Every UK #1 Single of the 1970's Discussion Thread (REVISITED)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by W.B., Mar 30, 2020.

  1. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Then, from Ms. Warnes:

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    US chart peaks: Billboard #6 / Cash Box, Radio & Records #5 / Record World #10.
     
  2. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    The other big US hit that failed to chart in the UK, "Fly Like An Eagle":

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Kept at #2 by Barbra Streisand's "Love Theme From 'A Star Is Born' (Evergreen)" in US Billboard; it fared no better in terms of reaching the top on the other US charts, thus: Cash Box - #3, Record World - #5, and Radio & Records - #4.
     
  3. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    I've heard I Gotcha, but probably as an oldie because I don't recall hearing it up here in the early '70s.
     
  4. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    Marvin: garden-variety kinda funky soul with high-register vocals, in a party atmosphere probably copied from What's Going On

    Spinners: re-release of their big hit from '72 along with a current eight-minute track You're Throwing a Good Love Away, a '75 track Games People Play (not to be confused with the Joe South Grammy winner from '69), and Lazy Susan, not to be confused with their own most recent single Wake Up Susan

    Heatwave: (i) garden-variety kinda soulful funk with some but by no means all high-register vocals (ii) funky track that begins with a military snare march rhythm

    Rollers: sprightly pop with some production flourishes, not unlike all those Tony Burrows-fronted bands from a few years earlier

    Yvonne: cover of the '60s Barbara Lewis great, with emphasis firmly on fidelity rather than originality, which means it's an awfully good listen but you might not feel the need for it if you already have the Lewis track

    Roni: double Supremes medley, more soul and less pop than the originals, particularly in the first one. I'll say that the Stop in the Name of Love portion is the better one and there's no doubting their competence but I much prefer the '60s pop styles

    Joy: reggae-influenced pop that sounds like a conversation between the singer and a squeaky toy, which according to Wikipedia is actually the male half of the Punch and Judy puppet show (by "conversation", I mean "argument", Monty Python-style). My initial reaction was, "this is annoying", but the song's rhythm is highly effective and perfectly paced, and the singer's vocals in the "conversation" are spot on, so I was laughing by the end

    Jam: energetic and appealing track with nice guitar work, chords, and general rockin' sound that melds '60s British Invasion pop-rock with the nascent punk styles. The band are from Woking, and I used to live near there when I was young and I've been there, spotting trains at Woking station among other things, so I might have passed band members in the street, although they would likely have still been in their strollers

    Trammps: decent and well-known soul / disco track, although "inferno" is something of an exaggeration of the actual amount of heat delivered

    Boz: swampy boogie rock that seems aimed at the Van Morrison fan market

    Tina: sprightly soulful pop with an exotic feel, no doubt due to the percussion selected. Another song that got more enjoyable as it went along

    Shalamar: eight minutes of disco versions of ten '60s Motown tracks by the Supremes, Miracles, Four Tops, Isley Brothers and Stevie Wonder, wrapping up with a lesser-known one by the Velvelettes. I don't find it wonderful but it's definitely seamless

    Martyn: decent disco with solid rhythm, probably closest to KC and the Sunshine Band territory

    Bryan: Roxy-like pop track that started out with the usual (and perhaps stereotypical) faux-Japanese instrumentation, and seemed to get more emphatic as it went along

    Roger: attractive piano-heavy pop track that seems to border on heartfelt, from the Who singer

    Single of the Week: shared between the Jam, In the City, and Roger Daltrey, Written on the Wind. Other notables are Yvonne Elliman, Hello Stranger, the Bay City Rollers, It's a Game, Bryan Ferry, Tokyo Joe, Tina Charles, Rendezvous, and that wacky track from Joy Sarney, Naughty Naughty Naughty
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2020
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  5. Silksashbash

    Silksashbash Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Free - so this was the #1 the week I was born. First time I hear it. Sounds like a pleasant enough song to be born to. "I'll only be here for a while", "I just want to be free, I just want to be me". No objections to that.
     
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  6. Silksashbash

    Silksashbash Forum Resident

    Location:
    Finland
    Here's the original by Jerry Byrne from '58. One of the more frantic uses of the Bo Diddley beat. Shakin Stevens & the Sunsets cut a version for their 1970 debut.
     
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  7. Deniece Williams - FREE
    A step down from the previous No1 but not a bad song at all.
    Enjoyable when it pops up every now and then.
    3/5
     
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  8. Favs...
    Week Ending 07 May 1977
    1 - NEW - 50 - The Jam - IN THE CITY

    Week Ending 14 May 1977
    1 - New - 49 - Bryan Ferry - Tokyo Joe

    This was the start of a 6 year love affair with The Jam. I bought every single as it was released from All Around The World. ( Jumping ahead....slap!!!!!!)
     
  9. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense

    Location:
    UK
    Deniece Williams - Free

    Pleasant, well sung, but ABBA at their best are a very hard act to follow.
     
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  10. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense

    Location:
    UK
    In The City - just a brilliant way to kick off a recording legacy. Bought the single, bought the album and even bought a badge!

    I'm not really big on Disco but love the joyous full length Disco Inferno blow out.


    Boz Scaggs - Lido Shuffle




    You lose the excellent sound quality and arrangement from the album, but the video is great fun for this infectious tune.

    I liked Lowdown and What Can I Say, but Lido Shuffle which had received a fair amount of airplay did it for me, so bought the single and later the classy Silk Degrees album - highly recommended and a good contrast to The Jam and Stranglers!

    When I was learning to play drums, Lido Shuffle was a song I played along to - great groove and accents.


    Tokyo Joe - yet another very cool Bryan Ferry song.
     
  11. Bulsara

    Bulsara His Majesty

    Location:
    Sydney
    Let's just take a moment to recognise the historical importance of this date. The first week on the charts for one of the most important and influential bands in British popular music. While In the City would only reach #40 in the UK charts, they would go on to such massive success over the next 6 years.
     
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  12. Randoms

    Randoms Aerie Faerie Nonsense

    Location:
    UK
    Seeing and hearing The Jam perform In The City really was the start of something else and possibly my equivalent of The Kinks / The Who in the sixties : it seemed just that little bit dangerous and not for parents and old people!!

    April and May 1977 was a really exciting time to be young and into music. With excellent debut albums from The Stranglers, The Clash and The Jam, Saturday job money was depleted very quickly.
     
  13. Alf.

    Alf. Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I started buying singles in 1969, but by the end of '74 I'd given up. Even good albums were few and far between late '74 to late '76. But then punk - and disco - completely rejuvenated the singles market (in the UK, anyway), and I began buying 45s again. NME & John Peel were hugely important regarding what was being released. The ones I couldn't buy locally - like Richard Hell's Blank Generation Ep; The Saints' I'm Stranded single; Buzzcocks' Spiral Scratch Ep - I used to send off to Rough Trade or Beggars Banquet in London. I bought Sniffin' Glue mag as well!

    Re The Jam, they were much derided by some of their peers in those very early days; and the music mags were somewhat sniffy about them too. I thought In The City was excellent, as were almost all their subsequent 45s. Here's the B-side, Takin' My Love:

     
  14. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    In America, record buyers routinely bypassed "domestic" pressings of The Jam product and held out for UK imports. Which explains why, pretty much, they were a non-factor on the US charts.
     
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  15. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    #7 of 1977 (#405 in total) - "I Don't Want To Talk About It" / "First Cut Is The Deepest" by Rod Stewart
    (#1 for 4 weeks - 21 May-11 June 1977)

    The A side and UK single:

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    (To be continued.)
     
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  16. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    The flip side and US singles (yes, singles - they're two different releases, as will be explained below):

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    Wikipedia entries for "I Don't Want To Talk About It" and "The First Cut Is The Deepest" - also NME #435 (3 weeks - 28 May-11 June 1977) and Melody Maker #377 (5 non-consecutive weeks - 14 May-28 May and 11 June-18 June 1977); "First Cut..." was the first US single from this, reaching #21 in Billboard, #17 in Cash Box, #30 in Record World, and #19 in Radio & Records; when "I Don't Walk..." finally came out as a single in the States three years later, it would make #46 in Billboard, #47 in Cash Box, and #52 in Record World.
     
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  17. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Week Ending 21 May 1977

    05 - 02 - 01 - Rod Stewart - I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT / FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST
    08 - 01 - 02 - Deniece Williams - FREE
    05 - 04 - 03 - Joe Tex - AIN'T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN)
    07 - 06 - 04 - Van McCoy - THE SHUFFLE
    04 - 16 - 05 - Kenny Rogers - LUCILLE
    07 - 11 - 06 - Barbra Streisand - LOVE THEME FROM "A STAR IS BORN" (EVERGREEN)
    07 - 05 - 07 - Tavares - WHODUNIT
    07 - 03 - 08 - Stevie Wonder - SIR DUKE
    06 - 08 - 09 - Eagles - HOTEL CALIFORNIA
    06 - 09 - 10 - 10CC - GOOD MORNING JUDGE
    04 - 15 - 11 - Piero Umiliani - MAH-NA, MAH-NA
    03 - 25 - 12 - Marvin Gaye - GOT TO GIVE IT UP
    07 - 14 - 13 - Peter Gabriel - SOLSBURY HILL
    09 - 07 - 14 - Dead End Kids - HAVE I THE RIGHT
    08 - 18 - 15 - Andrew Gold - LONELY BOY
    07 - 17 - 16 - Leo Sayer - HOW MUCH LOVE
    10 - 13 - 17 - Billy Ocean - RED LIGHT SPELLS DANGER
    08 - 10 - 18 - Elkie Brooks - PEARL'S A SINGER
    03 - 29 - 19 - Heatwave - TOO HOT TO HANDLE / SLIP YOUR DISC TO THIS
    02 - 41 - 20 - Boz Scaggs - LIDO SHUFFLE
    03 - 24 - 21 - Bay City Rollers - IT'S A GAME
    05 - 23 - 22 - Delegation - WHERE IS THE LOVE (WE USED TO KNOW)
    02 - 37 - 23 - The Trammps - DISCO INFERNO
    04 - 27 - 24 - Blue - GONNA CAPTURE YOUR HEART
    06 - 22 - 25 - Deep Purple - SMOKE ON THE WATER
    03 - 34 - 26 - Yvonne Elliman - HELLO STRANGER
    03 - 36 - 27 - Joy Sarney - NAUGHTY NAUGHTY NAUGHTY
    04 - 26 - 28 - Billy Paul - LET 'EM IN
    02 - 49 - 29 - Bryan Ferry - TOKYO JOE
    13 - 12 - 30 - ABBA - KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU
    08 - 19 - 31 - Rose Royce - I WANNA GET NEXT TO YOU
    04 - 33 - 32 - Fleetwood Mac - DON'T STOP
    03 - 32 - 33 - The Detroit Spinners - COULD IT BE I'M FALLING IN LOVE (EP)
    02 - 46 - 34 - Tina Charles - RENDEZVOUS
    1 - NEW - 35 - Ramones - SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER
    03 - 42 - 36 - Roni Hill - YOU KEEP ME HANGING ON / STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE
    1 - NEW - 37 - The Stranglers - PEACHES
    02 - 47 - 38 - Shalamar - UPTOWN FESTIVAL
    10 - 20 - 39 - Berni Flint - I DON'T WANT TO PUT A HOLD ON YOU
    02 - 48 - 40 - Martyn Ford Orchestra - LET YOUR BODY GO DOWNTOWN
    03 - 45 - 41 - The Jam - IN THE CITY
    1 - NEW - 42 - Electric Light Orchestra - TELEPHONE LINE
    1 - NEW - 43 - Mr. Big - FEEL LIKE CALLING HOME
    04 - 43 - 44 - K C And The Sunshine Band - I'M YOUR BOOGIE MAN
    1 - NEW - 45 - Trinidad Oil Company - THE CALENDAR SONG (JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY)
    02 - 50 - 46 - Roger Daltrey - WRITTEN ON THE WIND
    1 - NEW - 47 - Teddy Pendergrass - THE WHOLE TOWN'S LAUGHIN' AT ME
    1 - NEW - 48 - Rock Follies Of '77 (Julie Covington, Rula Lenska, Charlotte Cornwell And Sue Jones-Davies) - O.K.?
    1 - NEW - 49 - Simon May - WE'LL GATHER LILACS / ALL MY LOVING
    1 - NEW - 50 - Alice Cooper - (NO MORE) LOVE AT YOUR CONVENIENCE


    Week Ending 28 May 1977

    06 - 01 - 01 - Rod Stewart - I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT / FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST
    06 - 03 - 02 - Joe Tex - AIN'T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN)
    08 - 06 - 03 - Barbra Streisand - LOVE THEME FROM "A STAR IS BORN" (EVERGREEN)
    05 - 05 - 04 - Kenny Rogers - LUCILLE
    07 - 10 - 05 - 10CC - GOOD MORNING JUDGE
    08 - 04 - 06 - Van McCoy - THE SHUFFLE
    09 - 02 - 07 - Deniece Williams - FREE
    05 - 11 - 08 - Piero Umiliani - MAH-NA, MAH-NA
    04 - 12 - 09 - Marvin Gaye - GOT TO GIVE IT UP
    07 - 09 - 10 - Eagles - HOTEL CALIFORNIA
    08 - 08 - 11 - Stevie Wonder - SIR DUKE
    08 - 07 - 12 - Tavares - WHODUNIT
    02 - 48 - 13 - Rock Follies Of '77 (Julie Covington, Rula Lenska, Charlotte Cornwell And Sue Jones-Davies) - O.K.?
    08 - 13 - 14 - Peter Gabriel - SOLSBURY HILL
    1 - NEW - 15 - The Liverpool Football Team - WE CAN DO IT
    04 - 21 - 16 - Bay City Rollers - IT'S A GAME
    03 - 20 - 17 - Boz Scaggs - LIDO SHUFFLE
    03 - 23 - 18 - The Trammps - DISCO INFERNO
    05 - 24 - 19 - Blue - GONNA CAPTURE YOUR HEART
    03 - 29 - 20 - Bryan Ferry - TOKYO JOE
    09 - 18 - 21 - Elkie Brooks - PEARL'S A SINGER
    02 - 35 - 22 - Ramones - SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER
    04 - 19 - 23 - Heatwave - TOO HOT TO HANDLE / SLIP YOUR DISC TO THIS
    1 - NEW - 24 - The Muppets - HALFWAY DOWN THE STAIRS
    10 - 14 - 25 - Dead End Kids - HAVE I THE RIGHT
    04 - 27 - 26 - Joy Sarney - NAUGHTY NAUGHTY NAUGHTY
    03 - 34 - 27 - Tina Charles - RENDEZVOUS
    02 - 42 - 28 - Electric Light Orchestra - TELEPHONE LINE
    06 - 22 - 29 - Delegation - WHERE IS THE LOVE (WE USED TO KNOW)
    03 - 38 - 30 - Shalamar - UPTOWN FESTIVAL
    04 - 26 - 31 - Yvonne Elliman - HELLO STRANGER
    07 - 25 - 32 - Deep Purple - SMOKE ON THE WATER
    1 - NEW - 33 - Gladys Knight And The Pips - BABY DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND
    05 - 28 - 34 - Billy Paul - LET 'EM IN
    09 - 15 - 35 - Andrew Gold - LONELY BOY
    02 - 37 - 36 - The Stranglers - PEACHES
    02 - 45 - 37 - Trinidad Oil Company - THE CALENDAR SONG (JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY)
    03 - 40 - 38 - Martyn Ford Orchestra - LET YOUR BODY GO DOWNTOWN
    05 - 32 - 39 - Fleetwood Mac - DON'T STOP
    08 - 16 - 40 - Leo Sayer - HOW MUCH LOVE
    1 - NEW - 41 - Genesis - SPOT THE PIGEON (EP)
    02 - 43 - 42 - Mr. Big - FEEL LIKE CALLING HOME
    1 - NEW - 43 - Honky - JOIN THE PARTY
    02 - 50 - 44 - Alice Cooper - (NO MORE) LOVE AT YOUR CONVENIENCE
    1 - NEW - 45 - Carole Bayer Sager - YOU'RE MOVING OUT TODAY
    1 - NEW - 46 - Marie Myriam - L'OISEAU ET L'ENFANT
    04 - 41 - 47 - The Jam - IN THE CITY
    02 - 47 - 48 - Teddy Pendergrass - THE WHOLE TOWN'S LAUGHIN' AT ME
    04 - 36 - 49 - Roni Hill - YOU KEEP ME HANGING ON / STOP! IN THE NAME OF LOVE
    1 - NEW - 50 - The Manhattan Transfer - DON'T LET GO


    Week Ending 04 June 1977

    07 - 01 - 01 - Rod Stewart - I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT / FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST
    06 - 04 - 02 - Kenny Rogers - LUCILLE
    07 - 02 - 03 - Joe Tex - AIN'T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN)
    09 - 03 - 04 - Barbra Streisand - LOVE THEME FROM "A STAR IS BORN" (EVERGREEN)
    09 - 06 - 05 - Van McCoy - THE SHUFFLE
    08 - 05 - 06 - 10CC - GOOD MORNING JUDGE
    05 - 09 - 07 - Marvin Gaye - GOT TO GIVE IT UP
    02 - 24 - 08 - The Muppets - HALFWAY DOWN THE STAIRS
    06 - 08 - 09 - Piero Umiliani - MAH-NA, MAH-NA
    03 - 13 - 10 - Rock Follies Of '77 (Julie Covington, Rula Lenska, Charlotte Cornwell And Sue Jones-Davies) - O.K.?
    1 - NEW - 11 - Sex Pistols - GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
    08 - 10 - 12 - Eagles - HOTEL CALIFORNIA
    04 - 17 - 13 - Boz Scaggs - LIDO SHUFFLE
    02 - 41 - 14 - Genesis - SPOT THE PIGEON (EP)
    05 - 23 - 15 - Heatwave - TOO HOT TO HANDLE / SLIP YOUR DISC TO THIS
    02 - 15 - 16 - The Liverpool Football Team - WE CAN DO IT
    02 - 45 - 17 - Carole Bayer Sager - YOU'RE MOVING OUT TODAY
    03 - 28 - 18 - Electric Light Orchestra - TELEPHONE LINE
    10 - 07 - 19 - Deniece Williams - FREE
    09 - 12 - 20 - Tavares - WHODUNIT
    09 - 14 - 21 - Peter Gabriel - SOLSBURY HILL
    02 - 33 - 22 - Gladys Knight And The Pips - BABY DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND
    1 - NEW - 23 - The Jacksons - SHOW YOU THE WAY TO GO
    05 - 16 - 24 - Bay City Rollers - IT'S A GAME
    04 - 18 - 25 - The Trammps - DISCO INFERNO
    04 - 20 - 26 - Bryan Ferry - TOKYO JOE
    03 - 36 - 27 - The Stranglers - PEACHES
    06 - 19 - 28 - Blue - GONNA CAPTURE YOUR HEART
    03 - 22 - 29 - Ramones - SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER
    05 - 26 - 30 - Joy Sarney - NAUGHTY NAUGHTY NAUGHTY
    02 - 43 - 31 - Honky - JOIN THE PARTY
    04 - 30 - 32 - Shalamar - UPTOWN FESTIVAL
    09 - 11 - 33 - Stevie Wonder - SIR DUKE
    03 - 37 - 34 - Trinidad Oil Company - THE CALENDAR SONG (JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY)
    03 - 42 - 35 - Mr. Big - FEEL LIKE CALLING HOME
    1 - NEW - 36 - Queen - GOOD OLD FASHIONED LOVERBOY
    04 - 27 - 37 - Tina Charles - RENDEZVOUS
    02 - 50 - 38 - The Manhattan Transfer - DON'T LET GO
    05 - 31 - 39 - Yvonne Elliman - HELLO STRANGER
    05 - 47 - 40 - The Jam - IN THE CITY
    1 - NEW - 41 - Frankie Miller - BE GOOD TO YOURSELF
    1 - NEW - 42 - George Benson - NATURE BOY
    02 - 46 - 43 - Marie Myriam - L'OISEAU ET L'ENFANT
    03 - 48 - 44 - Teddy Pendergrass - THE WHOLE TOWN'S LAUGHIN' AT ME
    1 - NEW - 45 - Faces - FACES (EP)
    1 - NEW - 46 - Bo Kirkland And Ruth Davis - YOU'RE GONNA GET NEXT TO ME
    1 - NEW - 47 - Tony Etoria - I CAN PROVE IT
    1 - NEW - 48 - Emerson, Lake And Palmer - FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN
    1 - NEW - 49 - Liverpool Express - DREAMIN'
    02 - RE - 50 - Simon May - WE'LL GATHER LILACS / ALL MY LOVING


    Week Ending 11 June 1977

    08 - 01 - 01 - Rod Stewart - I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT / FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST
    02 - 11 - 02 - Sex Pistols - GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
    07 - 02 - 03 - Kenny Rogers - LUCILLE
    10 - 04 - 04 - Barbra Streisand - LOVE THEME FROM "A STAR IS BORN" (EVERGREEN)
    08 - 03 - 05 - Joe Tex - AIN'T GONNA BUMP NO MORE (WITH NO BIG FAT WOMAN)
    02 - 23 - 06 - The Jacksons - SHOW YOU THE WAY TO GO
    03 - 17 - 07 - Carole Bayer Sager - YOU'RE MOVING OUT TODAY
    10 - 05 - 08 - Van McCoy - THE SHUFFLE
    09 - 06 - 09 - 10CC - GOOD MORNING JUDGE
    03 - 08 - 10 - The Muppets - HALFWAY DOWN THE STAIRS
    06 - 07 - 11 - Marvin Gaye - GOT TO GIVE IT UP
    04 - 10 - 12 - Rock Follies (Julie Covington, Rula Lenska, Charlotte Cornwell And Sue Jones-Davies) - OK
    04 - 18 - 13 - Electric Light Orchestra - TELEPHONE LINE
    05 - 13 - 14 - Boz Scaggs - LIDO SHUFFLE
    05 - 26 - 15 - Bryan Ferry - TOKYO JOE
    05 - 25 - 16 - The Trammps - DISCO INFERNO
    06 - 15 - 17 - Heatwave - TOO HOT TO HANDLE / SLIP YOUR DISC TO THIS
    07 - 28 - 18 - Blue - GONNA CAPTURE YOUR HEART
    03 - 16 - 19 - The Liverpool Football Team - WE CAN DO IT
    07 - 09 - 20 - Piero Umiliani - MAH-NA, MAH-NA
    03 - 22 - 21 - Gladys Knight And The Pips - BABY DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND
    03 - 14 - 22 - Genesis - SPOT THE PIGEON (EP)
    04 - 27 - 23 - Stranglers - PEACHES
    09 - 12 - 24 - Eagles - HOTEL CALIFORNIA
    02 - 48 - 25 - Emerson, Lake And Palmer - FANFARE FOR THE COMMON MAN
    02 - 46 - 26 - Bo Kirkland And Ruth Davis - YOU'RE GONNA GET NEXT TO ME
    02 - 41 - 27 - Frankie Miller - BE GOOD TO YOURSELF
    06 - 24 - 28 - Bay City Rollers - IT'S A GAME
    02 - 36 - 29 - Queen - GOOD OLD FASHIONED LOVERBOY
    03 - 31 - 30 - Honky - JOIN THE PARTY
    04 - 29 - 31 - Ramones - SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER
    1 - NEW - 32 - Alessi - OH, LORI
    1 - NEW - 33 - Olivia Newton-John - SAM
    03 - 38 - 34 - Manhattan Transfer - DON'T LET GO
    06 - 30 - 35 - Joy Sarney - NAUGHTY NAUGHTY NAUGHTY
    05 - 37 - 36 - Tina Charles - RENDEZVOUS
    05 - 32 - 37 - Shalamar - UPTOWN FESTIVAL
    02 - 42 - 38 - George Benson - NATURE BOY
    04 - 34 - 39 - Trinidad Oil Company - THE CALENDAR SONG (JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY)
    10 - 20 - 40 - Tavares - WHODUNIT
    02 - 45 - 41 - Faces - FACES (EP)
    03 - 43 - 42 - Marie Myriam - L'OISEAU ET L'ENFANT
    11 - 19 - 43 - Deniece Williams - FREE
    02 - 49 - 44 - Liverpool Express - DREAMIN'
    02 - 47 - 45 - Tony Etoria - I CAN PROVE IT
    1 - NEW - 46 - Archie Bell And The Drells - EVERYBODY HAVE A GOOD TIME
    1 - NEW - 47 - Jesse Green - COME WITH ME
    10 - 33 - 48 - Stevie Wonder - SIR DUKE
    1 - NEW - 49 - Elton John / Kiki Dee - BITE YOUR LIP (GET UP AND DANCE) / CHICAGO
    1 - NEW - 50 - Dr. Feelgood - SNEAKIN' SUSPICION
     
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  18. Mulderre

    Mulderre 60s and 70s Music Lover

    Ah... a two-punch by Rod. He has completely changed from rock idol to MOR singer. The First Cut is The Deepest is a cover of the old PP Arnold hit. It has a touch of soft rock, but it ends here, while I Don't Want To Talk About It is much more of a softie. It may please the 80% of the UK audience but... why, Rod. WHY!

    Oh, and everyone knows what happened THAT last week. A week in which Queen Liz was 25 years old as Queen...
     
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  19. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    Now for the 45's I'd have from all this . . .



     
  20. Mulderre

    Mulderre 60s and 70s Music Lover

    Here they are... the new entries. This time, again, a little for everyone, but a lot of nothingness too.

    Alice Cooper - Some 4 years later, Alice has a hit. And if you think it will be something horrific, this will shock you. It's a pop rock song with touches of disco. Hardly the best marriage and it shows. For me, it's a huge thumbs down. Better stick to shock rock, Alice.

    Simon May - How much time we have to stand this guy? Enough! After the fiasco of a song which was Summer of My Life, this is another stinker. perhaps the worst song released of this batch (and there are some turds...). And to think there were better punk singles which didn't chart... And another butchery at a Beatles song.

    Rock Follies - The album was already number one the previous year, and the only single released of this album was a touch of pop-rock which suited just fine to the TV series. Even though it never appeared on TOTP (it was their rivals), the single got to a great position in the Top 20.

    Teddy Pendergrass - Teddy's first solo single is class. It's sincerity, it's pure soul. This kind of soul was dissappearing from the charts, but Teddy has a hit with just that. Another of those voice which are spine-chilling.

    Trinidad Oil Company - Harvest once boasted to have bands like Deep Purple, Wizzard or the ELO... now they were having masterpieces like Wire... and this. Award to the most thoughtful lyrics of the history in a quite pedestrian calypso sound. All together! JANUAWI, FEBWUAWI, MAAAAAHS...

    Mr. Big - The follow-up to Romeo was... how to say it? Underwhelming. Yes, it has the voice of Dicken and the great harmonies. But it lacks something to be punchy (maybe too generic) and get the audience they had with the first hit.

    ELO - Lynne and Co became softer this time. A sweet song which starts with the sound of a telephone from outer space which has the basic ingredients, such as the violins, is one of the most underrated songs by the band. They were capable of doing things like this.

    Stranglers - After the apparent miss of Grip, the band gets a touch more sleazier in this one. A song with a risqué topic (it was banned, and the B-side was played instead) was their first Top 10 hit. It's one of those great 1977 singles and a great jump ahead for the band.

    Ramones - In America, people were already doing the same as the Brits: underground rock at the CBGB was becoming the alternative to the pop-oriented charts. And it was inevitable that the UK charts had something from NYC. Ramones' first chart hit has nothing to envy from the British counterparts. 2 minutes of pure punk music which was apprecieated by the tons of fans the band had in the UK. The legend was born.


    Manhattan Transfer - This is more interesting than Chanson d'Amour. A bit like dancing charleston, this is upbeat enough to make me dance. It wasn't the hit it deserved, but it's a decent follow-up

    Marie Myriam - Starting from 1969, the winners of the Eurovision Song Contest were hits of their own (at the Top 30 at least, most of them even at the Top 10). Here it soesn't happen. Marie's theme is one of those great unknowns: pure French ballad which I, as a fan of the contest, have seen umpteenth times. It won, but it was a blip in the great run of Eurovision hits.

    Carole Bayer Sager - One of the many songs which appeared in the Guilty Pleasures compilation, this is something irressistible. Pop at its most formulaic, but who cares? It makes you sing, dance and have a happy smile on your face. If all the pop records were so infectious...

    Honky - British attempt to be funky was horrid. A turd. All the way from Southampton, this is something we definitely didn't need. Nothing else can be added: pass.

    Genesis - This was an EP, but I'll be concentrating on the first song: perhaps the only hit in the history to talk about the greatest football show on TV. It's an oddity, it's much more an attempt to sound pop and cool than a real effort by the band. But, as always, it was a success. And it's not too bad, because it's a critique to the beautiful game.

    Gladys Knight and the Pips - Gladys goes a bit beyond the mellow soul and livens up the game a bit. It's a great upbeat song which was more than enough to keep the interest on the great lady. Perhaps the best attempt at sounding "disco-ish".

    The Muppets - Jerry Nelson aka Kermit's nephew Robin sings this. In full Muppetmania, this sweet yet inoffensive sung version of the AA Milne classic was an unexpected hit. Yet this was one of the records which polluted that charts from time to time.

    Liverpool FC - As was this. As you know, Cup singles are in the "incompetent" to "utterly trash" category. This is an anaemic version of the otherwise great Rubettes song (well, it was on State Records, the company of Rubettes). Pure boring pop which was a top 20 hit, but nothing else. And, yes, they could do it. Almost.


    Liverpool Express - Already stars in Brazil, their UK fame was waning as they released one of those soft-rock songs which can be nice if you are fan of the genre. But for me, it's like more of the same. Pleasant, but nothing much.

    Emerson, Lake and Palmer - From the 6 minutes self-loving opus to a measably 3, ELP's cover of the Copland classic is straight to the point. A song that has been used hundreds of times on radio and TV and, would you believe, it's the only time the band had entered the charts. Peaking at number two, it's prog to the masses.

    Tony Etoria - British disco in the charts. As we all know, this genre is malignant. Not so much here, Etoria is competent here in a song that can be danced. Let's go!

    Kirkland/Davis - A plain song here, very plain. Not so much of a chorus and something which made dance the people very tight. Nothing more to say, other than a nice effort.

    Faces - An EP full of their oldest hits, in which the top bill is Memphis (Tennessee). What can we find here? A Chuck Berry classic in which we listen to a very young (and rocker) Rod. It's a reminder of the good old moments he had. Now he surrendered to the ballads, and getting softier than a pillow.

    George Benson - A great groove here. It seems to start like one of those instrumentals in love songs, but then we can hear a hit which can be danced in a lounge bar. In a moment in which black music was getting heavier, Benson is calming us down and advising us to relax and breeze...

    Frankie Miller - Rock and roll! (almost) A bit of a funky groove here does the trick. Miller's first hit is a little bit more pop than rock, but it does the trick. It's enjoyable and can be listened more times without feeling guilty.

    Queen - After the debacle of TYMD, Queen's First EP was a selection of 4 songs from old albums: the main song was Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy. A great touch of vaudeville by Freddie, with his magnificent piano, and of course, Brian's solo. Lovely. Again, they were at the Top 20.

    Sex Pistols - Now... a single that has changed the history of Punk music, maybe pop music too. A moment in time in which the powers that be may (or may not) altered the world to suit Rod and the establishment and not to be disturbed by some people trying to mock and destroy the Monarchy. We all know what happened, don't we? This single is a classic, it's 3 minutes of even more anger. And on this moment, the Pistols can look at everyone and say "we've done it". As it turned out, the only way was... down.


    Dr. Feelgood - Already legends of pub rock, they had fired inspirational founder Wilko Johnson. But not before releasing their first hit... Musicwise, it's a song which can be a great tribute to what was Wilko's band. Great rock and roll, top marks! They could prove in the charts that they were the greatest pub rock band of London.

    Elton John - Two singles for the price of one: both singing in each side. Elton's (my choice) is another of the songs of Blue Moves: a very entertaining song which has a rhythm of boogie, a touch of rock and roll and of course, his piano. But, compared to some of his last hits... it's a stinker.

    Jesse Green - Jesse's last hit is a minor step up from Flip. It's more danceable and original, and it's a touch of Jamaican disco sound (complete with long instrumentals), at a time in which reggae was starting to appear by way of a certain B. Marley. Not bad, but not good either. Right in the middle.

    Archie Bell - Bell, the king of soul, is upping his game: now he embraces disco, but in his own way. It's one of those disco songs which is very upbeat and whose guitar solo may be of interest.

    Olivia Newton John - And she is back after 2 and a half long years! In America she was already a famous face. Here, she would have to climb from the bottom. And to start with, a sweet ballad in the traditional ONJ's way. And when it charted (and a top 10 to boot), suddenly, she started to have more success. But you haven't seen anything yet.

    Alessi - As with Carole Bayer Sager's number, this is yet another Guilty Pleasure (for the compilers and for me). It's irresistible pop by the American brothers, a song which may be inoffensive at first. But if you listen more times you will find that it's pleasant, nice and something marvellous. One of those oddities: something which would have been a success in the US, but wasn't.
     
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  21. Mulderre

    Mulderre 60s and 70s Music Lover

    Are there any non-hits on Top of The Pops? Yes. seven. And they will appear here. First, it's Linda Lewis with The Moon and I.

     
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  22. Mulderre

    Mulderre 60s and 70s Music Lover

    On the same first week, Suzi Quatro's follow-up to Tear Me Apart, Roxy Roller. A flop.



    The following week, it was Brendon's turn to try his luck with a cover of ABBA's Rock Me. But no video footage has emerged.
     
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  23. W.B.

    W.B. The Collector's Collector Thread Starter

    Location:
    New York, NY, USA
    And the 'newies':
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    The penultimate US Sire single under ABC Records distribution before that label switched distribution to Warner Bros. in August, this was the first punk rock tune to make the charts, ending up at #81 in Billboard, #96 in Cash Box, and #101 in Record World. After all was said and done, this received a reissue under their new distributor, where it went nowhere:
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  24. Mulderre

    Mulderre 60s and 70s Music Lover

    Elkie Brooks's second single after Pearl's a Singer was a surprise flop. Here's on TOTP.

     
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  25. Mulderre

    Mulderre 60s and 70s Music Lover

    Remember the Strawbs? They are back after 3 years of absence. Here's Back In The Old Routine.

     
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