Every UK #1 Single Of 1973 Discussion Thread

I’m posting another chart for Slade’s final week at number one. I love Record Mirror’s take on the #31 album... Was it some sort of special edition?



The highest new entry in the singles chart was praised in Record Mirror a few weeks before. I know you all love it.

 

Yes, I saw it (and the sequel Stardust) in the cinema. I wouldn't mind seeing them again.

 

Amazon have a DVD that includes both films for a tenner.

 

Thanks Bobby. I'm on it!

 

Think I need to get the That'll Be The Day / Stardust DVD!

I also looked at the track listing, and it looks an outstanding album.

Edit. Looks like everyone else has been looking this up too!!

 

Tubular Belts. LOL.

Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me is a good song, but it seems Slade was following a pattern. This comes from someone totally unfamiliar with their stuff. The harsh vocals kind of put me off this one.

With the obvious typo for Mike Oldfield's debut, was Slade making fun of Record Mirror's lack of editing skills with the unique spellings of their titles?

 

Noddy's vocals on Skeeze Me could strip the paint off a wall. I always skip it on the Slade Hits CD.

 

In That'll Be the Day David Essex plays one of the most despicable characters in British film history (the 'happy ending' is him running out on his pregnant girlfriend) and yet he's the hero of the piece. Both it and Stardust are five star classics.

 

Somehow I've managed to avoid watching both in the last 40+ years!

I remember from a previous thread about the David Essex double DVD being discussed, probably by @Bobby Morrow so had gone off to eBay to check on pricing only to find Bobby and @Purple Jim had already mentioned the twin-set!

I had a very quick look for the film soundtrack, but couldn't immediately see a CD version that replicates the original 40 track Ronco album, that was heading the LP charts.

By the way, you've done the Cupid Stunt trick of telling everyone the plot!




All done in the best possible taste!

 

I don't skip it, and do like the verses, but especially on Wall Of Hits, the chorus may be responsible for many people now suffering Tinnitus.

 

I must be so unlucky with my purchases, I don't have See My Baby Die or Tubular Belts!

From memory, Record Mirror did have a number of typos on the charts listings.

 

There's a lot more plot than that.

The Australian soundtrack to Stardust ( on HMV) had a slightly different track listing. You need both.

 

Skweeze Me Pleeze Me - A good Slade blaster.

 

Apparently Skweeze Me Pleeze Me was a demo and released in its unfinished state to buy time after Don's car crash, hence the less polished feel of the song.
@12stringbassist is the Slade expert on the forums and runs a Slade fan site. He posted this somewhere but I cant find it. He will surely pop up in this thread given its Slade's big year.

 

It shall be Tubular Belts forever now for me.

Aside from that, pretty good chart. Was that the Oldfield album’s debut week? It would be around the time The Exorcist opened so it might have gotten a boost from that...

 

It does lack something by Slade standards, but the group were so big at this point they could have released an album of nursery rhymes and it would have gone to number one..

It must have been a big shock to them when My Friend Stan didn’t go to #1..

 

It was me. I’ve certainly recommended that DVD before..

I keep waiting for the films to come on Film 4 or something, but no joy yet...

 

Well I had no sympathy for them. At least they knew how Marc Bolan must have felt when Children Of The Revolution only reached no 2

 

Yes me too, they are both fantastic films but are never shown.

 

As good as any in their golden run from Back Ome to Merry Xmas.

 

Sorry to say but I've always thought Stan and Look what u Dun to have been very odd choices for release as singles. Second raters, at best.

 

No sympathy from me either.

Stan and Gudbuy to Jane were many rungs below Ride A White Swan, Jeepster, COTR and Solid Gold Easy Action.

 

Looking at this chart I see I only owned one single from it. I told you times were tight in our household. It’s especially cruel as I could have happily bought at least half of that top 50... And that’s not nostalgia speaking either...

The single I had was (naturally) Going Home by the Osmonds. It was a good song, but far from the best that week. My mum tried to talk me out of having it with the logical approach all kids hate. She knew the Osmonds’ new album (The Plan) was due anytime and that I’d be pesting for that (I did).

Mum: Why have this single? Won’t it be on the new album?

Me: I don’t know (a lie). Perhaps it won’t be.

Mum: It just seems a waste...Why have a single that has 2 tracks that will be on the album that’s out in a couple of weeks?! Just pick another one from the chart!

Me: I want this one! Can I have it or not?!



My mum and dad, never the biggest pop fans, were beginning to thaw a little, though. With me constantly switching on Radio 1 and forcing them to watch Top Of The Pops, something had to give. My mum bought herself Walking In The Rain by the Partridge Family and my dad had Yesterday Once More by the Carpenters. I still remember the A&M label and sleeve! At the time, these wouldn’t have been my choices, but I had so few records of my own I played their singles constantly too.

 

Skweeze Me Pleeze Me / Kill 'Em At The Hot Club Tonite
I like it, it's a solid stomper. If I remember right the band weren't too crazy about the song. Maybe it was one of those things you just put together quickly and it becomes an unexpected success. Of course there's too much of the chorus which wears you out. I like the verse part better. This kind of a song is better a single than on an album. The B-side is tasty! It has a western swing vibe. Is it Jim on the fiddle?

 

They'd come a long way, baby