25th May 1976

It's another new number one as Country-Rock replaces disco on top, The Bellamy Brothers' fab Let Your Love Flow pushes Andrea True off pole position while Robin Sarstedt's veteran cover is at 3 and Mud's wonderful disco funk a la KC & The Sunshine Band is up to 4. Shake It Down is challenged by a leaping Peter Frampton to 6 with Show Me The Way. I went into the town centre in Lincoln to buy my fave track later in the week. Bellamy Brothers was my intended purchase but it ended up being another one. TBC! Devil Woman meanwhile gives Cliff his first top 10 slot in 3 years - Power To All Our Friends was the last one.

Highest new entry is the second charted track of the year from Gallagher & Lyle, Heart On My Sleeve is still very nice and in at 37, with yet another reactivated 60's oldie debuting at 42 for Dion - The Wanderer is a UK chart hit again, and gives Dion a belated hit here 15 years late. At 44 Eric Carmen's old band The Raspberries finally chart Overnight Sensation, better late than never, and Thin Lizzy have been very quiet for the last 2 years but have had an upgrade in sound and return with the banging The Boys Are Back In Town at 47 for only their second chart entry.

That leaves Johnny Nash logically doing a cover of Sam Cooke's What A Wonderful World - not be confused with Louis Armstrong's song - one of Johnny's heroes and vocally quite similar. This version is quite pleasant but not as good as his last Sam Cooke cover in 1969, Cupid. Both those songs would end up top 10 again in the 80's. Finally, in at 50 is Chris White following up Spanish Wine with Natural Rhythm. Not one I have heard in the last 50 years, and not that much at the time at all, so time to re-visit it now: well, that intro line got borrowed by Breakfast In America! The same vibe, too. It's all very upbeat and nice, but Spanish Wine is better.

1 ( 2 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers

2 ( 1 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection

3 ( 4 ) MY RESISTANCE IS LOW Robin Sarstedt

4 ( 10 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

5 ( 3 ) FERNANDO ABBA

6 ( 16 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

7 ( 9 ) SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings

8 ( 5 ) LOVE HANGOVER Diana Ross

9 ( 15 ) SILVER STAR The Four Seasons featuring Frankie Valli

10 ( 14 ) DEVIL WOMAN Cliff Richard

11 ( 7 ) GET UP AND BOOGIE Silver Convention

12 ( 18 ) DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE/THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE Glen Campbell

13 ( 13 ) S'S'SINGLE BED Fox

14 ( 12 ) I'M MANDY FLY ME 10cc

15 ( 17 ) DISCO CONNECTION Isaac Hayes Movement

16 ( 24 ) BABY I'M A WANT YOU Bread

17 ( 22 ) COMBINE HARVESTER The Wurzels

18 ( 8 ) YOU'RE THE REASON WHY The Rubettes

19 ( 19 ) SHE'S NO ANGEL Heavy Metal Kids

20 ( 23 ) THE GUITAR MAN Bread

21 ( 21 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton

22 ( 11 ) REQUIEM Slik

23 ( 33 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

24 ( 40 ) THIS IS IT Melba Moore

25 ( 6 ) REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE Marmalade

26 ( 42 ) GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME Tom Jones

27 ( 41 ) SEASIDE SHUFFLE Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs

28 ( 31 ) LOVE IN THE SHADOWS Neil Sedaka

29 ( 25 ) JUNGLE ROCK Hank Mizell

30 ( 32 ) I'M YOUR PUPPET James & Bobby Purify

31 ( 35 ) TVC David Bowie

32 ( 47 ) SOUL CITY WALK Archie Bell & The Drells

33 ( 43 ) RELEASE ME Engelbert Humperdinck

34 ( 46 ) NEEDLES AND PINS The Searchers

35 ( 28 ) PINBALL WIZARD Elton John

36 ( 36 ) THE LONE RANGER Quantum Jump

37 ( NEW ) HEART ON MY SLEEVE Gallagher & Lyle

38 ( 29 ) MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA Gladys Knight & The Pips

39 ( 44 ) YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL Ray Stevens

40 ( 26 ) NIGHT RIDER Electric Light Orchestra

41 ( RE ) LOVE ME LIKE A LOVER Tina Charles

42 ( NEW ) THE WANDERER Dion

43 ( 34 ) HOT LOVE T.Rex

44 ( NEW ) OVERNIGHT SENSATION The Raspberries featuring Eric Carmen

45 ( 20 ) MOVIE STAR Harpo featuring Frida

46 ( 27 ) ARMS OF MARY The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver

47 ( NEW ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

48 ( 50 ) STAR TREK The Charles Randolph Greane Sounde

49 ( NEW ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Johnny Nash

50 ( NEW ) NATURAL RHYTHM Chris White

1st June 1976

It's 2 weeks on top for the Bellamy Brothers with Peter Frampton closing in at 3, as The Shangri-Las get a 3rd run inside 4 years in my top 10 with Leader Of The Pack up to 9. Glen Campbell meanwhile makes it 8 top 10's since Wichita Lineman debuted in 1969. There are yet even more re-issues out and trying to challenge new tracks for chart slots in the UK and my charts, led by 1971's Dave, and Ansel Collins, 2 reggae gems Monkey Spanner at 20 and Double Barrel at 25. I'm sure I wasn't alone in thinking they were two brothers with the same surname - but no, Dave was his actual popstar name, so the current title-holder is a mere copycat, so there!

In at 22 The Piglets keep 1971's presence strong as Jonathan King returns to claim to be that act (he wasnt the main vocalist, so no, but he did everything else, including I will wager the opening "What's he like Mavis?" line), while simultaneously JK covers Tavares' It Only Takes A Minute to grab another pseudonymous hit label as 100 Ton & A Feather at 40. I make that his 5th to chart disguised. It's actually not a bad cover of the disco classic that floped in the UK, still keeping that pop fiddle/violin sound alive. The main problem was singing live on Top Of The Pops - guaranteed to lose sales once he had to sing live.

Bob & Marcia also getting the Trojan Records double A reissue treatment along with Dave & Ansel, enter Pied Piper at 26, also 1971, as their 1970 smash classic Young Gifted & Black has a lower return at 43 as it had already gone top 10 for me in 1974. The highest actual new track is at 27, ELO going for a ballad, the rather good Strange Magic, which had a minor UK chart run where Can't Get It Out Of My Head flopped - but they get a 100% hit rate in my charts. In at 33, Maureen McGovern charted for me with the US hit from The Poseidon Adventure, The Morning After, in 1973 and now gets a UK hit with her cover of the 1930's veteran The Continental, a bit of throwback fun.

Debuting at 39, it's only Adam Batman West having a go at a hit record as the hook "When you hear the squeel of the batmobile" gets him a bit of fun airplay as the 1966 super-hero sit-com is aired again early mornings (this was a major innovation in the UK, having actual TV shows in the mornings) and it made the 60's faves big all over again, both with original kids viewers now getting all the jokes that went over our heads and loving it, and new kiddies who take it at face value. Totally camp, still brilliant, most recently on Talking Pictures.

The most significant new entry, though, is from The Real Thing at 44, as they finally get a UK hit with the eternal You To Me Are Everything. The Scouse brothers Chris & Eddie Amoo and their mates had being trying since 1972's Vicious Circle to get a hit without any luck, but songwriter/producer Ken Gold struck, err, gold. Meanwhile there's another great forgotten disco track at 47, Lee Garrett's You're My Everything charted but hasn't become a regular radio oldie fave, sadly. It's a goodie!

1 ( 1 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers

2 ( 2 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection

3 ( 6 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

4 ( 5 ) FERNANDO ABBA

5 ( 3 ) MY RESISTANCE IS LOW Robin Sarstedt

6 ( 8 ) LOVE HANGOVER Diana Ross

7 ( 7 ) SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings

8 ( 4 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

9 ( 23 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

10 ( 12 ) DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE/THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE Glen Campbell

11 ( 21 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton

12 ( 24 ) THIS IS IT Melba Moore

13 ( 26 ) GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME Tom Jones

14 ( 11 ) GET UP AND BOOGIE Silver Convention

15 ( 27 ) SEASIDE SHUFFLE Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs

16 ( 19 ) SHE'S NO ANGEL Heavy Metal Kids

17 ( 13 ) S'S'SINGLE BED Fox

18 ( 14 ) I'M MANDY FLY ME 10cc

19 ( 32 ) SOUL CITY WALK Archie Bell & The Drells

20 ( NEW ) MONKEY SPANNER Dave, and Ansel Collins

21 ( 22 ) REQUIEM Slik

22 ( NEW ) JOHNNY REGGAE The Piglets

23 ( 37 ) HEART ON MY SLEEVE Gallagher & Lyle

24 ( 9 ) SILVER STAR The Four Seasons featuring Frankie Valli

25 ( NEW ) DOUBLE BARREL Dave, and Ansel Collins

26 ( NEW ) PIED PIPER Bob & Marcia

27 ( NEW ) STRANGE MAGIC Electric Light Orchestra

28 ( 42 ) THE WANDERER Dion

29 ( 39 ) YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL Ray Stevens

30 ( 31 ) TVC David Bowie

31 ( 15 ) DISCO CONNECTION Isaac Hayes Movement

32 ( 10 ) DEVIL WOMAN Cliff Richard

33 ( NEW ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

34 ( 29 ) JUNGLE ROCK Hank Mizell

35 ( 30 ) I'M YOUR PUPPET James & Bobby Purify

36 ( 18 ) YOU'RE THE REASON WHY The Rubettes

37 ( 48 ) STAR TREK The Charles Randolph Greane Sounde

38 ( 34 ) NEEDLES AND PINS The Searchers

39 ( NEW ) BATMAN AND ROBIN Adam 'Batman' West

40 ( NEW ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

41 ( 25 ) REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE Marmalade

42 ( 16 ) BABY I'M A WANT YOU Bread

43 ( NEW ) (TO BE) YOUNG, GIFTED & BLACK Bob & Marcia

44 ( NEW ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

45 ( 47 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

46 ( 44 ) OVERNIGHT SENSATION The Raspberries featuring Eric Carmen

47 ( 35 ) PINBALL WIZARD Elton John

48 ( NEW ) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING Lee Garrett

49 ( 20 ) THE GUITAR MAN Bread

50 ( 28 ) LOVE IN THE SHADOWS Neil Sedaka

8th June 1976

It's a brand new chart-topper as Peter Frampton and his assistant vocoder grab the top spot ahead of Mud's fabulous disco romp Shake It Down - he showed them the way and I bought that single, but these days I prefer Mud's. Peter was slightly too early to chart as a member of The Herd in my first 1968 charts, but has new stuff out 50 years on. The Charles Randolph Greane Sound take the Star Trek theme tune to a disco revamp top 5 as Dolly's Country classic Jolene belatedly climbs to 6.

Maureen McGovern keeps ancient songs afloat at 11, as ELO keep the top 20's coming and Jonathan King streaks to 20. The highest new entry comes from The Shadows at 32, It'll Be Me Babe just one ahead of old mucker Cliff. NOt a UK chart hit that one but it's pretty decent. There's a monster classic new at 35, as Bryan Ferry completely revamps the old Blues song Let's Work Together, last seen done by Canned Heat, and turns it into a stomping wall-of-sound with pounding horns, with added girlfriend model Jeri Hall on vocal yelps - ahead of her future boy-friend Mick Jagger, and wife of one of the richest and most powerful moguls in history, an ageing 80 and 90-something who did his bit to ruin the planet. Worth yelping about.

New at 41 Nancy Ryan's Glad I Waited For You, one I don't remember at all. Turns out to be a rather sweet Country song sounding like Dolly Parton's stuff in a couple of years. Nice. It's the mid-70's, The Four Seasons are back and biggger than ever and their back catalogue is being plundered left right and centre, so why not Donny Osmond after his Brothers fab version of The Proud One? C'Mon Marianne was a flop in the UK and therefore sadly never appears on Hits compilations. A shame as it's Donny's best solo effort to date, something with a bit of life to it, a great song, though he's no Frankie Valli, admittedly. In at 44.

Randy Edelman, in between his two 1976 chart hits, managed to sneak out a flop - Fresh Out Of Love, pleasantly singalong and forgettable at 47, just ahead of a bunch of young lads from an ITV talent Show (New Faces I think) called Our Kid - You Just Might See Me Cry was a big hit, a decent record, and then forgotten about almost entirely. For a track featuring kids it's better than one might expect and deserves the odd oldies play that it never gets. That leaves Barry Manilow's Could It Be Magic, as covered by Donna Summer disco-fashion, and as nicked from Chopin's Prelude In C Minor. It's a good version of a good record (Barry Manilow's finest, I think, which will hit in the UK down the line a ways) and a fab melody.

1 ( 3 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

2 ( 8 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

3 ( 1 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers

4 ( 2 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection

5 ( 37 ) STAR TREK The Charles Randolph Greane Sound

6 ( 11 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton

7 ( 9 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

8 ( 5 ) MY RESISTANCE IS LOW Robin Sarstedt

9 ( 6 ) LOVE HANGOVER Diana Ross

10 ( 4 ) FERNANDO ABBA

11 ( 33 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

12 ( 12 ) THIS IS IT Melba Moore

13 ( 7 ) SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings

14 ( 27 ) STRANGE MAGIC Electric Light Orchestra

15 ( 19 ) SOUL CITY WALK Archie Bell & The Drells

16 ( 20 ) MONKEY SPANNER Dave, and Ansel Collins

17 ( 22 ) JOHNNY REGGAE The Piglets

18 ( 10 ) DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE/THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE Glen Campbell

19 ( 23 ) HEART ON MY SLEEVE Gallagher & Lyle

20 ( 40 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

21 ( 21 ) REQUIEM Slik

22 ( 25 ) DOUBLE BARREL Dave, and Ansel Collins

23 ( 26 ) PIED PIPER Bob & Marcia

24 ( 28 ) THE WANDERER Dion

25 ( 44 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

26 ( 18 ) I'M MANDY FLY ME 10cc

27 ( 14 ) GET UP AND BOOGIE Silver Convention

28 ( 39 ) BATMAN AND ROBIN Adam 'Batman' West

29 ( 17 ) S'S'SINGLE BED Fox

30 ( 24 ) SILVER STAR The Four Seasons featuring Frankie Valli

31 ( 29 ) YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL Ray Stevens

32 ( NEW ) IT'LL BE ME BABE The Shadows

33 ( 32 ) DEVIL WOMAN Cliff Richard

34 ( 48 ) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING Lee Garrett

35 ( NEW ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry

36 ( 45 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

37 ( 13 ) GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME Tom Jones

38 ( 15 ) SEASIDE SHUFFLE Terry Dactyl & The Dinosaurs

39 ( 35 ) I'M YOUR PUPPET James & Bobby Purify

40 ( 43 ) (TO BE) YOUNG, GIFTED & BLACK Bob & Marcia

41 ( NEW ) GLAD I WAITED FOR YOU Nancy Ryan

42 ( 16 ) SHE'S NO ANGEL Heavy Metal Kids

43 ( 34 ) JUNGLE ROCK Hank Mizell

44 ( NEW ) C'MON MARIANNE Donny Osmond

45 ( 31 ) DISCO CONNECTION Isaac Hayes Movement

46 ( 30 ) TVC David Bowie

47 ( NEW ) FRESH OUTA LOVE Randy Edelman

48 ( NEW ) YOU JUST MIGHT SEE ME CRY Our Kid

49 ( 38 ) NEEDLES AND PINS The Searchers

50 ( NEW ) COULD IT BE MAGIC Donna Summer

15th June 1976

It's a seond week on top for 1964 classic Leader Of The Pack, last on top in 1972 for The Shangri-Las, and spear-heading another invasion of oldies into my singles chart. By the end of summer all oldies will be cast-off into an oldies chart as the record labels mass-re-issues became unsustainable for my personal charts to handle. This week there are 13 old recordings, and 9 cover versions, which is nearly half the chart. Dolly Parton gets her highest-charting hit until the 21st Century, Jolene at 3, Maureen McGovern, daughter of US politician George McGovern, is up to 6 and Monkey Spanner and Johnny Reggae get a second top 10 run 5 years on.

Melba Moore gets her first top 10 with the disco classic This Is It, Bryan Ferry rockets into the 20 with his masterpiece Let's Stick Together, and the highest new entry is another disco classic as Candi Staton debuts with Young Hearts Run Free at 27, still a lush, yearning soul song that time has been kind to. 20 Golden Greats will be dominating the UK charts as The Beach Boys get a comeback with new material but it's the 1960's classics that are popular, not least the re-issued single of Good Vibrations, in at 31 to give the band 8 years of charting. Utter classic of course, ambitious, epic, innovative and The Beatles responded by stepping up their game at the time.

Demis Rousson finally charts with Forever And Ever, the lead track on The Roussos Phenomenon EP, and a single I bought in 1974, and Demis having charted for me in 1972 with Aphrodite's Child and Break. It's a great track and Demis had been huge in Europe since the late 60's prog rock band caught on, and his solo stuff instantly hit the charts across Europe, and not just in his native Greece. Lots of goodies in his back catalogue, though sadly his hit-making UK years in 1975 to 1977 weren't his best stuff.

Boyband Flintlock pop in with Dawn, they never caught on but it was OK, new at 38. T.Rex are back again with yet another change in sound, on I Love To Boogie, not so much electric rock, more 50's bopalong and one of their better remembered songs these days thanks to a movie slot, though to me it's not in the same league as their previous hits 1970 through early 1974. In at 40. Disco Tex manages a Sex-o-lettes 4th chart hit on Dancin' Kid, and Hello have another good Glam single on Love Stealer, but sadly Glam is dead along with their UK charting career.

That leaves Captain & Tenille with an American hit covering Smokey Robinson's Shop Around, a bit limp compared to the last 3 US hit singles, early 60's pop star Freddie Cannon debuting with his oldie Palisades Park, which appealed to me as a song about the funfair near DC base in New York City which I saw in adverts in DC Comics throughout the 60's - the New Jersey funfair sadly closed down in 1971 though. Donnie Elbert and Roy C meanwhile re-chart their Northern Soul 1972-charting 1960's recordings again.

1 ( 7 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

2 ( 1 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

3 ( 6 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton

4 ( 5 ) STAR TREK The Charles Randolph Greane Sounde

5 ( 2 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

6 ( 11 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

7 ( 16 ) MONKEY SPANNER Dave, and Ansel Collins

8 ( 17 ) JOHNNY REGGAE The Piglets

9 ( 3 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers

10 ( 12 ) THIS IS IT Melba Moore

11 ( 4 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection

12 ( 13 ) SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings

13 ( 14 ) STRANGE MAGIC Electric Light Orchestra

14 ( 22 ) DOUBLE BARREL Dave, and Ansel Collins

15 ( 23 ) PIED PIPER Bob & Marcia

16 ( 9 ) LOVE HANGOVER Diana Ross

17 ( 35 ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry

18 ( 20 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

19 ( 24 ) THE WANDERER Dion

20 ( 10 ) FERNANDO ABBA

21 ( 25 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

22 ( 8 ) MY RESISTANCE IS LOW Robin Sarstedt

23 ( 36 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

24 ( 15 ) SOUL CITY WALK Archie Bell & The Drells

25 ( 40 ) (TO BE) YOUNG, GIFTED & BLACK Bob & Marcia

26 ( 34 ) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING Lee Garrett

27 ( NEW ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

28 ( 19 ) HEART ON MY SLEEVE Gallagher & Lyle

29 ( 41 ) GLAD I WAITED FOR YOU Nancy Ryan

30 ( 21 ) REQUIEM Slik

31 ( NEW ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

32 ( 32 ) IT'LL BE ME BABE The Shadows

33 ( NEW ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos

34 ( 26 ) I'M MANDY FLY ME 10cc

35 ( NEW ) SHOTGUN WEDDING Roy C

36 ( 18 ) DON'T PULL YOUR LOVE/THEN YOU CAN TELL ME GOODBYE Glen Campbell

37 ( 27 ) GET UP AND BOOGIE Silver Convention

38 ( NEW ) DAWN Flintlock

39 ( 50 ) COULD IT BE MAGIC Donna Summer

40 ( NEW ) I LOVE TO BOOGIE T. Rex

41 ( NEW ) LITTLE PIECE OF LEATHER Donnie Elbert

42 ( 44 ) C'MON MARIANNE Donny Osmond

43 ( 33 ) DEVIL WOMAN Cliff Richard

44 ( NEW ) DANCIN' KID Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes

45 ( NEW ) LOVE STEALER Hello

46 ( 30 ) SILVER STAR The Four Seasons featuring Frankie Valli

47 ( 29 ) S'S'SINGLE BED Fox

48 ( 48 ) YOU JUST MIGHT SEE ME CRY Our Kid

49 ( NEW ) SHOP AROUND Captain & Tennille

50 ( NEW ) PALISADES PARK Freddy Cannon

22nd June 1976

It's the long hot summer still ongoing, the ladybird invasion swarming over anything yellow such as my school bag and the school bus, and rain being a thing of the distant past, and on top of my charts it's Peter Frampton's Show Me The Way, 8 years on from his hits with The Herd. I got to see Peter as part of David Bowie's band on his Glass Spider Tour around 1987. Maureen McGovern meanwhile climbs to 2, a position she would have made had I allowed non-UK-Top-30 singles into my 1973 charts courtesy of The Poseidon Adventure movie's Morning After,

Bryan Ferry leaps to 4 with Let's Stick Together, his highest solo single peak since A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall, and equals Roxy's All I Want Is You. The highest new entry is the latest Beatles single taken from the White and the Blue albums, but mainly to promote a one-off compilation Rock 'n' Roll Music issued that summer and never to be issued again in any form. The USA got the great Got To Get You Into My Life as the hit A side, and the UK got Back In The USSR, a right old romp and fun Beach Boys parody. New in at 6 - for one week only as my Beatles Chart will be starting again next week to cover this and other tracks such as Twist And Shout (the B side to USSR is new in at 46). Meanwhile The Surprise Sisters follow-up Sideshow with their version of The Beatles Got To Get You Into My Life at 36. The Beatles version is still the definitive.

Talking of The Beach Boys, Good Vibrations is up to 21 while B side Wouldn't It Be Nice debuts at 47. It will return in future years when it gets it's own A side status in the UK. Thin Lizzy get a first-ever top 10 as The Boys Are Back In Town leaps to 7, and Lee Garrett ditto up to 10 with his under-rated You're My Everything soul-disco goodie. Candi Staton is up to 12, The Real Thing to 14, T. Rex to 18 for 3 climbing classics and a debut for Queen with the next-best track off A Night At The Opera - though there were other options that could have been pushed too - You're My Best Friend new at 19.

In the oldies arena, Hold Your Head Up gives Argent a 3rd chart run at 41, starting with 1971, then 1972 when it was a single edit, and Jonathan King bungs out his Loop Di Love for a 1972 chart-topper for me returning at 42. Actual new records debuting come from the fabulous Moonlight Feels Right, as seen in a Guardians Of The Galaxy movie more recently, and appropriately given the band is named Starbuck and the main character is called Star Lord. New at 43 and criminally never a UK hit, unlike the USA, while we had the lovely You Are My Love from Liverpool Express at 44 hitting instead. Finally, The Steve Miller Band follow-up The Joker two years on with the catchy Take The Money And Run - also not a UK hit as per The Joker. They will get their eventually, though!

1 ( 2 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

2 ( 6 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

3 ( 3 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton

4 ( 17 ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry

5 ( 5 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

6 ( NEW ) BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. The Beatles

7 ( 23 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

8 ( 1 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

9 ( 4 ) STAR TREK The Charles Randolph Greane Sounde

10 ( 26 ) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING Lee Garrett

11 ( 9 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers

12 ( 27 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

13 ( 18 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

14 ( 21 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

15 ( 19 ) THE WANDERER Dion

16 ( 10 ) THIS IS IT Melba Moore

17 ( 11 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection

18 ( 40 ) I LOVE TO BOOGIE T. Rex

19 ( NEW ) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND Queen

20 ( 12 ) SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings

21 ( 31 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

22 ( 44 ) DANCIN' KID Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes

23 ( 13 ) STRANGE MAGIC Electric Light Orchestra

24 ( 16 ) LOVE HANGOVER Diana Ross

25 ( 33 ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos

26 ( 35 ) SHOTGUN WEDDING Roy C

27 ( 45 ) LOVE STEALER Hello

28 ( 39 ) COULD IT BE MAGIC Donna Summer

29 ( 32 ) IT'LL BE ME BABE The Shadows

30 ( 20 ) FERNANDO ABBA

31 ( 24 ) SOUL CITY WALK Archie Bell & The Drells

32 ( 22 ) MY RESISTANCE IS LOW Robin Sarstedt

33 ( 28 ) HEART ON MY SLEEVE Gallagher & Lyle

34 ( 42 ) C'MON MARIANNE Donny Osmond

35 ( 48 ) YOU JUST MIGHT SEE ME CRY Our Kid

36 ( NEW ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Surprise Sisters

37 ( 29 ) GLAD I WAITED FOR YOU Nancy Ryan

38 ( 38 ) DAWN Flintlock

39 ( 7 ) MONKEY SPANNER Dave, and Ansel Collins

40 ( 8 ) JOHNNY REGGAE The Piglets

41 ( NEW ) HOLD YOUR HEAD UP Argent

42 ( NEW ) LOOP DI LOVE Shag aka Jonathan King

43 ( NEW ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

44 ( NEW ) YOU ARE MY LOVE Liverpool Express

45 ( 14 ) DOUBLE BARREL Dave, and Ansel Collins

46 ( NEW ) TWIST AND SHOUT The Beatles

47 ( NEW ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

48 ( 41 ) LITTLE PIECE OF LEATHER Donnie Elbert

49 ( 34 ) I'M MANDY FLY ME 10cc

50 ( NEW ) TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN The Steve Miller Band

29th June 1976

It's the long hot scorching summer continuing as Beatles tracks drop into another contained side chart from the main chart to free up space for more current tracks, and which leaves Peter Frampton on top for week 2, and Bryan Ferry as runner-up on his highest-peaking solo track...ever! Demis Roussos bounds up to 4 with Forever And Ever's lazy musical vibes suiting the hot weather, and Candi Staton gets her first Top 10 at 6 with the classic Young Hearts Run Free. That leaves The Beach Boys getting 1966's epic Good Vibrations into the top tier for a 5th top 10 in 8 years, B side Wouldnt It Be Nice up to 32, and new cover song Rock And Roll Music in at 31. The band had a hit album at 1, a new album due out soon, and ruling the summer airwaves with the surf sound.

Starbuck leap into the 20, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band chart The Boston Tea Party at 38, not an obvious topic for a hit record, their second after Delilah topped my chart in 1975, and Linda & The Funky Boys disco dance into my chart with the little-played Sold My Soul, it didn't get much airplay even at the time and it's pretty good. In at 43 with added synth solo mid-track, just ahead of Johnny Cash's last hit for 25 years or so, One Piece At A Time with an amusing lyric about stealing a car from work, one piece at a time and putting it together at home. In bottom rung Silver Convention get a 4th entry with Tiger Baby, I'm assuming the double A side didn't get airplay for t'other track No No Joe, as I didn't list it. Oddly, as it's a bit more upbeat, more fun than laid-back Tiger Baby.

1 ( 1 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

2 ( 4 ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry

3 ( 2 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

4 ( 25 ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos

5 ( 7 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

6 ( 12 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

7 ( 3 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton

8 ( 5 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

9 ( 8 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

10 ( 21 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

11 ( 13 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

12 ( 15 ) THE WANDERER Dion

13 ( 10 ) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING Lee Garrett

14 ( 18 ) I LOVE TO BOOGIE T. Rex

15 ( 43 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

16 ( 19 ) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND Queen

17 ( 14 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

18 ( 11 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers

19 ( 36 ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Surprise Sisters

20 ( 22 ) DANCIN' KID Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes

21 ( 26 ) SHOTGUN WEDDING Roy C

22 ( 41 ) HOLD YOUR HEAD UP Argent

23 ( 27 ) LOVE STEALER Hello

24 ( 35 ) YOU JUST MIGHT SEE ME CRY Our Kid

25 ( 31 ) SOUL CITY WALK Archie Bell & The Drells

26 ( 20 ) SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings

27 ( 42 ) LOOP DI LOVE Shag aka Jonathan King

28 ( 16 ) THIS IS IT Melba Moore

29 ( 17 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection

30 ( 9 ) STAR TREK The Charles Randolph Greane Sounde

31 ( NEW ) ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC The Beach Boys

32 ( 47 ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

33 ( 44 ) YOU ARE MY LOVE Liverpool Express

34 ( 24 ) LOVE HANGOVER Diana Ross

35 ( 23 ) STRANGE MAGIC Electric Light Orchestra

36 ( 28 ) COULD IT BE MAGIC Donna Summer

37 ( 30 ) FERNANDO ABBA

38 ( NEW ) BOSTON TEA PARTY The Sensational Alex Harvey band

39 ( 32 ) MY RESISTANCE IS LOW Robin Sarstedt

40 ( 29 ) IT'LL BE ME BABE The Shadows

41 ( 48 ) LITTLE PIECE OF LEATHER Donnie Elbert

42 ( 37 ) GLAD I WAITED FOR YOU Nancy Ryan

43 ( NEW ) SOLD MY SOUL FOR ROCK'N'ROLL Linda & The Funky Boys

44 ( NEW ) ONE PIECE AT A TIME Johnny Cash

45 ( RE ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Johnny Nash

46 ( 50 ) TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN The Steve Miller Band

47 ( 33 ) HEART ON MY SLEEVE Gallagher & Lyle

48 ( 34 ) C'MON MARIANNE Donny Osmond

49 ( 49 ) I'M MANDY FLY ME 10cc

50 ( NEW ) TIGER BABY Silver Convention

29th June 1976

THE BEATLES REISSUES CHART

And with it returning, I had bought two Beatles singles - Eleanor Rigby/Yellow Submarine and I Feel Fine - and Back In The USSR/Twist And Shout was in the UK chart, so Eleanor grabs a week on top, I Feel Fine hits a new peak of 2, ditto Back In The USSR and Twist And Shout, and that blistering vocal from John at 5.

1 ( RE ) ELEANOR RIGBY The Beatles

2 ( RE ) I FEEL FINE The Beatles

3 ( 6 ) BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. The Beatles

4 ( RE ) YELLOW SUBMARINE The Beatles

5 ( 46 ) TWIST AND SHOUT The Beatles

6th July 1976

It's a first chart-topper for Demis Roussos, going where Aphrodite's Child fell short in 1975 with their 3-year old Break, but cracking it with the 3-year-old solo Forever And Ever. Band-mate Vangelis will take another 4 years to do the same! Still a fab tune, too. Candi Staton is up to 3 with the classic Young Hearts Run Free, but her pop future also includes a chart-topper so not to worry. Jonathan King takes the Tavares revamp to 4, the violin riffing makes it. T. Rex meanwhile grab a 14th top 10, and Silver Convention get the highest climber to 25.

In the new entries, top of the list is Dr Hook, having dropped The Medicine Show, and getting a first chart entry since Sylvia's Mother with the rather sweet A Little Bit More at 27, 2 ahead of Hot Chocolate's Man To Man, benefitting somewhat for following up the iconic You Sexy Thing, but not one of their best singles, maybe missing the departed co-writer, co-vocalist Tony Wilson. In re-issue corner it's only been 12 months but Jackie Blue is back for another failed attempt to break the UK charts - very annoyingly as it's wonderful - and First Class boost Jonathan King's UK Records coffers with Beach Baby out again after 2 years. Both had already gone top 5 for me.

That leaves country star Don Williams trying to recall a Gypsy Woman at 49. These days the exotic fabled Gypsy lifestyle has been replaced by the catch-all "Traveller" term - which has led to zero songs being written, but may explain why this track doesnt crop up much on radio. It's OK.

1 ( 4 ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos

2 ( 1 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

3 ( 6 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

4 ( 11 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

5 ( 2 ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry

6 ( 5 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

7 ( 3 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

8 ( 10 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

9 ( 9 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

10 ( 14 ) I LOVE TO BOOGIE T. Rex

11 ( 16 ) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND Queen

12 ( 15 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

13 ( 7 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton

14 ( 23 ) LOVE STEALER Hello

15 ( 22 ) HOLD YOUR HEAD UP Argent

16 ( 8 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

17 ( 19 ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Surprise Sisters

18 ( 21 ) SHOTGUN WEDDING Roy C

19 ( 27 ) LOOP DI LOVE Shag aka Jonathan King

20 ( 13 ) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING Lee Garrett

21 ( 17 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

22 ( 12 ) THE WANDERER Dion

23 ( 33 ) YOU ARE MY LOVE Liverpool Express

24 ( 18 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers

25 ( 50 ) TIGER BABY Silver Convention

26 ( 31 ) ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC The Beach Boys

27 ( NEW ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

28 ( 20 ) DANCIN' KID Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes

29 ( NEW ) MAN TO MAN Hot Chocolate

30 ( 45 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Johnny Nash

31 ( NEW ) JACKIE BLUE Ozark Mountain Daredevils

32 ( NEW ) BEACH BABY First Class

33 ( 35 ) STRANGE MAGIC Electric Light Orchestra

34 ( 25 ) SOUL CITY WALK Archie Bell & The Drells

35 ( 44 ) ONE PIECE AT A TIME Johnny Cash

36 ( 32 ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

37 ( 26 ) SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings

38 ( 38 ) BOSTON TEA PARTY The Sensational Alex Harvey band

39 ( 29 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection

40 ( 28 ) THIS IS IT Melba Moore

41 ( 24 ) YOU JUST MIGHT SEE ME CRY Our Kid

42 ( 46 ) TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN The Steve Miller Band

43 ( 34 ) LOVE HANGOVER Diana Ross

44 ( 49 ) I'M MANDY FLY ME 10cc

45 ( 37 ) FERNANDO ABBA

46 ( RE ) PINBALL WIZARD Elton John

47 ( RE ) MOVIE STAR Harpo featuring Frida

48 ( 43 ) SOLD MY SOUL FOR ROCK'N'ROLL Linda & The Funky Boys

49 ( NEW ) I RECALL A GYPSY WOMAN Don Williams

50 ( 30 ) STAR TREK The Charles Randolph Greane Sounde

THE BEATLES REISSUES CHART

In the sidelined Beatles re-issues Eleanor Rigby is on top - and to be clear, I if hadnt done this it would also be topping the overall chart as I went mad on it for weeks, and I Feel Fine would have been 2, and Back In The USSR at 3 so all current stuff moved 3 places lower with the other two Beatles tracks more mid-table. So the chart positions stay relevant either way.

1 ( 1 ) ELEANOR RIGBY The Beatles

2 ( 3 ) I FEEL FINE The Beatles

3 ( 4 ) BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. The Beatles

4 ( 2 ) YELLOW SUBMARINE The Beatles

5 ( RE ) TWIST AND SHOUT The Beatles

13th july 1976

It's still scorching hot weather then, and now 50 years later, so it's entirely appropriate that the very summery number 2 from 1974 should go all the way as a re-issue, being the fabulous Beach Baby and all, holding off Jonathan King from grabbing a third number one, and with the Beach Boys up to 5 with 1966 classic Good Vibrations. Highest new entry, though, at 7 is the song of the 1976 heatwave, Don't Go Breaking My Heart, Elton John finally teaming with Kiki Dee proper, still being on his Rocket Records and all that. It's still fun and out and out pop. His 10th top 10, her second. Hello meanwhile make it a second top 10 after New York Groove with teh forgotten Love Stealer. Queen make it a 4th top 10 with the sweet You're My Best Friend.

Banging in at 14 long after their UK chart career is ended is Pilot, and their anthem for Canada, a fun track that deserved better, but then so did the brilliant Just A Smile. Hey ho. Lower down Carpenters enter at 34 with the pleasant I Need To Be In Love, for a 6th year of charting, just ahead of Nana Mouskouri's early 60's flop gem that turned up on a K-Tel or Arcade record at that time, and which I went big for: White Rose Of Athens is a top tune from the Greek songstress, and her best record by some distance. Love it. Given an excuse, like an advert, I will be charting it big one day.

Atomic Rooster missed out on charting in 1971, being out of the country as I was, so it's fair Devil's Answer pops in 5 years late at 39. Meanwhile Tubular Bells, former number one for Mike Oldfield in 1974, gets covered by Champs' Boys at 41. Don't remember it much at all. War have already charted with Me & Baby Brother, I think, but it's back to become a UK hit this time, in at 42. Danny & The Juniors have a 50's rock'n'roll classic in At The Hop, popping in at 50, just behind one of the best records of the year, Harvest For The World, still a stone soul classic with a message that never stops being relevant. Brilliant and still affecting.

1 ( 32 ) BEACH BABY First Class

2 ( 4 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

3 ( 3 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

4 ( 1 ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos

5 ( 8 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

6 ( 2 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

7 ( NEW ) DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART Elton John & Kiki Dee

8 ( 5 ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry

9 ( 14 ) LOVE STEALER Hello

10 ( 11 ) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND Queen

11 ( 6 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

12 ( 12 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

13 ( 7 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

14 ( NEW ) CANADA Pilot

15 ( 15 ) HOLD YOUR HEAD UP Argent

16 ( 23 ) YOU ARE MY LOVE Liverpool Express

17 ( 9 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

18 ( 31 ) JACKIE BLUE Ozark Mountain Daredevils

19 ( 21 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

20 ( 27 ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

21 ( 26 ) ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC The Beach Boys

22 ( 13 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton

23 ( 16 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

24 ( 38 ) BOSTON TEA PARTY The Sensational Alex Harvey band

25 ( 20 ) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING Lee Garrett

26 ( 10 ) I LOVE TO BOOGIE T. Rex

27 ( 29 ) MAN TO MAN Hot Chocolate

28 ( 25 ) TIGER BABY Silver Convention

29 ( 17 ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Surprise Sisters

30 ( 33 ) STRANGE MAGIC Electric Light Orchestra

31 ( 24 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers

32 ( 30 ) WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD Johnny Nash

33 ( 35 ) ONE PIECE AT A TIME Johnny Cash

34 ( NEW ) I NEED TO BE IN LOVE Carpenters

35 ( NEW ) WHITE ROSE OF ATHENS Nana Mouskouri

36 ( 22 ) THE WANDERER Dion

37 ( 19 ) LOOP DI LOVE Shag aka Jonathan King

38 ( 18 ) SHOTGUN WEDDING Roy C

39 ( NEW ) DEVIL'S ANSWER Atomic Rooster

40 ( 42 ) TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN The Steve Miller Band

41 ( NEW ) TUBULAR BELLS Champs Boys

42 ( NEW ) ME AND BABY BROTHER War

43 ( 39 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection

44 ( 34 ) SOUL CITY WALK Archie Bell & The Drells

45 ( 36 ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

46 ( 45 ) FERNANDO ABBA

47 ( 37 ) SILLY LOVE SONGS Wings

48 ( 49 ) I RECALL A GYPSY WOMAN Don Williams

49 ( NEW ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Isley Brothers

50 ( NEW ) AT THE HOP Danny And The Juniors

THE BEATLES REISSUES CHART

1 ( 1 ) ELEANOR RIGBY The Beatles

2 ( 3 ) BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. The Beatles

3 ( 2 ) I FEEL FINE The Beatles

4 ( RE ) YESTERDAY The Beatles

5 ( RE ) PAPERBACK WRITER The Beatles

20th July 1976

It's Tavares' song on top 16 years ahead of a more famous cover as the band themselves enter with disco classic Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel at 26, but for now it's Jonathan King's quirky cover on top for his 3rd number one in 5 years, Hooked On A Feeling being the first, another song that would go on to be a more famous cover for someone else. Elton & Kiki climb to 3, and The Monkees get a second top 10 oldie as Daydream Believer goes where I'm A Believer went in 1974, in at 6. Both songs would have topped my charts if I'd started earlier, beloved faves since they were hits, and not the last time they would get re-issued and UK hits. B side Monkees Theme is also back for a second run after the 1974 single also had it as a B side, this time in at 22.

Dr. Hook get their second top 10, A Little Bit More up to 7 as Starbuck hit 9 with Moonlight Feels Right, and Liverpool Express' lovely, and largely forgotten, You Are My Love hits 10. Status Quo follow-up Rain with Mystery Song, one of their forgotten 70's goodies with Rick on lead vocal for a change, new in at 25, and William Bell & Judy Clay get a second chart run with Private Number at 27, 7 years on from debuting. New at 38, The Chanter Sisters cover of Allan Clarke's Sideshow 1974 personal chart hit (for me, that is) is a goodie, and should have been a hit.

Billie-Jo Spears is back for a second entry, country singalong What I've Got In Mind at 39 slightlier catchier and more singalong than Blanket On The Ground, and KC returns with another Sunshine Band disco classic in Shake Shake Shake before the disco vibes shifts in 1977 and KC has to adapt by changing his sound, new at 43. Billy Connolly does a comedy pisstake of No Charge, mildly amusing the bit about mum being in the kitchen strangling chickens to destroy all the sickly sentiment of the original in one sentence, at 44, and The Byrds 60's hit Turn Turn Turn debuts at 45. I first new it sung by Mary Hopkin on Opportunity Knocks in 1968.

In Zaire is a much better follow-up Muhammed Ali song hit for Johnny Wakelin, the tribal drums give it some oomph and its a much better song than Black Superman, debuting at 47, as a reformed, revamped New Seekers return minus Lyn Paul and Peter Doyle's replacement Peter Oliver, so two-thirds of the band still in situ for the chirpy It's So Nice in at 50. Not a hit in the UK yet, but it'll pop back later when it charts.

1 ( 2 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

2 ( 1 ) BEACH BABY First Class

3 ( 7 ) DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART Elton John & Kiki Dee

4 ( 5 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

5 ( 3 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

6 ( NEW ) DAYDREAM BELIEVER The Monkees

7 ( 20 ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

8 ( 4 ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos

9 ( 12 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

10 ( 16 ) YOU ARE MY LOVE Liverpool Express

11 ( 18 ) JACKIE BLUE Ozark Mountain Daredevils

12 ( 6 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

13 ( 8 ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry

14 ( 14 ) CANADA Pilot

15 ( 9 ) LOVE STEALER Hello

16 ( 19 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

17 ( 10 ) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND Queen

18 ( 11 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

19 ( 21 ) ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC The Beach Boys

20 ( 27 ) MAN TO MAN Hot Chocolate

21 ( 13 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

22 ( NEW ) MONKEES THEME The Monkees

23 ( 23 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

24 ( 24 ) BOSTON TEA PARTY The Sensational Alex Harvey band

25 ( NEW ) MYSTERY SONG Status Quo

26 ( NEW ) HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL Tavares

27 ( NEW ) PRIVATE NUMBER William Bell & Judy Clay

28 ( 17 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

29 ( 26 ) I LOVE TO BOOGIE T. Rex

30 ( 35 ) WHITE ROSE OF ATHENS Nana Mouskouri

31 ( 49 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Isley Brothers

32 ( 34 ) I NEED TO BE IN LOVE Carpenters

33 ( 15 ) HOLD YOUR HEAD UP Argent

34 ( 42 ) ME AND BABY BROTHER War

35 ( 22 ) JOLENE Dolly Parton

36 ( 25 ) YOU'RE MY EVERYTHING Lee Garrett

37 ( 39 ) DEVIL'S ANSWER Atomic Rooster

38 ( NEW ) SIDESHOW The Chanter Sisters

39 ( NEW ) WHAT I'VE GOT IN MIND Billie-Jo Spears

40 ( 31 ) LET YOUR LOVE FLOW The Bellamy Brothers

41 ( 41 ) TUBULAR BELLS Champs Boys

42 ( 30 ) STRANGE MAGIC Electric Light Orchestra

43 ( NEW ) SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE (SHAKE YOUR BOOTY) KC & The Sunshine Band

44 ( NEW ) NO CHANCE Billy Connolly

45 ( NEW ) TURN TURN TURN The Byrds

46 ( 48 ) I RECALL A GYPSY WOMAN Don Williams

47 ( NEW ) IN ZAIRE Johnny Wakelin

48 ( 46 ) FERNANDO ABBA

49 ( 43 ) MORE MORE MORE Andrea True Connection

50 ( NEW ) IT'S SO NICE (TO HAVE YOU BACK) The New Seekers

THE BEATLES REISSUES CHART

In which Back In The USSR starts a long run on top of this mini-chart and would likely have topped the overall chart too, but the US choice as a single - which I actually preferred but didnt have a copy of yet (the Red Album came at Christmas 1976), so I didnt get to hear it much except on Paul Gambaccini's US rundown - Got To Get You Into My Life enters at 4.

1 ( 2 ) BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. The Beatles

2 ( 1 ) ELEANOR RIGBY The Beatles

3 ( 5 ) PAPERBACK WRITER The Beatles

4 ( NEW ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Beatles

5 ( 3 ) I FEEL FINE The Beatles

27th July 1976

It's the ongoing long hot summer then and now, and on top of my charts back then it was the song of the summer - Don't Go Breaking My Heart giving Elton John his 2nd chart-topper of the year, and his 5th in total, while Kiki Dee gets a first after 3 years of charting. Daydream Believer actually was listed as equal number one at the time, too, giving The Monkees a second chart-topper with a timeless brilliant song that was a fave before my charts started - but it will be back on 2 hit EP's in 1980 and 1989 which top my charts so will be compensated for missing out in both 1968 and 1976. Monkees Theme meanwhile hits a new peak of 14. Former member Michael Nesmith also debuts this week at 47 with his Silver Moon, it is actually 6 years old but finally gets a UK release with all The Monkees TV show repeat interest. It's good too.

Starbuck's fab Moonlight Feels Right goes top 5, and Tavares get their own top 10 track with Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel as a cover of their It Only Takes A Minute drops to 3. Starland Vocal Band debut their US chart-topper Afternoon Delight at 16 - the singalong naughty song has a wholesome Mamas & Papas vibe to it, and I still rate it, though it's regarded as cheese. Quality cheese, I say. Jimmy James & The Vagabonds return with a second chart hit, Now Is The Time at 17 is their best track.

Harpo gets a follow-up to Movie Star, Horoscope being one I havent heard in a long long time as I never managed to get a copy on tape or otherwise, new in at 25. Youtube is my friend, though, and it sounds quite good still. Should have been a hit, there are worse songs in the UK charts of the time. New entries comi g thick and fast as Wings drop Let 'Em In at 30, one of Paul McCartneys best songs of the Speed Of Sound era and soon to be covered by Billy Paul.

Talking of 60's greats, The Bee Gees are back in exciting funky disco mode with You Should Be Dancing - it will crop up in a global smash movie and album in 12 months' time, but for now it's a stand-alone UK chart return off their Children Of The World album. It's still a corker and in at 35. Dorothy Moore's cover of Misty Blue is pretty classy soul, and gives her a long-deserved UK hit and chart entry here at 36, while a Brutus jeans advert turns toff David Dundas into a pop star with his catchy ditty Jeans On at 37.

5000 Volts get a 3rd chart entry at 38, but it's not Tina Charles on vocal this time, and Dr Kiss Kiss was a hit anyway - but it's not as good as I'm On Fire. The Manhattans have been around a while without a UK hit, much like Dorothy Moore, but also get a debut with slushy Kiss And Say Goodbye at 44. 1960's iconic model Twiggy moves into music - she'd already had a go at it in the 1971 movie she starred in, The Boy Friend, but this is a proper album and career starting with th Country song Here I Go Again, written by Country Joe McDonald. In at 49 as Dion charts his early 60's smash Runaround Sue at 50, following-up The Wanderer's chart return.

1 ( 3 ) DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART Elton John & Kiki Dee

2 ( 6 ) DAYDREAM BELIEVER The Monkees

3 ( 1 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

4 ( 4 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

5 ( 9 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

6 ( 7 ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

7 ( 2 ) BEACH BABY First Class

8 ( 5 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

9 ( 26 ) HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL Tavares

10 ( 11 ) JACKIE BLUE Ozark Mountain Daredevils

11 ( 14 ) CANADA Pilot

12 ( 8 ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos

13 ( 25 ) MYSTERY SONG Status Quo

14 ( 22 ) MONKEES THEME The Monkees

15 ( NEW ) AFTERNOON DELIGHT Starland Vocal Band

16 ( 10 ) YOU ARE MY LOVE Liverpool Express

17 ( NEW ) NOW IS THE TIME Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

18 ( 16 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

19 ( 13 ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry

20 ( 31 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Isley Brothers

21 ( 27 ) PRIVATE NUMBER William Bell & Judy Clay

22 ( 12 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

23 ( 15 ) LOVE STEALER Hello

24 ( 18 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

25 ( NEW ) HOROSCOPE Harpo

26 ( 23 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

27 ( 21 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

28 ( 30 ) WHITE ROSE OF ATHENS Nana Mouskouri

29 ( 43 ) SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE (SHAKE YOUR BOOTY) KC & The Sunshine Band

30 ( NEW ) LET 'EM IN Wings

31 ( 17 ) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND Queen

32 ( 47 ) IN ZAIRE Johnny Wakelin

33 ( 38 ) SIDESHOW The Chanter Sisters

34 ( 39 ) WHAT I'VE GOT IN MIND Billie-Jo Spears

35 ( NEW ) YOU SHOULD BE DANCING The Bee Gees

36 ( NEW ) MISTY BLUE Dorothy Moore

37 ( NEW ) JEANS ON David Dundas

38 ( NEW ) DR KISS KISS 5,000 Volts

39 ( 44 ) NO CHANCE Billy Connolly

40 ( 19 ) ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC The Beach Boys

41 ( 28 ) LEADER OF THE PACK The Shangri-Las

42 ( 29 ) I LOVE TO BOOGIE T. Rex

43 ( 24 ) BOSTON TEA PARTY The Sensational Alex Harvey band

44 ( NEW ) KISS AND SAY GOODBYE The Manhattans

45 ( 45 ) TURN TURN TURN The Byrds

46 ( 20 ) MAN TO MAN Hot Chocolate

47 ( NEW ) SILVER MOON Michael Nesmith & The First National Band

48 ( 34 ) ME AND BABY BROTHER War

49 ( NEW ) HERE I GO AGAIN Twiggy

50 ( NEW ) RUNAROUND SUE Dion

THE BEATLES REISSUES CHART

1 ( 1 ) BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. The Beatles

2 ( 4 ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Beatles

3 ( 2 ) ELEANOR RIGBY The Beatles

4 ( 3 ) PAPERBACK WRITER The Beatles

5 ( RE ) YESTERDAY The Beatles

3rd August 1976

It's a second chart-topper for The Beach Boys as Good Vibrations tops my chart 10 years late. It is a ground-breaking single, though, and thoroughly deserved making the UK top 20 again in 1976. B side Wouldn't It Be Nice re-enters at a new peak of 16 at the same time as I play their 20 Golden Greats rather a lot that summer. The Isley Brothers get their highest chart placing, at 4, since Behind A Painted Smile in 1969 - Harvest For The World may well only be second to This Old Heart Of Mine in enduring popularity. Motown havent yet got onto the "Here's a whole set of classic double A Motown hits you can buy to make a collection in a box, a la Beatles, but it will be along before year-end so watch out for 60's Isley Brothers oldies coming back.

Afternoon Delight does what it says on the label at 5, as school was out and I could play music whenever I felt like it, while Quo make it four top 10's in a row with Mystery Song up at 7. Wings also make it 2 top 10's in a row as Let 'Em In is at 10, and Macca's 10th since leaving the Fabs. In at 30, musician Walter Murphy drops A Fifth Of Beethoven, disco stylee, which hadnt charted since nicked for the intro of ELO's Roll Over Beethoven in 1973. Walter's better known these days as the man behind the music on Family Guy, American Dad, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Cleveland Show, and all of the Ted's, film and TV.

Kippers For Tea is one I'd totally forgotten about, a novelty folk-stylee cover of Save Your Kisses For Me which references the Icelandic Cod-War which was an ongoing dispute at the time. You had to be there, I think. Amusing on first hearing. In at 39 for Bob Williamson. At 41, Cliff makes it 3 cool singles in a row as he switches genre yet again for some falsetto laid-back disco-funk at 41, Can't Ask For Anymore Than You. Not quite as classic as Devil Woman or Miss You Nights, but pretty good still as he mines the I'm No Hero album.

At 46, Bobby Goldsboro returns for a 4th chart hit on the UK flop A Butterfly For Bucky, a mildly pleasant ballad, fairly saccharin, about a baby born blind. Bobby always likes to tread a thin line between sentimentality and bad taste, and I think this one is teetering towards the wrong side. The Bellamy Brothers grab a second chart entry following up a number one, Satin Sheets at 47 not quite in the same class.

Also getting a second chart entry is Chris Rainbow as he's known these days - I knew him as Christopher when Solid State Brain charted for me in 1974. The world had no idea who he was until 2026 when he had a posthumous global Tik Tok minor hit with Be Like A Woman, which is pretty good. I like to think I'm 50 years ahead of my time as All Night is in at 49. The song is quite quirky, lots of multi-track harmony vocals, synths and upbeat affability. Very nice. That leaves chart regular Dave Edmunds to pop back again with Here Comes The Weekend at 50, as he moves towards the Rockpile/Nick Lowe-vibed tightly-produced Country-rock vibes of his next few years. It has a similar feel to Eddie Cochran's Weekend song.

1 ( 4 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

2 ( 2 ) DAYDREAM BELIEVER The Monkees

3 ( 1 ) DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART Elton John & Kiki Dee

4 ( 20 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Isley Brothers

5 ( 15 ) AFTERNOON DELIGHT Starland Vocal Band

6 ( 6 ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

7 ( 13 ) MYSTERY SONG Status Quo

8 ( 3 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

9 ( 9 ) HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL Tavares

10 ( 30 ) LET 'EM IN Wings

11 ( 5 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

12 ( 11 ) CANADA Pilot

13 ( 17 ) NOW IS THE TIME Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

14 ( 14 ) MONKEES THEME The Monkees

15 ( 7 ) BEACH BABY First Class

16 ( RE ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

17 ( 35 ) YOU SHOULD BE DANCING The Bee Gees

18 ( 8 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

19 ( 33 ) SIDESHOW The Chanter Sisters

20 ( 29 ) SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE (SHAKE YOUR BOOTY) KC & The Sunshine Band

21 ( 21 ) PRIVATE NUMBER William Bell & Judy Clay

22 ( 32 ) IN ZAIRE Johnny Wakelin

23 ( 10 ) JACKIE BLUE Ozark Mountain Daredevils

24 ( 37 ) JEANS ON David Dundas

25 ( 25 ) HOROSCOPE Harpo

26 ( 38 ) DR KISS KISS 5,000 Volts

27 ( 16 ) YOU ARE MY LOVE Liverpool Express

28 ( 39 ) NO CHANCE Billy Connolly

29 ( 34 ) WHAT I'VE GOT IN MIND Billie-Jo Spears

30 ( NEW ) A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band

31 ( 12 ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos

32 ( 22 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

33 ( 26 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

34 ( 36 ) MISTY BLUE Dorothy Moore

35 ( 24 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

36 ( 27 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

37 ( 18 ) YOU TO ME ARE EVERYTHING The Real Thing

38 ( 19 ) LET'S STICK TOGETHER Bryan Ferry

39 ( NEW ) KIPPERS FOR TEA Bob Williamson

40 ( 31 ) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND Queen

41 ( NEW ) I CAN'T ASK FOR ANYMORE THAN YOU Cliff Richard

42 ( 42 ) I LOVE TO BOOGIE T. Rex

43 ( 43 ) BOSTON TEA PARTY The Sensational Alex Harvey band

44 ( 48 ) ME AND BABY BROTHER War

45 ( 47 ) SILVER MOON Michael Nesmith & The First National Band

46 ( NEW ) A BUTTERFLY FOR BUCKY Bobby Goldsboro

47 ( NEW ) SATIN SHEETS The Bellamy Brothers

48 ( 23 ) LOVE STEALER Hello

49 ( NEW ) ALL NIGHT Chris Rainbow

50 ( NEW ) HERE COMES THE WEEKEND Dave Edmunds

THE BEATLES REISSUES CHART

Back in Beatles chart exclusion there's a bit of shuffling as Back In The USSR stays on top and Hard Day's Night goes top 5 for the first time.

1 ( 1 ) BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. The Beatles

2 ( 2 ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Beatles

3 ( 5 ) YESTERDAY The Beatles

4 ( 3 ) ELEANOR RIGBY The Beatles

5 ( RE ) A HARD DAY'S NIGHT The Beatles

10th August 1976

It's another new number one, and this time it's the huge USA hit Afternoon Delight, as Starland Vocal Band get their deliciously cheesy harmony slice of cheekiness up 4 places. Dr. Hook get their highest chart peak to date, as A Little Bit More out-does Sylvia's Mother at 2, and Quo also get a new chart peak at for Mystery Song at 3, having had 5 previous top 10's that peakes lower. Wings get another top 5 with Let 'Em In, their 8th to do that, with 4 number ones (including one Paul solo).

The Beach Boys make it a 6th top 10 as 60's Pet Sounds classic Wouldn't It Be Nice climbs to 8, with a host of new entries headed by Steve Harley returning along with Cockney Rebel on their version of George Harrison's Here Comes The Sun - as The Beatles most-popular song in the 21st century it seems incredible that it was never a single for The Beatles, not even bunged out in competition to this hit cover - and it would have featured in my Beatles Chart if it had. New in at 25 and Steve's 5th chart entry.

The Chi-Lites' to date have been mostly powerful funk, emotional ballads, or upbeat pop hits, but they have one further genre change with the fabulous disco track You Don't Have To Go. I'm a big fan of the band these days, Eugene Record's songs and arrangements and vocals just have dated so well, as confirmed by the hosts of hit cover versions of their songs - but never this one! It's just crying out to be sampled, I reckon, new in at 27 and their 6th charter.

Twiggy, the 60's famous and iconic model, had a go at being a film star in the musical The Boyfriend in 1971, but by 1976 she was full-on singer, with long hair, a new image and this tuneful Country ballad hitting the UK charts - Here I Go Again in at 33, a Country Joe McDonald cover. Dolly's The Bargain Store follows-up Jolene at 34, and about a year late, but Ms Parton by this stage has loads of back catalogue she can push out as she breaks-through in the UK at last, on her way to being a Country Music, film star and global legend. Not a UK hit, like almost all of her pre-film-career stuff (her prime work, in other words, all flopped bar Jolene).

Harry J & The All Stars had a 1969 Uk instrumental reggae smash with The Liquidator, but that's one that didn't make it over to Singapore radio so I got to know 5 or 6 years later and charted it on re-issue in 1976, in at 40, and fab. At 44, soul star Lou Rawls grabs a UK one-off hit with his Philly grooves on the wondrous You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine, still an utter delight with that deep vocal, passion and yet another Gamble & Huff song and production that shines brightly. Warm and delicious. And his name sounds like Loo Rolls, what's not to love.

The new James & Bobby Purify re-birth is back again with a spot of Morning Glory at 48, not quite as good as I'm Your Puppet, and not even What's The Story either. I had no idea what Morning Glory was at the time. With a modest entry Rod Stewart drops a remarkable track with The Killing Of Georgie, the first-ever overtly supportive story song of a murdered gay friend. Genuinely ground-breaking in gathering radio airplay, UK sales, and as usual for anything Rod takes the effort to write himself (he hates songwriting) it's pure class. His best solo effort since the double whammy of Maggie May and You Wear It Well. That leaves 60's act The Yardbirds, containing Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page on rotating legendary guitarist slots one after the other. For Your Love was written by 10cc's Graham Gouldman as an 18-year-old, so no doubt that influenced my entering the decade-on re-issue at 50. I saw Graham do the song live in St Peter's Church, Poole 2 weeks ago July 2026. Fab.

1 ( 5 ) AFTERNOON DELIGHT Starland Vocal Band

2 ( 6 ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

3 ( 7 ) MYSTERY SONG Status Quo

4 ( 2 ) DAYDREAM BELIEVER The Monkees

5 ( 10 ) LET 'EM IN Wings

6 ( 4 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Isley Brothers

7 ( 3 ) DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART Elton John & Kiki Dee

8 ( 16 ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

9 ( 9 ) HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL Tavares

10 ( 1 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

11 ( 17 ) YOU SHOULD BE DANCING The Bee Gees

12 ( 22 ) IN ZAIRE Johnny Wakelin

13 ( 13 ) NOW IS THE TIME Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

14 ( 8 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

15 ( 25 ) HOROSCOPE Harpo

16 ( 11 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

17 ( 19 ) SIDESHOW The Chanter Sisters

18 ( 20 ) SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE (SHAKE YOUR BOOTY) KC & The Sunshine Band

19 ( 24 ) JEANS ON David Dundas

20 ( 26 ) DR KISS KISS 5,000 Volts

21 ( 14 ) MONKEES THEME The Monkees

22 ( 15 ) BEACH BABY First Class

23 ( 45 ) SILVER MOON Michael Nesmith & The First National Band

24 ( 18 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

25 ( NEW ) HERE COMES THE SUN Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

26 ( 29 ) WHAT I'VE GOT IN MIND Billie-Jo Spears

27 ( NEW ) YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO The Chi-Lites

28 ( 12 ) CANADA Pilot

29 ( 34 ) MISTY BLUE Dorothy Moore

30 ( 21 ) PRIVATE NUMBER William Bell & Judy Clay

31 ( 30 ) A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band

32 ( 23 ) JACKIE BLUE Ozark Mountain Daredevils

33 ( NEW ) HERE I GO AGAIN Twiggy

34 ( NEW ) THE BARGAIN STORE Dolly Parton

35 ( 41 ) I CAN'T ASK FOR ANYMORE THAN YOU Cliff Richard

36 ( 39 ) KIPPERS Bob Williamson

37 ( 47 ) SATIN SHEETS The Bellamy Brothers

38 ( 33 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

39 ( 32 ) SHOW ME THE WAY Peter Frampton

40 ( NEW ) THE LIQUIDATOR Harry J & The All Stars

41 ( 35 ) THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN Thin Lizzy

42 ( 36 ) THE CONTINENTAL Maureen McGovern

43 ( 50 ) HERE COMES THE WEEKEND Dave Edmunds

44 ( NEW ) YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE Lou Rawls

45 ( 46 ) A BUTTERFLY FOR BUCKY Bobby Goldsboro

46 ( 31 ) FOREVER AND EVER Demis Roussos

47 ( 27 ) YOU ARE MY LOVE Liverpool Express

48 ( NEW ) MORNING GLORY James & Bobby Purify

49 ( NEW ) THE KILLING OF GEORGIE PART 1 Rod Stewart

50 ( NEW ) FOR YOUR LOVE The Yardbirds

THE BEATLES REISSUES CHART

There's no shifting current UK hit Back In The USSR, nor US current hit Got To Get You Into My Life, but there's still time for Help! and Can't Buy Me Love to hit a new chart peak before the chart gets retired permanently.

1 ( 1 ) BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. The Beatles

2 ( 2 ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Beatles

3 ( RE ) HELP! The Beatles

4 ( 3 ) YESTERDAY The Beatles

5 ( RE ) CAN'T BUY ME LOVE The Beatles

17th August 1976

It's been a while since a record opened entering at 1 on my personal charts but Dancing Queen has gone and done it, to give ABBA a 4th number one and a hat-trick as they officially become my fave current act since Roy Wood & Wizzard dominated. Dancing Queen was epic from the moment I first heard it, and remains an all-time classic 50 years on, pop perfection. This is bad news for The Bee Gees who climb to number 3, their highest peak since 1968 when my first chart had Gotta Get A Message To You at 2, on the way down from what would certainly have been number one otherwise, held off by The Beatles. You Should Be Dancing would also have been a number one if not for ABBA.

Talking of Beatles, their oldies chart is still going further down, and Macca is up to 4 with Let 'Em In, while Tavares take Heaven to 7 - it'll peak higher as an 80's remix! The Chi-Lites get a first top 10 since Oh Girl in 1972, with the magnificent You Don't Have To Go up to 8, just ahead of Johnny Wakelin's Ali tribute In Zaire, and Jimmy James' Now Is The Time. There's a disco instrumental for Jesse Green on Nice 'n' Slow at 40, though it also had a vocal side.

Neil Diamond gets his first new chart song since 1972's Song Sung Blue, If You Know What I Mean at 42. No Eric Idle nudge nudge wink wink Python quip from me either. The Stylistics are still charting 4 years into their run, 16 Bars being the closest-souding to their UK chart-topper in 1975, and one of their better ones from the tail-end of their hit career, new at 45 just ahead of Thin Lizzy's 3rd with Jailbreak, one of their lesser hits.

There is a real bizarre oldie at 49, as Winifred Shaw's Lullaby Of Broadway debuts in both the UK and my chart. Taken from the film musical Gold Diggers of 1933 based on the 1919 musical, and pre-Hays-Code, this seemed like ancient history in 1976, rather than 43 years old. Not that I minded ancient films being a Marx Brothers, Laurel & Hardy fan, not to mention the first modern films in Wizard Of Oz and Gone With The Wind, in full glorious colour. It did though seem way older than it was due to recording improvements that had gone through the stratosphere already, with full-on epic digital less than a year away too. To put that in context, imagine Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Relax had been recorded through a tin-can microphone in one take with live instruments and singers and then charted again in 2026....

1 ( NEW ) DANCING QUEEN ABBA

2 ( 1 ) AFTERNOON DELIGHT Starland Vocal Band

3 ( 11 ) YOU SHOULD BE DANCING The Bee Gees

4 ( 5 ) LET 'EM IN Wings

5 ( 2 ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

6 ( 3 ) MYSTERY SONG Status Quo

7 ( 9 ) HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL Tavares

8 ( 27 ) YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO The Chi-Lites

9 ( 12 ) IN ZAIRE Johnny Wakelin

10 ( 13 ) NOW IS THE TIME Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

11 ( 4 ) DAYDREAM BELIEVER The Monkees

12 ( 6 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Isley Brothers

13 ( 7 ) DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART Elton John & Kiki Dee

14 ( 15 ) HOROSCOPE Harpo

15 ( 8 ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

16 ( 10 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

17 ( 25 ) HERE COMES THE SUN Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

18 ( 18 ) SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE (SHAKE YOUR BOOTY) KC & The Sunshine Band

19 ( 23 ) SILVER MOON Michael Nesmith & The First National Band

20 ( 26 ) WHAT I'VE GOT IN MIND Billie-Jo Spears

21 ( 14 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

22 ( 44 ) YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE Lou Rawls

23 ( 17 ) SIDESHOW The Chanter Sisters

24 ( 16 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

25 ( 19 ) JEANS ON David Dundas

26 ( 33 ) HERE I GO AGAIN Twiggy

27 ( 34 ) THE BARGAIN STORE Dolly Parton

28 ( 24 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

29 ( 20 ) DR KISS KISS 5,000 Volts

30 ( 37 ) SATIN SHEETS The Bellamy Brothers

31 ( 21 ) MONKEES THEME The Monkees

32 ( 22 ) BEACH BABY First Class

33 ( 35 ) I CAN'T ASK FOR ANYMORE THAN YOU Cliff Richard

34 ( 40 ) THE LIQUIDATOR Harry J & The All Stars

35 ( 29 ) MISTY BLUE Dorothy Moore

36 ( 49 ) THE KILLING OF GEORGIE PART 1 Rod Stewart

37 ( 31 ) A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band

38 ( 28 ) CANADA Pilot

39 ( 30 ) PRIVATE NUMBER William Bell & Judy Clay

40 ( NEW ) NICE 'N' SLOW Jesse Green

41 ( 48 ) MORNING GLORY James & Bobby Purify

42 ( NEW ) IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN Neil Diamond

43 ( 43 ) HERE COMES THE WEEKEND Dave Edmunds

44 ( 45 ) A BUTTERFLY FOR BUCKY Bobby Goldsboro

45 ( NEW ) 16 BARS The Stylistics

46 ( NEW ) JAILBREAK Thin Lizzy

47 ( 38 ) SHAKE IT DOWN Mud

48 ( 32 ) JACKIE BLUE Ozark Mountain Daredevils

49 ( NEW ) THE LULLABY OF BROADWAY Winifred Shaw

50 ( RE ) IT'S SO NICE (TO HAVE YOU HOME) The New Seekers

THE BEATLES REISSUES CHART

1 ( 1 ) BACK IN THE U.S.S.R. The Beatles

2 ( 2 ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Beatles

3 ( RE ) ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE The Beatles

4 ( 4 ) YESTERDAY The Beatles

5 ( RE ) ELEANOR RIGBY The Beatles

24th August 1976

It's 2 weeks on top for ABBA, as The Bee Gees' become the first classic act to stall at 2 thanks to the mighty Scandinavians. The Chi-Lites get their highest chart position since the reissue of Have You Seen Her in 1975, and Elton John returns with his 1974 number one Bennie And The Jets at 8. The single was only a UK B side at the time to my disgust, but it was massive in the USA, so the record company thought they might as well try it for size in the UK 30 months late, and grabbed a minor hit for the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road track. Lou Rawls magnificent You'll Never Find climbs to 9.

Bryan Ferry revamps The Everly Brothers 1966 hit The Price Of Love on an EP, done Let's Stick Together stylee with good results, and new in at 21. At 33 Manfred Mann's Earthband finally follow-up Joybringer 3 years late, thanks to a Bruce Springsteen cover, Bruce having already charted for me with Born To Run. Blinded By The Light is a great track, and Manfred extends his chart run to 8 years, Fox On The Run topping my chart for the original band in January 1969.

Soul-funk star Johnny 'Guitar' Watson had a minor UK hit with I Need It, and one I bought on a 12" eventually, but it's been pretty scarce on radio play the last 50 years, new in at 43, one ahead of Jonathan King following up his Tavares hit cover with a chance cover of European smash Mississippi, from Dutch band Pussycat. JK often grabbed hits by being alert to European or American flops in the UK, but the bit of promo for this one will bring dividends. For Pussycat, a much better recording!

1 ( 1 ) DANCING QUEEN ABBA

2 ( 3 ) YOU SHOULD BE DANCING The Bee Gees

3 ( 2 ) AFTERNOON DELIGHT Starland Vocal Band

4 ( 8 ) YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO The Chi-Lites

5 ( 4 ) LET 'EM IN Wings

6 ( 6 ) MYSTERY SONG Status Quo

7 ( 5 ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

8 ( NEW ) BENNIE AND THE JETS Elton John

9 ( 22 ) YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE Lou Rawls

10 ( 7 ) HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL Tavares

11 ( 14 ) HOROSCOPE Harpo

12 ( 18 ) SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE (SHAKE YOUR BOOTY) KC & The Sunshine Band

13 ( 17 ) HERE COMES THE SUN Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

14 ( 9 ) IN ZAIRE Johnny Wakelin

15 ( 11 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Isley Brothers

16 ( 20 ) WHAT I'VE GOT IN MIND Billie-Jo Spears

17 ( 11 ) DAYDREAM BELIEVER The Monkees

18 ( 19 ) SILVER MOON Michael Nesmith & The First National Band

19 ( 15 ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

20 ( 16 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

21 ( NEW ) THE PRICE OF LOVE Bryan Ferry

22 ( 10 ) NOW IS THE TIME Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

23 ( 13 ) DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART Elton John & Kiki Dee

24 ( 26 ) HERE I GO AGAIN Twiggy

25 ( 36 ) THE KILLING OF GEORGIE PART 1 Rod Stewart

26 ( 27 ) THE BARGAIN STORE Dolly Parton

27 ( 40 ) NICE 'N' SLOW Jesse Green

28 ( 21 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

29 ( 24 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

30 ( 34 ) THE LIQUIDATOR Harry J & The All Stars

31 ( 28 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

32 ( 42 ) IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN Neil Diamond

33 ( NEW ) BLINDED BY THE LIGHT Manfred Mann's Earthband

34 ( 25 ) JEANS ON David Dundas

35 ( 33 ) I CAN'T ASK FOR ANYMORE THAN YOU Cliff Richard

36 ( 45 ) 16 BARS The Stylistics

37 ( 29 ) DR KISS KISS 5,000 Volts

38 ( 30 ) SATIN SHEETS The Bellamy Brothers

39 ( 49 ) THE LULLABY OF BROADWAY Winifred Shaw

40 ( 50 ) IT'S SO NICE (TO HAVE YOU HOME) The New Seekers

41 ( 23 ) SIDESHOW The Chanter Sisters

42 ( 31 ) MONKEES THEME The Monkees

43 ( NEW ) I NEED IT Johnny 'Guitar' Watson

44 ( NEW ) MISSISSIPPI Jonathan King

45 ( 32 ) BEACH BABY First Class

46 ( 46 ) JAILBREAK Thin Lizzy

47 ( 41 ) MORNING GLORY James & Bobby Purify

48 ( 37 ) A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band

49 ( 35 ) MISTY BLUE Dorothy Moore

50 ( 38 ) CANADA Pilot

THE BEATLES REISSUES CHART

In which Got To Get You Into My Life grabs a week on top before the chart ends... that's a record-breaking 12 for The Beatles, a total that wont be challenged until 1979....

1 ( 2 ) GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE The Beatles

2 ( RE ) LET IT BE The Beatles

3 ( RE ) THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO The Beatles

4 ( 4 ) YESTERDAY The Beatles

5 ( RE ) GET BACK The Beatles featuring Billy Preston

Nothing to do with the music, but I just found my mis-placed first-ever diary for 1976 while looking for some photos.

So what did this 18-year-old make of living at RAF Swinderby in Lincolnshire and doing A Levels in suburban Lincoln (my 3rd time living there, as it turns out, as the closest RAF station to hometown Mansfield)?

Hobbies: buying records, taping songs off the radio, TV, cinema, keeping tropical fish, goldfish, indoor budgie 4 years old by now and ourdoors budgies breeding away in a larger cage. They enjoyed flying off when the cage front fell off one day. Using indoor Budgie (his name based on Adam Faith's TV character) I somehow managed to get them all back using him and food as an attraction, helped by the woodland and rural isolation. Bar one younger one. I loved animals from being a kid, still do but dont keep them any more in these more enlightened times.

27th Dec 1975, I had my first driving lesson on Swinderby airfield, with my grandma in the back seat with her dog, and dad the front. At least it's very very hard to crash a car on an airfield runway!

3rd Jan 1976. I officially got the power of the vote. Sadly nothing to vote on for a few years.

6th Jan: Back to school. 7th Jan all my newly-born baby guppies eaten overnight (they don't do external eggs, guppies). Fish have no respect for babies, it's a fish eat fish world. A floating incubator would turn out to be the solution for very pregnant females, and they got some rest from the sex-pest males who never let up.

20th Jan: Bohemian Rhapsody gets its 9th week on top. Yes it was very much worth noting in a diary!

26th Jan: brought some of my silk-screen Singapore-based artwork home. Still have them framed.

27th Jan: Mamma Mia number one. Yes it was worth noting in a diary to this mad-on-ABBA fan.

I'll save any further excitement for a bit, wouldnt want to over-do it all in one go....

The only song I know from Peter Frampton is the obvious one that was covered by Big Mountain. The singing style is a bit reggae/soul originally so it fitted well.

Tavares and Dr Hook soul songs are very nice and Steve Harley with a cover of Here Comes The Sun for the hot dry summer.

Demis Roussos proving 50s style crooning wasn't dead yet with a nice song.

Blinded By The Light a 70s rock classic that has an often misheard lyric in the chorus!

On 25/08/2026 at 15:20, TheSnake said:

The only song I know from Peter Frampton is the obvious one that was covered by Big Mountain. The singing style is a bit reggae/soul originally so it fitted well.

Tavares and Dr Hook soul songs are very nice and Steve Harley with a cover of Here Comes The Sun for the hot dry summer.

Demis Roussos proving 50s style crooning wasn't dead yet with a nice song.

Blinded By The Light a 70s rock classic that has an often misheard lyric in the chorus!

Thanks for commenting Snakey! I prefer Frampton's 60's hits as very young singer with The Herd but he was huge in '76 in the USA! I prefer the reggae cover to the original Baby I Love Your Way. That misheard lyric Blinded By The Light ooh I'm not sure what that is, though a lot of the references were for things I didnt know like Calliope, deuce (which I assumed was like little deuce coupe the song). I just googled and it seems deuce misheard as douche. Oops! 😄

31st August 1976

It's 3 easy weeks on top for ABBA as The Chi-Lites reach a career high at 2 with their disco delight, You Don't Have To Go remains fab. Wings at 3 is the highest Macca slot since Band On The Run hit the top 2 years ago. Highest new entry is from The Mama's & The Papas, I'd bought their hits albums in 1974 and was massive on them, so a double-A re-issue of two hits gave me an excuse to chart them for the first time, 2 years after Mama Cass had died and topped my charts after appearing in my very first 1968 chart with Dream A Little Dream: 1966's Monday Monday is in at 8 and Creque Alley, the 1967 story of their music life, in at 19.

Another re-issue, this time of 3 tracks, brings Nilsson back into the chart at 18 only 4 years after Without You peaked at 2, and Kiki Dee pushes old album track Loving And Free along with Amoureuse and Music In Me. The lead track got the airplay but not with me - in at 25, and 43, a mere 2 and 3 years on from charting. An actual new track enters at 18 for Tina Charles on her 3rd solo hit Dance Little Lady Dance, not quite in the same league as 5,000 Volts' I'm On Fire nor I Love To Love.

Doin De Jale was an unusual instrumental hit for Gheorghe Zamfir, a Romania pan flute folk player. His recording of the Romanian funeral song became known as the theme tune to a religious TV programme and gave him an albums-selling career. It's still quite nice. In at 37, 2 higher than experimental prog-rockers Can having a synth disco moment in the chanty I Want More, one can't accuse the charts of being samey. At 40 Len Barry's fab 1966 hit 1, 2, 3 remained a fave of mine a decade later on re-issue, taking me back to my childhood despite not owning a copy until the 80's.

Barry White keeps the hits going with Baby We'd Better Try not quite up par on previous 1976 hits, more of the same by and large at 42, with Peter Frampton's follow-up Baby I Love Your Way getting him a second chart hit, but not as eye-catching as Show Me The Way at the time, though it turned out to be his most popular song by far, with hit covers to follow in later decades. Running out songs and ideas, the Bay City Rollers decide to cover a Dusty Springfield classic from 1963, with zero hope of being anything like as worthy, but at least I Only Want To Be With You got a new generation's attention until a better cover comes along in 1979. That leaves Andy Fairweather-Low with a 3rd solo entry, covering Cliff's Travelling Light at 50. As with Peter Frampton I prefer his 60's pop hits, this time with Amen Corner.

So what was in the diary for the week-ending 31st August for teenage me? "Ask Aspel" showed a clip of Nowhere Man from the Yellow Submarine film, which got me excited enough to note it! The Beatles! On telly later in the week, US cop show Police Woman, Top Of The Pops with Manfred Mann's Earthband, Can, Chi-Lites and others, US cop show McMillan & Wife with my fave Susan Saint James starring with Rock Hudson, Space 1999, childhood fave Chitty Chitty Bang Bang film, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines comedy film with a great cast, and an ABBA TV special with I Do I Do, Mamma Mia and So Long on it. Planet Of The Apes and Starsky & Hutch were weekend TV shows.

In my life? My dad was on guard duty on camp Thursday, we went to Liverpool on Friday to stay with grandma & her partner, including taking the budgie! I bought 8 DC comics in the newagents, went into town with mum shopping at iconic local store TJ Hughes on Saturday. Jack and grandma gave me some spending money, and I was given some letters with exotic butterfly prints on them that mum sent from Singapore in 1970. They also gave me back my framed bamboo-weaving scene of Pulau Blakang Mati that I bought as a present on a school trip around Singapore harbour (I'm looking at it on the wall right now). The historic island is better known as Sentosa these days, but I was there long before it was a Theme Park, monorail and luxury hotel resort! I remember a fishing village with houses on sticks over the sea selling tourist stuff. Then back home on Sunday for my Aunty's birthday - they lived across the road as she'd married my dad's mate and were also stationed at RAF Swinderby. I babysat for my pre-school cousins while they went out in the evening, and we all went to Alton Towers on the Bank Holiday Monday.

I'd call that a busy week, so no change there then 50 years on.

1 ( 1 ) DANCING QUEEN ABBA

2 ( 4 ) YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO The Chi-Lites

3 ( 5 ) LET 'EM IN Wings

4 ( 3 ) AFTERNOON DELIGHT Starland Vocal Band

5 ( 2 ) YOU SHOULD BE DANCING The Bee Gees

6 ( 9 ) YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE Lou Rawls

7 ( 8 ) BENNIE AND THE JETS Elton John

8 ( NEW ) MONDAY MONDAY The Mamas & The Papas

9 ( 11 ) HOROSCOPE Harpo

10 ( 7 ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

11 ( 6 ) MYSTERY SONG Status Quo

12 ( 10 ) HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL Tavares

13 ( 13 ) HERE COMES THE SUN Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

14 ( 21 ) THE PRICE OF LOVE Bryan Ferry

15 ( 24 ) HERE I GO AGAIN Twiggy

16 ( 14 ) IN ZAIRE Johnny Wakelin

17 ( 25 ) THE KILLING OF GEORGIE PART 1 Rod Stewart

18 ( NEW ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson

19 ( NEW ) CREQUE ALLEY The Mamas & The Papas

20 ( 33 ) BLINDED BY THE LIGHT Manfred Mann's Earthband

21 ( 15 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Isley Brothers

22 ( 27 ) NICE 'N' SLOW Jesse Green

23 ( 16 ) WHAT I'VE GOT IN MIND Billie-Jo Spears

24 ( 17 ) DAYDREAM BELIEVER The Monkees

25 ( NEW ) AMOUREUSE Kiki Dee

26 ( 12 ) SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE (SHAKE YOUR BOOTY) KC & The Sunshine Band

27 ( NEW ) DANCE LITTLE LADY DANCE Tina Charles

28 ( 35 ) I CAN'T ASK FOR ANYMORE THAN YOU Cliff Richard

29 ( 19 ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

30 ( 20 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

31 ( 40 ) IT'S SO NICE (TO HAVE YOU HOME) The New Seekers

32 ( 23 ) DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART Elton John & Kiki Dee

33 ( 43 ) I NEED IT Johnny 'Guitar' Watson

34 ( 29 ) MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT Starbuck

35 ( 22 ) NOW IS THE TIME Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

36 ( 28 ) IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE 100 Ton & A Feather aka Jonathan King

37 ( NEW ) DOINA DE JALE Gheorghe Zamfir

38 ( 32 ) IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN Neil Diamond

39 ( NEW ) I WANT MORE Can

40 ( NEW ) 1, 2, 3 Len Barry

41 ( 31 ) YOUNG HEARTS RUN FREE Candi Staton

42 ( NEW ) BABY WE'D BETTER TRY TO GET TOGETHER Barry White

43 ( NEW ) (I'VE GOT THE) MUSIC IN ME The Kiki Dee Band

44 ( 44 ) MISSISSIPPI Jonathan King

45 ( 34 ) JEANS ON David Dundas

46 ( NEW ) BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY Peter Frampton

47 ( 26 ) THE BARGAIN STORE Dolly Parton

48 ( 36 ) 16 BARS The Stylistics

49 ( NEW ) I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU Bay City Rollers

50 ( NEW ) TRAVELLING LIGHT Andy Fairweather-Low

7th September 1976

It's back to school (A levels 2nd year) for me, and Dancing Queen not shifting any time soon on a fourth week on top. Lou Rawls deservedly goes top 3 with his classy soul shuffler, what a vocal. Monday Monday gives Mama Cass a third top 5, and Blinded By The Light gives Bruce Springsteen a first top 10 song, and Manfred's first top 10 since Joybringer 3 years back, and his 4th in total since Fox On The Run hit the top spot in late 1968. Bryan Ferry makes it a 4th solo top 10 or 10th including Roxy Music hits. The Price Of Love makes it the first Everly Brothers cover to go top 10 since Glen Campbell & Bobbie Gentry's All I Have To Do Is Dream in 1969.

New in at 21, Dutch band Pussycat debut Mississippi at the expense of Jonathan King's cover which is booted out now the real thing was taking off, a good country-ish singalong. In at 31, Bay City Rollers get some plus points from me for covering an early fave Dusty Springfield classic, though the novelty will wear off quickly, but it did extend their run to 5 years. Meanwhile the charting veteran Beach Boys have a new single in at 36. It's OK. It really is.

Hot Chocolate seem to be struggling with inspiration since the departure of Tony Wilson, but still getting hits in the wake of You Sexy Thing with Heaven Is In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac an otherwise pedestrian funk workout in at 38. Not to worry, helpful songwriters will be along shortly to right things a bit. Tommy Hunt debuts at 39, Loving On The Losing Side, one I havent heard in 50 years as I never managed to tape it or buy it, it's a pretty good Northern Soul club song from the USA via Wigan. Nice to hear it again.

Down the bottom end is a plethora of newies: Mr Acker Bilk gets a chart hit from me for his Aria, another one never played on radio, and sort of nice to see him have a hit after his classic Stranger On The Shore was still well known in those days 15 years on. It's not quite as great as that one, but it's nice. New at 42, ahead of The Ritchie Family at 44, celebrating discos Euro-stylee, and a bit of fun - though their best record will be in 1979 and a non-UK Euro-smash American Generation.

US DJ Rick Dees takes the piss out of disco, meanwhile, featuring a duck sounding suspiciously like both the baby duck from Tom & Jerry cartoons, and Hannah-Barbera's Yakky Doodle. The latter now totally forgotten, but kids loved his double act with Chopper. That's a dog. I think 70's record buyers were already programmed to go "aaawww" when hearing that voice, explaining how it became a hit. At 47 The Lonely Ranger sneaks for Silver Pony. It wasn't a hit and I'd totally forgotten it, but it's quite quirky for the time - The Lone Ranger TV Theme (aka Rossini's William Tell Overture) done synth-stylee with the odd vocal snippet from the show like "Hi Ho Silver, Away" before opting for some breathy, naughty bits from a random lady pretending to be Tonto. The Lone Ranger runs off, obviously not his thing. Jolly and a novelty. Not as good as Quantum Jump's Lone Ranger though, which came out first.

Henry Gross' US hit Shannon, slips pleasantly in at 48 for US radio fodder support from me, if not the actual UK charts, Linda Ronstadt is back again with That'll Be The Day this time, a standard Crickets and Buddy Holly cover, in at 49, and at 50 it's War with a 3rd chart entry in Summer. Not heard that in 50 years either. It's a bit Low Rider-ish, but slower. And more laid back. And an Up On The Roof vibe. Nice though.

1 ( 1 ) DANCING QUEEN ABBA

2 ( 2 ) YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO The Chi-Lites

3 ( 6 ) YOU'LL NEVER FIND ANOTHER LOVE LIKE MINE Lou Rawls

4 ( 4 ) AFTERNOON DELIGHT Starland Vocal Band

5 ( 8 ) MONDAY MONDAY The Mamas & The Papas

6 ( 20 ) BLINDED BY THE LIGHT Manfred Mann's Earthband

7 ( 7 ) BENNIE AND THE JETS Elton John

8 ( 14 ) THE PRICE OF LOVE Bryan Ferry

9 ( 3 ) LET 'EM IN Wings

10 ( 5 ) YOU SHOULD BE DANCING The Bee Gees

11 ( 18 ) WITHOUT YOU Nilsson

12 ( 19 ) CREQUE ALLEY The Mamas & The Papas

13 ( 15 ) HERE I GO AGAIN Twiggy

14 ( 22 ) NICE 'N' SLOW Jesse Green

15 ( 10 ) A LITTLE BIT MORE Dr. Hook

16 ( 12 ) HEAVEN MUST BE MISSING AN ANGEL Tavares

17 ( 11 ) MYSTERY SONG Status Quo

18 ( 27 ) DANCE LITTLE LADY DANCE Tina Charles

19 ( 9 ) HOROSCOPE Harpo

20 ( 25 ) AMOUREUSE Kiki Dee

21 ( NEW ) MISSISSIPPI Pussycat

22 ( 39 ) I WANT MORE Can

23 ( 23 ) WHAT I'VE GOT IN MIND Billie-Jo Spears

24 ( 28 ) I CAN'T ASK FOR ANYMORE THAN YOU Cliff Richard

25 ( 40 ) 1, 2, 3 Len Barry

26 ( 46 ) BABY I LOVE YOUR WAY Peter Frampton

27 ( 13 ) HERE COMES THE SUN Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

28 ( 33 ) I NEED IT Johnny 'Guitar' Watson

29 ( 16 ) IN ZAIRE Johnny Wakelin

30 ( 37 ) DOINA DE JALE Gheorghe Zamfir

31 ( NEW ) I ONLY WANT TO BE WITH YOU Bay City Rollers

32 ( 24 ) DAYDREAM BELIEVER The Monkees

33 ( 17 ) THE KILLING OF GEORGIE PART 1 Rod Stewart

34 ( 29 ) WOULDN'T IT BE NICE The Beach Boys

35 ( 30 ) GOOD VIBRATIONS The Beach Boys

36 ( NEW ) IT'S O.K. the Beach Boys

37 ( 42 ) BABY WE'D BETTER TRY TO GET TOGETHER Barry White

38 ( NEW ) HEAVEN IS IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY CADILLAC Hot Chocolate

39 ( NEW ) LOVING ON THE LOSING SIDE Tommy Hunt

40 ( 43 ) (I'VE GOT THE) MUSIC IN ME The Kiki Dee Band

41 ( 26 ) SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE (SHAKE YOUR BOOTY) KC & The Sunshine Band

42 ( NEW ) ARIA Acker Bilk

43 ( 21 ) HARVEST FOR THE WORLD The Isley Brothers

44 ( NEW ) BEST DISCO IN TOWN The Ritchie Family

45 ( NEW ) DISCO DUCK Rick Dees & His cast Of Idiots

46 ( 32 ) DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART Elton John & Kiki Dee

47 ( NEW ) THE LONELY RANGER Silver Pony

48 ( NEW ) SHANNON Henry Gross

49 ( NEW ) THAT'LL BE THE DAY Linda Ronstadt

50 ( NEW ) SUMMER War

Do you agree that Dancing Queen is a bit overrated and overplayed now John? Easily their best-known song though but despite it being a US No.1 surprisingly Fernando outsold it worldwide in the 70's. As I've said in the best-sellers thread I prefer Super Trouper, Fernando, Lay All Your Love On Me, and album tracks As Good As New, The Piper and That's Me. Any wedding disco these days and they'll play DQ though.

Loved the Twiggy track in Autumn 76 but my fave of 76 is coming up, Pussycat.

Edited September 6Sep 6 by CRAZY CHRIS