REMEMBER WHEN - 8TH MAY 1976

1976
Week 19
WEEK ENDING 8TH MAY 1976

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	LW
1	2	Abba	Fernando
2	1	Brotherhood Of Man	Save Your Kisses For Me
3	3	Hank Mizell	Jungle Rock
4	14	Laurie Lingo & The Dipsticks	Convoy GB
5	5	Fox	S-S-S-Single Bed
6	16	Four Seasons	Silver Star
7	9	Silver Convention	Get Up And Boogie
8	6	Diana Ross	Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)
9	12	Sheer Elegance	Life Is Too Short Girl
10	10	Isaac Hayes	Disco Connection
11	22	Frankie Valli	Fallen Angel
12	13	Eric Carmen	All By Myself
13	7	Sailor	Girls Girls Girls
14	20	Stylistics	Can't Help Falling In Love
15	11	John Miles	Music
16	19	Sutherland Brothers And Quiver	Arms Of Mary
17	4	Bay City Rollers	Love Me Like I Love You
18	17	Andrea True Connection	More More More
19	24	Diana Ross	Love Hangover
20	28	Bellamy Brothers	Let Your Love Flow
21	8	10 C.C.	I'm Mandy Fly Me
22	NEW	Rolling Stones	Fool To Cry
23	29	Paul Nicholas	Reggae Like It Used To Be
24	27	Harpo	Movie Star
25	30	Johnny Taylor	Disco Lady
26	35	J.J. Barrie	No Charge
27	32	James And Bobby Purify	I'm Your Puppet
28	36	Rubettes	You're The Reason Why
29	21	Keith Emerson	Honky Tonk Train Blues
30	25	Jimmy James	I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me
31	NEW	Tina Charles	Love Me Like A Lover
32	26	Rodger Collins	You Sexy Sugar Plum
33	18	Beatles	Hey Jude
34	15	Hot Chocolate	Don't Stop It Now
35	23	Barry White	You See The Trouble With Me
36	NEW	Three Degrees	Toast Of Love
37	NEW	Elvis Presley	Hurt
38	33	Linda Lewis	Baby I'm Yours
39	NEW	Judge Dread	The Winkle Man
40	34	Brass Construction	Movin'

Abba

Fernando

Abba spent four weeks at number one with this single. This was the year in which Abba were really big. Fernando was the second of three number ones they achieved in 1976 (all sounding totally different). Even though they had become such hot property, reaching number one was not a foregone conclusion with each new release (as it became in the late 90's), singles had to earn the right to top the charts. This single had steadily grown on the British public as it climbed (remember when singles did that ?) to number two, and stayed there for three weeks before hitting the top.

Brotherhood Of Man

Save Your Kisses For Me

The Brotherhood Of Man were having their first hit for almost six years, and it may have seemed unusual for a group without a hit in such a long time to enter the chart as high as number 14. But there was of course a story behind this song. After many years of an act being chosen to sing for the UK in the Eurovision song contest and then being given six songs to sing from which TV viewers would vote, this year it was done differently. Instead a contest was held where a number of different acts sang one song each. Brotherhood Of Man won that contest and of course went on to win the big one. This single went on to spend six weeks at number one and became the best selling single of 1976.
And then of course, there's the thing about this Brotherhood Of Man not really being the same group that had a hit with "United We Stand" in 1970. There was no Tony Burrows this time for one thing. It was still songwriter Tony Hiller's baby though, and this was the classic line up (can there be such a thing as a 'classic' Brotherhood Of Man line up ?).

Hank Mizell

Jungle Rock

Hank Mizell reached number three with this song that he'd recorded in the 50's. Like the Tammy Wynette Country song "Stand By Your Man" from the previous year, there seems no logical explanation for this slice of Rockabilly suddenly becoming a hit. But what I do remember is an interview with Hank on the radio one 'Newsbeat' show at the time of the hit. He was being interviewed at his current place of work, working the fuel pumps.

Laurie Lingo And The Dipsticks

Convoy GB

Laurie Lingo And The Dipsticks were in fact Radio One DJs Dave Lee Travis & Paul Burnett. "Convoy GB" was a parody of the CW McCall hit "Convoy" from just two months previous, and peaked at number four. I found it as good as the original to be truthful (well, the slang terms made more sense to us than the ones Mr McCall used).

Fox

S-S-S-Single Bed

Fox peaked at number four with this third and (surprisingly) final hit. Noosha Fox would return to the charts briefly at the beginning of her solo career, and later released as a single her superior version of "The Heat Is On" (later a minor hit for Agnetha from Abba), but success was limited.

Four Seasons

Silver Star

The Four Seasons were having their last big hit with this one. It was a single that had a very strange chart run. After entering at number 27, t climbed normally to number 16 and then 6. But it then dropped to number nine before climbing to number three, dropping to 21, climbing back up to 16, dropping to 31, then 39 and out.
It was a very worthy follow up to their number one "December '63" and had a great disco version on the B side. What disco version actually meant was that it was a longer cut of the track on the A side.

Silver Convention

Get Up And Boogie

Silver Convention were having their biggest hit with the number seven peaking "Get Up And Boogie". This was promoted on TV, by a cartoon clip featuring different species of animals including a cat playing a piano. Promos were still few and far between in those days, so this one sticks in the memory. it reminds me of the promo for the Bamboo hit "Bamboogie".

Diana Ross

Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)

This first of two quickfire hits for Diana peaked at number five and was her biggest solo hit since "I'm Still Waiting" had gone all the way to number one in 1971. It was covered by Jennifer Lopez on her 1999 album "On The Six".

Sheer Elegance

Life Is Too Short Girl

Sheer Elegance were back with the follow up to their first hit "Milky Way". "Life Is Too Short Girl" reached number nine, but was the last hit for the band who found fame via the 'New Faces' talent show. If I remember correctly, their album sleeve was quite naughty.

Isaac Hayes

Disco Connection

Isaac Hayes was having his second UK hit with"Disco Connection" and peaked at number ten. This single was GOOD, so I can't imagine why it is one of only three singles from the chart in which it debuted that I don't have. I'll have to hunt it down.
Isaac had to wait over 22 years for his next hit. This was in the guise of Chef from South Park, and he hit number one with "Chocolate Salty Balls"

Frankie Valli

Fallen Angel

As well as having a top ten with the Four Seasons, Frankie Valli had his major hit at with this one. Call me an old softie, but I still think that this is a great ballad and should have got higher than number eleven. On either the 22nd April or 6th May, Frankie appeared on Top Of The Pops both as a solo artist and as a member of his band performing "Silver Star". I can't remember the exact date, but logically it must be one of the two mentioned, as prior to the madness that now presides over the UK charts started, the only songs to be featured on the show were those that were rising up the chart, not going down.

Eric Carmen

All By Myself

This was Eric's only hit single and peaked at number 12, spending just six weeks in the chart. Many of you may associate him more with the track "Hungry Eyes" from the 'Dirty Dancing' soundtrack. Eric had previously been a member of 'The Raspberries, a band who always seemed to be about to make it in the UK, but never quite managed it. As well as being covered and taken back into the chart by Celine Dion in 1996, "All By Myself" was also covered by Sheryl Crow and Jewell in the 1990s.

Sailor

Girls Girls Girls

The follow up to their number two hit "Glass Of Champagne", but not a very good one. Somehow it reached number seven.
A new songword magazine started life around this time, and the words to this song were in the first issue. I can't remember the title of the magazine, but it had gone by the end of the year.

Stylistics

Can't Help Falling In Love

More strange movements within the chart were encountered by the Stylistics. Having moved up one week from ten to four, they dropped to 14 the following week. This was thieir last ever top five hit.

John Miles

Music

Someone else taking a leaf out of the Freddie Mercury songbook. Another long song with varying tempos. This was always one that you quite liked, but your Dad liked a lot. Nice tune (s) and all that, but look at the lyrics alone and you're looking at a pile of crap. Three weeks at number three.

Sutherland Brothers & Quiver

Arms Of Mary

The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver peaked at number five with their first and biggest hit "Arms Of Mary". A particular memory of this one, is of the resident dancers on a TV show named 'Lift Off' dancing with miner's lanterns in their hands. A previous song of theirs had been the second biggest selling single of the year before, when recorded by Rod Stewart ("Sailing"). They recorded a good follow up single to this named "When The Train Comes", which failed to chart, and only managed a week at number 35 with the one after that called "Secrets". There was a further near miss for them with "Easy Come Easy Go" in 1979, andf nothing was heard from them afterwards.

Bay City Rollers

Love Me LIke I Love You

This was the eighth consecutive top ten hit for the Bay City Rollers. It appeared to be a deliberate attempt to recapture the sound of "Bye Bye Baby", but it only made it to number four. This was the first to feature new band member Ian Stewart, who later became a porn star.

Andrea True Connection

More More More

It has been widely documented that Andrea was a porn actress, and I certainly remember quite revealing photographs appearing in the music press at the time (naturally in grubby black and white). But was it all a marketing ploy ?
Andrea climaxed at number five, and after not being able to do much with her follow ups, she went back to doing whatever it is she did.
Bananarama covered this in 1993.

Diana Ross

Love Hangover

Just over four weeks after "Theme From Mahogany" entered the top 40, "Love Hangover" entered at number 24. This was Diana in sultry mode and sounds very much like she'd been influenced by Donna Summer, who'd recently hit the top five with "Love To Love You Baby". Despite it's slow progress up the chart, this single eventually reached number ten.

Bellamy Brothers

Let Your Love Flow

The Bellamy Brothers were on their way to number seven with their country crossover hit, "Let Your Love Flow". They went on to have a near miss with their next single "Satin Sheets", but they had to wait over three years before they finally hit the top 40 again. To be honest, I've never really classed "Let Your Love Flow" as country anyway, I just think of it as a good pop song.

10 C.C.

I'm Mandy Fly Me

I've always believed that the success of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was in the back of someone's mind when it was decided to release this track as a single. Not only did it seem to be a long song, but it also had a few changes of tempo, just like "Bo Rap".
It sounded nothing like it of course, but it was still a great song. It spent nine weeks in the top 40, including three at it's peak of number six.
It was helped a little bit by a strange thing that ITV were doing at the time. I noticed it most on Sunday afternoons. Now and then, instead of showing ads during a commercial break, they would show a music promo instead. "I'm Mandy Fly Me" was featured quite often in these segments.

Rolling Stones

Fool To Cry

The Rolling Stones were back with one of their strongest singles since the 60's. It stopped just short of the top five at number six, but a classic all the same, and another record that reminds me of hot summer days, or maybe evenings, as my most vivid memory is of it being played on the top twenty on Sundays.

Paul Nicholas

Reggae Like It Used To Be

Paul Nicholas reached number 17 with this debut hit. Paul had been around a few years, but his success throughout 1976 was probably kick started by his role as the sadistic cousin Kevin in the film "Tommy".

Harpo

Movie Star

Harpo was another Swedish act, but didn't quite make it as big as Abba (bit of an understatement there). "Movie Star" was a nice catchy song that got as high as number 24, then no more was heard from him.

Johnny Taylor

Disco Lady

Johnny Taylor was having his only hit with the number 25 peaking "Disco Lady". Yet over in the States, not only was it a four week number one and the biggest of his 21 hits, but it was also the first Platinum record to be certified by the RIAA.

J.J. Barrie

No Charge

This single was one that most of us who were into the music of the day would rather forget. It was one of those things that our mothers and grandmothers liked, the story of a kid giving his mother a bill for doing household chores etc. She of course reminded him of all she had done for him through his growing up and not charged him for it. It was bloody awful, but still managed to have a week at number one. Billy Connolly later did a parody of it which was just as bad !

James And Bobby Purify

I'm Your Puppet

James And Bobby Purify reached number twelve with an old recording that had been an American number six hit in 1966. Pretty ordinary song maybe, but another nice reminder of Summer days.

Rubettes

You're The Reason Why

The Rubettes were having their seventh hit with "You're The Reason Why" and peaked at number 28. It was a far cry from two years previous when they were celebrating a number one with their debut "Sugar Baby Love".

Keith Emerson

Honky Tonk Train Blues

Ok, he could play a piano. Not really my cup of tea though, I didn't even like my parents' Russ Conway singles. It reached number 21 and he then went back to record with Mr Lake & Mr Palmer.

Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

I'll Go Where The Music Takes Me

Jimmy James And The Vagabonds were having their first hit, since their debut with "Red Red Wine" in 1968. They would only reach number 23 this time, but better times were coming for the band.

Tina Charles

Love Me Like A Lover

Disappointing follow up to "I Love To Love", and that wolf whistle at the beginning was plain embarrassing. Somehow, I bought her "I Love To Love" album (Britannia Music Club record of the month, think it was called Audio Club Of Great Britain at the time), but always skipped this track. It reached number 28.
Interestingly enough, when this first entered the top 40 at number 31, the single one place above it was "I'll Go Where Your Music Takes Me" by JImmy James & The Vagabonds. Just under two years later, Tina had her final hit with her cover of that song.

Rodger Collins

You Sexy Sugar Plum

Daft titled single that verged on disco and made number 22, one hit wonder.

Beatles

Hey Jude

The late summer of 1968. I had just moved up into the class of Mrs Morris, the last year of the infants. After the two nice kindly teachers of Miss Samuels and Miss Rogers (becoming Mrs Roberts while I was her pupil), Mrs Morris was a different kettle of fish altogether. She was a stern woman rarely smiling at anyone except the children from the Vicarage Fields and Pont Adam areas of Ruabon. Quite a few significant things happened while I was her pupil though. The old half pennys went out of circulation (they were about the size of the modern 10p piece), I had my tonsils taken out, man landed on the moon, and I lost the little man from the Aston Martin ejector seat in the playdoh on the last day of the school year.
Just after the first day of the school year, there was an outbreak of headlice, and just about everyone got it (yes, even the ones from Pont Adam). My Mum treated me with the old fashioned remedy, she covered my head with vinegar on a Sunday evening, left it half an hour or so and then washed it out. It was while I was waiting to have it washed out (as my three year old sister was being treated) that I heard "Hey Jude" at being played as the number one single. And That is the only memory I have of "Hey Jude" from the first time around.
It had leapt from number 21 to number one displacing the Bee Gee's "I've Gotta Get A Message To You" at the top (the first song that I ever claimed was my favourite). It was the first release on the Beatles' new 'Apple' label, and it was surprisingly knocked off the top after just two weeks by the second 'Apple' release, "Those Were The Days" by Mary Hopkin.
Fast forward to 1976, and "Hey Jude" was the highest charting of the band's 22 reissued singles. It spent two weeks at number 12, and added six chart weeks to the 14 that it had enjoyed in 1968.

Hot Chocolate

Don't Stop It Now

It was "You Sexy Thing" all over again really, except that it wasn't as big a hit. It was fortunate enough to reach number 11.

Barry White

You See The Trouble With Me

Another unusually high new entry for this one when it entered at number 15, except as far as the top 50 was concerned, it wasn't. It had shot up to number 15 from just outside the 40. It went on to become Barry's second biggest hit and spent two weeks at number two. It was also the big man's last ever top ten hit. Another strange memory is connected to this one. It reminds me of the amusement arcade next to the Savoy Hotel in Rhyl, where it was playing one Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1980.
Many will now know this from the Black Legend version that went to number one in 2000, even if it did only vaguely resemble the original. And for the record, I didn't think the Black Legend version was too bad, certainly not the worst single to hit the top in the year 2000.

Three Degrees

Toast Of Love

Weak single that peaked at number 36 and was their last hit until the Autumn of 1978.

Elvis Presley

Hurt

First time in the UK chart for this well known song that had given Timi Yuro a US top five hit in 1961. Elvis did it well, but only reached number 37. The Manhattans would take it into our top five a few monts later.
At the time, this was billed as a double A Side with "For The Hurt".

Linda Lewis

Baby I'm Yours

Poor old Linda. She has a great voice and I like just about everything I ever heard from her. Yet she only made the top 20 twice, with only two other top 40 hits to compliment those. This was the first of those other two, a Van McCoy composed 'slightly gospel sounding in parts' song that reached number 33.
This is another of those forgotten singles of the Seventies, so I have made an MP3 of it available for download.

Judge Dread

The Winkle Man

Judge Dread was having his seventh hit with "The Winkle Man" and peaked at 35. He actually said a naughty word in this one.

Brass Construction

Movin'

A funky thing that made it to number 23 in the chart giving Brass Construction their first and biggest hit. Twelve years later, a remix of the song gave them their second biggest hit (number 24) and also their last ever hit.
And then, in 1996, the Bucketheads sampled it on their number 12 hit "Got Myself Together".

These were in the top 50 this week, but failed to reach the top 40.

Linda Ronstadt

The Tracks Of My Tears

We didn't like Linda over here, so there was no point in her releasing a dodgy cover of the Smokey Robinson classic. It reached number 42.

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United

One week in the chart at number 50 put this lot in the 'Guinness Book Of Hit Singles' as least successful chart act (along with a few other acts), and it was bloody lovely wasn't it ?
Well, actually we didn't care too much at the time. Man U were not only underachievers in the pop charts, they weren't very good at football either, great for a laugh. After the demise of George Best, they had found themselves relegated to the second division and had just returned to the top flight and reached the F.A. Cup Final. This was their official cup final single, but it didn't help them. They lost 1-0 to second division Southampton.

Some 1976 MP3s

Linda Lewis - Baby I'm Yours

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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Email: nige@innotts.co.uk
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