) SING HALLELUJAH - The New Seekers # 10

42 ( 50 ) PLEASE PLEASE ME - David Cassidy # 42

43 ( 39 ) BORN WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE - Stephanie De Sykes with Rain # 39

44 ( 54 ) AFTER THE SHOW - Kevin Ayers # 44

45 ( 38 ) YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW - Mike Batt # 36

46 ( NEW ) YOU LITTLE TRUSTMAKER - The Tymes # 46

47 ( 44 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Thunderthighs # 4

48 ( 47 ) I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - Dolly Parton # 2

49 ( 32 ) MONKEES THEME - The Monkees # 5

50 ( 31 ) HONEY HONEY - Sweet Dreams # 31

 

51 ( 36 ) ROCK ME GENTLY - Andy Kim # 6

52 ( 45 ) WINDOW SHOPPING - R. Dean Taylor # 45

53 ( 56 ) DO IT (‘TIL YOU’RE SATISFIED) - B.T. Express # 53

54 ( 55 ) NOTHING FROM NOTHING - Billy Preston # 54

55 ( 58 ) ALL FINGERS AND THUMBS - Charlie James # 55

56 ( 51 ) ROCK THE BOAT - The Hues Corporation # 1

57 ( NEW ) THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LOVE (BABY) - Wizzard # 57

58 ( NEW ) MR SOFT - Cockney Rebel featuring Steve Harley # 58

59 ( 66 ) NICE TIME - Johnny Nash # 59

60 ( 48 ) ON THE RUN - Scorched Earth featuring Billy Ocean # 1

 

61 ( 52 ) TIME IN A BOTTLE - Jim Croce # 1

62 ( 41 ) THE BITCH IS BACK - Elton John # 17

63 ( 62 ) RINGS - Lobo # 62

64 ( 67 ) SAXOPHONE JONES - Limmie & The Family Cooking # 64

65 ( 43 ) I’M LEAVING IT (ALL) UP TO YOU - Donny & Marie Osmond # 43

66 ( 71 ) THEN CAME YOU - Dionne Warwick & The Detroit Spinners # 66

67 ( 74 ) TWO WHEELS - Firebird # 67

68 ( 64 ) JUST FOR YOU - The Glitter Band # 64

69 ( 69 ) ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT - Cat Stevens # 69

70 ( 70 ) MY LOVE - Margie Joseph # 70

 

71 ( 46 ) FLOATING IN THE WIND - Hudson-Ford # 26

72 ( 73 ) IT’S ONLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (BUT I LIKE IT) - The Rolling Stones # 72

73 ( NEW ) NA NA NA - Cozy Powell # 73

74 ( NEW ) ALL SHOOK UP - Suzi Quatro # 74

75 ( NEW ) SURFIN’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys # 75

3rd August 1974

 

It's 2 weeks on top for KC & co, Queen Of Clubs still holding off the almost-as-exciting Kiki Dee Band Music In Me at 2. The highest new entry at 6 comes from New Faces winners, Sweet Sensation, with a song written by David Parton (who will be a hit artist down the road) and produced by Tony Hatch, with missus Jackie Trent on it. Sad Sweet Dreamer is just delicious British soul, as they go the Hot Chocolate route of coals-to-Newcastle by getting a US hit out of it too. Lead singer Marcel King had a vocal not entirely unlike young Michael Jackson. New at 17 announces the arrival of Biddu as a British-Indian soul/disco producer force (and future hit-maker too) as Jamaican singer Carl Douglas debuts global smash Kung Fu Fighting, cashing on the craze of 1974, following the hit US TV series and the death of superstar actor Bruce Lee. The record remains popular 50 years on.

 

First Choice recently got the remix dance treatment of The Player, one that flopped in the UK but I liked it then and now, their third chart entry at 44, cool disco. New at 59, Polly Brown drops out of the chart with Sweet Dreams but pops in going Up In A Puff Of Smoke, as Prelude get a second harmonic folk track with their cover of George Harrison's Here Comes The Sun. It wasn't a hit, sadly, and who knew that song would end up being the most-popular Beatles track of the 21st Century. New at 64 as Scottish soul band, Average White Band are anything but at 67. You Got it debuts the band just ahead of their USA break-through which filtered over to the UK subsequently - but not with this track which is new to me and didn't get noticed at the time, which is a shame.

 

Stephanie De Sykes drops down the chart with Rain helping, and she enters assisting Rain on Golden Day, one of those tracks that again is nowhere to be found these days. Another TV show theme tune, this one was written by Lynsey De Paul and Barry Blue, and is in the mode of Ooh I Do and Miss Hit And Run, unsurprisngly. Barry meanwhile grabs a third top 10 with that one. Peters & Lee have a Rainbow singalong, their third, Showaddywaddy have a lesser soundalike of thgeir first hit, Rock 'n' Roll lady, and Stevie Wright debuts with the lyrically-dodgy these days Evie, a decent rock track that is basically The Easybeats - he was lead singer of the 60's Aussie hitmakers, and future Flash & The Pan hitmakers, and it was written by the band songwriters behind all of them: Harry Vanda & George Young. See also AC/DC for literally related Young siblings.

 

 

 

1 ( 1 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

2 ( 4 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

3 ( 3 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

4 ( 5 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

5 ( 2 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

6 ( NEW ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

7 ( 6 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

8 ( 11 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

9 ( 9 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

10 ( 16 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 10

 

11 ( 8 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

12 ( 12 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

13 ( 13 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (WHO NEEDS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL) - Rainbow Children # 13

14 ( 14 ) WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Mouth & MacNeal # 14

15 ( 7 ) ROCKET - Mud # 7

16 ( 18 ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 16

17 ( NEW ) KUNG FU FIGHTING - Carl Douglas # 17

18 ( 10 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

19 ( 24 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 19

20 ( 25 ) FREE MAN IN PARIS - Joni Mitchell # 20

 

21 ( 17 ) THE SIX-TEENS - The Sweet # 14

22 ( 22 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE - Barry White # 22

23 ( 21 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

24 ( 28 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

25 ( 39 ) TIN MAN - America # 25

26 ( 26 ) SHE - Charles Aznavour # 5

27 ( 15 ) AMATEUR HOUR - Sparks # 6

28 ( 23 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta featuring Stevie Wonder # 15

29 ( 33 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

30 ( 20 ) OUR NATIONAL PASTIME - Rupert Holmes # 9

 

31 ( 34 ) YOUR BABY AIN’T YOUR BABY ANYMORE - Paul Da Vinci # 9

32 ( 27 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

33 ( 30 ) THE POACHER - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance # 7

34 ( 29 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

35 ( 19 ) (TO BE ) YOUNG GIFTED & BLACK - Bob & Marcia # 12

36 ( 31 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

37 ( 37 ) SUMMERLOVE SENSATION - Bay City Rollers # 37

38 ( 42 ) PLEASE PLEASE ME - David Cassidy # 38

39 ( 46 ) YOU LITTLE TRUSTMAKER - The Tymes # 39

40 ( 57 ) THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LOVE (BABY) - Wizzard # 40

 

41 ( 35 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

42 ( 32 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

43 ( 38 ) MACHINE GUN - The Commodores # 14

44 ( NEW ) THE PLAYER - First Choice # 44

45 ( 45 ) YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW - Mike Batt # 36

46 ( 36 ) YOUNG GIRL - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap # 3

47 ( 53 ) DO IT (‘TIL YOU’RE SATISFIED) - B.T. Express # 47

48 ( 59 ) NICE TIME - Johnny Nash # 48

49 ( 63 ) RINGS - Lobo # 49

50 ( 75 ) SURFIN’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys # 50

 

51 ( 51 ) ROCK ME GENTLY - Andy Kim # 6

52 ( 48 ) I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - Dolly Parton # 2

53 ( 56 ) ROCK THE BOAT - The Hues Corporation # 1

54 ( 68 ) JUST FOR YOU - The Glitter Band # 54

55 ( 41 ) SING HALLELUJAH - The New Seekers # 10

56 ( 58 ) MR SOFT - Cockney Rebel featuring Steve Harley # 56

57 ( 64 ) SAXOPHONE JONES - Limmie & The Family Cooking # 57

58 ( 47 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Thunderthighs # 4

59 ( NEW ) UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE - Polly Brown # 59

60 ( 52 ) WINDOW SHOPPING - R. Dean Taylor # 45

 

61 ( 40 ) AIN’T NO LOVE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY - Bobby “Blue” Bland # 40

62 ( 44 ) AFTER THE SHOW - Kevin Ayers # 44

63 ( 55 ) ALL FINGERS AND THUMBS - Charlie James # 55

64 ( NEW ) HERE COMES THE SUN - Prelude # 64

65 ( 43 ) BORN WITH A SMILE ON MY FACE - Stephanie De Sykes with Rain # 39

66 ( 66 ) THEN CAME YOU - Dionne Warwick & The Detroit Spinners # 66

67 ( NEW ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 67

68 ( 72 ) IT’S ONLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (BUT I LIKE IT) - The Rolling Stones # 68

69 ( 67 ) TWO WHEELS - Firebird # 67

70 ( NEW ) GOLDEN DAY - Rain featuring Stephanie De Sykes # 70

 

71 ( NEW ) RAINBOW - Peters & Lee # 71

72 ( 73 ) NA NA NA - Cozy Powell # 72

73 ( NEW ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LADY - Showaddywaddy # 73

74 ( 69 ) ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT - Cat Stevens # 69

75 ( NEW ) EVIE (PART 1) - Stevie Wright # 75

10th August 1974

 

It's 3 weeks on top for disco classic Queen Of Clubs as there's an inrush of more classic oldies, headed by Scott McKenzie's 1967 Flower Power anthem at 2. It already topped my retro charts in the 1967 lists, but it originally first entered my personal charts in 1974 when I bought the single on re-issue as an oldie fave. Also out, Motown was bigging-up it's 60's back catalogue with Baby Love back out and in the UK charts for The Supremes - another childhood fave which entered at 1 for me in 1974, but has a more modest number 9 in these retro revamps. Lady Willpower replaces Young Girl in the chart as Gary Puckett gets another re-issue, and charted for a second time - my personal charts started in late 1968 so this really was a second time-round as well as 2nd-revamp-time here, new at 19.

 

The highest new track was an album cut from the new Stevie Wonder album Fulfillingness' First Finale, and a future George Michael heartbreaking cover, They Won't Go When I Go. I didn't know it the time, and never noticed the song until George did it, but it turns out to be an amazing vocal show from Stevie, too, a great ballad and new at 3 as the actual single holds at 16. Johnny Bristol drops out the top 10 as his song Love Me For A Reason enters at 8 for The Osmonds, and one I didn't like that much at the time as I'd overdosed on all things Osmond by this point - but it's actually a great song and a good single, new at 8 and a 5th Retro top 10.

 

The Pearls make it 7 in a row as The Wizard Of Love debuts at 53 - I actually preferred this flop to Guilty at the time, and bought the single from a bargain bin at some point. Wizzard's new album was out, and the best track on it - as played on Rosko's Roundtable - was Come Back Karen. I met Rosko a few years back, and have seen Roy Wood a couple of times in concert, but he's never done this pseudo-Neil Sedaka throwback genre track, in at 60. Paper Lace get hit three with Black-Eyed Boys new at 68, not as good as the previous but not bad, and Tony Orlando I didn't bother to chart in 1974, too ragtime for me, but Steppin' Out is quite jolly actually and keeps the 4-year-run going for Dawn. The Miracles get that post-Smokey debut, with Do It Baby, not one I remember hearing, at 75.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

2 ( NEW ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

3 ( NEW ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 3

4 ( 3 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

5 ( 2 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

6 ( 5 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

7 ( 6 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

8 ( NEW ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

9 ( NEW ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 9

10 ( 4 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

 

11 ( 7 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

12 ( 9 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

13 ( 8 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

14 ( 12 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

15 ( 11 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

16 ( 16 ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 16

17 ( 19 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

18 ( 22 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE - Barry White # 18

19 ( NEW ) LADY WILLPOWER - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap # 19

20 ( 14 ) WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Mouth & MacNeal # 14

 

21 ( 13 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (WHO NEEDS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL) - Rainbow Children # 13

22 ( 23 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

23 ( 15 ) ROCKET - Mud # 7

24 ( 21 ) THE SIX-TEENS - The Sweet # 14

25 ( 25 ) TIN MAN - America # 25

26 ( 17 ) KUNG FU FIGHTING - Carl Douglas # 17

27 ( 10 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 10

28 ( 29 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

29 ( 26 ) SHE - Charles Aznavour # 5

30 ( 24 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

 

31 ( 18 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

32 ( 37 ) SUMMERLOVE SENSATION - Bay City Rollers # 32

33 ( 28 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta featuring Stevie Wonder # 15

34 ( 34 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

35 ( 30 ) OUR NATIONAL PASTIME - Rupert Holmes # 9

36 ( 32 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

37 ( 38 ) PLEASE PLEASE ME - David Cassidy # 37

38 ( 39 ) YOU LITTLE TRUSTMAKER - The Tymes # 38

39 ( 40 ) THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LOVE (BABY) - Wizzard # 39

40 ( 36 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

 

41 ( 27 ) AMATEUR HOUR - Sparks # 6

42 ( 41 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

43 ( 20 ) FREE MAN IN PARIS - Joni Mitchell # 20

44 ( 44 ) THE PLAYER - First Choice # 44

45 ( 67 ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 45

46 ( 33 ) THE POACHER - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance # 7

47 ( 45 ) YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW - Mike Batt # 36

48 ( 42 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

49 ( 43 ) MACHINE GUN - The Commodores # 14

50 ( 57 ) SAXOPHONE JONES - Limmie & The Family Cooking # 50

 

51 ( 31 ) YOUR BABY AIN’T YOUR BABY ANYMORE - Paul Da Vinci # 9

52 ( 54 ) JUST FOR YOU - The Glitter Band # 52

53 ( NEW ) THE WIZARD OF LOVE - The Pearls # 53

54 ( 48 ) NICE TIME - Johnny Nash # 48

55 ( 64 ) HERE COMES THE SUN - Prelude # 55

56 ( 50 ) SURFIN’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys # 50

57 ( 52 ) I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU - Dolly Parton # 2

58 ( 72 ) NA NA NA - Cozy Powell # 58

59 ( 59 ) UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE - Polly Brown # 59

60 ( NEW ) COME BACK KAREN - Wizzard # 60

 

61 ( 56 ) MR SOFT - Cockney Rebel featuring Steve Harley # 56

62 ( 53 ) ROCK THE BOAT - The Hues Corporation # 1

63 ( 51 ) ROCK ME GENTLY - Andy Kim # 6

64 ( 75 ) EVIE (PART 1) - Stevie Wright # 64

65 ( 70 ) GOLDEN DAY - Rain featuring Stephanie De Sykes # 65

66 ( 66 ) THEN CAME YOU - Dionne Warwick & The Detroit Spinners # 66

67 ( 61 ) AIN’T NO LOVE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY - Bobby “Blue” Bland # 40

68 ( NEW ) THE BLACK-EYED BOYS - Paper Lace # 68

69 ( 62 ) AFTER THE SHOW - Kevin Ayers # 44

70 ( NEW ) STEPPIN’ OUT - Tony Orlando & Dawn # 70

 

71 ( 71 ) RAINBOW - Peters & Lee # 71

72 ( 68 ) IT’S ONLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (BUT I LIKE IT) - The Rolling Stones # 68

73 ( 73 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LADY - Showaddywaddy # 73

74 ( 49 ) RINGS - Lobo # 49

75 ( NEW ) DO IT BABY - The Miracles # 75

17th August 1974

 

It's straight in at 1 for the 1963 Phil Spector all-time classic, the all-time favourite record of Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, that Dirty Dancing film classic, and one of the singles my dad bought in the mid-60's, so a childhood treasure: The Ronettes' Be My Baby. It had been re-issued along with hosts of other golden oldies following the 1974 Radio 1 All-Time Listeners Top 100, as voted for by members of the public. We've already had Young Girl back in the UK charts (number 2 in the poll, San Francisco was at 12 also back out and dropping to 5 here, Jimmy Ruffin was 22nd, down to 7 here, Baby Love 65th and up to 3 for me this week, Young Gifted & Black was 86th and has just dropped out of my chart. If you want to see the full list just google title of the poll as above and popchartfreak and it'll pop up from Wordpress, where I posted it). Anyway, so many beloved oldies invading my personal charts of the time meant I had to drop the lot from my chart and create a temporary oldies chart to cater for them, which is where Be My Baby and Strangers In The Night entered this week, and the latter debuts at 6 here. I've ignored everything else that has already featured in my retro charts!

 

Stevie Wonder's album track therefore is held off the top spot at 2, and the highest new record is Fox at 18 aka Noosha Fox and bandmates, notably American producer/writer Kenny Young of hitmaker for The Drifters, Hermans Hermits, Reparata, Clodagh Rogers, Quincy Jones among others. Only You Can was very quirky and an instant fave from late August onwards but it took 3 months to make the UK charts. It got there in the end, though. Another oldie is at 26, Phil Spector again and a UK hit again, The Crystals' Da Doo Ron Ron, while future TV sitcom show theme tune (Butterflies) enters at 62: Dolly Parton's Love Is Like A Butterfly, very sweet still.

 

Lower down, Alvin Satrdust is on single 4 with You You You, as his songwriter/producer Peter Shelley enters himself with Gee Baby, both retro 50's vibes to them. Carole King's Jazzman debuts, to stretch her retro chart span to 4 years, and one I associate with The Simpsons Tv show. The First Class follow-up Beach Baby with Bobby Dazzler, Bryan Ferry covers Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, 40's-stylee, abiut too slowed-down for my tastes, I preferred Blue Haze's version of the standard, and Ferry's previous In Crowd cover. Finally, William DeVaughan charts with a soundalike follow-up to his minor hit and Tom Jones returns after 2 years away with future Status Quo hit song Something Bout You Baby I Like.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

2 ( 3 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

3 ( 9 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 3

4 ( 1 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

5 ( 2 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

6 ( NEW ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 6

7 ( 6 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

8 ( 4 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

9 ( 8 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

10 ( 7 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

 

11 ( 12 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

12 ( 10 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

13 ( 11 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

14 ( 5 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

15 ( 19 ) LADY WILLPOWER - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap # 15

16 ( 15 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

17 ( 26 ) KUNG FU FIGHTING - Carl Douglas # 17

18 ( NEW ) ONLY YOU CAN - Fox # 18

19 ( 13 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

20 ( 25 ) TIN MAN - America # 20

 

21 ( 45 ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 21

22 ( 16 ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 16

23 ( 17 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

24 ( 13 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

25 ( 22 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

26 ( NEW ) DA DOO RON RON - The Crystals # 26

27 ( 44 ) THE PLAYER - First Choice # 27

28 ( 23 ) ROCKET - Mud # 7

29 ( 29 ) SHE - Charles Aznavour # 5

30 ( 34 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

 

31 ( 36 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

32 ( 27 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 10

33 ( 38 ) YOU LITTLE TRUSTMAKER - The Tymes # 33

34 ( 37 ) PLEASE PLEASE ME - David Cassidy # 34

35 ( 28 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

36 ( 30 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

37 ( 20 ) WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Mouth & MacNeal # 14

38 ( 31 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

39 ( 21 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (WHO NEEDS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL) - Rainbow Children # 13

40 ( 24 ) THE SIX-TEENS - The Sweet # 14

 

41 ( 33 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta featuring Stevie Wonder # 15

42 ( 39 ) THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LOVE (BABY) - Wizzard # 39

43 ( 40 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

44 ( 18 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE - Barry White # 18

45 ( 53 ) THE WIZARD OF LOVE - The Pearls # 45

46 ( 35 ) OUR NATIONAL PASTIME - Rupert Holmes # 9

47 ( 50 ) SAXOPHONE JONES - Limmie & The Family Cooking # 47

48 ( 41 ) AMATEUR HOUR - Sparks # 6

49 ( 42 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

50 ( 43 ) FREE MAN IN PARIS - Joni Mitchell # 20

 

51 ( 52 ) JUST FOR YOU - The Glitter Band # 51

52 ( 58 ) NA NA NA - Cozy Powell # 52

53 ( 55 ) HERE COMES THE SUN - Prelude # 53

54 ( 48 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

55 ( 49 ) MACHINE GUN - The Commodores # 14

56 ( 32 ) SUMMERLOVE SENSATION - Bay City Rollers # 32

57 ( 75 ) DO IT BABY - The Miracles # 57

58 ( 59 ) UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE - Polly Brown # 58

59 ( 68 ) THE BLACK-EYED BOYS - Paper Lace # 59

60 ( 60 ) COME BACK KAREN - Wizzard # 60

 

61 ( 46 ) THE POACHER - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance # 7

62 ( NEW ) LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY - Dolly Parton # 62

63 ( 65 ) GOLDEN DAY - Rain featuring Stephanie De Sykes # 63

64 ( 64 ) EVIE (PART 1) - Stevie Wright # 64

65 ( NEW ) YOU YOU YOU - Alvin Stardust # 65

66 ( 71 ) RAINBOW - Peters & Lee # 66

67 ( 51 ) YOUR BABY AIN’T YOUR BABY ANYMORE - Paul Da Vinci # 9

68 ( NEW ) GEE BABY - Peter Shelley # 68

69 ( NEW ) JAZZMAN - Carole King # 69

70 ( 70 ) STEPPIN’ OUT - Tony Orlando & Dawn # 70

 

71 ( NEW ) BOBBY DAZZLER - The First Class # 71

72 ( 73 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LADY - Showaddywaddy # 72

73 ( NEW ) SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES - Bryan Ferry # 73

74 ( NEW ) BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER - William DeVaughan # 74

75 ( NEW ) SOMETHING BOUT YOU BABY I LIKE - Tom Jones # 75

24th August 1974

 

Oldies still dominate my retro top 10 as the reactivated Baby Love tops my chart just as it did 50 years ago, with Frank rising to 3 for a 1963-66 top 3. That's the first Diana Ross track to top my retro countdown since Ain't No Mountain High Enough in 1970's rundown, the first Supremes since Nathan Jones and Stoned Love in 1971's and the first together since 1968's Love Child and 1967's Reflections. Brian Protheroe only ever had the one UK hit, but it's a goodie, a sorta slightly-jazz-flavoured singer-songwriter quirky ballad, the fab Pinball, complete with cat miaowing. In at 6.

 

New at 12, Harry Chapin gets his 3rd and greatest entry on the rundown with the affecting Cats In The Cradle. At least the song became well-known in the in the 90's, albeit an inferior version, long after Harry had been killed in a car accident. Ken Boothe covers Bread reggae-style, but there will be more UK number ones for artists other than David Gates, but Everything I Own still sounds fab in an oldies club. New at 19. Reunion was arguably the final Bubblegum hit from the USA, with the breath-taking (literally, just try rapping along!) Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me), catchy pop and basically a list of musicians since the 50's and pop culture stuff that meant quite a bit to me - a minor UK hit I grabbed the single soon as it hit the bargain bin, not least because the late Mama Cass got a namecheck amongst a host of others. Lead singer Joey Levine previously hit with Ohio Express' Yummy Yummy Yummy in 1968.

 

10cc return at 41 with their final single of 1974, Silly Love, and the final track off Sheet Music to make my 1974 retro charts, I've been saving it up for the release date, and it was stonking when I saw them do it live again earlier this year. 3 weeks ago I saw Billy Joel in Cardiff, he was also great, and he pops in with a US single I never heard before Travelin' Prayer, it's largely country by genre, but Bill likes to genre hop from classical to doowop via rock 'n' roll, gospel, surf, ballad, opera and rock. That leaves Eric Carmen and his then-band The Raspberries new in at 63 with big US hit Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) which never became the hit it deserved to be in the UK. Still, he'd get solo success in 2 years retro time, so that's a bonus.

 

 

1 ( 3 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

2 ( 1 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

3 ( 6 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

4 ( 4 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

5 ( 8 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

6 ( NEW ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 6

7 ( 2 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

8 ( 9 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

9 ( 10 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

10 ( 5 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

 

11 ( 7 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

12 ( NEW ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 12

13 ( 11 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

14 ( 12 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

15 ( 14 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

16 ( 16 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

17 ( 13 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

18 ( 18 ) ONLY YOU CAN - Fox # 18

19 ( NEW ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe # 19

20 ( 17 ) KUNG FU FIGHTING - Carl Douglas # 17

 

21 ( 21 ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 21

22 ( 26 ) DA DOO RON RON - The Crystals # 22

23 ( 23 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

24 ( 19 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

25 ( 27 ) THE PLAYER - First Choice # 25

26 ( 20 ) TIN MAN - America # 20

27 ( 24 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

28 ( 33 ) YOU LITTLE TRUSTMAKER - The Tymes # 28

29 ( 22 ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 16

30 ( 31 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

 

31 ( 29 ) SHE - Charles Aznavour # 5

32 ( 25 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

33 ( 30 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

34 ( 42 ) THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LOVE (BABY) - Wizzard # 34

35 ( 15 ) LADY WILLPOWER - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap # 15

36 ( 45 ) THE WIZARD OF LOVE - The Pearls # 36

37 ( 32 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 10

38 ( NEW ) LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME) - Reunion # 38

39 ( 38 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

40 ( 36 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

 

41 ( NEW ) SILLY LOVE - 10cc # 41

42 ( 28 ) ROCKET - Mud # 7

43 ( 62 ) LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY - Dolly Parton # 43

44 ( 69 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King # 44

45 ( 44 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE - Barry White # 18

46 ( 43 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

47 ( 40 ) THE SIX-TEENS - The Sweet # 14

48 ( 37 ) WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Mouth & MacNeal # 14

49 ( 35 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

50 ( 41 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta featuring Stevie Wonder # 15

 

51 ( 39 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (WHO NEEDS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL) - Rainbow Children # 13

52 ( 52 ) NA NA NA - Cozy Powell # 52

53 ( 51 ) JUST FOR YOU - The Glitter Band # 51

54 ( 49 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

55 ( 57 ) DO IT BABY - The Miracles # 55

56 ( 58 ) UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE - Polly Brown # 56

57 ( 59 ) THE BLACK-EYED BOYS - Paper Lace # 57

58 ( 64 ) EVIE (PART 1) - Stevie Wright # 58

59 ( 63 ) GOLDEN DAY - Rain featuring Stephanie De Sykes # 59

60 ( 60 ) COME BACK KAREN - Wizzard # 60

 

61 ( 34 ) PLEASE PLEASE ME - David Cassidy # 34

62 ( 46 ) OUR NATIONAL PASTIME - Rupert Holmes # 9

63 ( NEW ) OVERNIGHT SENSATION (HIT RECORD) - The Raspberries featuring Eric Carmen # 63

64 ( 54 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

65 ( 65 ) YOU YOU YOU - Alvin Stardust # 65

66 ( 48 ) AMATEUR HOUR - Sparks # 6

67 ( 70 ) STEPPIN’ OUT - Tony Orlando & Dawn # 67

68 ( 68 ) GEE BABY - Peter Shelley # 68

69 ( 47 ) SAXOPHONE JONES - Limmie & The Family Cooking # 47

70 ( 53 ) HERE COMES THE SUN - Prelude # 53

 

71 ( 71 ) BOBBY DAZZLER - The First Class # 71

72 ( 72 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LADY - Showaddywaddy # 72

73 ( 73 ) SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES - Bryan Ferry # 73

74 ( 66 ) RAINBOW - Peters & Lee # 66

75 ( NEW ) TRAVELIN’ PRAYER - Billy Joel # 75

Hi John, 73-79 are my favourite years for music. Plenty to like in the 60's and 80's but always come back to my fave years.

 

I remember all the re-issues in 74 but didn't realise one of my all-time faves by Scott McKenzie was out again. Don't think R1 played it much in 74. What a great track though.

Hi John, 73-79 are my favourite years for music. Plenty to like in the 60's and 80's but always come back to my fave years.

 

I remember all the re-issues in 74 but didn't realise one of my all-time faves by Scott McKenzie was out again. Don't think R1 played it much in 74. What a great track though.

 

Hi Chris, my fave years were just a bit before yours I think (67-72) :D then again late 70's were great. I went off the charts a bit in the summer of 74, prob why so many oldies were hits again after that 1974 Radio 1 poll gave the record companies evidence of oldies that would sell well if they got released - so they spent the next year re-issuing them! I had to create my own oldies chart to cater for all the oldies, and San Francisco was one I bought at the time as a fave oldie but it never sold enough to get radio play or make the breakers chart (for instance this week 50 years ago, Peter Sarstedt and The Bandwagon hits from 68/69 were just outside the top 50 - or what would be top 75 hits in later years). Be My Baby also didnt get to be a hit but my dad had already bought that one in the 60's, so it was already available for me to play at home. :D

31st August 1974

 

It's the end of a nice lazy summer for sweet 16-year-old me, and 50 years on Bachman-Turner Overdrive debut on top as they enter the US charts with a future chart-topper there and for me in December when I bought the single. You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet is a Metal classic, driving along made for car stereos and highways, fake stutter and all. The members of the former hitmakers The Guess Who grabbed their moment of immortality with this one though. Harry Chapin gets his sad Cat's In The Cradle top 10, in a relatively quiet week for new entries.

 

The Glitter band debut at 41 with their version of the Billie Davies/The Exciters hit that first came out in 1962 as Tell Her in the US. It's on the Glitter Band's new album, and is much better than current single Just For You, so it's a mystery why they didn't issue it as a single given the exact same Glam formula was donated to band Hello in a couple of months - also Bell Records labelmates - albeit with a slightly reduced bpm. I suppose the lack of songwriting royalties on a hit might have been a consideration, too.

 

Down the bottom-end of the chart Leo Sayer gets his 5th charter with the quirky, folk-ey, Long Tall Glasses, Gene Pitney has a comeback again with a Roger Cook song (Gene was UK-based at this time, and Roger wasn't far off leaving for the US country music songwriting scene after Blue Mink ended badly - not due to the band, as he explained earlier this year when I saw him back with Madeline Bell in concert). Never heard it before but Blue Angel is pretty good. Finally Donnie Elbert is back for a 5th or 6th time, now on Sylvia Robinson's soul label, and she co-wrote Love Is Strange, which sounds very All-Platinum albeit with Donnie's unique vocal style.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

2 ( 2 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

3 ( 4 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

4 ( 6 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 4

5 ( 1 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

6 ( 5 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

7 ( 3 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

8 ( 8 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

9 ( 9 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

10 ( 12 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 10

 

11 ( 7 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

12 ( 10 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

13 ( 19 ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe # 13

14 ( 11 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

15 ( 15 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

16 ( 14 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

17 ( 17 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

18 ( 13 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

19 ( 21 ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 19

20 ( 38 ) LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME) - Reunion # 20

 

21 ( 44 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King # 21

22 ( 18 ) ONLY YOU CAN - Fox # 18

23 ( 23 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

24 ( 25 ) THE PLAYER - First Choice # 24

25 ( 24 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

26 ( 16 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

27 ( 20 ) KUNG FU FIGHTING - Carl Douglas # 17

28 ( 28 ) YOU LITTLE TRUSTMAKER - The Tymes # 28

29 ( 27 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

30 ( 41 ) SILLY LOVE - 10cc # 30

 

31 ( 22 ) DA DOO RON RON - The Crystals # 22

32 ( 32 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

33 ( 36 ) THE WIZARD OF LOVE - The Pearls # 33

34 ( 43 ) LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY - Dolly Parton # 34

35 ( 30 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

36 ( 37 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 10

37 ( 63 ) OVERNIGHT SENSATION (HIT RECORD) - The Raspberries featuring Eric Carmen # 37

38 ( 29 ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 16

39 ( 39 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

40 ( 71 ) BOBBY DAZZLER - The First Class # 40

 

41 ( NEW ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band # 41

42 ( 40 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

43 ( 33 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

44 ( 26 ) TIN MAN - America # 20

45 ( 46 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

46 ( 45 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE - Barry White # 18

47 ( 34 ) THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LOVE (BABY) - Wizzard # 34

48 ( 55 ) DO IT BABY - The Miracles # 48

49 ( 56 ) UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE - Polly Brown # 49

50 ( 52 ) NA NA NA - Cozy Powell # 50

 

51 ( 49 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

52 ( 48 ) WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Mouth & MacNeal # 14

53 ( 50 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta featuring Stevie Wonder # 15

54 ( 54 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

55 ( 57 ) THE BLACK-EYED BOYS - Paper Lace # 55

56 ( 35 ) LADY WILLPOWER - Gary Puckett & The Union Gap # 15

57 ( 58 ) EVIE (PART 1) - Stevie Wright # 57

58 ( 59 ) GOLDEN DAY - Rain featuring Stephanie De Sykes # 58

59 ( 51 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (WHO NEEDS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL) - Rainbow Children # 13

60 ( 42 ) ROCKET - Mud # 7

 

61 ( 65 ) YOU YOU YOU - Alvin Stardust # 61

62 ( 60 ) COME BACK KAREN - Wizzard # 60

63 ( 31 ) SHE - Charles Aznavour # 5

64 ( 68 ) GEE BABY - Peter Shelley # 64

65 ( 67 ) STEPPIN’ OUT - Tony Orlando & Dawn # 65

66 ( 64 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

67 ( 62 ) OUR NATIONAL PASTIME - Rupert Holmes # 9

68 ( 66 ) AMATEUR HOUR - Sparks # 6

69 ( 47 ) THE SIX-TEENS - The Sweet # 14

70 ( NEW ) LONG TALL GLASSES (I CAN DANCE) - Leo Sayer # 70

 

71 ( NEW ) BLUE ANGEL - Gene Pitney # 71

72 ( 73 ) SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES - Bryan Ferry # 72

73 ( 53 ) JUST FOR YOU - The Glitter Band # 51

74 ( 75 ) TRAVELIN’ PRAYER - Billy Joel # 74

75 ( NEW ) LOVE IS STRANGE - Donnie Elbert # 75

 

 

7th September 1974

 

It's a new school year, I was back at Chosen Hill Comprehensive to do Lower 6th GCE retakes (as I'd not really had enough time to get the grades to get ready for A Levels) along with a few soon-to-be schoolmates and my friend Ian, so that meant more exotic stuff this time like Geology and British Constitution, both of which were fairly dry. Orthoclase Feldspar and being swayed more to Liberalism were the main memories, aside from a more relaxed attitude to school uniforms and our own more-adult block to occupy. In music, it's straight in on top for the first hyper bpm disco track from the first Queen Of Disco, Gloria Gaynor, and the thumping classic Never Can Say Goodbye. They took a lovely Jackson 5 ballad and converted into a template for future 80's disco Hi NRG via Donna Summer. Total classic and I was mad on it over Xmas 1974 and into 1975, but out this week in the USA. Along with Queen Of Clubs there was no greater exciting disco records from anyone other than these two acts until Dancing Queen and I Feel Love.

 

It's a quiet chart week in the UK for me, but happily there's loads of obscure tracks that I loved at the time (and bought) to wittle on about. In at 37, and a number one of mine after his Top Of The Pops appearance, Mick Robertson debuts The Tango's Over as the curly-haired tall Magpie kids TV host tried out a music career (failed). Magpie was much cooler than Blue Peter. Written and beautifully-produced by a certain Richard Hewson, he of future Rah Band hits and various other projects - The Crunch would top my charts in 1977 - he had already worked on The Beatles Long & Winding Road, Mary Hopkin's Those Were The Days, and everybody who was anyone as an arranger, and would carry on into the 80's for Toyah, Five Star & Shaky. So, yes, it's a good record!

 

Talking of music producers/writers/arrangers MIke Batt is back trying to get Pans People a hit record - the dance troupe on Top Of The Pops dropped this pounding, sultry, forgotten track, You Can Really Rock 'n' Roll Me to little radio play or TV exposure. Again it sounds great, but the vocals let it down - great at dancing, not so much singing though I think Cherry Gillespie was the lead vocalist and gave a good go at it. My memory is that it was her, so I must have seen it somewhere on telly. Andy Fairweather-Low is back with his first solo hit after Amen Corner and Fairweather all faded. Reggae Tune was nice and tuneful, and reggae, in at 52 and what it says on the label, and great to have his unique vocals back after his 60's hits.

 

In at 57, Hello debut as a late Glam Rock act, as writer/arranger/producer Mike Leander (She's Leaving Home, Beatles, Gary Glitter etc etc) decides to cut a teen-appealing hit cover of his album version of the cover of Billie Davis' UK hit Tell Him. The Glitter Band version has more balls and should have been the single hit really, but Hello would be back in 1975 with a cracker. Mike Leander is obviously the talented one when it comes to the pounding Glam hits on Bell Records. Medicine Head are back with their best record since Rising Sun, Mama Come Out at 63, but the music scene had changed drastically in 12 months and folk-based acts were on the chart decline and disco and teeniebop on the rise. So again no airplay to speak of.

 

Mike McGear has a famous brother. It's good to have him back with a solo hit after The Scaffold had had their comeback earlier in the year with Liverpool Lou, and this one was written by Paul & Linda, and produced by Macca, so no surprises it sounds like it could have dropped in off an early paul McCartney/Wings album, but it's jolly and catchy and in at 67. That leaves The eagles with James Dean continuing their run of minor retro tracks, and one I pretty much missed at the time - I'm not even sure it was a UK single, as I'm sure I have it on a single as a B side. New entry at 74, anyway, and yes it's about the very late, 50's iconic film star.

 

 

 

1 ( NEW ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

2 ( 1 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

3 ( 2 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

4 ( 3 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

5 ( 10 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

6 ( 5 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

7 ( 7 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

8 ( 4 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 4

9 ( 9 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

10 ( 6 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

 

11 ( 8 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

12 ( 12 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

13 ( 13 ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe # 13

14 ( 21 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King # 14

15 ( 20 ) LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME) - Reunion # 15

16 ( 17 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

17 ( 18 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

18 ( 11 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

19 ( 14 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

20 ( 15 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

 

21 ( 16 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

22 ( 23 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

23 ( 25 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

24 ( 26 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

25 ( 29 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

26 ( 31 ) DA DOO RON RON - The Crystals # 22

27 ( 30 ) SILLY LOVE - 10cc # 27

28 ( 41 ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band # 28

29 ( 37 ) OVERNIGHT SENSATION (HIT RECORD) - The Raspberries featuring Eric Carmen # 29

30 ( 40 ) BOBBY DAZZLER - The First Class # 30

 

31 ( 22 ) ONLY YOU CAN - Fox # 18

32 ( 33 ) THE WIZARD OF LOVE - The Pearls # 32

33 ( 34 ) LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY - Dolly Parton # 33

34 ( 32 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

35 ( 35 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

36 ( 19 ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 19

37 ( NEW ) THE TANGO’S OVER - Mick Robertson # 37

38 ( 48 ) DO IT BABY - The Miracles # 38

39 ( 49 ) UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE - Polly Brown # 39

40 ( 27 ) KUNG FU FIGHTING - Carl Douglas # 17

 

41 ( 24 ) THE PLAYER - First Choice # 24

42 ( 28 ) YOU LITTLE TRUSTMAKER - The Tymes # 28

43 ( 38 ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 16

44 ( 42 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

45 ( 36 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 10

46 ( 71 ) BLUE ANGEL - Gene Pitney # 46

47 ( NEW ) YOU CAN REALLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ME - Pans People # 47

48 ( 45 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

49 ( 43 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

50 ( 51 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

 

51 ( 44 ) TIN MAN - America # 20

52 ( NEW ) REGGAE TUNE - Andy Fairweather-Low # 52

53 ( 54 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

54 ( 52 ) WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Mouth & MacNeal # 14

55 ( 46 ) CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF YOUR LOVE BABE - Barry White # 18

56 ( 39 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

57 ( NEW ) TELL HIM - Hello # 57

58 ( 55 ) THE BLACK-EYED BOYS - Paper Lace # 55

59 ( 59 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (WHO NEEDS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL) - Rainbow Children # 13

60 ( 61 ) YOU YOU YOU - Alvin Stardust # 60

 

61 ( 53 ) SPINNIN’ AND SPINNIN’ - Syreeta featuring Stevie Wonder # 15

62 ( 64 ) GEE BABY - Peter Shelley # 62

63 ( NEW ) MAMA COME OUT - Medicine Head # 63

64 ( 65 ) STEPPIN’ OUT - Tony Orlando & Dawn # 64

65 ( 47 ) THIS IS THE STORY OF MY LOVE (BABY) - Wizzard # 34

66 ( 75 ) LOVE IS STRANGE - Donnie Elbert # 66

67 ( NEW ) LEAVE IT - Mike McGear # 67

68 ( 66 ) THE WALL STREET SHUFFLE - 10cc # 1

69 ( 70 ) LONG TALL GLASSES (I CAN DANCE) - Leo Sayer # 69

70 ( 60 ) ROCKET - Mud # 7

 

71 ( 50 ) NA NA NA - Cozy Powell # 50

72 ( 74 ) TRAVELIN’ PRAYER - Billy Joel # 72

73 ( 57 ) EVIE (PART 1) - Stevie Wright # 57

74 ( NEW ) JAMES DEAN - The Eagles # 74

75 ( 72 ) SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES - Bryan Ferry # 72

14th September 1974

 

It's 2 weeks on top for Gloria Gaynor as my charts of the time diverged quite significantly away from the UK Top 30 charts, but in these retro charts those non-hit tracks aren't doing nearly as well 50 years on! They just haven't dated as well as better-known hits for the most part. I think I was going through a phase of sniffing my nose at some charting records!

 

The highest new entry is the re-issue of R. Dean Taylor's 1968 mini-classic, Gotta See Jane, which topped my Retro charts 6 years ago, so only gets a mere 4 this time round as it charted in the UK too. The highest actual new song is Billy Swan's US monster I Can Help, which charted over the new year in the UK. Elvis did his best to ruin the charm of this catchy country-ish track with his own hit cover, but thankfully the original still sounds good. Just behind at 11, a pre-Christmas number one for me from Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes, a fun, amusing live-based disco romp from the campest frontman on a hit to date. Incredibly it's been forgotten with the passage of time, probably due to the novelty-whiff of it, but it's really a good record, and if Tex stating "My chiffon is wet, my wig is wet" doesn't gladden your heart, then there's nothing more I can do for you! :)

 

The Troggs are also back out to buy new in at 32, Wild Thing in the shops and in my re-issue charts, cos it's also great fun and a rock classic soon-to-be piss-taked in an episode of The Goodies (and made available on their single Nappy Love) as the trio dress up as Elton Rubettes Stardust and utter the immortal line "Wild Thing, hold me, TIGHT. Not!. Quite!. That!. Tight!" Classic moment. At 33 another chart-topper for me in 1974 on George Harrison's Dark Horse Records, produced by the man, and much in evidence on it, to help his mate Ravi Shankar, Norah Jones' dad. I still rate the Eastern/Indian vibes of it. I Am Missing You.

 

At 37, and helped by Elton John (you can hear me singalongaJohn) John Lennon is back and on track for his first US chart-topper, with a bet from Elton that it would be a number one. John was so sure it wouldn't he agreed to join Elton on stage (for what would be his last ever live appearance) if it got to the top. He wa cacking himself, but it paid dividends of sorts as estranged Yoko was in the New York audience and felt sorry for him looking so lost, so they got back together and made a baby Sean.

 

Al Green starts phase 2 of his soul hit career in the UK after a quiet 1973, with Sha La La at 48, as meanwhile Robert Wyatt, of Soft machine, has a hit and a memorable Top Of The Pops appearance in a wheelchair following an accident which left him paralysed from the waist down, and forced him to start a solo career around his needs. I'm A Believer was very different from the Monkees version of the Neil Diamond hit, but it was the start of getting that band some much-needed critical re-evaluation as the comedy music shows continued to be broadcast on TV in the UK.

 

That leaves a Mike McGear B side, also written & produced by Paul & Linda McCartney and sounding very Macca, Sweet baby, a Marvin Gaye single I don't know, but it's in the groove of his last 3 albums, a charting Diana Ross track I've totally forgotten (and didn't chart originally), and finally David Bowie's worst single of anything in the 70's to date - a pretty throwaway live version of Knock On Wood. Not as good as the original and not as interesting as the Amii Stewart disco cover in 1979. Now there's a thought, maybe David should try a bit of disco funk next....?

 

 

1 ( 1 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

2 ( 3 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

3 ( 2 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

4 ( NEW ) GOTTA SEE JANE - R. Dean Taylor # 4

5 ( 4 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

6 ( 6 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

7 ( 7 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

8 ( 5 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

9 ( 8 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 4

10 ( NEW ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 10

 

11 ( NEW ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 11

12 ( 9 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

13 ( 10 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

14 ( 14 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King # 14

15 ( 15 ) LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME) - Reunion # 15

16 ( 12 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

17 ( 11 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

18 ( 16 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

19 ( 26 ) DA DOO RON RON - The Crystals # 19

20 ( 28 ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band # 20

 

21 ( 17 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

22 ( 19 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

23 ( 18 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

24 ( 22 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

25 ( 13 ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe # 13

26 ( 33 ) LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY - Dolly Parton # 26

27 ( 46 ) BLUE ANGEL - Gene Pitney # 27

28 ( 25 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

29 ( 20 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

30 ( 21 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

 

31 ( 23 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

32 ( NEW ) WILD THING - The Troggs # 32

33 ( NEW ) I AM MISSING YOU - Shankar Family & Friends featuring George Harrison # 33

34 ( 24 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

35 ( 37 ) THE TANGO’S OVER - Mick Robertson # 35

36 ( 29 ) OVERNIGHT SENSATION (HIT RECORD) - The Raspberries featuring Eric Carmen # 29

37 ( NEW ) WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT - John Lennon featuring Elton John # 37

38 ( 27 ) SILLY LOVE - 10cc # 27

39 ( 30 ) BOBBY DAZZLER - The First Class # 30

40 ( 35 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

 

41 ( 34 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

42 ( 31 ) ONLY YOU CAN - Fox # 18

43 ( 36 ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 19

44 ( 41 ) THE PLAYER - First Choice # 24

45 ( 47 ) YOU CAN REALLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ME - Pans People # 45

46 ( 45 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 10

47 ( 40 ) KUNG FU FIGHTING - Carl Douglas # 17

48 ( NEW ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 48

49 ( 52 ) REGGAE TUNE - Andy Fairweather-Low # 49

50 ( 44 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

 

51 ( 49 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

52 ( 56 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

53 ( 53 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

54 ( 67 ) LEAVE IT - Mike McGear # 54

55 ( 48 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

56 ( 43 ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 16

57 ( 57 ) TELL HIM - Hello # 57

58 ( 32 ) THE WIZARD OF LOVE - The Pearls # 32

59 ( 39 ) UP IN A PUFF OF SMOKE - Polly Brown # 39

60 ( 50 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

 

61 ( 42 ) YOU LITTLE TRUSTMAKER - The Tymes # 28

62 ( 54 ) WE’RE GONNA HAVE A PARTY - Mouth & MacNeal # 14

63 ( 63 ) MAMA COME OUT - Medicine Head # 63

64 ( 60 ) YOU YOU YOU - Alvin Stardust # 60

65 ( 59 ) ROCK ‘N’ ROLL (WHO NEEDS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL) - Rainbow Children # 13

66 ( NEW ) I’M A BELIEVER - Robert Wyatt # 66

67 ( 69 ) LONG TALL GLASSES (I CAN DANCE) - Leo Sayer # 67

68 ( 51 ) TIN MAN - America # 20

69 ( 38 ) DO IT BABY - The Miracles # 38

70 ( 62 ) GEE BABY - Peter Shelley # 62

 

71 ( 66 ) LOVE IS STRANGE - Donnie Elbert # 66

72 ( NEW ) SWEET BABY - Mike McGear # 72

73 ( NEW ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 73

74 ( NEW ) LOVE ME - Diana Ross # 74

75 ( NEW ) KNOCK ON WOOD - David Bowie # 75

21st September 1974

 

It's straight in at 1 for Australian singer Gary Shearston, doing a sort of 1920's Bryan Ferry-cum-Noel Coward singing style on Cole Porter's 1934 song from the musical Anything Goes. Ethel Merman, a voice to stop buses in their tracks, did the original version of I Get A Kick Out Of You, and many luminaries have tackled it: Sinatra, Gaga, Bennett, Torme to name but a few, but this is the best version by far. The original reference to cocaine, long banned, is back in the lyrics, and the arrangement has hints of an orchestral Rod Stewart - who was definitely taking notes for 1975. The title song to the musical has already gone top 5 in my retro charts for 1967 - by Harpers Bizarre.

 

Disco Tex almost grabs the top spot with Get Dancin', I think it needs a pop-culture revival myself, he was at least 10, if not 20, years ahead of his time. Sparks get a 3rd top 20 in a row with album track, Something For The Girl With Everything at 13 - there's a fan-made animated video available for it now, which is fabulous, but back then it was getting radio play as a non-single and I immediately charted it in my personal chart of the time, ahead of the actual next single - typically making a change in musical direction - before they dropped this one in early 1975.

 

George McRae follows-up his monster disco smash with another KC produced & written song at 34 - I Can't Leave You Alone - and Rod Stewart is back for his annual solo single hit at 39, Farewell isn't that remembered these days, but it's a good more-of-the-same stylistically before Rod launches his global dominating career next summer with a monster cover. Meanwhile The Turtles extend their retro chart career some more with a flop Flo & Eddie single, Let Me Make Love To You, makes it 7 years'-worth.

 

Bob Marley's back again with yet another obscure gem I don't know, Johnny Mathis is early for his reasonable (and Career-reviving) smooth cover of The Stylistics hit, Sailor debut with the upbeat airplay environmental-commentary hit Traffic Jam, but they'd have to wait another year for the sales hit, Neil Diamond keeps his 7-years-stretch of retro charting going with another dour ballad, Longfellow Serenade, his heyday way behind him, but still able to bung out a tolerable occasional ballad, and finally it's a chart debut for 50's veteran Slim Whitman - Happy Anniversary came out nowhere, became a hit in the UK, and then the Country warbler disappeared permanently never to surface again in the UK. Country music, though, would be back very soon.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

2 ( 11 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

3 ( 1 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

4 ( 2 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

5 ( 4 ) GOTTA SEE JANE - R. Dean Taylor # 4

6 ( 3 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

7 ( 5 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

8 ( 7 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

9 ( 9 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 4

10 ( 6 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

 

11 ( 48 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 11

12 ( 10 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 10

13 ( NEW ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks # 13

14 ( 13 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

15 ( 8 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

16 ( 12 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

17 ( 20 ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band # 17

18 ( 16 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

19 ( 18 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

20 ( 35 ) THE TANGO’S OVER - Mick Robertson # 20

 

21 ( 23 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

22 ( 17 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

23 ( 21 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

24 ( 24 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

25 ( 31 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

26 ( 14 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King # 14

27 ( 28 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

28 ( 22 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

29 ( 15 ) LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME) - Reunion # 15

30 ( 26 ) LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY - Dolly Parton # 26

 

31 ( 33 ) I AM MISSING YOU - Shankar Family & Friends featuring George Harrison # 31

32 ( 27 ) BLUE ANGEL - Gene Pitney # 27

33 ( 25 ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe # 13

34 ( NEW ) I CAN’T LEAVE YOU ALONE - George McCrae # 34

35 ( 19 ) DA DOO RON RON - The Crystals # 19

36 ( 30 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

37 ( 37 ) WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT - John Lennon featuring Elton John # 37

38 ( 29 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

39 ( NEW ) FAREWELL - Rod Stewart # 39

40 ( 49 ) REGGAE TUNE - Andy Fairweather-Low # 40

 

41 ( 45 ) YOU CAN REALLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ME - Pans People # 41

42 ( 38 ) SILLY LOVE - 10cc # 27

43 ( 41 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

44 ( 34 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

45 ( 40 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

46 ( 43 ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 19

47 ( 32 ) WILD THING - The Troggs # 32

48 ( 54 ) LEAVE IT - Mike McGear # 48

49 ( 51 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

50 ( 47 ) KUNG FU FIGHTING - Carl Douglas # 17

 

51 ( 44 ) THE PLAYER - First Choice # 24

52 ( 42 ) ONLY YOU CAN - Fox # 18

53 ( 57 ) TELL HIM - Hello # 53

54 ( 63 ) MAMA COME OUT - Medicine Head # 54

55 ( 55 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

56 ( 53 ) ROCK YOUR BABY - George McCrae # 1

57 ( 52 ) O.K. CHICAGO - Resonance # 9

58 ( 50 ) OLD WILD MEN - 10cc # 6

59 ( 73 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 59

60 ( 56 ) YOU HAVEN’T DONE NOTHIN’ - Stevie Wonder # 16

 

61 ( 46 ) MISS HIT AND RUN - Barry Blue # 10

62 ( 72 ) SWEET BABY - Mike McGear # 62

63 ( 71 ) LOVE IS STRANGE - Donnie Elbert # 63

64 ( 36 ) OVERNIGHT SENSATION (HIT RECORD) - The Raspberries featuring Eric Carmen # 29

65 ( NEW ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles # 65

66 ( 66 ) I’M A BELIEVER - Robert Wyatt # 66

67 ( 39 ) BOBBY DAZZLER - The First Class # 30

68 ( 60 ) ANNIE’S SONG - John Denver # 7

69 ( NEW ) MR. BROWN - Bob Marley & The Wailers # 69

70 ( NEW ) I’M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU - Johnny Mathis # 70

 

71 ( NEW ) TRAFFIC JAM - Sailor # 71

72 ( 67 ) LONG TALL GLASSES (I CAN DANCE) - Leo Sayer # 67

73 ( NEW ) HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - Slim Whitman # 73

74 ( 74 ) LOVE ME - Diana Ross # 74

75 ( NEW ) LONGFELLOW SERENADE - Neil Diamond # 75

28th September 1974

 

It's 2 weeks on top for Gary Shearston as he holds off a strong challenge from Roxy Music trying for a second chart-topper with All I Want Is You, some great guitar wall-of-sound with the usual horn section in combo. Sadly this is the last of the early quirky Roxy singles, Bryan Ferry starts to go a more traditional song-structure route from 1975 onwards, though it will bring commercial rewards. Sparks make it 3 top 10's in a row as they also plough their own style of songwriting - the main difference though, is the Mael brothers never stop being quirky and experimental for the next 50 years.

 

New at 24, a number one for me of the time, and one of the best Halloween songs never to become well-known, Thunderthighs get their second "solo" chart entry after assisting Lou Reed and Mott The Hoople on key tracks, and Dracula's Daughter is great fun. It needs a re-master and a push to make it 21st Century viable, if not a remix. Former US actor and member of Family Dogg, Steve Rowland produced it, the master behind the cinematic-sounding hits of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. Oh he also signed up The Cure and The Thompson Twins in the 80's, so a pretty good pedigree.

 

In at 27, the second pop synth song to top the UK charts, and David Essex drops the moody rock'n'roll That'll Be The Day movie vibes ahead of his next 60's based film Stardust, and re-invents himself as a Cockney pop geezer with gypsy-vibes on the verty catchy Gonna Make You A Star. Even Mr & Mrs McCartney did a Top Of The Pops cameo for the "I don't think so" bit - at least they did in my memory, I could swear they were on doing Junior's Farm with Wings. Meanwhile Mike Batt gets a second production credit (after Pans People, also on Top Of The Pops obv), as The Wombles go Classical at 31 on Minuetto Allegretto, and bring Mozart in the pop charts for the 2nd time (taken from his Symphony No. 41), after 1971's Mozart 40 was a big hit for Waldo De Los Rios. It adds amusing lyrics, and sounds very nice - Mike's new autobiography is now out. I'm very tempted!

 

At 32, Dr Hook & co return to the top 40 with The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan, not a UK hit until Marianne Faithful did a great cover in 1979, but the original version is great too, as good as Sylvia's Mother, though it won't be long before they drop the story songs of Shel Silverstein and move into quirky Country MOR to greater commercial success (bit of a trend that this week....!). Pilot get a second chart entry here with the jovial, feel-good (but still quirky) Magic - not as good as Just A Smile for me, but a global hit though, so I'm in the minority clearly. Barry Blue is also back for a 6th chart entry on his final UK chart hit at 47, Hot Shot - all very manic Glam-meets-Russian-cossack sounds, I really liked it at the time. Barry was fine though, he would have hits into the 80's and beyond as a record producer of hits like, err, Boogie Nights and acts like The Saturdays, Diana Ross, Celine Dion, The Wanted.

 

The Hues Corporation decide to record an identi-kit follow-up to Rock The Boat, Rockin' Soul enters at 51, while just behind at 55 it's a debut for soul act Brother To Brother, covering Gil Scott-Heron's The Bottle as In The Bottle - a song about alcoholism, later covered by The Christians. A great song, with latin beats, and as the Gil version hasn't cropped up in any charts or press articles for 1974, expect it next week. Anne Murray is back for a 5th year with another great obscure ballad, Son Of A Rotten Gambler which I know from a Hollies version. Songwriter Chip Taylor just misses getting 2 songs on the chart as Wild Thing drops out, and other hit songs include the brilliant Angel Of The Morning.

 

Suzi Q is back for an 8th charter, The Wild One was her last big rocker (and still with Chinn-Chapman), but she'd be back with ballad hits and some great 21st century glam-rocking new singles. Alaska were one folky band that I liked in '74 but I Don't Know Why wasn't a hit, sadly, I don't know why! Not to be confused with later bands of the same name. Barry Reynolds was on RAK records along with Suzi Q, Mud and co, but he never got a hit out of Outsiders Point Of View, a shame as I liked the moody, falsetto soul styling, new in at 72.

 

Ike & Tina Turner keep the chart entries coming, this time Sexy Ida funking nicely along for a 6th year, just ahead of folky singer-songwriter Dory Previn, on her (it's that word again) quirky Coldwater Canyon, quite amusing and one I liked at the time. As I did US rock band Fancy, who were vaguely Glam-ish and a bit naughty with the female lead singer teasing on Touch Me. With a nice segue here they also did a cover of Wild Thing (see above Anne Murray comment).

 

Finally, dave Edmunds also makes it 6 years of charting with the more traditionally 60's-rocker Need A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues, The Drifters continue their British-career of 70's hits that sounded like 60's hits on the pedestrian Down On The Beach Tonight, and the Rollers are also on the churn-em-out production-line with All Of Me Loves All Of You sounding tacky where they used to have a bit of charm and youthful energy from 1971 to 1973. Their hits from here on pretty much all sounded like cheaply-produced tat bar one or two covers.

 

 

 

1 ( 1 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

2 ( NEW ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 2

3 ( 4 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

4 ( 5 ) GOTTA SEE JANE - R. Dean Taylor # 4

5 ( 7 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

6 ( 2 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

7 ( 3 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

8 ( 13 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks # 8

9 ( 6 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

10 ( 12 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 10

 

11 ( 11 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 11

12 ( 8 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

13 ( 9 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 4

14 ( 10 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

15 ( 15 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

16 ( 17 ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band # 16

17 ( 14 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

18 ( 18 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

19 ( 19 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

20 ( 23 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

 

21 ( 22 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

22 ( 21 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

23 ( 25 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

24 ( NEW ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 24

25 ( 16 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

26 ( 24 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

27 ( NEW ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 27

28 ( 39 ) FAREWELL - Rod Stewart # 28

29 ( 32 ) BLUE ANGEL - Gene Pitney # 27

30 ( 26 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King # 14

 

31 ( NEW ) MINUETTO ALLEGRETTO - The Wombles # 31

32 ( NEW ) THE BALLAD OF LUCY JORDAN - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show # 32

33 ( 34 ) I CAN’T LEAVE YOU ALONE - George McCrae # 33

34 ( 20 ) THE TANGO’S OVER - Mick Robertson # 20

35 ( 27 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

36 ( 31 ) I AM MISSING YOU - Shankar Family & Friends featuring George Harrison # 31

37 ( 28 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

38 ( 30 ) LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY - Dolly Parton # 26

39 ( 38 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

40 ( 33 ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe # 13

 

41 ( 36 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

42 ( 59 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 42

43 ( 65 ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles # 43

44 ( NEW ) MAGIC - Pilot # 44

45 ( 43 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

46 ( 29 ) LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME) - Reunion # 15

47 ( NEW ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 47

48 ( 48 ) LEAVE IT - Mike McGear # 48

49 ( 49 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

50 ( 53 ) TELL HIM - Hello # 50

 

51 ( NEW ) ROCKIN’ SOUL - The Hues Corporation # 51

52 ( 45 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

53 ( 46 ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 19

54 ( 41 ) YOU CAN REALLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ME - Pans People # 41

55 ( NEW ) IN THE BOTTLE - Brother To Brother # 55

56 ( NEW ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray # 56

57 ( 40 ) REGGAE TUNE - Andy Fairweather-Low # 40

58 ( 55 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

59 ( NEW ) THE WILD ONE - Suzi Quatro # 59

60 ( 70 ) I’M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU - Johnny Mathis # 60

 

61 ( 62 ) SWEET BABY - Mike McGear # 61

62 ( 35 ) DA DOO RON RON - The Crystals # 19

63 ( 37 ) WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT - John Lennon featuring Elton John # 37

64 ( 44 ) TONIGHT - The Rubettes # 4

65 ( 75 ) LONGFELLOW SERENADE - Neil Diamond # 65

66 ( 66 ) I’M A BELIEVER - Robert Wyatt # 66

67 ( 54 ) MAMA COME OUT - Medicine Head # 54

68 ( NEW ) I DON’T KNOW WHY - Alaska # 68

69 ( 69 ) MR. BROWN - Bob Marley & The Wailers # 69

70 ( 71 ) TRAFFIC JAM - Sailor # 70

 

71 ( 42 ) SILLY LOVE - 10cc # 27

72 ( NEW ) OUTSIDERS POINT OF VIEW - Barry Reynolds # 72

73 ( 73 ) HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - Slim Whitman # 73

74 ( NEW ) SEXY IDA - Ike & Tina Turner # 74

75 ( NEW ) COLDWATER CANYON - Dory Previn # 75

76 ( 63 ) LOVE IS STRANGE - Donnie Elbert # 63

77 ( NEW ) TOUCH ME - Fancy # 77

78 ( NEW ) DOWN ON THE BEACH TONIGHT - The Drifters # 78

79 ( NEW ) NEED A SHOT OF RHYTHM ‘N’ BLUES - Dave Edmunds # 79

80 ( NEW ) ALL OF ME LOVES ALL OF YOU - Bay City Rollers # 80

John, your 1974 chart is too American for me. :)

 

In October my favourite female singer from 70s decadde Twiggy released the one from my favourite songs of 1974 year. In 70s she had 9 number one singles, including fantastic 10/10 "Rings".

 

Twiggy and Bryan Ferry - Wonderful World

 

Edited October 10, 2024Oct 10 by Last Dreamer