The U.K. 70s Singles & Albums Chart General Discussion Thread.

Another lengthy list. I think the late 70s was a great period. It annoys me when people think it was all about punk. You never really heard punk unless you sought it out, and I never thought of Blondie, The Police, or even The Stranglers as being punk.

 

Punk was a very small part of the 70s for me. I mean, I wasn’t exactly looking for it, but it never dominated the charts.

 

'5-7-0-5' was City Boy's second attempt at getting a hit using the same composition and backing track.

The first attempt was the single, 'Turn On To Jesus', which had different lyrics and no telephone sound effects in the intro. After it flopped, a new set of lyrics was written. "What made you think we were ladies of the night?" then became "Why do you keep me hanging on the line?" and the rest is history.

 

Never knew that.

 

That's right, it didn't. It always annoys when people say it did. Usually, those who weren't even born at the time.

 

Never heard of that one. I'll look it up. Cheers!

 

I'll definitely try and find a copy of Alice In Wonderland. Sounds bonkers enough to be great fun.

City Boy were excellent. It still boggles my mind that they didn't make more of a mark. All of their albums are strong but I'd probably recommend Book Early or Young Men Gone West as good starting points. They don't really sound anything like 1occ, Queen or ELO although like all three they were an intelligent, quirky pop-rock act who didn't make the same album twice so I can see them appealing to fans of all of them.

 

Agreed!

 

The Turn On To Jesus version is a bonus track on my CD copy of Book Early. It has a surprisingly different feel to 9.7.0.5. despite, essentially, being the same track. Definitely more of a deep cut than obvious single material.

 

Thanks for the tip; I'll check those on Amazon, although their getting a bit pricey on there lately, aren't they? I have seen them on there and hovered a little...

 

This time we don't share so many, this time around:

ZZ Top - Deguello
The Sweet - Cut Above The Rest
Supertramp - Breakfast In America
Status Quo - Whatever You Want
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Jethro Tull - Stormwatch
Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
ELO - Discovery
Dire Straits - Communique

I like Slade but I don't have Return To Base because I own We'll Bring The House Down, which shares a bunch of its tracks. Are the tunes that are only on RTB (Chakeeta, Don't Waste Your Time. Sign Of The Times, Ginny, Ginny) worth shelling out for?

My other '79s:

Airborne - S/T
America - Silent Letter
Atlanta Rhythm Section - Underdog
Aviary - S/T
Joan Baez - Honest Lullaby
Barclay James Harvest - Eyes Of The Universe
The Bellamy Brothers - The Two & Only
Boney M - Oceans Of Fantasy
Bullseye - On Target
Chris de Burgh - Crusader
Camel - I Can See Your House From Here
Martin Carthy - Because It's There
Desmond Child & Rouge - Runners In The Night
City Boy - The Day The Earth Caught Fire
Leonard Cohen - Recent Songs
The Charlie Daniels Band - Million Mile Reflections
The Dillards - Decade Waltz
The Dirt Band - All American Band
The Dixie Dregs - Night Of The Living Dregs
Charlie Dore - Where To Now?
The Eagles - The Long Run
Eloy - Silent Cries & Mighty Echoes
The Enid - Touch Me
Jay Ferguson - Real Life Ain't This Way
Fiddler's Dram - S/T
Dan Fogelberg - Phoenix
Louise Goffin - Kid Blue
Head East - A Different Kind Of Crazy
Hotel - S/T
Alan Hull - Phantoms
Jefferson Starship - Freedom At Point Zero
Journey - Evolution
Kansas - Monolith
KISS - Dynasty
Ronnie Lane - See Me
Lindisfarne - The News
Magnum - II
The Marshall Tucker Band - Running Like The Wind
McGuinn, Hillman & Clark - S/T
Ralph McTell - Slide Away The Screen
Juice Newton - Take Heart
Night - S/T
The Outlaws - In The Eye Of The Storm
Pablo Cruise - Part Of The Game
Gene Parsons - Melodies
The Henry Paul Band - Grey Ghost
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes
Point Blank - Airplay
Renaissance - Azure D'or
REO Speedwagon - Nine Lives
Roadmaster - New World
Sad Café - Facades
Leo Sayer - Here
The Scorpions - Lovedrive
Silly Wizard - So Many Partings
Sky - S/T
Smokie - The Other Side Of The Road
Styx - Cornerstone
Survivor - S/T
The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver - When The Night Comes Down
Tantrum - Rather Be Rockin'
Toto - Hydra
Toyah - Sheep Farming In Barnet
Triumph - Just A Game
UK - Danger Money

 

No, it was a bit of a strange year, 1979.

 

There are a few albums available on-line if you are in try-before-you-buy mode. Not the same I know, but you'll probably be able to get the gist of the City Boy do, at least.

 

Yeah, the whole late Seventies post-punk/new wave/Stiff records scene only threw up one or two acts I enjoyed. I'm even a bit sniffy about power-pop, so my '79 choices are not really going with what the zeitgeist was at the time.

I suppose, coming to it the best part of the decade later, none of the initial excitement and freshness of the time translated properly. Seemed to my teenaged self to be a massive downward step from from glam, folk-rock and pub-rock.

 

Oh, I liked the new wave and power pop stuff. I was a teenager by 1979-80 and it was good timing, because the charcoal school uniform made you look like you could be in The Knack or Blondie or one of those bands, certainly if you were dark-haired. It was a time when nerdiness and machismo sort of came together (before the fey New Romantic stuff swept it all away). I'm quite nostalgic for it because I walked to and from my new school through the park four times a day, and our school had a central drive lined with cherry blossom trees... It was a good time, and I knew school would soon be over for good. Alice Cooper's 2003 album, The Eyes Of Alice Cooper, was supposed to revive the Detroit garage sound, but I thought it sounded more like the 1978-81 timeframe and it made me feel 14 again - always welcome!

 

Which reminds me, let's compare and contrast the Top 50 albums for both the UK and U.S. in this week in '79, shall we? . . .

Week Ending 16 June 1979

UK:
1 - NEW - 01 - Electric Light Orchestra - DISCOVERY
05 - 01 - 02 - ABBA - VOULEZ VOUS
03 - 02 - 03 - Ian Dury And The Blockheads - DO IT YOURSELF
02 - 05 - 04 - David Bowie - LODGER
38 - 03 - 05 - Blondie - PARALLEL LINES
03 - 09 - 06 - Various Artists - THIS IS IT!
13 - 08 - 07 - Roxy Music - MANIFESTO
10 - 04 - 08 - James Last - LAST THE WHOLE NIGHT LONG
04 - 06 - 09 - Bob Dylan - BOB DYLAN AT BUDOKAN
03 - 19 - 10 - Sky - SKY
05 - 07 - 11 - Billie Jo Spears - THE BILLIE JO SINGLES ALBUM
06 - 10 - 12 - Leo Sayer - THE VERY BEST OF LEO SAYER
05 - 24 - 13 - The Undertones - THE UNDERTONES
12 - 11 - 14 - Supertramp - BREAKFAST IN AMERICA
04 - 13 - 15 - Various Artists - A MONUMENT TO BRITISH ROCK
09 - 12 - 16 - Art Garfunkel - FATE FOR BREAKFAST
03 - 15 - 17 - Gerry Rafferty - NIGHT OWL
07 - 16 - 18 - Thin Lizzy - BLACK ROSE - A ROCK LEGEND
09 - 14 - 19 - The Police - OUTLANDOS D'AMOUR
03 - 20 - 20 - Various Artists - KNUCKLE SANDWICH
15 - 17 - 21 - Dire Straits - DIRE STRAITS
28 - 18 - 22 - Bee Gees - SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN
03 - 25 - 23 - Donna Summer - BAD GIRLS
82 - 27 - 24 - Electric Light Orchestra - OUT OF THE BLUE
03 - 28 - 25 - Rick Wakeman - RHAPSODIES
06 - 35 - 26 - Sister Sledge - WE ARE FAMILY
23 - 36 - 27 - Elvis Costello And The Attractions - ARMED FORCES
14 - 22 - 28 - Barbra Streisand - BARBRA STREISAND'S GREATEST HITS - VOLUME 2
06 - 21 - 29 - Village People - GO WEST
09 - 26 - 30 - Various Artists - COUNTRY LIFE
04 - 23 - 31 - Steve Hackett - SPECTRAL MORNINGS
16 - 29 - 32 - Barry Manilow - MANILOW MAGIC - THE BEST OF BARRY MANILOW
50 - 38 - 33 - Jeff Wayne - JEFF WAYNE'S MUSICAL VERSION OF THE WAR OF THE WORLDS
02 - 53 - 34 - Tubeway Army - REPLICAS
25 - 47 - 35 - Earth, Wind And Fire - THE BEST OF EARTH, WIND AND FIRE VOL. I
28 - 33 - 36 - Kate Bush - LIONHEART
20 - 30 - 37 - Chic - C'EST CHIC
24 - 60 - 38 - Fleetwood Mac - RUMOURS
1 - NEW - 39 - Ramones - IT'S ALIVE
03 - 55 - 40 - The Tubes - REMOTE CONTROL
26 - 37 - 41 - Wings - WINGS GREATEST
24 - 31 - 42 - Meat Loaf - BAT OUT OF HELL
24 - 34 - 43 - Ian Dury - NEW BOOTS AND PANTIES!!
03 - 40 - 44 - Sex Pistols - NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, HERE'S THE SEX PISTOLS
15 - 39 - 45 - Sex Pistols - THE GREAT ROCK 'N' ROLL SWINDLE
02 - 69 - 46 - Blondie - PLASTIC LETTERS
23 - 59 - 47 - Kate Bush - THE KICK INSIDE
09 - 45 - 48 - Scorpions - LOVEDRIVE
03 - 42 - 49 - Dr. Feelgood - AS IT HAPPENS
02 - 52 - 50 - Peter Green - IN THE SKIES

U.S. ( * = charted or would chart in UK; ** = did not chart in UK):
06 - 03 - 01 - Donna Summer - BAD GIRLS*
12 - 01 - 02 - Supertramp - BREAKFAST IN AMERICA*
17 - 04 - 03 - Sister Sledge - WE ARE FAMILY*
11 - 05 - 04 - Rickie Lee Jones - RICKIE LEE JONES*
17 - 08 - 05 - Cheap Trick - CHEAP TRICK AT BUDOKAN*
30 - 02 - 06 - Peaches And Herb - 2 HOT!**
10 - 07 - 07 - Van Halen - VAN HALEN II*
12 - 09 - 08 - Bad Company - DESOLATION ANGELS*
18 - 10 - 09 - Bee Gees - SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN*
06 - 11 - 10 - James Taylor - FLAG**
04 - 24 - 11 - Anita Ward - SONGS OF LOVE**
26 - 06 - 12 - The Doobie Brothers - MINUTE BY MINUTE**
06 - 15 - 13 - Bob Dylan - BOB DYLAN AT BUDOKAN*
02 - 75 - 14 - Kansas - MONOLITH**
10 - 12 - 15 - Village People - GO WEST*
27 - 18 - 16 - Kenny Rogers - THE GAMBLER**
27 - 17 - 17 - The Jacksons - DESTINY*
05 - 20 - 18 - Patti Smith Group - WAVE*
11 - 13 - 19 - GQ - DISCO NIGHTS**
51 - 21 - 20 - The Cars - THE CARS*
39 - 14 - 21 - Blondie - PARALLEL LINES*
14 - 16 - 22 - The Allman Brothers Band - ENLIGHTENED ROGUES**
08 - 25 - 23 - Rex Smith - SOONER OR LATER**
08 - 26 - 24 - Grover Washington, Jr. - PARADISE**
13 - 22 - 25 - Frank Zappa - SHEIK YERBOUTI*
34 - 27 - 26 - Billy Joel - 52ND STREET*
24 - 19 - 27 - Dire Straits - DIRE STRAITS*
10 - 29 - 28 - Journey - EVOLUTION*
03 - 32 - 29 - Ted Nugent - STATE OF SHOCK**
07 - 31 - 30 - The Marshall Tucker Band - RUNNING LIKE THE WIND**
11 - 33 - 31 - Joe Jackson - LOOK SHARP*
14 - 23 - 32 - George Benson - LIVIN' INSIDE YOUR LOVE*
11 - 35 - 33 - Spyro Gyra - MORNING DANCE*
67 - 38 - 34 - Van Halen - VAN HALEN*
05 - 51 - 35 - John Stewart - BOMBS AWAY DREAM BABIES**
08 - 36 - 36 - Ian Hunter - YOU'RE NEVER ALONE WITH A SCHIZOPHRENIC*
03 - 39 - 37 - McFadden And Whitehead - McFADDEN AND WHITEHEAD**
06 - 40 - 38 - Heatwave - HOT PROPERTY**
26 - 28 - 39 - Rod Stewart - BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN*
38 - 41 - 40 - Styx - PIECES OF EIGHT**
12 - 42 - 41 - Tycoon - TYCOON**
10 - 43 - 42 - War - THE MUSIC BAND**
07 - 48 - 43 - Emmylou Harris - BLUE KENTUCKY GIRL**
07 - 46 - 44 - Pat Metheny - NEW CHAUTAUQUA**
06 - 45 - 45 - Ron Wood - GIMME SOME NECK**
24 - 47 - 46 - Gloria Gaynor - LOVE TRACKS*
07 - 53 - 47 - Waylon Jennings - GREATEST HITS**
16 - 30 - 48 - The Police - OUTLANDOS D'AMOUR*
05 - 55 - 49 - Earl Klugh - HEART STRING**
1 - NEW - 50 - The Isley Brothers - WINNER TAKES ALL**

And the crossovers of the week:
#5 UK = #21 U.S.
#9 UK = #13 U.S.
#14 UK = #2 U.S.
#19 UK = #48 U.S.
#21 UK = #27 U.S.
#22 UK = #9 U.S.
#23 UK = #1 U.S.
#26 UK = #3 U.S.
#29 UK = #15 U.S.
(#7 UK = #64 U.S.)
(#17 UK = #68 U.S.)
(#18 UK = #81 U.S.)
(#27 UK = #129 U.S.)
(#28 UK = #194 U.S.)
(#35 UK = #109 U.S.)
(#37 UK = #78 U.S.)
[#54 UK = #18 U.S.]
[#55 UK = #32 U.S.]
[#57 UK = #26 U.S.]
[#67 UK = #17 U.S.]
[#68 UK = #4 U.S.]
[#69 UK = #39 U.S.]

 

Especially in the U.S., what with Disco Demolition Night and all. Notice one genre did not get bumped up by the collapse of disco: Punk rock.

 

How come the Bee Gees album had been in the uk charts for 28 weeks and the US chart for only 18 weeks?
The Bee Gees were still massive at this point so it seems unlikely that it left the charts for 10 weeks.

 

Sounds like a time difference between UK and U.S. releases . . .

 

Boxset of Sailor albums (CDs) from 1974-78 arrived today. Should have got them sooner. I was inspired by watching several vintage clips of the band performing the great 'Traffic Jam'. How did this great single flop?

 

Great band. You're in for a treat!

I found out recently that George Kajanus was also know as George Hultgreen, of Eclection, the pre-Fotheringay/Fairport folk-rock band featuring Trevor Lucas & Gerry Conway. Small world.

 

And he wrote and demoed a song that become a deservedly modest hit for Cliff in 1971, "Flying Machine". Not an example of either´s best work. He has an interesting life story - check out his entry on Wikipedia. I am not sure everything is included there, but he does make a case for "truth being stranger than fiction".

 

I only recently found that out too. Like almost every other band in those Sailor had their own unique thing going. We were so spoiled then for great stuff that it was easy to overlook a lot of it.

 

Indeed!

 

I'm only familiar with a couple of Sailor singles. "A Glass Of Champagne" is one of my favourite 70's singles. Also like "Girls Girls Girls". but that's about it.