Every UK #1 Single Of 1974 Discussion Thread

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Randoms, Jul 10, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Remington Steele

    Remington Steele Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saint George, Utah
    Brother Louie via the Stories version might be the most recognized Errol Brown song, though.
     
    Randoms and sunspot42 like this.
  2. Remington Steele

    Remington Steele Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saint George, Utah
    This Billboard #1 might be the most popular song originally done by Hot Chocolate:
     
    Randoms and sunspot42 like this.
  3. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    The dry spell continues for me as I only had 2 singles from that chart. I liked loads of them so God knows what was happening... The 2 I had were Donny & Marie (natch) and dear old Barry Blue.
     
    Randoms likes this.
  4. Remington Steele

    Remington Steele Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saint George, Utah
    According to the chart history, Dark Lady by Cher did not score much in the UK top 40 but actually made #1 over here as Cher is known to be as much of a 70s hitmaker in America as she is for the 60s, 80s and 90s.
     
    Randoms and Bobby Morrow like this.
  5. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    Cher had a massive dry spell in the UK after Dark Lady (#36). She didn’t have another hit until I Found Someone 13 years later..
     
  6. Remington Steele

    Remington Steele Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saint George, Utah
    From her film career visibility and touring, she seemed to be big in most corners of the world by the end of the 80s.
     
    Randoms and Bobby Morrow like this.
  7. MisterPleasant

    MisterPleasant Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    The Six Teens is such an incredible song. Hard to believe it is a Chinn and Chapman composition. Don’t get me wrong - I love many of their songs- but this one has a much more serious lyric and the music of the verses sounds more like something off of “The Man Who Sold The World” than Co-Co or Little Willie. Amazing guitar work from Andy Scott.
     
    Yam Graham, Randoms and Bobby Morrow like this.
  8. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    She’s endured very well too. She’s a much bigger star in her seventies than many of her contemporaries who sold far more records than her in the 7os. If you know what I mean.:D
     
    Randoms and sunspot42 like this.
  9. sunspot42

    sunspot42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco
    That was a fantastic cover - I think it tops the original, and Hot Chocolate were really talented so that's saying something.
     
  10. Bobby Morrow

    Bobby Morrow Senior Member

    I played the album it’s from (Desolation Boulevard) today for the first time. I was doing well until I got to The Man With The Golden Arm which is basically an 8 minute drum solo. WTF?!
     
  11. MisterPleasant

    MisterPleasant Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I love these UK #1 threads. It really works out better to break them out by year. The US thread is just too unwieldy, and the constant sniping is off putting so I rarely contribute. Most everyone here is polite and I enjoy reading from those of you who were record buyers back in the 70s.
     
    goodiesguy, duggan, bob60 and 4 others like this.
  12. MisterPleasant

    MisterPleasant Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Yeah that is a real head scratcher! But it gets back on track with the Stone-ish version of Fox On The Run. I love both versions. And if you have the 2005 remaster then you also have some great A and B sides plus the US-only I Wanna Be Committed.
     
    Bobby Morrow and Randoms like this.
  13. MisterPleasant

    MisterPleasant Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Amateur Hour on the way up! Leave it to Sparks to have a hit with a song about shagging for the first time.
     
  14. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    I have never heard that cover before: it is excellent, thank you!
     
    sunspot42 and Bobby Morrow like this.
  15. HoratioH

    HoratioH Talk Sparks to me

    I have Your Baby Ain't Your Baby Anymore by Paul da Vinci. He had a great voice, but management really screwed him over by splitting him from the Rubettes. He had that one hit then faded into obscurity, while the Rubettes kept on making hits for a little while longer.

    I will never forgive the Rubettes. I think you can guess why.
     
    Randoms likes this.
  16. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Of this lot, the 45's I'd have are #1 - 3, 6, 9, 12, 22 and 24.
     
    Randoms likes this.
  17. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    Two for me also from that chart, and they are sitting next to each other. Sylvia (Vrethammar) - [it was in brackets on the single], with that holiday anthem, Y Viva España, and Cozy Powell, Na Na Na.

    A call out for two great songs. As @MisterPleasant mentioned the fantastic Sparks with Amateur Hour and Mr. Soft by Cockney Rebel.
     
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2018
    Bobby Morrow and MisterPleasant like this.
  18. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    A good way to put it, on balance . . .
     
    Randoms and Bobby Morrow like this.
  19. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    Hi @HoratioH as far as I know, Paul da Vinci was never in Rubettes in this era, and in fact when Sugar Baby Love was recorded, there was no Rubettes.

    Paul did perform with Rubettes featuring Bill Hurd (the Rubettes keyboard player) between 2000-2006, when there was also Rubettes featuring Alan Williams, who as we all know mimed Sugar Baby Love on TOTPs.

    Back in this era, it was not at all unusual for the "band" to not play on their own records, as recording time was so expensive and precious, and basically Pop music was considered disposable. It is not that the band couldn't play, but session musicians could probably play it at least as well, but in quarter of the time - there are many fabulous, and well known session musicians.

    One story I heard fron the great man himself, was from from Clem Cattini, who certainly at one stage, the former Tornado of Telstar fame, had played on more number one singles than any other musician. Some here may suprise people. @bob60 take a look at 23, 26 and 29. Many more feature in this '70's series of threads, including some horrors!!

    Clem Cattini is a legend in drumming terms. He has appeared on these 42 number one hit singles

    1/ "Shaking All Over" Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, 2/ "Well I Ask You" Eden Kane, 3/ "Come Outside" Mike Sarne, 4/ "Telstar" The Tornados, 5/ "Diane" The Bachelors, 6/ "Make It Easy On Yourself" The Walker Brothers, 7/ "Tears" Ken Dodd, 8/ "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" The Walker Brothers, 9/ "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" Dusty Springfield, 10/ "Out Of Time" Chris Farlowe, 11/ "Green Green Grass Of Home" Tom Jones, 12/ "Release Me" Engelbert Humperdinck, 13/ "The Last Waltz" Engelbert Humperdinck, 14/ "Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde" Georgie Fame, 15/ "Everlasting Love" The Love Affair, 16/ "Cinderella Rockefella" Esther & Abi Ofarim, 17/ "I Pretend" Des O'Connor, 18/ "Where Do You Go To My Lovely" Peter Sarstedt, 19/ "Something In The Air" Thunderclap Newman, 20/ "Two Little Boys" Rolf Harris, 21/ "Love Grows" Edison Lighthouse, 22/ "Yellow River" Christie, 23/ "Hot Love" T. Rex, 24/ "Grandad" Clive Dunn, 25/ "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" Middle Of The Road, 26/ "Get It On" T. Rex, 27/ "Ernie" Benny Hill, 28/ "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" New Seekers, 29/ "Telegram Sam" T.Rex, 30/ "Son Of My Father" Chicory Tip, 31/ "Welcome Home" Peters & Lee, 32/ "Jealous Mind" Alvin Stardust, 33/ "When Will I See You Again" Three Degrees, 34/ "Whispering Grass" Windsor Davies & Don Estelle, 35/ "Give A Little Love" Bay City Rollers, 36/ "Barbados" Typically Tropical, 37/ "No Charge" J.J Barrie, 38/ "So You Win Again" Hot Chocolate, 39/ "Angelo" Brotherhood Of Man, 40/ "Figaro" Brotherhood Of Man, 41/ "Save Your Love" Renee & Renato, 42/ "(Is This The Way To) Amarillo" Tony Christie ft Peter Kaye.

    He also played on The Wombles, alongside session guitarist supreme, Chris (Motor Bikin') Spedding, and 100's of recordings which didn't reach number one.

    Clem said, and I paraphase, "If I had known that they would still be playing those records 30 years later, I would have played better!"

    Anyway, back to Paul da Vinci, as far as I had read from Wiki, he was the only one of the session musicians to have been offered a recording contract, with Penny Farthing records, so he didn't want to join a made up band, who may not have been successful, in this case, Rubettes.

    If you know different to this, please share with us first, and then Wiki!
     
    Bobby Morrow likes this.
  20. Mulderre

    Mulderre 60s and 70s Music Lover

    Ugh, a lot of stinkers in there. Starting from that abomination called Cinderella Rockefella or Grandad. It seems that, from 1974 onwards, he specialized in the odd one hit wonder or MOR pop. Which is a shame, because changing from T. Rex to.. Renée and Renato is a huuuge change.
     
    Randoms likes this.
  21. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    He was a session musician, so to pay the bills: you play on what you are told to play on. Some of the horrible lyrics would not have been laid down when the backing tracks were laid down. :D

    My drum tutor, who became a good friend, was friends with, and a massive admirer of Clem, and when he wrote his first drum book, got Clem to write one of those little credits. If it hadn't been for that, I would have been far more ignorant of Clem's amazing recording legacy.

    Remember that list is only the number one singles.
     
    sunspot42 and Bobby Morrow like this.
  22. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense Thread Starter

    Location:
    UK
    But from a drumming perspective, T.Rex songs are about as basic as you can get: a tightly arranged pop song can be far more fun to play.

    Obviously with a few exceptions, and even then there are no guarantees, you have no idea what is going to become massive. I've no idea how many epic fails and albums, both hits and misses he also played on; though I would suggest it is many!
     
    Bobby Morrow likes this.
  23. RudolphS

    RudolphS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rio de Janeiro
    Rock Your Baby, nice one. But this song also marked a change in american R&B. Rock Your Baby is much more lightweight than the deeply spiritual paeans by, say, Marvin Gaye or Al Green. I'd still file Rock Your Baby under Soul music, but at the same time is a precursor to Disco, which by 1974 was just around the corner.
     
    Northernlight and Randoms like this.
  24. RudolphS

    RudolphS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rio de Janeiro
    When Will I See You Again, another sign that black american music was changing. Out went Sly Stone's & James Brown's funky pimp suits, being replaced by lush vocal Philly groups in tuxedo, and The Three Degrees wearing glamorous evening dresses.
    The Netherlands reacted a bit late to The Three Degrees. In 1975 When Will I See You Again also reached high on the dutch charts, but only after the much better Dirty Old Man had paved way by topping the list for several weeks. The latter remains for me the definitive Three Degrees song, an undisputed Philly Soul classic.

     
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2018
    Randoms likes this.
  25. Victor/Victrola

    Victor/Victrola Makng shure its write

    When Will I See You Again was a big hit in the USA too, and I remember it well. It's not exactly my cup of tea, but I don't hate it at all.
     
    Randoms likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine