FEBRUARY 1975

This month I largely remember sitting, quivering with paranoia, in my bedroom because a particularly unpleasant and sadistic cunt of a fellow school pupil, who like most of my fellow school pupils I happily saw neither hair or head of after 1980, snickeringly warned me about the allegedly hideous initiation ceremonies administered to first years at Uddingston Grammar. Needless to say these did not come to pass but that was scant comfort in February.

 

 

1 February

 

SYREETA: Your Kiss Is Sweet/How Many Days (Tamla Motown TMG 933)

 

 

Stevie Wonder’s wife (I think? Are they still together?), and Stevie Wonder himself, having a lot of pop-reggae fun. Great moment near the end where the song comes to a boil and the bass suddenly drops out. What an inventive production.

 

 

 

LOVE UNLIMITED: It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It’s Spring)/I Love You So, Never Gonna Let You Go (20^th Century BTC 2149)

 

 

The “Walking In The Rain With The One I Love” group back with an uptempo tribute to the old Supremes. When you realise Barry White’s involved, it all makes more sense.

 

 

 

BETTY WRIGHT: Shoo-rah! Shoo-rah!/Tonight Is The Night (RCA Victor RCA 2491)

 

 

Such a great time for soul music! This is pretty hard stuff by normal chart standards. She should have had an enormous hit with “Clean Up Woman” but this will do.

 

 

 

THE STYLISTICS: Star On A TV Show/Hey Girl, Come And Get It (Avco 6105 035)

 

 

Drifting into slushy cabaret, the Stylistics. When they had Thom Bell write and produce their records there was always something special going on, but this could be anybody.

 

 

 

QUEEN: Now I’m Here/Lily Of The Valley (EMI 2256)

 

 

Queen really are one of the smartest rock bands around. Such style and panache, which is more than you can say about Paper Lace or Hello. The whole Sheer Heart Attack rocks like a sock but they do tension and release so expertly. They don’t dump themselves in the one place and stick there for the next three-and-a-half minutes like everybody else.

 

 

 

 

8 February

 

BACHMAN-TURNER OVERDRIVE: Roll On Down The Highway/Sledgehammer (Mercury 6167 071)

 

 

It isn’t a bad time for rock either. Everybody thought they’d be one-hit wonders but this is a very good song that doesn’t apologise for its beat.

 

 

 

DANA: Please Tell Him That I Said Hello/Darlin’ Come Home Soon (GTO GT 6)

 

 

First hit for the GTO label, set up by Dick Leahy who used to run Bell Records. “Up In A Puff Of Smoke” by Polly Brown deserved to be a top five hit – it was even used as a Radio Clyde chart jingle – but the Sweet Dreams controversy probably explains why it wasn’t. Anyway, this is Dana’s first hit in four years; an inoffensive MoR song that will appeal to Jimmy Young listeners.

 

 

 

JOHNNY MATHIS: I’m Stone In Love With You/Sweet Child (CBS 2653)

 

 

Always on the TV and my mother loves him but we haven’t seen him in the pop charts until now, or at least he hasn’t had a hit while I’ve been alive. This is a Stylistics cover written and produced by Thom Bell and he sings it beautifully. Like how his vibrato wobbles on “I’d sit behind a DEEEEEESK.”

 

 

 

ALVIN STARDUST: Good Love Will Never Die/The Danger Zone (Magnet MAG 21)

 

 

Sounds like he’s trying to do “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet.” Military drums like he wants to go on Eurovision. I’m amazed he’s even still getting hits.

 

 

 

 

15 February

 

ARROWS: My Last Night With You/Movin’ Next Door To You (RAK 189)

 

 

They haven’t really established themselves and this boring ballad isn’t going to get the screams going.

 

 

 

MUD: The Secrets That You Keep/Still Watching The Clock (RAK 194)

 

 

I think Mud have had their day. This is a dull Elvis tribute for anxious housewives. Where’s all the excitement of “Tiger Feet” and “The Cat Crept In”? Did they put this out for Valentine’s Day? Gives me the creeps if they did.

 

 

 

FRANKIE VALLI: My Eyes Adored You/Watch Where You Walk (Private Stock PVT 1)

 

 

Another new record label – everything’s changing. The Four Seasons are before my time but this is a nicely put-together ballad, even if Valli sounds too old still to be singing about going to school.

 

 

 

SHIRLEY & COMPANY: Shame, Shame, Shame/More “Shame” (All Platinum 6146 301)

 

 

People are already talking about this new label (ANOTHER one!) being the new Motown but this is SENSATIONAL – funky, cheeky, rocking and socking with terrific vocal interplay. This should be number one everywhere or you deserve Margaret Thatcher.

 

 

 

STEVE HARLEY AND COCKNEY REBEL: Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)/Another Journey (EMI 2263)

 

 

Oh hold on a cotton picking MINUTE, did I just write something about number ones? This one has strode in at number nine as if demanding and expecting to be the boss. Such a clever art-pop record with all its stops and starts – it isn’t afraid of silence, unlike so many other bothersome records just now. And it is also very funny, even though Harley is, as I understand it, having a go at his old band for walking out on him unless he sacked them then what’s the point? But this is catchy and artful; well, nobody deserves a number one more than him just now.

 

 

 

 

22 February

 

HAMILTON BOHANNON: South African Man/Have A Good Day (Brunswick BR 16)

 

 

Former Motown drummer striking out with a hypnotic percussive – and political - funky workout. This must be down to the discos because nobody’s playing it on the radio. Maybe too specialist to be a really big hit but it gets me moving, which is important.

 

 

 

SLADE: How Does It Feel?/So Far So Good (Polydor 2058 547)

 

 

 

Slade must know that their time is nearly up. This is a really good and quite moving song but there’s no clear hook and it’s fairly long. “Many years from now,” as Noddy Holder sings, people will realise that this was their best song.

 

 

 

TELLY SAVALAS: If/You And Me Against The World (MCA 174)

 

 

Kojak talking his way through the old Bread song with a touch of the Barry Whites (“and when the world was through…MMMMMM!!”). That “MMMMMM” will ensure this record is very big. But can he sing?

 

 

 

FOX: Only You Can/Out Of My Body (GTO GT 8)

 

 

Female lead singer with an odd voice sings a rather odd song. Written by Kenny Young which explains why this is something Clodagh Rodgers might once have recorded. I expect it’s become popular because men fancy the singer.