From a singles chart perspective, the most significant thing that happened to me this month was that I went to Grant Educational bookshop in Union Street, Glasgow, adjacent to Central Station, and purchased a copy of the above book.
All the singles charts since 1955! It became a Bible to me. The early charts were taken from the archives of Record Mirror, hence were different from the NME lists which subsequently became the “official” charts for that period, and for space and cost reasons the book limited itself to the Top Twenty. But it was all a revelation to me! Here were all these songs I’d only heard on Radio 1’s Sunday lunchtime Double Top Ten Show – yes, I know, but the presenter’s been dead for the best part of fifteen years, get over it – head-to-head with other songs, huge hits, that I’d never heard of; in some cases, not even the artists (Ned Miller? Leroy van Dyke?) were known to me. All placed in a comprehensible order, lined up and competing for the top, thus shaping my understanding and eventual appreciation of this engineered phenomenon called popular music. And because the lists in the book stopped at September 1975 – well, what was the natural thing for me to do but write out up-to-date charts in the same format, week after week? I managed to keep that up well into 1978.
The year-by-year summaries were breezy, showbizzy and profoundly superficial. But that was fine by me because this wasn’t the stern lecture hall of Rock File; after all, breezy, superficial showbiz was what pop was supposed to be all about. Wasn’t it? When you had the supposedly renowned Mick Farren in the NME at the end of 1975 making the magisterial pronouncement that, when push came to shove, Bob Dylan was “blacker” than Isaac Hayes – and yes, that gave me the creeps even at the time – then a degree of relief was more than welcome.
Notes on Text
Geoff Love, a.k.a. Manuel, was best known as Max Bygraves’ musical director and releasing a whole string of budget-priced soundalike re-recordings of film and television themes. If you weren’t around to witness the bucolic Monday evening televisual singalongs of Singalongamax then you missed precisely nothing. Some of the spinoff albums only narrowly missed going to number one. “Rodrigo’s Guitar Concerto” holds the dubious distinction of being the shortest-lived British number one single, for about four hours before the British Market Research Bureau realised in horror that they had missed out a whole day of sales (Saturday, the busiest record shopping day of the week, at that) – when they corrected the chart later the same Tuesday, poor old Manuel/Geoff had been demoted to number three and never climbed higher. The guitar soloist was Ivor Mairants, whose guitar shop The Ivor Mairants Musicentre in Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia W1, was in physical business for over half a century (and maintains an online presence).
“Convoy” was big but “I Love To Love,” a song which was possibly composed and demoed in what is now our front room, finally proved that little bit bigger, pipping it to the top.
7 February
SMOKIE: Something’s Been Making Me Blue/Train Song (RAK 227)
Apparently they’ve had to change the spelling of their name because Smokey Robinson said he might sue them if they didn’t. That’s a much more exciting story than any of their records. They seem to go out of their way to be boring.
YVONNE FAIR: It Should Have Been Me/You Can’t Judge A Book By It’s (sic) Cover (Tamla Motown TMG 1013)
Electrifyingly angry Norman Whitfield-produced “Rock Your Baby” variation in which Ms Fair howls in protest at the wedding. An angrier vocal than I’ve heard on any hit single in a long time.
THE WHO: Squeeze Box/Success Story (Polydor 2121 275)
The Who By Numbers is a downbeat, reflective L.P. but its hit single is this bouncy accordion ‘n’ banjo double entendre hoedown. Would be agreeable if it were Marmalade, but this is the Who!
MANUEL AND THE MUSIC OF THE MOUNTAINS: Rodrigo’s Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez (Theme From 2nd Movement)/Mirage (EMI 2383)
There was a housewife in Woolworth’s in Hamilton who thought this was Manuel the waiter from Fawlty Towers! Er, NO…this is Geoff Love from Singalongamax under a pseudonym! My father can’t understand why they always go for the boring movement from a piece of music he otherwise quite likes. He doesn’t like the Miles Davis Sketches Of Spain version either because he says Gil Evans’ arrangements send him to sleep. This one is done more like a spaghetti Western theme, all dramatic choirs and echoes. The label says this was recorded in 1971. Why is it in the charts now?
14 February
THE O’JAYS: I Love Music (Part 1)/I Love Music (Part [sic] 1 & 2) (Philadelphia International PIR 3879)
Had almost forgotten about Philly but this is a great comeback for both the sound and the group – dynamic, mobile and compelling dance music with a fulsome arrangement (those vibes!).
PLUTO: D A T/D A T (Version) (Opal Records PAL 5)
The producer of Paul Davidson’s “Midnight Rider” (Pluto Shervington) returns in his own right with this very funny send-up of Rastafarianism and the singer’s clumsy attempts to buy some pork, which Rastas are not allowed to eat. Much better than dreadful old Judge Dread.
SLADE: Let’s Call It Quits/When The Chips Are Down (Polydor 2058 690)
Trying to get back to their stomping rock roots but this is far too slow and stodgy and the record’s overall air of defeatism makes me think that this might be their farewell single. I suppose they had a good run.
TINA CHARLES: I Love To Love (But My Baby Loves To Dance)/Disco Fever (CBS 3937)
The real singer of “I’m On Fire” is back as herself with a supremely catchy “Rock Your Baby”-type groover that is clearly going to be enormous.
21 February
L J JOHNSON: Your Magic Put A Spell On Me/Spellbound (Philips 6006 492)
Another Wigan’s Chosen Few/Maxine Nightingale-style Northern Soul pastiche that doesn’t possess the zing of “Right Back Where…” but should keep the easily-pleased content for a while.
EVELYN THOMAS: Weak Spot/Dancin’ Is My Weak Spot (20th Century BTC 1014)
This appears to be part of the same (Ian Levine) plot as L J Johnson to get “new” Northern Soul records into the charts. Ms Thomas certainly has more personality and force as a singer than Mr Johnson, so should do the better business.
MANHATTAN TRANSFER: Tuxedo Junction/Operator (Atlantic K 10670)
Not quite camp American nightclub vocal group hitch a ride on the Glenn Miller revival bandwagon. Bruce Forsyth fans will like it.
THE STYLISTICS: Funky Weekend/If You Are There (Avco 6105 044)
Really losing artistic, if not commercial, ground with Hugo and Luigi – this is about as “funky” as a finger of Fudge.
STATUS QUO: Rain/You Lost The Love (Vertigo 6059 133)
Routine boogie with a peculiar Cockney pronunciation of the title.
C. W. McCALL: Convoy/Long Lonesome Road (MGM 2006 560)
Already there are cut-out guides to Citizens Band radio slang in the newspapers but this really is an abrupt sensation – what is he talking about (apart from the backing singers-sung chorus, it’s all spoken) and are we supposed to understand what it all means other than it sounds like a gigantic revolution happening this very minute? The trucks roll all the way across the United States and cannot, will not, be stopped by anybody or anything. The message seems to be, enough of Watergate and Vietnam, enough of the lies, let’s get out there and build something new and BIG. And the singers in the chorus make the word “trucking” sound like something else, which I’m sure was deliberate. If it can get past “I Love To Love,” this is in the running to be the unlikeliest British number one single ever.
28 February
GUYS ‘N’ DOLLS: You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me/We’re All In The Same Boat (Magnet MAG 50)
Tedious cabaret cover of the Dusty Springfield epic, mainly sung by someone with a medallion and too much hair who mistakenly thinks he’s Scott Walker – and they fade it out. Travesty!
CLIFF RICHARD: Miss You Nights/Love Enough (EMI 2376)
His first hit of any kind in nearly two years, and his best single in about four years, a patiently heartbroken ballad, beautifully paced and structured, sung as though he’s finally been defeated by love and life. I don’t think David Cassidy could have sung this – you have to have lived a life before you can convincingly sing a song of this kind. Complete wrecked artistry.
THE FATBACK BAND: (Do The) Spanish Hustle/Groovy Kind Of Day (Spring Records 2066 656)
Much stronger than “Do The Bus Stop,” this insidious Minimoog-led groover grips and doesn’t let go. Should break the top ten with ease.
BILLY OCEAN: Love Really Hurts Without You/You’re Running Outa Fools (GTO GT 52)
Another Luxembourg hit; Billy’s been threatening to break through for some while and now does so with this irresistible old-style Motown swinger which only a miser wouldn’t enjoy.
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