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

 

 

Hi Alex, yes I went more USA-leaning in 74, the UK charts got a bit silly in places :lol: I dont remember that Twiggy duet at all, though Bryan Ferry features big in my charts around then :lol: :o I dont think I charted Twiggy until 1976, but in my retro charts she had a very nice track in 1971 from her film The Boy Friend, sounding very 1920's-ish. Zoo De Zong Zong it's called.

5th October 1974

 

It's a bit of an expanded-chart invasion this week led by Queen grabbing a second chart-topper with Killer Queen, sounidng very different from 7 Seas Of Rhye, a sort of Noel Coward throwback in style, but with a rock twist, and one I rushed out to buy at the time. That leaves a new entry at 2 for Paul Carrack, who has a new version of his classic debut hit in Ace at the moment, How Long would turn out to be better remembered than it's chart position in the UK might suggest. Sparks get another top 5 with their next single, then an album track I preferred to the actual single, Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth which enters 66 to show they could change musical style at the drop of a hat - take note for the next 50 years!

 

New at 8, my fave new record of early 1975 at the time gives Helen Reddy her best and biggest hit in the spooky Angie Baby, charting in the USA, as Brother To Brother shoot into the top 20 with their cover of Gil Scott-Heron's The Bottle as he debuts at 49 with his original. I didn't get to know the song until the 90's hit version by The Christians, but it's a great song in any version. Slade are back with their biggest single in my chart since 1973, Far Far Away setting Slade In Flame at the cinema (I went to see it, and it was a bit grim actually).

 

The Glitter Band join their album track with the last of their Glam Rock hits in at 46 - Let's Get Together Again, one that Human League covered I think. The Chi-Lites continue to do the biz in the UK, more-so than the US in 1974, as Too Good To Be Forgotten enters at 50 and also a future cover in the 80's, this time for Amazulu. John Lennon's Walls & Bridges drops, but the UK remains oddly indifferent to Lennon despite an all-time classic future single, but in at 71 is the ballad Old Dirt Road, pretty much an unknown Lennon song.

 

The Crystals Da Do Ron Ron runs out the chart as fellow oldie Then He Kissed me drops in at 79, Blue Magic get a third chart entry with Three Ring Circus - like their previous entry Sideshow, a future hit for Barry Biggs in a reggae version - and George Harrison has a hand in a second charting track as producer of Costafine Town, Splinter being on his record label Dark Horse. I actually bought this single for 15p later in the year, and then stupidly dumped it on a mad-clearout in later years after it got on my nerves a bit.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen # 1

2 ( NEW ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack # 2

3 ( 1 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

4 ( 2 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 2

5 ( 8 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks # 5

6 ( 3 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

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

8 ( NEW ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy # 8

9 ( 11 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 9

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

 

11 ( 9 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

12 ( 4 ) GOTTA SEE JANE - R. Dean Taylor # 4

13 ( 5 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

14 ( 6 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

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

16 ( 24 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 16

17 ( 27 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 17

18 ( 12 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

19 ( 14 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

20 ( 55 ) IN THE BOTTLE - Brother To Brother # 20

 

21 ( 28 ) FAREWELL - Rod Stewart # 21

22 ( NEW ) FAR FAR AWAY - Slade # 22

23 ( 18 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

24 ( 19 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

25 ( 31 ) MINUETTO ALLEGRETTO - The Wombles # 25

26 ( 13 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 4

27 ( 42 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 27

28 ( 22 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

29 ( 44 ) MAGIC - Pilot # 29

30 ( 23 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

 

31 ( 17 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

32 ( 25 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

33 ( 20 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

34 ( 21 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

35 ( 32 ) THE BALLAD OF LUCY JORDAN - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show # 32

36 ( 56 ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray # 36

37 ( 43 ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles # 37

38 ( 16 ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band # 16

39 ( 51 ) ROCKIN’ SOUL - The Hues Corporation # 39

40 ( 47 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 40

 

41 ( 26 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

42 ( 33 ) I CAN’T LEAVE YOU ALONE - George McCrae # 33

43 ( 35 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

44 ( 30 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King # 14

45 ( 34 ) THE TANGO’S OVER - Mick Robertson # 20

46 ( NEW ) LET’S GET TOGETHER AGAIN - The Glitter Band # 46

47 ( 36 ) I AM MISSING YOU - Shankar Family & Friends featuring George Harrison # 31

48 ( 37 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

49 ( NEW ) THE BOTTLE - Gil Scott-Heron # 49

50 ( NEW ) TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN - The Chi-Lites # 50

 

51 ( 45 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

52 ( 29 ) BLUE ANGEL - Gene Pitney # 27

53 ( 40 ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe # 13

54 ( 48 ) LEAVE IT - Mike McGear # 48

55 ( 60 ) I’M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU - Johnny Mathis # 55

56 ( 59 ) THE WILD ONE - Suzi Quatro # 56

57 ( 39 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band # 2

58 ( 41 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

59 ( 49 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

60 ( 50 ) TELL HIM - Hello # 50

 

61 ( 58 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

62 ( 38 ) LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY - Dolly Parton # 26

63 ( 46 ) LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME) - Reunion # 15

64 ( 54 ) YOU CAN REALLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ME - Pans People # 41

65 ( 61 ) SWEET BABY - Mike McGear # 61

66 ( NEW ) NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH - Sparks # 66

67 ( 66 ) I’M A BELIEVER - Robert Wyatt # 66

68 ( 52 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel # 1

69 ( 53 ) YOU GOT IT - Average White Band # 19

70 ( 57 ) REGGAE TUNE - Andy Fairweather-Low # 40

 

71 ( NEW ) OLD DIRT ROAD - John Lennon # 71

72 ( 65 ) LONGFELLOW SERENADE - Neil Diamond # 65

73 ( 68 ) I DON’T KNOW WHY - Alaska # 68

74 ( 70 ) TRAFFIC JAM - Sailor # 70

75 ( 72 ) OUTSIDERS POINT OF VIEW - Barry Reynolds # 72

76 ( 69 ) MR. BROWN - Bob Marley & The Wailers # 69

77 ( 75 ) COLDWATER CANYON - Dory Previn # 75

78 ( 77 ) TOUCH ME - Fancy # 77

79 ( NEW ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals # 79

80 ( 80 ) ALL OF ME LOVES ALL OF YOU - Bay City Rollers # 80

 

81 ( 74 ) SEXY IDA - Ike & Tina Turner # 74

82 ( 79 ) NEED A SHOT OF RHYTHM ‘N’ BLUES - Dave Edmunds # 79

83 ( NEW ) THREE RING CIRCUS - Blue Magic # 83

84 ( 78 ) DOWN ON THE BEACH TONIGHT - The Drifters # 78

85 ( NEW ) COSTAFINE TOWN - Splinter # 85

 

 

 

12th October 1974

 

It's a new number one for Paul Carrack, as I missed him last week in concert in Bournemouth packing for a holiday in Orlando, where I am now. So How Long? 50 years is how long! Fortunately its a quiet chart week and I can chop the chart down to 80 with just the 2 new entries: Eddie Holman has already charted in my retro charts for 1969, but Hey There Lonely Girl wasnt a hit in the UK until 1974, so he gets 2 bites of the Retro cherry, and Elvis covers Promised Land for one of his rare rocking singles in his Vegas era, and it was pretty decent.

 

 

1 ( 2 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack

2 ( 3 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston

3 ( 1 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen

4 ( 4 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music

5 ( 6 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes

6 ( 7 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor

7 ( 8 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy

8 ( 9 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green

9 ( 10 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan

10 ( 11 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive

 

11 ( 5 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks

12 ( 12 ) GOTTA SEE JANE - R. Dean Taylor

13 ( 14 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes

14 ( 15 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin

15 ( 16 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs

16 ( 17 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex

17 ( 22 ) FAR FAR AWAY - Slade

18 ( 21 ) FAREWELL - Rod Stewart

19 ( 13 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band

20 ( 20 ) IN THE BOTTLE - Brother To Brother

 

21 ( 23 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie

22 ( 18 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra

23 ( 19 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes

24 ( 29 ) MAGIC - Pilot

25 ( 30 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye

26 ( 36 ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray

27 ( 27 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye

28 ( 25 ) MINUETTO ALLEGRETTO - The Wombles

29 ( 31 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class

30 ( NEW ) HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - Eddie Holman

 

31 ( 33 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol

32 ( 24 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays

33 ( 26 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe

34 ( 37 ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles

35 ( 39 ) ROCKIN’ SOUL - The Hues Corporation

36 ( 40 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue

37 ( 35 ) THE BALLAD OF LUCY JORDAN - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show

38 ( 48 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin

39 ( 41 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John

40 ( 34 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds

 

41 ( 49 ) THE BOTTLE - Gil Scott-Heron

42 ( 43 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot

43 ( 50 ) TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN - The Chi-Lites

44 ( 46 ) LET’S GET TOGETHER AGAIN - The Glitter Band

45 ( 79 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals

46 ( 32 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation

47 ( 44 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King

48 ( 28 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder

49 ( 38 ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band

50 ( 51 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor

 

51 ( 52 ) BLUE ANGEL - Gene Pitney

52 ( 53 ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe

53 ( 42 ) I CAN’T LEAVE YOU ALONE - George McCrae

54 ( 55 ) I’M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU - Johnny Mathis

55 ( 66 ) NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH - Sparks

56 ( 56 ) THE WILD ONE - Suzi Quatro

57 ( 45 ) THE TANGO’S OVER - Mick Robertson

58 ( 58 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi

59 ( 59 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry

60 ( 60 ) TELL HIM - Hello

 

61 ( 61 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks

62 ( 47 ) I AM MISSING YOU - Shankar Family & Friends featuring George Harrison

63 ( 54 ) LEAVE IT - Mike McGear

64 ( 57 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band

65 ( 83 ) THREE RING CIRCUS - Blue Magic

66 ( 62 ) LOVE IS LIKE A BUTTERFLY - Dolly Parton

67 ( 63 ) LIFE IS A ROCK (BUT THE RADIO ROLLED ME) - Reunion

68 ( 68 ) TRAVELIN’ BOY - Garfunkel

69 ( 71 ) OLD DIRT ROAD - John Lennon

70 ( 75 ) OUTSIDERS POINT OF VIEW - Barry Reynolds

 

71 ( 74 ) TRAFFIC JAM - Sailor

72 ( 73 ) I DON’T KNOW WHY - Alaska

73 ( 65 ) SWEET BABY - Mike McGear

74 ( NEW ) PROMISED LAND - Elvis Presley

75 ( 77 ) COLDWATER CANYON - Dory Previn

76 ( 67 ) I’M A BELIEVER - Robert Wyatt

77 ( 64 ) YOU CAN REALLY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL ME - Pans People

78 ( 80 ) ALL OF ME LOVES ALL OF YOU - Bay City Rollers

79 ( 85 ) COSTAFINE TOWN - Splinter

80 ( 78 ) TOUCH ME - Fancy

19th October 1974

 

It's a 2nd Roxy Music chart-topper, following on from Virginia Plain in the retro 1972 charts, as All I Want Is You becomes Bryan Ferry's 3rd number one, The 'In' Crowd still charting lower down. Eddie Holman's 1969 retro hit hits the top 20 again and the highest new entry is Barry White's You're The First, The Last, My Everything at 19 attempting to become his 5th at the summit including Love Unlimited and his Orchestra stuff.

 

Lower down Lynsey de Paul's TV sitcom theme drops in at 66, the show starring the husband-wife acting team of John Alderton and Pauline Collins, which was quite jolly and half-decent for an ITV sitcom - There was Rising Damp, and that was that, the rest of the 70's effort was pretty awful. The B side of the single was Lynsey's version of her hit song Central Park Arrest, and tbh it's better than the A side. Kenny debut with their big hit The Bump, the dance craze of 1974 getting a first chart hit. Kenny are not the solo act Kenny from the previous year. Quite why they couldn't manage a unique name remains a mystery.

 

The First Class grab a 3rd retro entry of 1974, as they cover a previous UK flop (but a hit in some territories in 1972) Dreams Are Ten A Penny from Kincade. The Three Degrees take a drop in standard for their new single, Get Your Love Back, Mott The Hoople scrape one more single in Saturday Gigs before Ian Hunter goes solo, and The Sweet bring their worst-ever single into bottom slot - Turn It Down was something their fans took to heart, by ignoring it. I'm not sure why they decided it was single-worthy, other than they wanted to be seen as a serious rock band so had been vetoing some Chinn-Chapman obvious Glam Hits to the benefit of Mud. This was the final straw I think, they decided to write their own hits in 1975 by copying they style of Chinn-Chapman, quite successfully.

 

 

1 ( 4 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music

2 ( 1 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack

3 ( 5 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes

4 ( 2 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston

5 ( 3 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen

6 ( 6 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor

7 ( 7 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy

8 ( 8 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green

9 ( 10 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive

10 ( 11 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks

 

11 ( 13 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes

12 ( 9 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan

13 ( 30 ) HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - Eddie Holman

14 ( 16 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex

15 ( 15 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs

16 ( 17 ) FAR FAR AWAY - Slade

17 ( 27 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye

18 ( 45 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals

19 ( NEW ) YOU'RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White

20 ( 24 ) MAGIC - Pilot

 

21 ( 18 ) FAREWELL - Rod Stewart

22 ( 20 ) IN THE BOTTLE - Brother To Brother

23 ( 19 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band

24 ( 21 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie

25 ( 26 ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray

26 ( 12 ) GOTTA SEE JANE - R. Dean Taylor

27 ( 23 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes

28 ( 14 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin

29 ( 29 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class

30 ( 36 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue

 

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

32 ( 28 ) MINUETTO ALLEGRETTO - The Wombles

33 ( 22 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra

34 ( 43 ) TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN - The Chi-Lites

35 ( 33 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe

36 ( 41 ) THE BOTTLE - Gil Scott-Heron

37 ( 34 ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles

38 ( 35 ) ROCKIN’ SOUL - The Hues Corporation

39 ( 38 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin

40 ( 55 ) NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH - Sparks

 

41 ( 39 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John

42 ( 32 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays

43 ( 31 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol

44 ( 44 ) LET’S GET TOGETHER AGAIN - The Glitter Band

45 ( 42 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot

46 ( 48 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder

47 ( 37 ) THE BALLAD OF LUCY JORDAN - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show

48 ( 40 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds

49 ( 47 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King

50 ( 46 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation

 

51 ( 50 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor

52 ( 51 ) BLUE ANGEL - Gene Pitney

53 ( 56 ) THE WILD ONE - Suzi Quatro

54 ( 54 ) I’M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU - Johnny Mathis

55 ( 53 ) I CAN’T LEAVE YOU ALONE - George McCrae

56 ( 49 ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band

57 ( 52 ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe

58 ( 61 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks

59 ( 58 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi

60 ( 70 ) OUTSIDERS POINT OF VIEW - Barry Reynolds

 

61 ( 65 ) THREE RING CIRCUS - Blue Magic

62 ( 59 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry

63 ( 69 ) OLD DIRT ROAD - John Lennon

64 ( NEW ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Lynsey De Paul

65 ( 60 ) TELL HIM - Hello

66 ( NEW ) NO HONESTLY - Lynsey De Paul

67 ( 57 ) THE TANGO’S OVER - Mick Robertson

68 ( 72 ) I DON’T KNOW WHY - Alaska

69 ( 71 ) TRAFFIC JAM - Sailor

70 ( 64 ) I’VE GOT THE MUSIC IN ME - Kiki Dee Band

 

71 ( 62 ) I AM MISSING YOU - Shankar Family & Friends featuring George Harrison

72 ( NEW ) THE BUMP - Kenny

73 ( NEW ) DREAMS ARE TEN A PENNY - The First Class

74 ( 74 ) PROMISED LAND - Elvis Presley

75 ( 75 ) COLDWATER CANYON - Dory Previn

76 ( 78 ) ALL OF ME LOVES ALL OF YOU - Bay City Rollers

77 ( 79 ) COSTAFINE TOWN - Splinter

78 ( NEW ) GET YOUR LOVE BACK - The Three Degrees

79 ( NEW ) (DO YOU REMEMBER) SATURDAY GIGS - Mott The Hoople

80 ( NEW ) TURN IT DOWN - The Sweet

I dont remember that Twiggy duet at all, though Bryan Ferry features big in my charts around then :lol: :o I dont think I charted Twiggy until 1976, but in my retro charts she had a very nice track in 1971 from her film The Boy Friend, sounding very 1920's-ish. Zoo De Zong Zong it's called.

 

It was only TV performance and not released as single.

"Zoo De Zong Zong" was a maiden # 1 for Twiggy in my chart. :heart:

It was only TV performance and not released as single.

"Zoo De Zong Zong" was a maiden # 1 for Twiggy in my chart. :heart:

 

ah that prob explains why I dont remember it! :) Glad you like Zong it's quite sweet :dance:

26th October 1974

 

It's another quiet week for new entries as Helen Reddy rises to the top spot with the haunting Angie Baby, 3 months earlier than she did in my original charts for January 1975, and the lack of new tracks gives 1969 oldie Hey There Lonely Girl a second run in the top 10 in these retro charts, and The Crystals make it two Phil Spector tracks inside the top 10. Highest new entry at 26 are The Javells, featuring Nosmo King - geddit? No Smoking? Tis true! - who gave a great Northern Soul performance on Top Of The Pops at the time, albeit with an actual new track from the UK.

 

Paul McCartney also turned up on Top Of The Pops with Junior's Farm, a birrova laugh rocking track, with the "I don't think so" bit panning over to David Essex, I think, or was it DLT? Or both! New in at 70, and at 71 Bazza Manilow destroys Scott English's fab 1971 hit Brandy, turning it into an overblown OTT ballad renamed Mandy and kick-starting his long MOR career. Johnny Bristol follows-up his hit with a flop, but it's still good, Donny Osmond's final solo hit for 14 years isn't too bad actually, better than I thought it was at the time, Bill Withers returns with a low-key non-hit that's rather good, and Betty Wright debuts with Shoorah! Shoorah! 5 or 6 months early for the UK top 50. Betty was into American comics, just as I was, so I liked that she was flying that flag in interviews.

 

 

1 ( 7 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy # 1

2 ( 1 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 1

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

4 ( 13 ) HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - Eddie Holman # 4

5 ( 4 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

6 ( 8 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 6

7 ( 2 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack # 1

8 ( 9 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

9 ( 12 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 9

10 ( 18 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals # 10

 

11 ( 6 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

12 ( 15 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 12

13 ( 14 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 13

14 ( 5 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen # 1

15 ( 19 ) YOU’RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White # 15

16 ( 10 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks # 5

17 ( 17 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 17

18 ( 11 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

19 ( 25 ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray # 19

20 ( 20 ) MAGIC - Pilot # 20

 

21 ( 16 ) FAR FAR AWAY - Slade # 16

22 ( 24 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

23 ( 26 ) GOTTA SEE JANE - R. Dean Taylor # 4

24 ( 21 ) FAREWELL - Rod Stewart # 18

25 ( 30 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 25

26 ( NEW ) GOODBYE NOTHIN’ TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King # 26

27 ( 38 ) ROCKIN’ SOUL - The Hues Corporation # 27

28 ( 27 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

29 ( 37 ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles # 29

30 ( 40 ) NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH - Sparks # 30

 

31 ( 29 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

32 ( 33 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

33 ( 28 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

34 ( 23 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

35 ( 31 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

36 ( 44 ) LET’S GET TOGETHER AGAIN - The Glitter Band # 36

37 ( 34 ) TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN - The Chi-Lites # 34

38 ( 36 ) THE BOTTLE - Gil Scott-Heron # 36

39 ( 39 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

40 ( 32 ) MINUETTO ALLEGRETTO - The Wombles # 25

 

41 ( 45 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

42 ( 35 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 4

43 ( 22 ) IN THE BOTTLE - Brother To Brother # 20

44 ( 43 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

45 ( 46 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

46 ( 53 ) THE WILD ONE - Suzi Quatro # 46

47 ( 51 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

48 ( 58 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

49 ( 48 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

50 ( 50 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

 

51 ( 42 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

52 ( 41 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

53 ( 60 ) OUTSIDERS POINT OF VIEW - Barry Reynolds # 53

54 ( 56 ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band # 16

55 ( 73 ) DREAMS ARE TEN A PENNY - The First Class # 55

56 ( 64 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Lynsey De Paul # 56

57 ( 52 ) BLUE ANGEL - Gene Pitney # 27

58 ( 49 ) JAZZMAN - Carole King # 14

59 ( 63 ) OLD DIRT ROAD - John Lennon # 59

60 ( 61 ) THREE RING CIRCUS - Blue Magic # 60

 

61 ( 72 ) THE BUMP - Kenny # 61

62 ( 66 ) NO HONESTLY - Lynsey De Paul # 62

63 ( 47 ) THE BALLAD OF LUCY JORDAN - Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show # 32

64 ( 55 ) I CAN’T LEAVE YOU ALONE - George McCrae # 33

65 ( 54 ) I’M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU - Johnny Mathis # 54

66 ( 59 ) IT’S ALL UP TO YOU - Jim Capaldi # 1

67 ( 62 ) THE “IN” CROWD - Bryan Ferry # 1

68 ( 65 ) TELL HIM - Hello # 50

69 ( 57 ) EVERYTHING I OWN - Ken Boothe # 13

70 ( NEW ) JUNIOR’S FARM - Paul McCartney & Wings # 70

 

71 ( NEW ) MANDY - Barry Manilow # 71

72 ( 67 ) THE TANGO’S OVER - Mick Robertson # 20

73 ( 68 ) I DON’T KNOW WHY - Alaska # 68

74 ( 74 ) PROMISED LAND - Elvis Presley # 74

75 ( NEW ) YOU AND I - Johnny Bristol # 75

76 ( NEW ) WHERE DID ALL THE GOOD TIMES GO - Donny Osmond # 76

77 ( NEW ) RUBY LEE - Bill Withers # 77

78 ( 69 ) TRAFFIC JAM - Sailor # 69

79 ( 78 ) GET YOUR LOVE BACK - The Three Degrees # 78

80 ( NEW ) SHOORAH! SHOORAH! - Betty Wright # 80

2nd November 1974

 

It's another 60's Phil Spector classic on top taking advantage of a quiet few weeks of new releases as The Crystals join The Ronettes in the top 2 with Then He Kissed Me climbing up 9. Other than that it's a soulful top 5 with Al Green and Marvin Gaye making me wish I could sing like that at 4 and 5, Marvin's first top 10 since the What's Going On album singles. Barry White adds another top 10 to his fast-growing list as the lush disco You're The First gets to be his biggest solo single since I'm Gonna Love You, at 6.

 

Highest new entry, and against the odds as far as my memory goes, is Donny & Marie's cover of Morning Side Of The Mountain at 44 - turns out it's quite a charming 50's-flavoured upbeat tuneful ballad, though it was always the best of their hit singles. The Rubettes' therefore get off to a modest start with the more Glam-thumping Jukebox Jive, a big fave at the time in at 53, ahead of a good solo single from Russ Ballard, ex-Argent, with Fly Away, one that got airplay at the time but was never a hit. Russ had already written God Gave Rock'n'Roll To You and would go on to write many more hits for other acts.

 

Back with a follow-up to a UK flop, it's the instrumental funk hit for Average White Band, Pick Up The Pieces starting to happen in the USA - great news for Scottish soul fans. Stevie Wonder drops a decent single off his album with Boogie On Reggae Woman - but it's not quite as grand as the album track They Won't Go When I Go, which should have been a single, albeit an uncommercial one. Frankie Valli drops his comeback hit, signalling a start to the Four Seasons revival as all and sundry grab hit covers and the band get new hits. My Eyes Adored You is decent enough but better is to come.

 

Wayne Gibson is another Northern Soul oldie revival, the flop cover of The Rolling Stones Under My Thumb was out in 1966 or so. Huge TV police detective Kojak spurns an unlikely hit for Telly Savalas, best known as a Bond villain up to this point - as the US charts his UK number one If, a spoken-word lush cover of Bread's US hit (and UK flop). The original is fab, this is more novelty. Ringo also drops an oldie cover in Only You - The Platters' original was more soaring, this version is more somnambulistic.

 

Finally, The Commodores sneak another newie, not a fab instrumental this time, more plain old funk, T. Rex release their worst-ever single, Zip Gun Boogie, I really don't know what Bolan was up to at this point, it was like he wanted to kill his career dead - which is what happened for 7 or 8 months. Bunging out a decent old B side would have made more sense, say Born To Boogie - though admittedly Glam was in it's death throws by next summer. That leaves Elvis covering the Richard Harris 1971 song, My Boy. It was always maudlin, but Elvis couldn't out-do a movie actor - and the original wasn't that great.

 

 

1 ( 10 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals # 1

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

3 ( 2 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 1

4 ( 6 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 4

5 ( 17 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 5

6 ( 15 ) YOU’RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White # 6

7 ( 4 ) HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - Eddie Holman # 4

8 ( 1 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy # 1

9 ( 5 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

10 ( 8 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

 

11 ( 7 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack # 1

12 ( 9 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 9

13 ( 14 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen # 1

14 ( 11 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

15 ( 26 ) GOODBYE NOTHIN’ TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King # 15

16 ( 19 ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray # 16

17 ( 30 ) NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH - Sparks # 17

18 ( 25 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 18

19 ( 18 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

20 ( 12 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 12

 

21 ( 13 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 13

22 ( 21 ) FAR FAR AWAY - Slade # 16

23 ( 22 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

24 ( 20 ) MAGIC - Pilot # 20

25 ( 16 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks # 5

26 ( 29 ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles # 26

27 ( 27 ) ROCKIN’ SOUL - The Hues Corporation # 27

28 ( 36 ) LET’S GET TOGETHER AGAIN - The Glitter Band # 28

29 ( 23 ) GOTTA SEE JANE - R. Dean Taylor # 4

30 ( 31 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

 

31 ( 28 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

32 ( 32 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

33 ( 37 ) TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN - The Chi-Lites # 33

34 ( 24 ) FAREWELL - Rod Stewart # 18

35 ( 33 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

36 ( 34 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

37 ( 39 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

38 ( 70 ) JUNIOR’S FARM - Paul McCartney & Wings # 38

39 ( 46 ) THE WILD ONE - Suzi Quatro # 39

40 ( 40 ) MINUETTO ALLEGRETTO - The Wombles # 25

 

41 ( 41 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

42 ( 42 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 4

43 ( 35 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

44 ( NEW ) MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN - Donny & Marie Osmond # 44

45 ( 56 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Lynsey De Paul # 45

46 ( 38 ) THE BOTTLE - Gil Scott-Heron # 36

47 ( 55 ) DREAMS ARE TEN A PENNY - The First Class # 47

48 ( 50 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

49 ( 62 ) NO HONESTLY - Lynsey De Paul # 49

50 ( 44 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

 

51 ( 59 ) OLD DIRT ROAD - John Lennon # 51

52 ( 47 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

53 ( NEW ) JUKEBOX JIVE - The Rubettes # 53

54 ( 45 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

55 ( 43 ) IN THE BOTTLE - Brother To Brother # 20

56 ( NEW ) FLY AWAY - Russ Ballard # 56

57 ( 48 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

58 ( 54 ) TELL HIM - The Glitter Band # 16

59 ( 61 ) THE BUMP - Kenny # 59

60 ( 60 ) THREE RING CIRCUS - Blue Magic # 60

 

61 ( 49 ) LOVE ME FOR A REASON - The Osmonds # 8

62 ( 52 ) I HONESTLY LOVE YOU - Olivia Newton-John # 17

63 ( NEW ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Average White Band # 63

64 ( NEW ) BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN - Stevie Wonder # 64

65 ( 53 ) OUTSIDERS POINT OF VIEW - Barry Reynolds # 53

66 ( 51 ) NOW THAT WE FOUND LOVE - The O’Jays # 6

67 ( 77 ) RUBY LEE - Bill Withers # 67

68 ( NEW ) MY EYES ADORED YOU - Frankie Valli # 68

69 ( 71 ) MANDY - Barry Manilow # 69

70 ( 76 ) WHERE DID ALL THE GOOD TIMES GO - Donny Osmond # 70

 

71 ( 74 ) PROMISED LAND - Elvis Presley # 71

72 ( 75 ) YOU AND I - Johnny Bristol # 72

73 ( NEW ) UNDER MY THUMB - Wayne Gibson # 73

74 ( 79 ) GET YOUR LOVE BACK - The Three Degrees # 74

75 ( 80 ) SHOORAH! SHOORAH! - Betty Wright # 75

76 ( NEW ) IF - Telly Savalas # 76

77 ( NEW ) ONLY YOU - Ringo Starr # 77

78 ( NEW ) I FEEL SANCTIFIED - The Commodores # 78

79 ( NEW ) ZIP GUN BOOGIE - T. Rex # 79

80 ( NEW ) MY BOY - Elvis Presley # 80

9th November 1974

 

It's straight in on top for ELO's 3rd chart-topper in 2 years, the UK flop Can't Get It Out Of My Head was a big US hit ballad, but took an EP in 1978, with it as the lead track, to finally chart in the UK. I was a fan from day one and bought it in 1975, it showed Jeff Lynne could do emotional ballads as well as lush orchestral Prog/Rock/Pop/Soul in his mish-mash of genres. In the music news of the time Al Green was seriously scalded and scarred for life when his then-girlfriend poured boiling food over him in the bath before killing herself. It pretty much ended ended his music career as he moved into religion and abandoned his music career.

 

David Essex meanwhile stars in another rock-based movie, this time one set in the 60's with Larry "JR Ewing" as his manager, Stardust. It had a massively-classic list of featured songs which came out this week as a double album which also featured his haunting new title track, new in at 14. Rupie Edwards debuts his quirky Dave & Ansil Collins'-ish Ire Feelings (Skanga) at 23, a great reggae track all-but-forgotten these days. Elton meanwhile covers The Beatles with a vocal and guitar assist from actual John Lennon, who was returning the fave of John's last single, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds not quite as good as the Fabs original, but an interesting sprawling version with a reggae segment.

 

Richard & Karen are in cover Carpenters'-mode, as the Motown oldie Please Mr Postman gets a jolly update for a big pop hit, Neil Sedaka drops his UK flop Bad Blood, later a massive US hit as with anything Elton-John related (he's on it, and the label is his) - Elton John was far and away the biggest star in the USA in 74/75 and everything went top 5 or topped the chart, but in the UK that was never the case for his singles, though the albums were much bigger. Gary Glitter gets his final big hit, bar a christmas biggie in the 80's, as he tries to regain lost ground with another big singalong ballad Oh Yes! You're Beautiful.

 

The Moments team up with labelmates Whatnauts for a soul hit, Girls, as Sylvia Robinson's All-Platinum label starts to make chart inroads a few years ahead of it's ground-making, game-changing move into Rap/Hip Hop when no-one else was doing it. Lynyrd Skynyrd get a US hit with the little-known rock anthem Free Bird, shorter single edited version, the UK would wait for the full-length and live versions, though. Terry Jacks covers Kevin Johnsons' Rock'n'Roll flop, triggering it's re-release by the ever-canny Jonathan King in early 1975, who's superior version gets the hit.

 

A forgotten band Beano were on telly doing Candy Baby, a sort of 60's surfer sound, but getting not much airplay, one I liked though, Carl Douglas sadly goes the traditional "copycat" follow-up-to-a-hit route, with Dance The Kung Fu, but he'd be back with a proper 60's-sounding goodie in 1977. Finally ray Stevens drops the novelty hits again for an MOR singalong that didn't catch on, Everybody Needs A Rainbow. If I was Ray, I'd cover a classic ballad in an upbeat Bluegrass Country-Rock style and see what happens....

 

 

1 ( NEW ) CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - Electric Light Orchestra # 1

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

3 ( 6 ) YOU’RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White # 3

4 ( 1 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals # 1

5 ( 4 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 4

6 ( 8 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy # 1

7 ( 3 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 1

8 ( 9 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

9 ( 13 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen # 1

10 ( 10 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

 

11 ( 14 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

12 ( 15 ) GOODBYE NOTHIN’ TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King # 12

13 ( 18 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 13

14 ( NEW ) STARDUST - David Essex # 14

15 ( 44 ) MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN - Donny & Marie Osmond # 15

16 ( 16 ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray # 16

17 ( 5 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 5

18 ( 11 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack # 1

19 ( 19 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

20 ( 24 ) MAGIC - Pilot # 20

 

21 ( 7 ) HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - Eddie Holman # 4

22 ( 28 ) LET’S GET TOGETHER AGAIN - The Glitter Band # 22

23 ( NEW ) IRE FEELINGS (SKANGA) - Rupie Edwards # 23

24 ( 12 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 9

25 ( 20 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 12

26 ( 23 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

27 ( 25 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks # 5

28 ( 21 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 13

29 ( 26 ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles # 26

30 ( 27 ) ROCKIN’ SOUL - The Hues Corporation # 27

 

31 ( 22 ) FAR FAR AWAY - Slade # 16

32 ( 17 ) NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH - Sparks # 17

33 ( 30 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

34 ( 38 ) JUNIOR’S FARM - Paul McCartney & Wings # 34

35 ( 36 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

36 ( 35 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

37 ( NEW ) LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Elton John featuring John Lennon # 37

38 ( 53 ) JUKEBOX JIVE - The Rubettes # 38

39 ( 31 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

40 ( 32 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

 

41 ( 63 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Average White Band # 41

42 ( 56 ) FLY AWAY - Russ Ballard # 42

43 ( 33 ) TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN - The Chi-Lites # 33

44 ( 37 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

45 ( 34 ) FAREWELL - Rod Stewart # 18

46 ( 41 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

47 ( 47 ) DREAMS ARE TEN A PENNY - The First Class # 47

48 ( 45 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Lynsey De Paul # 45

49 ( 51 ) OLD DIRT ROAD - John Lennon # 49

50 ( 40 ) MINUETTO ALLEGRETTO - The Wombles # 25

 

51 ( 49 ) NO HONESTLY - Lynsey De Paul # 49

52 ( 39 ) THE WILD ONE - Suzi Quatro # 39

53 ( 52 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

54 ( 43 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

55 ( NEW ) PLEASE MR. POSTMAN - Carpenters # 55

56 ( 64 ) BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN - Stevie Wonder # 56

57 ( 48 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

58 ( NEW ) BAD BLOOD - Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John # 58

59 ( 54 ) THEY WON’T GO WHEN I GO - Stevie Wonder # 2

60 ( 42 ) PINBALL - Brian Protheroe # 4

 

61 ( 46 ) THE BOTTLE - Gil Scott-Heron # 36

62 ( NEW ) OH YES! YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL - Gary Glitter # 62

63 ( 57 ) THIS TOWN AIN’T BIG ENOUGH FOR BOTH OF US - Sparks # 1

64 ( 50 ) HANG ON IN THERE BABY - Johnny Bristol # 1

65 ( 68 ) MY EYES ADORED YOU - Frankie Valli # 65

66 ( 72 ) YOU AND I - Johnny Bristol # 66

67 ( 76 ) IF - Telly Savalas # 67

68 ( 69 ) MANDY - Barry Manilow # 68

69 ( NEW ) GIRLS (PART 1) - Moments & Whatnauts # 69

70 ( 67 ) RUBY LEE - Bill Withers # 67

 

71 ( 70 ) WHERE DID ALL THE GOOD TIMES GO - Donny Osmond # 70

72 ( 73 ) UNDER MY THUMB - Wayne Gibson # 72

73 ( 75 ) SHOORAH! SHOORAH! - Betty Wright # 73

74 ( NEW ) FREE BIRD - Lynyrd Skynyrd # 74

75 ( NEW ) ROCK’N’ROLL (I GAVE YOU THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE) - Terry Jacks # 75

76 ( NEW ) CANDY BABY - Beano # 76

77 ( 59 ) THE BUMP - Kenny # 59

78 ( NEW ) DANCE THE KUNG FU - Carl Douglas # 78

79 ( 77 ) ONLY YOU (AND YOU ALONE) - Ringo Starr # 77

80 ( NEW ) EVERYBODY NEEDS A RAINBOW - Ray Stevens # 80

16th November 1974

 

It's 2 weeks on top for ELO holding off Barry White for now, but there's a high new entry at 5 for Mud making it a distinct change of pace from Glamrock to Xmas ballad, and securing their career beyond the death of Glam in 1975. Lonely This Christmas was a distinct disappointed to me as a Mud fan at the time, but I came around when it was a hit again in Xmas 1985 when it became their 5th number one in my original charts. This time around they will trying for a 4th Retro chart-topper, with a sad christmas mini-classic (but amusing Top Of The Pops performance) but it has never been one of the top favoured streaming playlist tracks - Spotify, Amazon etc preferring ancient old crooner tracks that never meant a jot in the pop charts until they forced the US version of xmas classics on an unsuspecting British public and our superior home-made stuff got dumped or put at the tail-end. I would much rather hear this than all those 50's and 60's bland ditties, bar another one they largely ignore - the magnificent Mary's Boy Child from Harry Belafonte, Little Saint Nick (also ignored) and The Phil Spector Xmas Album. Some of these will be charting in 1974 as that was the christmas I got into xmas classic oldies and some were in the shops to buy again.

 

New at 8 it's LaBelle, aka Patti LaBelle plus old Blue Belles band mates Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash, upgraded sci-fi costume stylee for the discofunk age, and the wonderful naughty Lady Marmalade. It's been a number one twice in the UK - for All Saints and Pink, Aguilera & co, but the far-superior original didn't get that high in the UK charts, though it will be a US number one, quite rightly. On Top Of The Pops, a great Bond movie theme on one of my fave Bond movies which I rushed to the cinema to see, and a big Bowie hit earlier in the year all failed to give Lulu a hit with The Man With The Golden Gun, which was very annoying to me at the time, but at least it meant I got a bargain-bin copy of the single by Christmas as it failed to meet expectations. It should have been a hit, but the music scene had changed in 1974 and it would be another decade before an upbeat Bond theme did the business.

 

Showaddywaddy also return at 31 with a christmas song that has all but been-forgotten, it never even gets radio plays, which is a shame as it's quite sweet, has a catchy tune, and is better than at least half of the non-stop rock-n-roll covers the band will turn to for the next 8 years. Still touring, though only drummer Romeo remains active in the band. The Eagles make it a 3rd year with retro chart entries, Best Of My Love had to wait until 1976 for UK chart success but pops in here at 64 as it vaults them into the big league in the US charts. Nazareth had to wait even longer - 1977 - for Love Hurts to become a hit, after it had become a bigger hit in the US than Jim Capaldi's top 10 UK cover in 1975 of the Roy Orbison song became. I prefer Capaldi myself.

 

Hot Chocolate drop the ball for now with Cheri Baby not matching up to the previous 3-in-a-row number one's in my retro charts, but it's OK, and Alvin also dumps the Glam sound for a more orthodox 50's ballad stylee that will bring career success in the 80's but lead to stalling his pop career during 1975. I know I found Tell Me Why dull when I wanted another My Coo Ca Choo.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - Electric Light Orchestra # 1

2 ( 3 ) YOU’RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White # 2

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

4 ( 5 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 4

5 ( NEW ) LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS - Mud # 5

6 ( 6 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy # 1

7 ( 7 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 1

8 ( NEW ) LADY MARMALADE - LaBelle # 8

9 ( 14 ) STARDUST - David Essex # 9

10 ( 4 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals # 1

 

11 ( 11 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

12 ( 12 ) GOODBYE NOTHIN’ TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King # 12

13 ( 13 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 13

14 ( 15 ) MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN - Donny & Marie Osmond # 14

15 ( 8 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

16 ( 23 ) IRE FEELINGS (SKANGA) - Rupie Edwards # 16

17 ( 10 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

18 ( NEW ) THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - Lulu # 18

19 ( 28 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 13

20 ( 22 ) LET’S GET TOGETHER AGAIN - The Glitter Band # 20

 

21 ( 9 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen # 1

22 ( 19 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

23 ( 18 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack # 1

24 ( 24 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 9

25 ( 17 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 5

26 ( 16 ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray # 16

27 ( 20 ) MAGIC - Pilot # 20

28 ( 26 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

29 ( 38 ) JUKEBOX JIVE - The Rubettes # 29

30 ( 34 ) JUNIOR’S FARM - Paul McCartney & Wings # 30

 

31 ( NEW ) HEY MR CHRISTMAS - Showaddywaddy # 31

32 ( 25 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 12

33 ( 27 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks # 5

34 ( 33 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

35 ( 37 ) LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Elton John featuring John Lennon # 35

36 ( 39 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

37 ( 35 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

38 ( 42 ) FLY AWAY - Russ Ballard # 38

39 ( 47 ) DREAMS ARE TEN A PENNY - The First Class # 39

40 ( 30 ) ROCKIN’ SOUL - The Hues Corporation # 27

 

41 ( 36 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

42 ( 21 ) HEY THERE LONELY GIRL - Eddie Holman # 4

43 ( 29 ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles # 26

44 ( 48 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Lynsey De Paul # 44

45 ( 51 ) NO HONESTLY - Lynsey De Paul # 45

46 ( 46 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

47 ( 43 ) TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN - The Chi-Lites # 33

48 ( 31 ) FAR FAR AWAY - Slade # 16

49 ( 32 ) NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH - Sparks # 17

50 ( 56 ) BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN - Stevie Wonder # 50

 

51 ( 40 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

52 ( 58 ) BAD BLOOD - Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John # 52

53 ( 41 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Average White Band # 41

54 ( 44 ) WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKEN-HEARTED - Jimmy Ruffin # 1

55 ( 55 ) PLEASE MR. POSTMAN - Carpenters # 55

56 ( 45 ) FAREWELL - Rod Stewart # 18

57 ( 49 ) OLD DIRT ROAD - John Lennon # 49

58 ( 53 ) THERE’S A GHOST IN MY HOUSE - R. Dean Taylor # 1

59 ( 50 ) MINUETTO ALLEGRETTO - The Wombles # 25

60 ( 52 ) THE WILD ONE - Suzi Quatro # 39

 

61 ( 62 ) OH YES! YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL - Gary Glitter # 61

62 ( 57 ) SAD SWEET DREAMER - Sweet Sensation # 6

63 ( 54 ) STOP, LOOK, LISTEN (TO YOUR HEART) - Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye # 11

64 ( NEW ) BEST OF MY LOVE - The Eagles # 64

65 ( 69 ) GIRLS (PART 1) - Moments & Whatnauts # 65

66 ( 65 ) MY EYES ADORED YOU - Frankie Valli # 65

67 ( 78 ) DANCE THE KUNG FU - Carl Douglas # 67

68 ( 66 ) YOU AND I - Johnny Bristol # 66

69 ( 76 ) CANDY BABY - Beano # 69

70 ( 68 ) MANDY - Barry Manilow # 68

 

71 ( 67 ) IF - Telly Savalas # 67

72 ( NEW ) LOVE HURTS - Nazareth # 72

73 ( 73 ) SHOORAH! SHOORAH! - Betty Wright # 73

74 ( 75 ) ROCK’N’ROLL (I GAVE YOU THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE) - Terry Jacks # 74

75 ( NEW ) CHERI BABY - Hot Chocolate # 75

76 ( 71 ) WHERE DID ALL THE GOOD TIMES GO - Donny Osmond # 70

77 ( 72 ) UNDER MY THUMB - Wayne Gibson # 72

78 ( 74 ) FREE BIRD - Lynyrd Skynyrd # 74

79 ( 70 ) RUBY LEE - Bill Withers # 67

80 ( NEW ) TELL ME WHY - Alvin Stardust # 80

23rd November 1974

 

It's up 4 to 1 for Mud as Lonely This Christmas heads a very christmassy chart, and also a very "early 1975"-looking chart as lots of tracks appear earlier than they do in the UK charts. It's Mud's 4th Retro chart-topper, co-incidentally the same as they had during 1973/4 in my charts of the time, albeit with 2 different tracks. Rocket & Dyna-Mite didn't get a retro top, and Crazy and Lonely This Christmas did instead. Hypnosis and Tiger Feet did it in both. Donny & Marie get a surprise leap to get a higher retro chart slot than anything they did solo, Morning Side Of The Mountain is just a sweet ballad, albeit a bit odd sung by brother & sister, and now at 3.

 

Out on their new album, but not yet a single, Walking In Rhythm gets an early placing for The Blackbyrds, a great record with jazzy synth sounds and ahead of it's time, though largely not one that gets much oldies play, sadly. In at 4, Rupie Edwards gets a first (and last) top 10 with his echo-laden reggae grooves, and Supertramp also drop a new acclaimed album ahead of a single - so I've gone early on Crime Of The Century's fab Dreamer at 15. Quo are also back keeping the boogie-rock riffs sharp as Down Down enters at 17, and Showaddywaddy get a second top 20 with their Xmas song.

 

Talking of Xmas songs: Gilbert O'Sullivan enters with his best ballad since Along Again (Naturally), Christmas Song in at 38, one place higher than the very catchy Wombling Merry Christmas, Mike Batt celebrating the 50th anniversary at the mo as The Wombles make it 6 in a row with another album track pending. Spoiler alert: it's country & western Wombling after festive wombling. Their sort-of-novelty rivals of the time scrape into the chart at 79 and 80: The Goodies were better on TV than on record, Father Christmas Do Not Touch Me was amusing then, though, but is even more unlikely to get played anywhere in 2024 than in 1974, so the radio play side The Inbetweenies was out to annoy after a few plays. Neither has weathered that well, unlike The Wombles.

 

Darlene Love is belatedly out as a single from the classic Phil Spector album A Christmas Gift For You - still the greatest xmas album of all-time, it's not even close - as Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) got Radio One plays and I bought it in a post-christmas bargain bin, but there's still another track to debut too. Je T'aime is back in the UK charts, and I did buy it and had it top my charts of the time, being as I never got to hear it in 1969, so it pops back in again having charted in my retro 1969 charts, as did Ralph McTell with the original Streets Of London, now re-recorded and at last about to be a major hit and iconic song. In at 41 just ahead of Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin.

 

Roger Glover has a side project from Deep Purple called The Butterfly Ball, theatrical musical largely with added album - the first single was the fab Love Is All, accompanied by a great (for the time) animated video and a cast of musician friends. I think Old Grey Whistle Test and other spots played it at the time, but the record was never a hit. New in at 43. The Faces more or less announce Rod the Mod is going to be going solely solo as he gets a feature credit on You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything. That's the short title version: the actual title goes on (Even Take The Dog For A Walk, Mend A Fuse, Fold Away The Ironing Board, or Any Other Domestic Shortcomings) and I'm fairly sure that's the longest song title ever to chart, except nobody has ever listed it as it takes up too much space: including me, it'll mess up the line widths!!

 

That leaves Sha Na Na to pop in down the bottom end with the 50's doo-wop classic Shboom (Life Could Be Dream). Sha Na Na were going down big in the USA at the time as TV, Movies and many, many big hits, were all into the 50's nostalgia, and they were riding high on it there - in the UK Showaddywaddy were shortly to go full-on to capture that market by switching to covers of old well-known or obscure tracks form the 50's and early 60's. I'm nostalgic for the 70's and 80's version of the 50's, from Happy Days on TV, hit records, and big movies like Back To The Future.

 

 

1 ( 5 ) LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS - Mud # 1

2 ( 1 ) CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - Electric Light Orchestra # 1

3 ( 14 ) MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN - Donny & Marie Osmond # 3

4 ( NEW ) WALKING IN RHYTHM - The Blackbyrds # 4

5 ( 2 ) YOU’RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White # 2

6 ( 6 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy # 1

7 ( 3 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

8 ( 8 ) LADY MARMALADE - LaBelle # 8

9 ( 4 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 4

10 ( 16 ) IRE FEELINGS (SKANGA) - Rupie Edwards # 10

 

11 ( 13 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 11

12 ( 18 ) THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - Lulu # 12

13 ( 9 ) STARDUST - David Essex # 9

14 ( 11 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

15 ( NEW ) DREAMER - Supertramp # 15

16 ( 7 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 1

17 ( NEW ) DOWN DOWN - Status Quo # 17

18 ( 29 ) JUKEBOX JIVE - The Rubettes # 18

19 ( 17 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

20 ( 31 ) HEY MR CHRISTMAS - Showaddywaddy # 20

 

21 ( 10 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals # 1

22 ( 22 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

23 ( 15 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

24 ( 12 ) GOODBYE NOTHIN’ TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King # 12

25 ( 25 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 5

26 ( 23 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack # 1

27 ( 30 ) JUNIOR’S FARM - Paul McCartney & Wings # 27

28 ( 24 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 9

29 ( 32 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 12

30 ( 52 ) BAD BLOOD - Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John # 30

 

31 ( 20 ) LET’S GET TOGETHER AGAIN - The Glitter Band # 20

32 ( 33 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks # 5

33 ( 35 ) LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Elton John featuring John Lennon # 33

34 ( 19 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 13

35 ( 21 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen # 1

36 ( 27 ) MAGIC - Pilot # 20

37 ( 38 ) FLY AWAY - Russ Ballard # 37

38 ( NEW ) CHRISTMAS SONG - Gilbert O’Sullivan # 38

39 ( NEW ) WOMBLING MERRY CHRISTMAS - The Wombles # 39

40 ( 28 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

 

41 ( NEW ) STREETS OF LONDON - Ralph McTell # 41

42 ( NEW ) JE T’AIME...MOI NON PLUS - Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin # 42

43 ( NEW ) LOVE IS ALL - Roger Glover & Friends # 43

44 ( 46 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

45 ( 34 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

46 ( 41 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

47 ( 26 ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray # 16

48 ( NEW ) CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME) - Darlene Love # 48

49 ( 37 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

50 ( 36 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

 

51 ( NEW ) YOU CAN MAKE ME DANCE, SING OR ANYTHING - The Faces featuring Rod Stewart # 51

52 ( 55 ) PLEASE MR. POSTMAN - Carpenters # 52

53 ( 47 ) TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN - The Chi-Lites # 33

54 ( 44 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Lynsey De Paul # 44

55 ( 64 ) BEST OF MY LOVE - The Eagles # 55

56 ( 65 ) GIRLS (PART 1) - Moments & Whatnauts # 56

57 ( 53 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Average White Band # 41

58 ( 40 ) ROCKIN’ SOUL - The Hues Corporation # 27

59 ( 48 ) FAR FAR AWAY - Slade # 16

60 ( 51 ) STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT - Frank Sinatra # 3

 

61 ( 49 ) NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH - Sparks # 17

62 ( 61 ) OH YES! YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL - Gary Glitter # 61

63 ( 50 ) BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN - Stevie Wonder # 50

64 ( 70 ) MANDY - Barry Manilow # 64

65 ( 39 ) DREAMS ARE TEN A PENNY - The First Class # 39

66 ( 69 ) CANDY BABY - Beano # 66

67 ( 43 ) LET ME MAKE LOVE TO YOU - Flo & Eddie aka The Turtles # 26

68 ( 45 ) NO HONESTLY - Lynsey De Paul # 45

69 ( NEW ) SHBOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM) - Sha Na Na # 69

70 ( 73 ) SHOORAH! SHOORAH! - Betty Wright # 70

 

71 ( 75 ) CHERI BABY - Hot Chocolate # 71

72 ( 71 ) IF - Telly Savalas # 67

73 ( 66 ) MY EYES ADORED YOU - Frankie Valli # 65

74 ( 67 ) DANCE THE KUNG FU - Carl Douglas # 67

75 ( 78 ) FREE BIRD - Lynyrd Skynyrd # 74

76 ( 72 ) LOVE HURTS - Nazareth # 72

77 ( 68 ) YOU AND I - Johnny Bristol # 66

78 ( 80 ) TELL ME WHY - Alvin Stardust # 78

79 ( NEW ) FATHER CHRISTMAS DO NOT TOUCH ME - The Goodies # 79

80 ( NEW ) THE INBETWEENIES - The Goodies # 80

30th November 1974

 

It's a brand new entry at one in a very Christmassy November chart (so yes it really did begin early even in 1974!!), and it comes from a brand new Motown album (and future single) from backscene-talents Caston & Majors. Child Of Love was a big fave in 1975, and got a fair bit of UK airplay without ever becoming a hit, sadly. Criminally! It still sounds fabulous and is the highest of many new tracks all dropping ahead of Xmas to set them up for New Year chart competing, not least ABBA new at 3. But it's the great romp So Long (that's new at 23), it's the B side and future "ABBA" album track, the great ballad "I've Been Waiting For You". I bought the single at the time, so I know at least one person in the UK did.

 

Following up Baby Love, Diana Ross & The Supremes re-issue Where Did Our Love Go - it didnt quite make the top 50 but as it doesn't feature in my Retro charts, but it did in my charts of the time, I'm including it as bonafide 1974, though Donnie Elbert topped my Retro (and actual) charts of 1971/72 with his fab cover. Number 4 and new in. Fellow 60's oldie Darlene Love leaps into the 20 with her christmas perennial (it's charting right now in 2024 in some global charts), and Slade debut their dramatic ballad How Does It Feel from Slade In Flame. New at 30, and it under-performed in the UK charts, but it stands up better than most of their singles, I think.

 

The Tymes get a second chart hit in a row, Ms Grace at 46, better known to me as the culprit that kept my beloved Gloria Gaynor disco anthem off the top spot of the UK charts, while George McRae gets a 3rd in row with You Can Have It All. George did much better in the UK charts than the US charts, pulling a string of at least 5 or 6 in a row. New at 60, it's another classic Christmas song, 2 years early - When A Child Is Born is more famous by Johnny Mathis, but the first English-language European hit version was by Michael Holm. Johnny's version is very much using this version as a template.

 

Ken Boothe gets a third reggae hit with Crying Over You, in my Retro charts at least, in at 64, and The Peppers follow-up 1973's Pepperbox with Do It, Do It, similar to the hit, but still sounding like it could easily be sampled or remixed in the 2020's, very much ahead of it's time. Ron Dante is back as himself for a change, on a good adult ballad, but he's better known as the voice of The Archies and The Cuff Links, who have had many a Retro Chart entry, as The Archies were an obsession of mine in 1970/71.

 

That leaves 4 minor entries at the lower end of the chart, 2 new to me - the slick Nancy Wilson, 60's jazz-balladeer, has gone for some sweet soul ballad. My dad had her albums to play while he was stationed in Aden in 1966. William DeVaughan keeps on with the social-commenting soul singles, The Osmonds next single features on their latest album, Having A Party for an upbeat singalong, and US chart-topper Fire drops in funkily for Ohio Players.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) CHILD OF LOVE - Caston & Majors # 1

2 ( 2 ) CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - Electric Light Orchestra # 1

3 ( NEW ) I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU - ABBA # 3

4 ( NEW ) WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO? - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 4

5 ( 1 ) LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS - Mud # 1

6 ( 3 ) MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN - Donny & Marie Osmond # 3

7 ( 4 ) WALKING IN RHYTHM - The Blackbyrds # 4

8 ( 6 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy # 1

9 ( 7 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

10 ( 5 ) YOU’RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White # 2

 

11 ( 9 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 4

12 ( 48 ) CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME) - Darlene Love # 12

13 ( 13 ) STARDUST - David Essex # 9

14 ( 10 ) IRE FEELINGS (SKANGA) - Rupie Edwards # 10

15 ( 8 ) LADY MARMALADE - LaBelle # 8

16 ( 12 ) THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - Lulu # 12

17 ( 17 ) DOWN DOWN - Status Quo # 17

18 ( 14 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

19 ( 15 ) DREAMER - Supertramp # 15

20 ( 33 ) LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Elton John featuring John Lennon # 20

 

21 ( 11 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 11

22 ( 18 ) JUKEBOX JIVE - The Rubettes # 18

23 ( NEW ) SO LONG - ABBA # 23

24 ( 30 ) BAD BLOOD - Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John # 24

25 ( 20 ) HEY MR CHRISTMAS - Showaddywaddy # 20

26 ( 23 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

27 ( 19 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

28 ( 22 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

29 ( 51 ) YOU CAN MAKE ME DANCE, SING OR ANYTHING - The Faces featuring Rod Stewart # 29

30 ( NEW ) HOW DOES IT FEEL - Slade # 30

 

31 ( 16 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 1

32 ( 21 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals # 1

33 ( 41 ) STREETS OF LONDON - Ralph McTell # 33

34 ( 39 ) WOMBLING MERRY CHRISTMAS - The Wombles # 34

35 ( 37 ) FLY AWAY - Russ Ballard # 35

36 ( 28 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 9

37 ( 26 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack # 1

38 ( 29 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 12

39 ( 34 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 13

40 ( 36 ) MAGIC - Pilot # 20

 

41 ( 27 ) JUNIOR’S FARM - Paul McCartney & Wings # 27

42 ( 35 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen # 1

43 ( 24 ) GOODBYE NOTHIN’ TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King # 12

44 ( 32 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks # 5

45 ( 38 ) CHRISTMAS SONG - Gilbert O’Sullivan # 38

46 ( NEW ) MS GRACE - The Tymes # 46

47 ( 43 ) LOVE IS ALL - Roger Glover & Friends # 43

48 ( 52 ) PLEASE MR. POSTMAN - Carpenters # 48

49 ( NEW ) YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL - George McCrae # 49

50 ( 45 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

 

51 ( 57 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Average White Band # 41

52 ( 25 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye # 5

53 ( 55 ) BEST OF MY LOVE - The Eagles # 53

54 ( 40 ) SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR SOME FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) - Scott McKenzie # 2

55 ( 50 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 1

56 ( 44 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot # 1

57 ( 66 ) CANDY BABY - Beano # 57

58 ( 69 ) SHBOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM) - Sha Na Na # 58

59 ( 49 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band # 1

60 ( NEW ) WHEN A CHILD IS BORN - Michael Holm # 60

 

61 ( 54 ) CENTRAL PARK ARREST - Lynsey De Paul # 44

62 ( 53 ) TOO GOOD TO BE FORGOTTEN - The Chi-Lites # 33

63 ( 31 ) LET’S GET TOGETHER AGAIN - The Glitter Band # 20

64 ( NEW ) CRYING OVER YOU - Ken Boothe # 64

65 ( 46 ) CAT’S IN THE CRADLE - Harry Chapin # 5

66 ( 56 ) GIRLS (PART 1) - Moments & Whatnauts # 56

67 ( 64 ) MANDY - Barry Manilow # 64

68 ( NEW ) DO IT, DO IT - The Peppers # 68

69 ( NEW ) MIDNIGHT SHOW - Ron Dante # 69

70 ( 70 ) SHOORAH! SHOORAH! - Betty Wright # 70

 

71 ( 71 ) CHERI BABY - Hot Chocolate # 71

72 ( 63 ) BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN - Stevie Wonder # 50

73 ( 47 ) SON OF A ROTTEN GAMBLER - Anne Murray # 16

74 ( 42 ) JE T’AIME...MOI NON PLUS - Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin # 42

75 ( 62 ) OH YES! YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL - Gary Glitter # 61

76 ( 79 ) FATHER CHRISTMAS DO NOT TOUCH ME - The Goodies # 76

77 ( NEW ) YOU’RE AS RIGHT AS RAIN - Nancy Wilson # 77

78 ( NEW ) GIVE THE LITTLE MAN A GREAT BIG HAND - William DeVaughan # 78

79 ( NEW ) HAVING A PARTY - The Osmonds # 79

80 ( NEW ) FIRE - Ohio Players # 80

It was only TV performance and not released as single.

"Zoo De Zong Zong" was a maiden # 1 for Twiggy in my chart. :heart:

 

 

Only Twiggy song I know and am a huge 70's fan, is Here I Go Again which was a UK hit.

Only Twiggy song I know and am a huge 70's fan, is Here I Go Again which was a UK hit.

Yes thats a nice country song :) She had quite a few singles but not really any more hits, Vanilla Olay was the follow-up, a very odd choice though it was pleasant enough - she really should have gone indie-Country again...

7th December 1974

 

It's straight in at 1 for one of John Lennon's greatest post-Beatles solo tracks, the haunting, dreamy #9 Dream, giving him a 3rd chart-topper outside The Fabs. I heard a karaoke version of the Barry White biggie yesterday in a seafront Dutch bar in Gran Canaria, so that goes back up, but mostly the chart is just jostling about a bit except for the reduced length to 75 and some new entries down the lower end.

 

If Ringo hadn't dropped out we might have had a Fab Four reunion, as George is also new in with his New Years singsong, Ding Dong (as it was known at the time) - there are surprisingly few hit songs about the New Year, though could easily have had one with Happy New Year in 1980 if they'd got their act together in time for the UK market. Roy Wood's Wizzard are back with their final hit, Are You Ready To Rock, bagpipes 50's rock 'n' roll basically, though they had some more singles that might chart here.

 

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose get another entry with their brand of melodic soul, from their first biggie in the USA (and my Retro charts) in 1971, The Jackson 5's Life Of The Party is one single I bought in a bargain bin at the time as they couldn't get arrested in the UK in 1974, The Miracles debut without Smokey Robinson on board, a full year or so before they get a smash hit with a disco-soul goodie, and Barry White can't resist introing the vocal to his latest Love Unlimited Orchestra single.

 

 

1 ( NEW ) #9 DREAM - John Lennon

2 ( 1 ) CHILD OF LOVE - Caston & Majors

3 ( 4 ) WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO? - Diana Ross & The Supremes

4 ( 3 ) I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU - ABBA

5 ( 2 ) CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - Electric Light Orchestra

6 ( 10 ) YOU'RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White

7 ( 6 ) MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN - Donny & Marie Osmond

8 ( 5 ) LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS - Mud

9 ( 7 ) WALKING IN RHYTHM - The Blackbyrds

10 ( 9 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes

 

11 ( 12 ) CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME) - Darlene Love

12 ( 23 ) SO LONG - ABBA

13 ( 11 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green

14 ( 16 ) THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - Lulu

15 ( 24 ) BAD BLOOD - Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John

16 ( 30 ) HOW DOES IT FEEL - Slade

17 ( 17 ) DOWN DOWN - Status Quo

18 ( 19 ) DREAMER - Supertramp

19 ( 8 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy

20 ( 25 ) HEY MR CHRISTMAS - Showaddywaddy

 

21 ( 18 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor

22 ( 13 ) STARDUST - David Essex

23 ( 27 ) YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN' YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive

24 ( 29 ) YOU CAN MAKE ME DANCE, SING OR ANYTHING - The Faces featuring Rod Stewart

25 ( 14 ) IRE FEELINGS (SKANGA) - Rupie Edwards

26 ( 15 ) LADY MARMALADE - LaBelle

27 ( 20 ) LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Elton John featuring John Lennon

28 ( 26 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston

29 ( 34 ) WOMBLING MERRY CHRISTMAS - The Wombles

30 ( 46 ) MS GRACE - The Tymes

 

31 ( 21 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue

32 ( 33 ) STREETS OF LONDON - Ralph McTell

33 ( 28 ) GET DANCIN' - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes

34 ( 31 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music

35 ( 22 ) JUKEBOX JIVE - The Rubettes

36 ( 32 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals

37 ( 37 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack

38 ( 47 ) LOVE IS ALL - Roger Glover & Friends

39 ( 38 ) DRACULA'S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs

40 ( 48 ) PLEASE MR. POSTMAN - Carpenters

 

41 ( 45 ) CHRISTMAS SONG - Gilbert O'Sullivan

42 ( 40 ) MAGIC - Pilot

43 ( 35 ) FLY AWAY - Russ Ballard

44 ( 42 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen

45 ( 43 ) GOODBYE NOTHIN' TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King

46 ( 36 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan

47 ( 39 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex

48 ( 53 ) BEST OF MY LOVE - The Eagles

49 ( 49 ) YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL - George McCrae

50 ( 51 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Average White Band

 

51 ( 58 ) SHBOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM) - Sha Na Na

52 ( 44 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks

53 ( 52 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye

54 ( 41 ) JUNIOR'S FARM - Paul McCartney & Wings

55 ( 57 ) CANDY BABY - Beano

56 ( 50 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class

57 ( 55 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes

58 ( 69 ) MIDNIGHT SHOW - Ron Dante

59 ( 60 ) WHEN A CHILD IS BORN - Michael Holm

60 ( 59 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band

 

61 ( 64 ) CRYING OVER YOU - Ken Boothe

62 ( 56 ) JUST A SMILE - Pilot

63 ( 71 ) CHERI BABY - Hot Chocolate

64 ( 68 ) DO IT, DO IT - The Peppers

65 ( NEW ) ARE YOU READY TO ROCK - Wizzard

66 ( NEW ) SINCE I FOUND MY BABY - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

67 ( 77 ) YOU'RE AS RIGHT AS RAIN - Nancy Wilson

68 ( 79 ) HAVING A PARTY - The Osmonds

69 ( NEW ) DING DONG, DING DONG - George Harrison

70 ( NEW ) THE LIFE OF THE PARTY - The Jackson 5

 

71 ( NEW ) DON'T CHA LOVE IT - The Miracles

72 ( 76 ) FATHER CHRISTMAS DO NOT TOUCH ME - The Goodies

73 ( 78 ) GIVE THE LITTLE MAN A GREAT BIG HAND - William DeVaughan

74 ( 80 ) FIRE - Ohio Players

75 ( NEW ) BABY BLUES - The Love Unlimited Orchestra featuring Barry White

14th December 1974

 

It's a first retro chart-topper for ABBA, having originally done it with ABBA after Eurovision. This time it's the B side to So Long, as featured in the Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again movie and the 1975 ABBA album, I've Been Waiting For You. So Long, meanwhile, gives ABBA a 4th retro top 10. Darlene Love makes it a 3rd Phil Spector oldie top 10 of the year, and Lulu gets her second top 10 of 1974, and the 5th Bond theme to do that in a row.

 

Highest new entry comes from the fabulous vocal range of the angelic Minnie Ripperton: Lovin' You still as beautiful and fresh as the day it dropped 50 years ago. Down the bottom end, there's new-to-me tracks from The Staple Singers, vaguely familiar ones from America, Maria Muldaur, and ones I liked at the time from Mike Batt (a Wombles album track that should have been a single in the new year), Dana's comeback hit, and a live version of Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi.

 

 

1 ( 4 ) I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU - ABBA

2 ( 1 ) #9 DREAM - John Lennon

3 ( 2 ) CHILD OF LOVE - Caston & Majors

4 ( 3 ) WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO? - Diana Ross & The Supremes

5 ( 5 ) CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - Electric Light Orchestra

6 ( 6 ) YOU'RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White

7 ( 9 ) WALKING IN RHYTHM - The Blackbyrds

8 ( 11 ) CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME) - Darlene Love

9 ( 14 ) THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - Lulu

10 ( 12 ) SO LONG - ABBA

 

11 ( 10 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes

12 ( 13 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green

13 ( 8 ) LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS - Mud

14 ( NEW ) LOVIN' YOU - Minnie Ripperton

15 ( 30 ) MS GRACE - The Tymes

16 ( 15 ) BAD BLOOD - Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John

17 ( 17 ) DOWN DOWN - Status Quo

18 ( 18 ) DREAMER - Supertramp

19 ( 19 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy

20 ( 16 ) HOW DOES IT FEEL - Slade

 

21 ( 24 ) YOU CAN MAKE ME DANCE, SING OR ANYTHING - The Faces featuring Rod Stewart

22 ( 7 ) MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN - Donny & Marie Osmond

23 ( 21 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor

24 ( 23 ) YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHIN' YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive

25 ( 29 ) WOMBLING MERRY CHRISTMAS - The Wombles

26 ( 26 ) LADY MARMALADE - LaBelle

27 ( 20 ) HEY MR CHRISTMAS - Showaddywaddy

28 ( 32 ) STREETS OF LONDON - Ralph McTell

29 ( 40 ) PLEASE MR. POSTMAN - Carpenters

30 ( 22 ) STARDUST - David Essex

 

31 ( 25 ) IRE FEELINGS (SKANGA) - Rupie Edwards

32 ( 27 ) LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Elton John featuring John Lennon

33 ( 34 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music

34 ( 31 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue

35 ( 36 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals

36 ( 28 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston

37 ( 37 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack

38 ( 41 ) CHRISTMAS SONG - Gilbert O'Sullivan

39 ( 33 ) GET DANCIN' - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes

40 ( 38 ) LOVE IS ALL - Roger Glover & Friends

 

41 ( 42 ) MAGIC - Pilot

42 ( 39 ) DRACULA'S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs

43 ( 45 ) GOODBYE NOTHIN' TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King

44 ( 44 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen

45 ( 49 ) YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL - George McCrae

46 ( 50 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Average White Band

47 ( 46 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan

48 ( 58 ) MIDNIGHT SHOW - Ron Dante

49 ( 59 ) WHEN A CHILD IS BORN - Michael Holm

50 ( 51 ) SHBOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM) - Sha Na Na

 

51 ( 35 ) JUKEBOX JIVE - The Rubettes

52 ( 47 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex

53 ( 43 ) FLY AWAY - Russ Ballard

54 ( 52 ) SOMETHING FOR THE GIRL WITH EVERYTHING - Sparks

55 ( 48 ) BEST OF MY LOVE - The Eagles

56 ( 56 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class

57 ( 57 ) BABY LOVE - Diana Ross & The Supremes

58 ( 61 ) CRYING OVER YOU - Ken Boothe

59 ( 65 ) ARE YOU READY TO ROCK - Wizzard

60 ( 64 ) DO IT, DO IT - The Peppers

 

61 ( 66 ) SINCE I FOUND MY BABY - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

62 ( 53 ) DISTANT LOVER - Marvin Gaye

63 ( 67 ) YOU'RE AS RIGHT AS RAIN - Nancy Wilson

64 ( 60 ) QUEEN OF CLUBS - KC & The Sunshine Band

65 ( 54 ) JUNIOR'S FARM - Paul McCartney & Wings

66 ( 68 ) HAVING A PARTY - The Osmonds

67 ( 70 ) THE LIFE OF THE PARTY - The Jackson 5

68 ( 55 ) CANDY BABY - Beano

69 ( 63 ) CHERI BABY - Hot Chocolate

70 ( 69 ) DING DONG, DING DONG - George Harrison

 

71 ( 71 ) DON'T CHA LOVE IT - The Miracles

72 ( 74 ) FIRE - Ohio Players

73 ( 75 ) BABY BLUES - The Love Unlimited Orchestra featuring Barry White

74 ( NEW ) MY MAIN MAN - The Staple Singers

75 ( 73 ) GIVE THE LITTLE MAN A GREAT BIG HAND - William DeVaughan

76 ( NEW ) THE ORINOCO KID - The Wombles

77 ( NEW ) I'M A WOMAN - Maria Muldaur

78 ( NEW ) PLEASE TELL HIM THAT I SAID HELLO - Dana

79 ( NEW ) BIG YELLOW TAXI (LIVE VERSION) - Joni Mitchell

80 ( NEW ) LONELY PEOPLE - America

21st December 1974

 

It's back up on top for a second week for John Lennon's solo masterpiece, about as peak Beatles-ey as he got, it deserves to be better known than it is. Minnie Ripperton meanwhile climbs to 3 on the Christmas-week retro chart, even though I associate it with the Spring of 1975, but the very christmassy Sleigh Ride enters for The Ronettes at 10, giving the Phil Spector A Christmas Gift To You album two inside to the top 10 and The Ronettes back-to-back reactivated singles, which fit in nicely with me re-visiting the 60's, sounding dated compared to then-modern productions - but still fabulous.

 

In the States Shirley & Company, on Sylvia Robinson's dance record label, drop Shame Shame Shame 2 or 3 months before it made the UK charts, and The Chi-Lites release the sensitive Toby, not a UK hit at a time they were doing better in the UK after 4 years of great singles. Meanwhile in the UK Susan Cadogan covers Hurt So Good reggae-stylee, again 2 or 3 months to wait for it to chart, Johnny Wakelin has a go at a celebration of Boxing legend Ali, Black Superman, which will chart in 2 months time, but in no way is it as good as his 1976 tribal tribute to Ali, In Zaire. That leaves Carole King to flutter in with her Nightingale.

 

 

1 ( 2 ) #9 DREAM - John Lennon # 1

2 ( 3 ) CHILD OF LOVE - Caston & Majors # 1

3 ( 14 ) LOVIN' YOU - Minnie Ripperton # 3

4 ( 1 ) I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU - ABBA # 1

5 ( 8 ) CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME) - Darlene Love # 5

6 ( 5 ) CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - Electric Light Orchestra # 1

7 ( 9 ) THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - Lulu # 7

8 ( 4 ) WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO? - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 3

9 ( 7 ) WALKING IN RHYTHM - The Blackbyrds # 4

10 ( NEW ) SLEIGH RIDE - The Ronettes # 10

 

11 ( 11 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

12 ( 6 ) YOU’RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White # 2

13 ( 10 ) SO LONG - ABBA # 10

14 ( 12 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 4

15 ( 13 ) LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS - Mud # 1

16 ( 16 ) BAD BLOOD - Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John # 15

17 ( 17 ) DOWN DOWN - Status Quo # 17

18 ( 20 ) HOW DOES IT FEEL - Slade # 16

19 ( 15 ) MS GRACE - The Tymes # 15

20 ( 21 ) YOU CAN MAKE ME DANCE, SING OR ANYTHING - The Faces featuring Rod Stewart # 20

 

21 ( 19 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy # 1

22 ( 18 ) DREAMER - Supertramp # 15

23 ( 25 ) WOMBLING MERRY CHRISTMAS - The Wombles # 23

24 ( 26 ) LADY MARMALADE - LaBelle # 8

25 ( 23 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

26 ( 24 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

27 ( 22 ) MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN - Donny & Marie Osmond # 3

28 ( 30 ) STARDUST - David Essex # 9

29 ( 36 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

30 ( 33 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 1

 

31 ( 27 ) HEY MR CHRISTMAS - Showaddywaddy # 20

32 ( 31 ) IRE FEELINGS (SKANGA) - Rupie Edwards # 10

33 ( 40 ) LOVE IS ALL - Roger Glover & Friends # 33

34 ( 35 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals # 1

35 ( 48 ) MIDNIGHT SHOW - Ron Dante # 35

36 ( 45 ) YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL - George McCrae # 36

37 ( 38 ) CHRISTMAS SONG - Gilbert O’Sullivan # 37

38 ( 37 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack # 1

39 ( 42 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 12

40 ( 39 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

 

41 ( 43 ) GOODBYE NOTHIN’ TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King # 12

42 ( 47 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 9

43 ( 41 ) MAGIC - Pilot # 20

44 ( 32 ) LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Elton John featuring John Lennon # 20

45 ( 58 ) CRYING OVER YOU - Ken Boothe # 45

46 ( 56 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

47 ( 29 ) PLEASE MR. POSTMAN - Carpenters # 29

48 ( 46 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Average White Band # 41

49 ( 44 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen # 1

50 ( 34 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 11

 

51 ( 51 ) JUKEBOX JIVE - The Rubettes # 18

52 ( 52 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 13

53 ( 50 ) SHBOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM) - Sha Na Na # 50

54 ( 61 ) SINCE I FOUND MY BABY - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose # 54

55 ( 76 ) THE ORINOCO KID - The Wombles # 55

56 ( 28 ) STREETS OF LONDON - Ralph McTell # 28

57 ( 60 ) DO IT, DO IT - The Peppers # 57

58 ( 59 ) ARE YOU READY TO ROCK - Wizzard # 58

59 ( NEW ) SHAME SHAME SHAME - Shirley & Company # 59

60 ( 49 ) WHEN A CHILD IS BORN - Michael Holm # 49

 

61 ( 74 ) MY MAIN MAN - The Staple Singers # 61

62 ( 77 ) I'M A WOMAN - Maria Muldaur # 62

63 ( 63 ) YOU’RE AS RIGHT AS RAIN - Nancy Wilson # 63

64 ( 80 ) LONELY PEOPLE - America # 64

65 ( NEW ) HURT SO GOOD - Susan Cadogan # 65

66 ( 67 ) THE LIFE OF THE PARTY - The Jackson 5 # 66

67 ( NEW ) TOBY - The Chi-Lites # 67

68 ( 72 ) FIRE - Ohio Players # 68

69 ( 70 ) DING DONG, DING DONG - George Harrison # 69

70 ( 66 ) HAVING A PARTY - The Osmonds # 66

 

71 ( 71 ) DON'T CHA LOVE IT - The Miracles # 71

72 ( 73 ) BABY BLUES - The Love Unlimited Orchestra featuring Barry White # 72

73 ( NEW ) BLACK SUPERMAN (MUHAMMAD ALI) - Johnny Wakelin # 73

74 ( 78 ) PLEASE TELL HIM THAT I SAID HELLO - Dana # 74

75 ( NEW ) NIGHTINGALE - Carole King # 75

28th December 1974

 

It's 3 weeks on top for John Lennon in the retro run for the final chart of the year, as in my actual chart of that week I bought Je T'aime, naughty 1969 record I missed, I watched The Apartment as New Years Eve 1974 moved into 1975, a classic Billy Wilder drama-comedy with Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon, brilliant film, and then I turned 17.

 

As there's not a single new entry, it's a quiet week, Quo get a third retro top 10 from their first, Pictures Of Matchstick Men in 1968, Roger Glover with vocal assist from Ronnie James Dio goes top 20, and The Chi-Lites are the biggest climber with Toby.

 

 

1 ( 1 ) #9 DREAM - John Lennon # 1

2 ( 2 ) CHILD OF LOVE - Caston & Majors # 1

3 ( 3 ) LOVIN' YOU - Minnie Ripperton # 3

4 ( 5 ) CHRISTMAS (BABY PLEASE COME HOME) - Darlene Love # 4

5 ( 4 ) I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU - ABBA # 1

6 ( 6 ) CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - Electric Light Orchestra # 1

7 ( 17 ) DOWN DOWN - Status Quo # 7

8 ( 8 ) WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO? - Diana Ross & The Supremes # 3

9 ( 9 ) WALKING IN RHYTHM - The Blackbyrds # 4

10 ( 11 ) BE MY BABY - The Ronettes # 1

 

11 ( 13 ) SO LONG - ABBA # 10

12 ( 7 ) THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN - Lulu # 7

13 ( 10 ) SLEIGH RIDE - The Ronettes # 10

14 ( 14 ) SHA LA LA (MAKE ME HAPPY) - Al Green # 4

15 ( 16 ) BAD BLOOD - Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John # 15

16 ( 33 ) LOVE IS ALL - Roger Glover & Friends # 16

17 ( 12 ) YOU’RE THE FIRST THE LAST MY EVERYTHING - Barry White # 2

18 ( 20 ) YOU CAN MAKE ME DANCE, SING OR ANYTHING - The Faces featuring Rod Stewart # 18

19 ( 19 ) MS GRACE - The Tymes # 15

20 ( 23 ) WOMBLING MERRY CHRISTMAS - The Wombles # 20

 

21 ( 22 ) DREAMER - Supertramp # 15

22 ( 35 ) MIDNIGHT SHOW - Ron Dante # 22

23 ( 18 ) HOW DOES IT FEEL - Slade # 16

24 ( 21 ) ANGIE BABY - Helen Reddy # 1

25 ( 15 ) LONELY THIS CHRISTMAS - Mud # 1

26 ( 24 ) LADY MARMALADE - LaBelle # 8

27 ( 26 ) YOU AIN’T SEEN NOTHIN’ YET - Bachman-Turner Overdrive # 1

28 ( 30 ) ALL I WANT IS YOU - Roxy Music # 1

29 ( 27 ) MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN - Donny & Marie Osmond # 3

30 ( 25 ) NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - Gloria Gaynor # 1

 

31 ( 29 ) I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU - Gary Shearston # 1

32 ( 34 ) THEN HE KISSED ME - The Crystals # 1

33 ( 31 ) HEY MR CHRISTMAS - Showaddywaddy # 20

34 ( 28 ) STARDUST - David Essex # 9

35 ( 36 ) YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL - George McCrae # 35

36 ( 40 ) GET DANCIN’ - Disco Tex & The Sex-o-lettes # 2

37 ( 39 ) DRACULA’S DAUGHTER - Thunderthighs # 12

38 ( 42 ) I CAN HELP - Billy Swan # 9

39 ( 41 ) GOODBYE NOTHIN’ TO SAY - The Javells featuring Nosmo King # 12

40 ( 32 ) IRE FEELINGS (SKANGA) - Rupie Edwards # 10

 

41 ( 43 ) MAGIC - Pilot # 20

42 ( 55 ) THE ORINOCO KID - The Wombles # 42

43 ( 59 ) SHAME SHAME SHAME - Shirley & Company # 43

44 ( 48 ) PICK UP THE PIECES - Average White Band # 41

45 ( 45 ) CRYING OVER YOU - Ken Boothe # 45

46 ( 38 ) HOW LONG - Ace featuring Paul Carrack # 1

47 ( 67 ) TOBY - The Chi-Lites # 47

48 ( 37 ) CHRISTMAS SONG - Gilbert O’Sullivan # 37

49 ( 44 ) LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Elton John featuring John Lennon # 20

50 ( 46 ) BEACH BABY - The First Class # 1

 

51 ( 53 ) SHBOOM (LIFE COULD BE A DREAM) - Sha Na Na # 50

52 ( 57 ) DO IT, DO IT - The Peppers # 52

53 ( 49 ) KILLER QUEEN - Queen # 1

54 ( 54 ) SINCE I FOUND MY BABY - Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose # 54

55 ( 51 ) JUKEBOX JIVE - The Rubettes # 18

56 ( 52 ) GONNA MAKE YOU A STAR - David Essex # 13

57 ( 47 ) PLEASE MR. POSTMAN - Carpenters # 29

58 ( 58 ) ARE YOU READY TO ROCK - Wizzard # 58

59 ( 65 ) HURT SO GOOD - Susan Cadogan # 59

60 ( 61 ) MY MAIN MAN - The Staple Singers # 60

 

61 ( 62 ) I'M A WOMAN - Maria Muldaur # 61

62 ( 50 ) HOT SHOT - Barry Blue # 11

63 ( 63 ) YOU’RE AS RIGHT AS RAIN - Nancy Wilson # 63

64 ( 64 ) LONELY PEOPLE - America # 64

65 ( 66 ) THE LIFE OF THE PARTY - The Jackson 5 # 65

66 ( 68 ) FIRE - Ohio Players # 66

67 ( 56 ) STREETS OF LONDON - Ralph McTell # 28

68 ( 60 ) WHEN A CHILD IS BORN - Michael Holm # 49

69 ( 69 ) DING DONG, DING DONG - George Harrison # 69

70 ( 75 ) NIGHTINGALE - Carole King # 70

 

71 ( 71 ) DON'T CHA LOVE IT - The Miracles # 71

72 ( 74 ) PLEASE TELL HIM THAT I SAID HELLO - Dana # 72

73 ( 73 ) BLACK SUPERMAN (MUHAMMAD ALI) - Johnny Wakelin # 73

74 ( 70 ) HAVING A PARTY - The Osmonds # 66

75 ( 72 ) BABY BLUES - The Love Unlimited Orchestra featuring Barry White # 72