I can remember trying to listen to the Radio Luxembourg charts on (I think) Tuesdays. The reception always seemed to be terrible. As previously stated, they did appear to be ahead of the U.K. charts.
Radio Luxembourg's reception, from your description, seems to sound similar to trying, in the 1970's, to listen to Windsor, ON radio station CKLW (then still having some pull as a Top 40 radio station, in spite of the occasional CanCon) - from your home in New York City. (Interesting that no U.S. label took on that particular T. Rex record. And nobody in the city seemed interested in hearing a song about a woman holding a frog in her hand there, as the city back in 1975 was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and the infamous headline "FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD" outraged many New Yorkers.)
What a great place to start, Metal Guru was number one before I started buying records, but somehow I ended up with a copy and (Children Of The Revolution) by 1974. Absolutely love Metal Guru and to this day regularly play it twice in a row.
As you know, I wasn’t listening to the radio in 1972, but I feel sure I would have bought all the T.Rex singles from that year if I had been. By the time I started buying records in 1973, Truck On Tyke was out and I found that quite easy to resist.
Its not a bad little song. The US took it for what it was, where the UK press were determined to destroy this Eurovision act who dared to release more music.
Their first 2 albums, dreamboat Annie and little queen charted briefly in the UK. So there was a market to exploit.
I remember picking up the sleeve for Little Queen, funnily enough in W.H. Smith in Cromer. Not sure what made a 14 year old hone in on it! I bought it and Dreamboat Annie a few years later.
Only one big one - "Substitute", a cover of a Gloria Gaynor A-side. (Originally recorded by The Righteous Brothers. Fun fact: It was the A-side to the B-side "I Will Survive". Gloria´s version is less earthy, more "disco".) Wikipedia adds: "A major success in Europe, Clout scored more Top 10 singles, notably "Save Me", "You've Got All of Me" and "Under Fire". Clout's cover of "Substitute" reached No. 67 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Clout split up in 1981, shortly after the release of their last major single, a re-arrangement of the Hall and Oates song "Portable Radio". In 1992, their greatest hits package was released on CD, and it was re-mastered as The Best of Clout in 2010." They also covered Eric Clapton´s lovely "Let It Grow". As far as I know, it was never a hit anywhere. Edit: "Let It Grow" hit No. 33 in New Zealand.
By the time "I Do..." reached its U.S. peak of #15, ABBA had already broken through with "SOS," had their second #1 in the UK with "Mamma Mia," and were a few months off from putting out "Fernando." Much had changed for them in-between UK and U.S. releases o' that.
Sandy Shaw, Dusty and Cilla were huge stars in the sixties, The stand out female vocalist of the 70s has to be the underestimated Elkie Brooks
I think the U.K. press weren’t used to Eurovision acts going on to further success. I don’t recall Teach-In becoming a chart force. I do remember So Long, Ring Ring and I Do getting airplay, but I don’t think anyone took much notice of them until SOS. Then they were pretty much irresistible.
Whilst I totally agree about people only caring about the BBC charts, especially with it's significance to Top Of The Pops, but I even had suspicions about God Save The Queen "at number 2 is a song called God Save The Queen from the Sex Pistols", on the day I heard that announcement on Radio 1. Speaking to the little old lady in the record shop I used to sneak out of school to visit, GSTQ was outselling Rod's suspiciously cheap double A side in many shops. One of the unconfirmed rumours, was that both I Don't Want To Talk About It and The First Cut Is The Deepest were being counted..... 45 years on and with Rod performing at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration, it seems strange to be posting this: Sex Pistols' 'God Save The Queen' becomes top-selling single in UK for Platinum Jubilee
Continuing evidence of their flawed judgement, or a rare glimpse of a hitherto well concealed sense of humour? I mean, it might have boosted their punk cred if they'd had Nagasaki Nightmare/Big A Little A at #1 that same year, but Splodgenessabounds? LOL
Actually after reading @dwilpower's excellent post, I realise I have better recollection about: than the shop I first saw it in, 45 years ago! It was in fact Woolworths in Cromer and not W.H. Smith. Cromer, a sleepy North Norfolk, Victorian holiday resort, hosted the Sex Pistols on Christmas eve.
Lol. They recorded the original of Rainbow's "Since You've Been Gone" as their follow-up to "Substitute".
Yeah, take care on Norfolk broads! For those outside the UK, Cromer is famous for its crabs and Norfolk for the Broads
We now go to the period from April-June 1970, and the number ones that made the NME, Melody Maker and Music Now charts. Again, the same principle and protocols hold. Noticeably missing from all three "other" charts in the top spot was Dana's "All Kinds Of Everything" - the first "official only" #1, out of a total of five for the whole decade, and 11 up to 1988. So here goes: New Musical Express #1 hits 25 April: "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum 9 May: "Back Home" by England World Cup Squad '70 30 May: "Question" by The Moody Blues (BMRB, MM, MN #2) 6 June: "Yellow River" by Christie 13 June: "In The Summertime" by Mungo Jerry Melody Maker #1 hits 25 April: "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum 23 May: "Back Home" by England World Cup Squad '70 30 May: "Yellow River" by Christie 20 June: "In The Summertime" by Mungo Jerry Music Now #1 hits 25 April: "Spirit In The Sky" by Norman Greenbaum 23 May: "Back Home" by England World Cup Squad '70 30 May: "Yellow River" by Christie 13 June: "In The Summertime" by Mungo Jerry
Bolan’s U.K. chart success run from Ride A White Swan towards the end of 1970 up to Groover in the middle of 1973 was one of the best I’ve ever seen. T. Rex | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company
