REMEMBER WHEN - 7TH JULY 1973

1973
Week 27
WEEK ENDING 7TH JULY 1973

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	LW
1	1	Slade	Skweeze Me Pleeze Me
2	4	Peters And Lee	Welcome Home
3	2	10 C.C.	Rubber Bullets
4	21	David Bowie	Life On Mars
5	3	Fleetwood Mac	Albatross
6	6	Hotshots	Snoopy Verses The Red Baron
7	11	Dave Edmunds	Born To Be With You
8	5	T.Rex	The Groover
9	17	Paul Simon	Take Me To The Mardi Gras
10	8	George Harrison	Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
11	9	Wings	Live And Let Die
12	10	Stealers Wheel	Stuck In The Middle
13	18	Geordie	Can You Do It
14	22	Mott The Hoople	Honaloochie Boogie
15	24	Linda Lewis	Rock-A-Doodle-Doo
16	16	Dawn	Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree
17	14	Perry Como	And I Love You So
18	19	Junior Campbell	Sweet Illusion
19	7	Suzi Quatro	Can The Can
20	20	Jackson Five	Hallelujah Day
21	12	Medicine Head	One And One Is One
22	13	Partridge Family	Walking In The Rain
23	31	Blue Mink	Randy
24	32	Chairmen Of The Board	Finder's Keepers
25	25	Barry White	I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More Baby
26	15	Wizzard	See My Baby Jive
27	28	Joe Simon	Step By Step
28	26	Neil Sedaka	Standing On The Inside
29	27	Stevie Wonder	You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
30	37	Sylvia	Pillow Talk
31	29	Edgar Winter Group	Frankenstein
32	NEW	Clifford T. Ward	Gaye
33	23	First Choice	Armed And Extremely Dangerous
34	39	Mud	Hypnosis
35	NEW	Junior Walker & The All Stars	Way Back Home
36	NEW	Elton John	Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
37	NEW	Stylistics	Peek A Boo
38	NEW	Kenny	Give It To Me Now
39	34	Nazareth	Broken Down Angel
40	NEW	Albert Hammond	Free Electric Band

Slade

Skweeze Me Pleeze Me

Funny story with this one. For the first time ever, on what must have been 26th June I noticed that a daily newspaper (well, the Sun actually) listed the top 30 singles. There with a new entry at number 13 was this single from Slade. I can't remember whether I saw Top Of The Pops three days later, or whether it was on the top Twenty the following Sunday, that it was number one. So, I thought that it had climbed from 13 to number one. Pretty impressive I thought, and I liked it too.
But that wasn't what happened, the truth was much more impressive. I had no idea that there were at least three different charts, and the Sun actually carried the chart from either the New Musical Express or Melody Maker, and not the official Music Week/Record Mirror chart. The single had in fact entered the chart at number one. So now, Slade were not only the only act to enter at number one during the Seventies, they were the only band in history to enter at number one with two consecutive singles. This record stood until Take That both equalled and then beat it in 1993 (by which time, new entries at number one had become commonplace).
Naturally it lasted more than a couple of weeks at the top (all the number one debits did then you know), three to be exact. It's last week at number one coincided with the week that I left Primary school (7-11 year old), and Top Of The Pops was broadcast on the exact day that I left, 13th July. That date is a very significant one for me. On one hand, twelve years later it was the date of a concert with the greatest line up ever, Live Aid, after which music began to decline (well, I think so), and so I regard it as the end of the Golden Days . But 13th July 1973, was the beginning of the Golden Days for me. From that evening's edition of Top Of The Pops, I was hooked on music. You will have to see the commentary for the week ending 21st July for the full story on that.
On the down side of that 13th July Top Of The Pops, Slade were unable to appear on the show. This was due to drummer Don Powell (the one who always chewed gum like a football manager), being seriously injured in a car accident. Instead, the record was played and the screen just showed the record spinning.

Peters And Lee

Welcome Home

Fresh from their Opportunity Knocks success, this was the first single release by the gruesome twosome. Without wishing to seem unsympathetic, I think they only won the talent show because Lenny Peters was blind. He certainly couldn't sing, and his voice was so deep that Diane Lee's vocals couldn't be heard. Whatever, this single reached the top in it's eighth week on the chart, and they went on to have four further hits over the next three years.

10 C.C.

Rubber Bullets

This was my first ever tip for the top. One Saturday morning I went into Wrexham town centre with my friend 'Allan Davies' in his Mother's car. As we walked into 'Woolworths' he asked me whether I liked "Rubber Bullets" by 10CC. I hadn't even heard it, but I said I liked it anyway. I later told my Mum that I like it and I think that it will go to number one. A few days later my Mum was watching Top Of The Pops (yes, parents used to watch it then) and it came on, so she called me in. You know, I really did like it (my Mum did too). And yes, it spent a week at number one.

David Bowie

Life On Mars

This gave me my first real experience of David Bowie, I loved it, brilliant song. Yet it was already a couple of years old, and had surprisingly not been issued as a single at the same time as it's "Hunky Dory" parent album. The songwords to this were in the edition of Disco 45 with an Orange front cover, the last one before it went up in price from 5p to 7p and merged with Popads 500. I studied these songwords, I've looked at them since, and I'm still not sure what it's all about, it just sounds good. But at least I now know where the Norfolk Broads and Ibiza are, I didn't have a clue at the time.
It spent three weeks at number three. David held the number three spot for a total of eight weeks during 1973.

Fleetwood Mac

Albatross

This was Fleetwood Mac's biggest ever hit. This instrumental had been a number one single in 1969, but just four years later, it was back and on its way back to number two. I can't see any logical reason for it's reissue, but there must have been a good reason at the time. Or maybe it was just a making money thing for CBS. Since late 1969 the band had been signed to 'Reprise', and at the time of this re-issued single, they did have a new album ('Penguin') and single ("Did You Ever Love Me"). It would be over six years before Fleetwood Mac returned to the top ten.

Hotshots

Snoopy Verses The Red Baron

The Hotshots reached number four with a song that Royal Guardsmen had taken to number eight in 1967. "Snoopy verses The Red Baron" was a song about a dog flying a plane and defeating the Evil Red Baron in a real dog fight. Don't knock it, it still made more sense than "Block Rocking Beats". If I remember correctly, the drummer was the lead singer with these, and he looked like Rory Bremner (or was that Billy Bremner ?)
The songwords to this were in an issue of Disco 45 that had an orange front cover. My sister and I took great delight in singing this within hearshot of adults, especially our Nana (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or more, the bloody red baron was running up the score). You see, "Bloody" was considered to be a naughty word in those days.

Dave Edmunds

Born To Be With You

Terrible vocals from Dave on this cover of a song taken to number eight by the Chordettes in 1956. It reached number five, and then Dave wasn't heard of until he came back new and improved in 1977.
This song was used in a TV ad for insurance or something in the Summer of 2001.

T.Rex

The Groover

I liked this one a lot, though why anybody would want to call Marc Bolan "Arnie" or "Slim" is anyone's guess. The B.Side "Midnight" was pretty good too (as was so often the case with T.Rex singles). It reached number four and was the last of ten consecutive top ten hits for T.Rex.

Paul Simon

Take Me To The Mardi Gras

What a strange song thought I. The only usage of the word Mardi (Mardy) that I knew, was to describe someone being a big baby. For example, Prince got mardy about the British press poking fun at his (almost non speaking) appearance at the Brits in the mid-80s. Or Terence T'rent D'Arby got all mardy when Nicky Campbell asked him whether he was gay.
So why would Paul want to be taken to the Grar that was Mardy (whatever Grar was) ?
It seemed a nice enough song anyway and reached number seven.

George Harrison

Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)

George Harrison was in the chart for the first time in two years with "Give Me Love", and peaked at number eight. I didn't particularly like it at the time, but it's ok now.

Wings

Live And Let Die

This was the theme from the first 'Roger Moore' James Bond film and it peaked at number nine. This reminds me of the day I discovered that second hand record shops existed. I don't remember how I came to be in the Bridge Street area of Wrexham, but I was walking along there in early 1974 and heard this song coming from somewhere. I followed the sound and discovered 'Budget Records'. I bought many singles from there during the following two years.
Guns 'N' Roses took their cover of this to number five in 1991, while Geri Halliwell covered it on her "Lift Me Up" single in 1999.

Stealers Wheel

Stuck In The Middle With You

I first heard this on the top 20 show when I still wasn't really that bothered about listening to it, I think it was the week that it peaked at number Eight. My Sister and I thought that it was a really boring song being sang by a man who was no doubt equally as boring. It wasn't until Christmas 1974 when I listened to K'Tel's "Music Explosion" LP that I began to like it.
In recent times this song has been associated with the awful film 'Reservoir Dogs', and Louise covered it in 2001.
Stealers Wheel launched the 'hit' career of Mr. "Baker Street", Gerry Rafferty.

Geordie

Can You Do It

A second top twenty hit for Geordie with a very repetitive song that was sandwiched between two much better releases from the band. It reached number 13.

Mott The Hoople

Honaloochie Boogie

I liked this one too, even if it did make me wonder what a "Honaloochie Boogie" is. It reached number 12, and I remember hearing it on the top 20. But having examined the dates, I must have only heard (and listened to) it on the top 20 once. That would have been on the 22nd July when it stood at number 19.

Linda Lewis

Rock-A-Doodle-Doo

Linda Lewis made her chart debut with this song and peaked at number 15. I loved the way her voice was unbelievably deep during the verse, before going the complete opposite way during the chorus. This is another song that reminds me of summer everytime I hear it. Three further hits would follow for the lovely Linda during the next six years.

Dawn

Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree

I remember a friend Allan Davies asking me if I liked the song "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree". I don't remember my reply, maybe I pretended that I did, but I hadn't heard it. When I did hear it, yes I liked it, and the following December, it was on my list of records that I'd like for Christmas (and I got it).
It climbed quite slowly at first, and didn't make number one until it's seventh chart week. It spent four weeks on top, but it wouldn't go away. By the middle of August, it stood at number 39 and seemed destined to fall out of the chart after 23 weeks. But the follow up, "Gypsy Rose" was now charting and this led to renewed interest in "Ribbon". So the following week, it shot back up to number 29 and spent another couple of weeks in the top 40 after that. They even appeared on Top Of The Pops singing both hits on one particular show. But even that wasn't the end of the story. After a couple of weeks away, it came back for another eight weeks, and then another week after that. In all, it spent 35 weeks in the top 40, and a further five between 41-50. Naturally, it was the best selling single of the year.
A couple of years later, I did the immature thing of course. It was catchy, it was extremely popular, so I hated it (well, you do don't you ?). These days, I don't mind it at all for those very same reasons.

Perry Como

And I Love You So

This was Perry Como's highest charting single since "Delaware" reached number three in 1960. It was also his first hit for two years, and his longest charting single ever, spending 35 weeks in the top 50, and also hitting number three. The song was written by Don McLean, but considering how much money he must have made out of Perry's version, I doubt that he's too upset that most people associate the song with Perry rather than him.
Good song, great singer, Perry passed away in May 2001.

Junior Campbell

Sweet Illusion

Junior Campbell reached number 15 with this second and final solo hit. Junior was formally a member of 'Marmalade' with whom he had enjoyed ten hit singles including the 1969 number one "Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da". His only other solo hit was 1972's number ten peaking "Hallelujah Freedom", which George Michael had obviously listened to a few times before he wrote Wham's 1984 number one "Freedom".
Junior went on to compose the music for 'Thomas The Tank Engine'.

Suzi Quatro

Can The Can

Suzi Quatro was having her first hit with a song that stormed up the charts. It entered at number 34, moved up to five, then two, stayed there for a week, followed by a week at number one. Suzi became another of those artists who couldn't be guaranteed a hit with every release. For this reason, you can be sure that each one of her hits over the next seven years was in the chart on merit. Funny how her albums never really sold in the UK. Her eponymous debut was the first album in my collection.

Jackson Five

Hallelujah Day

I grew to like this one through hearing it on "Junior Choice" every weekend. It reached number twenty, was their final top twenty hit as the Jackson Five, and doesn't sound that impressive now.

Medicine Head

One And One Is One

Medicine Head peaked at number three with their second (and biggest) hit. They'd had to wait a while for it though. Their first hit "(And The) Pictures In The Sky" had come two years earlier. They wouldn't have to wait as long for their other two hits, they came in the following nine months.

Partridge Family

Walking In The Rain

The Partridge Family were having the last of their five hits with the number ten peaking "Walking In The Rain". On their first three hits, they were billed as 'The Partridge Family starring Shirley Jones featuring David Cassidy', while on the last two they were billed as 'The Partridge Family starring David Cassidy'. David had further solo success over the next two years, and another hit in 1985, but Shirley or the rest of the 'family didn't grace the chart again. David is still at large and Ruth is doing a good job over at www.davidcassidy.com.
I didn't really know who the Partridge Family were until this was on it's way down the chart. I then made a point of looking out for their show. I finally caught what turned out to be the last ever episode. They didn't seem to be repeated either until the late spring of 2001 when 'Granada Plus' had a Partridge Family day, so I watched about eight episodes then.

Blue Mink

Randy

This is the only time I remember Blue Mink in the chart. I remember Roger Cook being a thinish man with a little beard, and Madeline Bell also being thin, but she didn't seem to be as tall as she appeared to be when they reformed for a TV appearance some ten years later.
This single reached number nine and stayed on the top 40 for ten weeks. I liked it quite a lot, but for a long time I was puzzled by something I overheard. My Mum and Dad liked the song and I heard my Dad say to my Mum "Hey, that song's called Randy", and he laughed for some reason !

Chairmen Of The Board

Finder's Keepers

The last of eight top 40 hits for Chairmen Of The Board. I don't recall hearing it at that time, but I do remember seeing it listed in the chart. Not a bad song at all, and in hindsight it sounds like a top ten hit, not a lowly number 21.

Barry White

I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More Baby

Barry's first single to enter the UK top 40 (apart from his appearance on the Love Unlimited single), but we weren't quite ready for him yet. This wasn't as catchy as his later stuff and only reached number 25.

Wizzard

See My Baby Jive

This was the second top ten hit by what was basically Roy Wood with a band of people that no one knew the names of. This one went all the way to number one and spent four weeks there.
Roy Wood had previously enjoyed success with 'The Move' and had been a founder member of 'ELO', but he is most fondly remembered as the lead singer of Wizzard. As Glam Rock hit the UK, many acts had began using make up in an attempt to look outrageous. But Roy did it better (or worse ?) than all of the Bowies and Bolans of this world as he went completely over the top. But that shouldn't over shadow what a brilliant pop song this was. It didn't change the world, but music doesn't have to. He never even got close to this peak again. But this proudly stands up as one of the best pop songs of all time. Even today, that intro sends a shiver down the spine as memories of innocent days come flooding back.

Joe Simon

Step By Step

I remember hearing this on the Sunday Top 20 show as it about to fall out of the Twenty. I remember thinking that it was a good record and I also heard it a few more times at fairgrounds that Summer. I then forgot all about it until I picked up a copy in a second hand shop about twenty years later, and yes, it still sounded good. It reached number 14 and Joe had no other UK hits. In the States, this single reached number 37, and he had 31 hot 100 hits spanning the period 1966-1975, his biggest being the 1975 number eight peaking "Get Down, Get Down (Get On the Floor).

Neil Sedaka

Standing On The Inside

Neil Sedaka was having the fourth hit of his comeback, and this reached number 26. I remember this being featured on a show that was presented by Jimmy Saville on Saturdays. There was a segment of the show where contestants had to predict the following week's chart positions for a selection of singles. That is similar to a game that I used to play myself through much of the 'Golden Days', and used to do quite well at it too. Getting 15 out of 40 positions spot on was no mean feat, but I managed it quite often. To do that would be virtually impossible now.

Stevie Wonder

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life

Stevie Wonder made the top ten for the first time in three years with one of his most famous songs. This peaked at number seven. So, my first impression of Stevie was, that he was someone who had his records played on Radio Two's 'Family Favourites'. This was a radio show that was broadcast every Sunday from noon to 2pm, that my parents always listened to. I hated the show.

Sylvia

Pillow Talk

I used to class this record as boring purely because of the fact that it was on an old fashioned record label (London) and the actual label was black, unlike the nice picture on the Rak singles, the brightness of the R.C.A. singles, the nice gold and blue from MGM and the silver from Bell.
But, it was a nice sultry performance from Sylvia that almost went into the territory that Donna Summer dominated three years later. Reached number 14 and had eight weeks in the top 40. It did much better in the States where it reached number three. But Sylvia Vanderpool (later Sylvia Robinson) had made her first recording 23 years earlier as Little Sylvia, and had first hit the US chart in 1957 as one half of duo Mickey And Sylvia with "Love Is Strange".
At the end of the decade, Sylvia Robinson was one of the leading lights of the Sugarhill record company which gave us the first Rap hit single.

Edgar Winter Group

Frankenstein

The Edgar Winter Group reached number 18 with this, their only hit. All I can tell you about this lot, is that Dan Hartman (Instant Replay, This Is It, Relight My Fire, I Can Dream About You) was a member of them, and one of them looked like Jimmy Saville.

Clifford T. Ward

Gaye

Quite a nice song if you're into that kind of thing, and none of us even considered a third usage of the one word title. Ten years later while in hospital with the blues, this track was on a compilation LP that often found it's way onto the ward record player. One day while it was playing a fellow patient turned to me and asked if I was gay. I think I took it quite well really, considering how us hetrosexuals would normally react violently to such a suggestion. But I did have to consider the fact that it may have been a full moon that night, and in those instances Peter did tend to develop wild staring eyes and a hunch on his back !
Clifford reached number eight with this biggest hit.

First Choice

Armed And Extremely Dangerous

First Choice reached number 16 with this. I expected to see this back in the UK chart during the summer of 1997, courtesy of the 97 re-mix doing the rounds of the clubs. I heard it and it wasn't bad, keeping much of the original in there, still not as good as the original though.

Mud

Hypnosis

Good follow up to "Crazy", much better I thought. I have a vague memory of them having flaming torches on the stage when they appeared on Top Of The Pops with this one. I liked the B Side too, "Last Tango In London" with it's small segment of the melody from "Crazy" about two thirds through. It reached number 16 after seven weeks in the chart, and hung on for a total of ten top 40 weeks.

Junior Walker & The All Stars

Way Back Home

I don't normally like Junior Walker, but this was OK. It had already been an American hit some 18 months previous. It was a cover version, but I don't know who did the original. It was the last of their six UK hits, and reached a lowly number 35.

Elton John

Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting

From this, my early impression of Elton was that he was some kind of horrible looking madman who liked to sing about fighting and bellies full of beer. I knew nothing of his love songs etc. No, I didn't like this number seven peaking hit at all. I like it now though.

Stylistics

Peek A Boo

Didn't hear this at the time, and even now I don't rate it as one of their best. It reached number 35, and the big time was just around the corner.

Kenny

Give It To Me Now

The follow up to "Heart Of Stone" had just one week in the top 40. We've already established elsewhere that despite being with the same record company, having the same songwriters and sounding exactly like them, this is not the same Kenny that hit with "The Bump". But we also have the Bay City Rollers connection. As you probably know, The Bay City Rollers released their version of "The Bump" on the B side of "All Of Me Loves All Of You". But that isn't the only connection. The BCR also recorded this at a much slower pace for their debut album "Rollin' " in 1974. Not only that, but the B Side of this Kenny single was titled - - "Rollin" !

Nazareth

Broken Down Angel

Nazareth reached a peak of number nine with this first of seven hits. It was also included on the 'Hot Tracks' EP in 1977.

Albert Hammond

Free Electric Band

Albert has composed (and Co-Composed) a number of big hits through the years, including "When I Need You" (Leo Sayer), "Little Arrows" (Leapy Lee), "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (Starship), The Air That I Breathe (Hollies, Simply Red), "Don't Turn Around" (Aswad, Ace Of Base). But success as an act in his own right has rarely been forthcoming. This was the only time his name ever appeared in the UK chart, and he peaked at number 19. His biggest US hit was "It Never Rains in Southern California" from the previous year, and I'm almost certain that title was released in the UK as the follow up to "Free Electric Band".
He also co-wrote "Gimme Dat Ding" for the Pipkins !

This was in the top 50 this week, but failed to reach the top 40.

Vicky Leandros

When Bouzoukis Played

Vicky had won the 1972 Eurovision song contest with "Come What May", and reached number two with the song. In the early part of 1973, she secured a place on the bottom rung of the top 40 with "The Love In Your Eyes". This single was the last time that she got near the top 40, but it wasn't near enough (I presume that's her thoughts on the matter). Despite spending five weeks in the top fifty, she didn't advance beyond number 44.
I've only ever heard a Foreign language version of this. It sounded like a Greek song (which would stand to reason considering), and one that would feel at home in the Eurovision song contest, the James Last show that used to be on Sunday nights, or that German music show that I used to watch on Fridays before being unable to pick it up after switching from analogue to Sky Digital.

A 1973 MP3

Handley Family- Wam Bam

Some More MP3s

Disclaimer All comments concerning the quality of the songs in this and any other chart, are purely my opinion and not a statement of fact. I believe that we are all equal when it comes to deciding what makes a good song. I do not believe that good songs have to be serious or dull. I am of the opinion that if a single sells many copies, then many people like it, so it must be good whether I like it or not. Good music is everything YOU like, and it's also everything I like.

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