Every UK #1 Single of 1976 Discussion Thread

Actually, I just remembered that I went to see Osibisa in a discotheque back in the day.
They wasn’t really my type of thing, I was more into Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes....

 

Knowing what we know now about ABBA's history, and through hindsight, it seemed from Agnetha's pained expression on her face in this and other videos that for her, such performances were utter torture and that it took everything she had to get through them. I do seem to remember in later years, she was revealed as having suffered stage fright and a fear of flying.

Frida, on the other hand, seemed to sail right by, like it was a lark and nothing to it. Of all the ABBA members, Ms. Lyngstad, from what I've read, enjoyed the spotlight the most, was the most comfortable in concerts, videos and other public appearances, had a hand in designing the flamboyant clothing they wore in their concerts, and regretted the most nearly a decade down the road when it was all over.

On YT some years back there was a video clip of them performing "Mamma Mia" (which was released in the States in May 1976 - after "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" which was their American follow-up to "S.O.S." - and could only muster #32 on the Hot 100 and #12 on the Easy Listening a.k.a. Adult Contemporary chart) on the Sunday morning marathon kids' show Wonderama with Bob McAllister that originated from WNEW-TV (now WNYW) Channel 5 in New York, and was syndicated to other Metromedia stations in such markets as L.A. and Washington, DC. I don't know if it's still on there or if it was taken down years ago when the uploader fell afoul of the proverbial "copyright violations."

 

I think that's just Agnetha's singing face, some artists seem to have them ..

 

Sorry but I don't agree, neither regarding the talent nor the looks.

The few hits Brotherhood Of Man had sound very dated today, whereas ABBA's vast musical catalogue has proven to be timeless.
Regarding the looks, they only looked similar if you looked at them from very far, or if you forgot to put your glasses on.
Agnetha and Frida were two of the most beautiful female singers of the 1970s, however the two BOM ladies were clearly not (not that it matters though, they were singers and not models).



BOM were always a poor man's version of ABBA.

 

I was obviously joking, they are like chalk and cheese, black and white. Brotherhood Of Man were shockingly awful, and not even in a camp or kitsch way.
That’s why I put the laughing mojo at the end of my post.

Actually I’m a little worried now that people thought I was being serious.....

 

"Mamma Mia"

Starts up with a lovely interlocking guitar and marimba hook, strips back for the chorus to leave some breathing room and the end results are butter.

Only one of ABBA's definitive songs could bring down "Bohemian Rhapsody" from top of the pops.

 

I knew you were joking.....you had to be!!!

 

I hope this won't go on forever and ever.

 

I'm glad you were joking, I was already worrying about your sanity!

 

'Mamma Mia' has been covered by numerous artists over the past 20 years, here's a video with a short montage of the original version and 5 covers (4 of which entered the UK Singles Chart):

 

With no particular act in mind, it's no small wonder the first rumblings of punk were happening in '76.
The No.1 chart is particularly shi...err...unpalatable for this year.
I'm not crapping as I was buying music then, just not this stuff.

 

They're certainly easier on the eyes than those blokes they were paired with!

 

Don't worry mate, none of us took you seriously!

I think it is partly with British humour, we are proud to be silly.

 

It's doomed, it's damned, it's dying.

 

The thing I noticed about "Mamma Mia," its tempo, key, and the melody in the chorus, seemed to anticipate a 1980's hit from a popular new wave band of the time (at the risk of jumping ahead) . . .

Spoiler

"You Might Think" by The Cars

 

The next number one single of 1976 was 'Forever and Ever' by Slik, which stayed one week at the top, the week ending 14 February 1976.



B-side: Again My Love

 

"Forever and Ever" is a UK number-one single by Scottish glam rock band Slik, released in 1975. It was number one for one week in February 1976, knocking ABBA's "Mamma Mia" off the number-one position. It was also a hit in Ireland, reaching number two on the charts there. The song was written by the well established songwriting partnership of Bill Martin and Phil Coulter who had recently split from writing for the Bay City Rollers.



Description
Slik's previous and first released single Boogiest Band in Town was unsuccessful in the spring of 1975. The song Forever And Ever, originally recorded by Kenny and appearing on their 1975 debut LP, The Sound Of Super K, was recognized having hit potential if a more heavy arrangement would be added. The band to provide such was to be Slik, after the Bay City Rollers refused the song, wanting a more heavy and progressive image and instead choosing Money Honey as their potential UK's Christmas 1975 Number One single.

As well as being Slik's one and only UK number-one single, Forever And Ever was also the band's only top 20 hit. However, lead singer and songwriter Midge Ure went on to have two more number ones in the UK as a member of Band Aid with Do They Know It's Christmas? in 1984 and as a solo artist in 1985 with If I Was.

The success of Forever And Ever saw the band appear on Top of the Pops. It was guitarist and singer Midge Ure's first TV appearance. The single was backed with Again My Love.

The single also reached the Top 30 in Germany. In 1976, EMI Electrola released a German edition of the single. In the Netherlands it reached number 2.

The success of the song was followed by another hit, Requiem which made the UK top 30 and the Dutch top 10. Their last single was to be The Kid's A Punk which flopped later in 1976. The band disbanded in early 1977.

Forever and Ever (Slik song) - Wikipedia

 

The Record Mirror Scan:

 

What a great top 5, though the number one 'Forever and Ever' is the weakest one of the 5 for me.

 

Forever And Ever I didn't particularly like at the time, though it has grown on me over the years particularly after hearing the excellent Terrorvision cover.

Ignoring a few obvious songs, a shout out for, No Regrets, Evil Woman, Low Rider, Squeeze Box and of course Rain from my then favourite band.

My brother bought Convoy, new in at 41.

 

In the U.S., "Forever And Ever" was issued on Arista single #AS 0179. Let's just say it didn't catch on the way the Bay City Rollers' by then "moldy oldie" "Saturday Night" had in the States (this is the promo, as it's the only place I could find CBS Pitman typesetting for this; the stock copy had "Again My Love" as the B side):

 

From this chart, the 45's I have are #3, 10, 11, 14, 16, 23, 30, 34, 35, 38 and 42; and the LP's, #4, 10, 27 and 41. As for the U.S. lot, I have #1 and 3 of the 45's (from what I could see), and #1 and 2 of the LP's.

 

This song starts promising; with a dark beginning and good lyrics.... but then the chorus is a throw-back to the Rollers' heyday. And then you say "oh, cr*p!" No wonder it was written by BCR's own Coulter-Martin... It is very dissapointing, and perhaps the last Glam-ish number one (just in time to see Slade's farewell tune).

Slik's story is the one of bad luck, being at the wrong time and ultimate failure. Destined to be one of England's newest pop sensations (and filling the gap of the Bay City Rollers), Bell Records donned them with baseball outfits. At first, they looked promising, they were hinted to the top: Forever And Ever was the only new song that charted from the first ToTP of the year (for the record; the others were Bo Flyers's Do The Buster and Glyder's Pick Up And Go). It finally paid off with a number one. But then, disaster struck...

They had a follow-up, called Requiem (with hints of the Concierto de Aranjuez in the background) and it was very dated, even by 1976 standards. It barely scraped the Top 30, which maybe was too much for them. Then, Midge had a car accident which prevented the band from performing live. By the time he was recovered and released The Kid's A Punk (performed on ToTP), Slik had already vanished from the public scene. They disbanded in 1977, as PVC2.

Midge Ure had something in their hands (no, it's not Rich Kids)... something about Vienna...

 

Two Northern Soul hits back to back in the charts (LJ Johnson and Evelyn Thomas), a classic by the Quo, Cliff Richard entering the charts for the first time since 1974 are new entries. And what about Barbara Dickson's first hit, the Walker Brothers's hit out of nowhere (and what a brilliant song it was) or Yvonne Fair's story of a wedding stopped?

 

If you're going to title your first single "Boogiest Band In Town", you can't be surprised if it flops.

What an odd duck "Forever and Ever" is - one second it's proto-goth and the next it's Roller pop. And the keyboardist is in a baseball outfit.

And Midge Ure is on it. I never knew how "Midge" came about - his first name is Jim, but he'd earlier joined a band called Salvation with another Jim already in it, so they turned his name round to "Mij". And that eventually became Midge.

Which is generally considered a '50s housewife's name here in the States.

Thank god it's him instead of you.