Every UK #1 Single Of 1974 Discussion Thread

"Dirty Ol' Man" had two U.S. single releases, each with a different B side. First:

And then . . .

 

A good Gamble & Huff composition. Amazing how they have written well over 100 chart hits on Billboard.

 

Love Me for a Reason is a song by Johnny Bristol covered by The Osmonds, and released in 1974. Twenty years later, Boyzone covered the song. Both versions were successful, reaching the top ten of the charts in many countries.

The original version by Johnny Bristol, from his 1974 album Hang On In There Baby, was released as a single on MGM in 1974, but Love Me for a Reason quickly became associated with another MGM act, The Osmonds. It was their last top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, reaching #10; it peaked at #2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. In the UK Singles Chart it fared even better, spending three weeks at the top in August 1974. There was a lovers rock version of the song issued on Trojan records in 1976, credited to the Fabulous Five Inc (aka Fab Five Inc), that scored well in Jamaica and in the United Kingdom.



The B-Side from the Austrian single, showing the tradional blue / yellow MGM label.



The Yugoslavian sleeve.



The Dutch sleeve.

 

It’s not even that Fever...

 

The Osmonds at number one and two. Deep joy.

 

The U.S. labels (unlike in other "territories," there was no known picture sleeve):


As for that other Osmonds' single that was burning up the charts:

 

From this batch of stuff, the UK singles (US copies of course) in my collection are #3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 20 (which owes its elongated title to the recently charted Bad Company "Can't Get Enough"), 21 - 25, 28 (which on A&M in the States was Mr. Stevens' last big hit - and which I prefer to Sam Cooke's original), 29, 32, 34, 36, 39, 41, 44, 47 and 50; of the LP's, #7, 12, 16, 19, 21, 23, 29, 30, 42 and 48; the US single charts' listings of mine include #1 - 4, 6 - 12, 15, 19, 20, 22, 25, 27, 28, 34 - 36, 39, 41, 42, 44, 45, 49 and 50; and the LP's from the States' charts, #4, 6, 7, 36, 44 and 45.

 

Although the positions in the charts look good here, this was actually the start of the end for the Osmonds. Their last album, The Plan, had flopped in America and like their previous LP Crazy Horses, it was entirely self-written by the group. This meant when putting together the Love Me For A Reason album, in an effort to reverse their chart slide outside material was mostly used. As soul and R&B were big as the time, a batch of dreary funk and erm, soul numbers were chosen. Trust me, the title track is a masterpiece compared to the rest of the album. The Osmonds were many things. Funky was not one of them. The second single from the album, Having A Party, performed poorly and there was nothing else commercial enough to salvage the LP. You could hardly call the cover a slam dunk either...





Donny & Marie were faring well as a duo. So well, in fact, that they were offered their own US TV series. The ran for 3 years and was initially successful but had an unfortunate side effect... It killed their record sales. Who’s going to buy your albums and singles when they can watch you on TV for free every week?


Back to Love Me For A Reason, I do quite like it. It was the group’s biggest UK hit and is probably their last single to be remembered. Here at least.

 

The UK album chart is chockablock with classics.

 

The Osmond's - Love Me For A Reason
Certainly not a buyer as a 11 year old, I kinda like it these days.
4/5

 

Sparks, Amateur Hour and the Glitter Bands, Just For You were snapped up.
Love both.

 

Now we are starting to see some dross in the charts... Peters and Lee still in the charts, The Osmonds two soppy hits (where did all the good times for the Osmonds go? see the pun in my question), Sylvia's Que Viva Espana (which was a Belgian song, not a Swedish nor Spanish) or Paper Lace's last hit (well, I like it...)

But otherwise, we see the change in the charts: two unexpected number ones coming up - a novelty record about the craze and a country song by a one-hit-wonder -, a sweet soul hit by Johnny Bristol, disco-dance by KC, Bryan Ferry's latest single in his latest cover album, The Commodore's synthetizer single (later in the year we will see the European counterpart), a guilty pleasure by Brian Protheroe, Kiki Dee's second hit and soul by Don Covay.

All in all, something is changing. For the best? For the worst? Well, I'm inclined to say the latter.

 

I really ought to remember this really well at the time, because it was the last number one of the summer holiday, and still number one when I started the new, big school ten miles away at the end of a coach trip.

I'm sorry @Bobby Morrow, but I've only got vague memories of The Osmonds, and unlike the next number one, which my new best mate bought and I borrowed, I simply wasn't exposed to it. I guess I spent my last few weeks of freedom and the last of the longer light nights, outside.

 

I seem to recall the Osmonds did a show on BBC1 every night for a week around this time. May have been a little later in the year.

This will be the last time we have to mention the Osmonds. No matter what year we do next.

 

The Osmonds downfall was swift, quick and painless. After that number one, they had a small hit with the cover of HB Barnum's Having A Party (number 29). Later, they had their last hit with The Proud One (a quite touchy song) peaking in the Top 5. In 1976, they had two minor hits with I'm Still Gonna Need You (32) and I Can't Live A Dream (37, I think they were now with Polydor).

Donny And Marie Osmond still had some hits: Donny solo with Where Did All The Good Times Go (number 18 in late 74), and together with Morning Side Of The Mountain (There was a girl.... there was a boy...) peaking at number 5 and Make The World Go Away (number 18 in mid 75). Oh, and don't forget Deep Purple, their last hit in 76.

Causes for the downfall? The fanbase grew older, and started to have new idols. That links us to a concert they had, with Hello (which will be looking later in the series) as opening act. Legend says that Bob Bradbury's band had such an amazing show that they were thrown out immediately.

 

Hmm...do I detect a faint whiff of the Isley Bros. there? Ooo, I think I do!

 

Always liked this version of 'Love Me For A Reason' best.



Darryl

 

Love Me For A Reason - never heard it before so I played the video above. Got through the first verse and chorus and decided I didn't need to hear the rest of it. Unless it has a killer bridge, I have no use for this track.

 

I also used to have sleeves from...

Germany



Belgium



Darryl

 

I have no problem mentioning the Osmonds, and consider them musical prodigies in comparison with Boyzone. I'm really at a loss as to why I don't remember them better, as television wise they were hardly low profile in the UK.

 

It is an excellent chart and I totally agree.

What surprises me about these years and album charts, is that I often now own more from 1971/72 than I do '74 and '78.

 

A famous book suggested 1971 was the Annus Miraballis for pop/ rock album music, personally I'd put 1972 on an equal footing.