REMEMBER WHEN - 14TH MAY 1977

1977

Week 20
WEEK ENDING 14TH MAY 1977

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	LW
1	1	Deniece Williams	Free
2	4	Rod Stewart	I Don't Want To Talk About It / First Cut Is The Deepest
3	2	Stevie Wonder	Sir Duke
4	12	Joe Tex	Ain't Gonna Bump No More
5	5	Tavares	Whodunit
6	13	Van McCoy	The Shuffle
7	6	Dead End Kids	Have I The Right
8	15	Eagles	Hotel California
9	24	10 CC	Good Morning Judge
10	8	Elkie Brooks	Pearl's A Singer
11	19	Barbra Streisand	Evergreen
12	7	Abba	Knowing Me Knowing You
13	3	Billy Ocean	Red Light Spells Danger
14	16	Peter Gabriel	Solsbury Hill
15	23	Piero Umiliani	Mah Na Mah Na
16	22	Kenny Rogers	Lucille
17	10	Leo Sayer	How Much Love
18	11	Andrew Gold	Lonely Boy
19	28	Rose Royce	I Wanna Get Next To You
20	9	Berni Flint	I Don't Want To Put A Hold On You
21	14	Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr	You Don't Have To Be A Star
22	21	Deep Purple	Smoke On The Water
23	26	Delegation	Where Is The Love
24	NEW	Bay City Rollers	It's A Game
25	32	Marvin Gaye	Got To Give It Up
26	30	Billy Paul	Let 'Em In
27	35	Blue	Capture Your Heart
28	25	David Soul	Going In With My Eyes Open
29	39	Heatwave	Too Hot To Handle / Slip Your Disc To This
30	27	Boney M	Sunny
31	17	Brendon	Gimme Some
32	38	Detroit Spinners	Could It Be I'm Falling In Love (EP)
33	33	Fleetwood Mac	Don't Stop
34	NEW	Yvonne Elliman	Hello Stranger
35	31	Showaddywaddy	When
36	NEW	Joy Sarney	Naughty Naughty Naughty
37	NEW	Trammps	Disco Inferno
38	18	Brotherhood Of Man	Oh Boy
39	37	Barry Biggs	You're My Life
40	20	Smokie	Lay Back In The Arms Of Someone

Deniece Williams

Free

Deniece Williams hit number one with this, her very first hit, a lovely song that just reminds me of summer every time I hear it. Deniece managed two weeks on top and then never quite managed to make the top again. She has recently been presenting a show on BBC Radio Two.
This song was covered in the '80s by Will Downing, and again in the '90s by Chante Moore, but neither made the top 40.

Rod Stewart

I Don't Want To Talk About It / First Cut Is The Deepest

This was Rod Stewart's fourth number one. "I Don't Want To Talk About It" was taken from his 1975 album "Atlantic Crossing", while "First Cut Is The Deepest" was from his most recent "A Night On The Town" album. The former was later taken to number three when covered by Everything But The Girl in 1988, and I have no complaints about that particular cover. Most of us associate the song with Rod as though he was the original artist, but this was one of Rod's many covers. It was originally recorded by 'Crazy Horse' (one time Neil Young backing band) for their eponymous debut album in 1971, and written by band vocalist Danny Whitten. Unfortunately, Danny didn't live to see how popular his song became, he died of a self-induced drug overdose in 1972.
"First Cut Is The Deepest" was written by Cat Stevens and was the debut hit for PP Arnold when it reached number 18 in 1967.

Stevie Wonder

Sir Duke

Stevie Wonder equalled the position of his previous biggest hit as "Sir Duke" reached number two. This song was a tribute to the legendary 'Duke Ellington', and was taken from the 'Songs In The Key Of Life' album. I'm afraid that I could never really get into this single, and neither did I share the critic's enthusiasm for it's parent album (I preferred the three previous and next two albums). Three years would pass before Stevie returned to the top 20 of the single's chart.

Joe Tex

Ain't Gonna Bump No More

Joe Tex reached number two with his novelty, yet highly danceable hit "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)". Sadly Joe passed away a few years ago.

Tavares

Whodunit

The Tavares were having their fourth hit in less than 12 months with "Whodunit". They peaked at number five and would never get this high again.

Van McCoy

The Shuffle

Van was the man behind so many great Disco hits and was having his second big hit under his own name. This big disco hit reached number four.

Dead End Kids

Have I The Right

The Dead End Kids spent two weeks in their peak position of number six with their remake of the Honeycombs 1964 hit. OK, but hardly a classic cover. They didn't chart again.

Eagles

Hotel California

The Eagles peaked at number eight with this, their biggest UK hit. They never did quite make it big in the UK singles chart, like they did elsewhere. The reason for this will remain one of the great mysteries of our time.

10 CC

Good Morning Judge

Ten CC climbed slowly but eventually reached number five with "Good Morning Judge", taken from the brilliant 'Deceptive Bends' album. Video promos still hadn't quite caught on those days and I seemed to be one of the few to have started to sit up and take real notice of them. For that reason, I remember the attempt by 10.C.C. to do something innovative with the promo for this particular single. As you'd expect, it featured a courtroom.

Elkie Brooks

Pearl's A Singer

Back to the charts, and Elkie Brooks was having her first solo hit after years of limited success as a member of 'Vinegar Joe' alongside Robert Palmer. Pearl's A Singer was reputed to be about 'Janis Joplin', and peaked at number eight.

Barbara Streisand

Evergreen

It was 11 years since her chart debut, but Barbra Streisand hit the top 10 for the first time and climbed to number three with "Evergreen" (Love Theme From 'A Star Is Born'). She would follow this with a hit every year until 1982.

Abba

Knowing Me Knowing You

Can't complain about this at all. A truly great single from Abba that not only had the track we all know on the A Side, but had a gem of a B Side that most of us also know. That B Side "Happy Hawaii" was an earlier version of the awful "Arrival" album track "Why Did It Have To Be Me". It couldn't really fail and spent five weeks at number one.

Billy Ocean

Red Light Spells Danger

Billy Ocean reached number two with his fourth hit in just over 12 months. But, he would have to wait seven years before he had his next hit.

Peter Gabriel

Solsbury Hill

Peter Gabriel was having his first hit since leaving Genesis, and got as high as number 13 with a song that is now considered a classic.

Piero Umiliani

Mah Na Mah Na

The wasn't exactly a song. It was just Mah Na Mah Na noises and no other words. It peaked at number eight in the same week that a version by the Muppets entered the chart on the B side of their "Halfway Down The Stairs" Hit. It had been made popular by it's inclusion in both the Muppet Show and the Benny Hill show. The err, tune (the Mah Na Mah Na bits) was covered by 'Vanilla' on their awful "No Way No Way" hit in 1997.

Kenny Rogers

Lucille

This was Kenny's first chart entry since his second hit "Something's Burning" had reached number eight in 1970. His 1969 number two peaking debut "Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town" told the story of a cheating wife, and this one had a similar theme. Good songs both of them, this one went all the way to number one.

Leo Sayer

How Much Love

Leo Sayer was following up his only UK number one with the number ten peaking "How Much Love". Leo had frequent patches of success between 1974 & 1983, but was never really consistent with his singles.

Andrew Gold

Lonely Boy

Andrew Gold was having his very first hit with "Lonely Boy", and peaked at number 11. This one kind of slipped by me at the time, but it didn't take me too long to catch up.

Rose Royce

I Wanna Get Next To You

Rose Royce were having their second top 40 hit of the year, having reached number nine with the earlier "Car Wash". "I Wanna Get Next To You" peaked at number 14. A pleasant song that gave something of a preview of the slushy stuff we'd hear from them the following year.

Berni Flint

I Don't Want To Put A Hold On You

Berni Flint had been as high as number three with his only UK hit. Berni was discovered on the talent show 'Opportunity Knocks', and he only ever had this one hit. It took six weeks to reach number three, and wasn't a bad song at all really.

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr

You Don't Have To Be A Star

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis were former members of the 5th Dimension and were having their only hit as a duo with a favourite for the last dance at discos. They peaked at number seven and even though it was a little corny, it was still very likeable.

Deep Purple

Smoke On The Water

Deep Purple were in the top 40 for the first time in five years with the number 21 peaking "Smoke On The Water". Strange how such a well known song didn't reach a higher position. Deep Purple would never get that high in the charts again either.

Delegation

Where Is The Love

Delegation were a UK band having their only top 40 hit with "Where Is The Love", and reached number 22. A very ordinary song that often turns up on cheap compilations.

Bay City Rollers

It's A Game

I knew this song from the 'String Driven Thing' version that was on K'Tel's '22 Electrifying Hits'. This wasn't a bad cover, but the change of style distanced their young fans and their run of top five singles was over as it peaked at number 16.
The album of the same name included their cover of David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel", and it wasn't as bad as you probably suspect.

Marvin Gaye

Got To Give It Up

This was one of my favourite songs from 1977. "Got To Give It Up" was Marvin's first solo hit for almost four years and his last for another five years. I remember there being a room with a pool table and jukebox at my local railway station in Ruabon. We used to go there a lot, but I was the only one who ever selected this one on the jukebox. I think my taste in music was probably questioned (story of my life). Still, it went to number seven to become his biggest solo hit since 1969. Aaliyah had a cover of this in the UK charts at number 37 in 1996, but it was terrible of course (even though I do quite like her as a rule).

Billy Paul

Let 'Em In

Billy Paul reached number 26 with this rendition of the Wings number two hit from just nine months earlier. He did add a new slant to the song, he even threw in Martin Luther King. Pity it didn't perform better.

Blue

Gonna Capture Your Heart

This was Blue's only hit. "Gonna Capture Your Heart" was a simple pop song that could easily have been recorded by 'The Dooleys' or any of a hundred other bands, and reached number 18.
This is not the same act that debuted on the UK chart in the spring of 2001.

David Soul

Going In With My Eyes Open

David Soul went to number two with his second top three hit of the year. His songs weren't too annoying, but I doubt very much that he would have got anywhere without the 'Starsky And Hutch' connection.

Heatwave

Too Hot To Handle / Slip Your Disc To This

Heatwave were following their first hit "Boogie Nights" with this double A side. It reached number 15 and they were two storming tracks.

Boney M

Sunny

This was the second of nine consecutive top ten hits for Boney M, and peaked at number three. They had transformed the Bobby Hebb hit "Sunny" into a disco tune, and did it quite well. People tend to forget that Boney M made some great disco records before they had a different type of success with religious and nursery rhyme type songs.
I liked it anyway.

Brendon

Gimme Some

All I can remember about Brendon is that it was a particularly awful song, sung by someone who wouldn't look out of place in one of the boy bands of today. It peaked at number 14.

Detroit Spinners

Could It Be I'm Falling In Love (EP)

The Detroit Spinners (known simply as 'The Spinners' in the States) were having a hit all over again with their 1973 hit "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love". They could only reach number 32 this time around though.

Fleetwood Mac

Don't Stop

Fleetwood Mac were having the second of three very small hits from the 'Rumours' album. "Don't Stop" peaked at number 32 and was their biggest 'new' hit since "The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown)" seven years previous. This track is usually played during the last encore of their live shows which brings me to,
The line up that toured the UK in 1988 & 1990 which featured 'Billy Burnette' & 'Rick Vito' seemed to be a better live act than the 'Rumours' line up. They even played many of the songs from the pre-Rumours days ("Oh Well" etc).

Yvonne Elliman

Hello Stranger

Nice enough, but not as good as her three bigger hits. Has a slight feel of William De Vaughn's "Be Thankful For What You've Got" about it. It reached number 26.

Showaddywaddy

When

This Showaddywaddy single was a cover of a Kalin Twins 1958 number one. It peaked at number three and was one of their most annoying singles. I got so sick of hearing this on Friday nights at the home of a girl (well woman actually) I knew. But more of that later in the "Rock Bottom" commentary.

Joy Sarney

Naughty Naughty Naughty

This is the one with the Punch and Judy effects. Got irritating after a while, only reached number 26.

Trammps

Disco Inferno

Perfection. Not only a great disco song, but a great pop single too. Probably the best disco single ever at the time of it's original release, and it hasn't been bettered many times since. Strange though that it only reached number 16.
A year later the ten minute+ version was the closing track on the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack, and so the single was re-issued. This time it reached number 47.

Brotherhood Of Man

Oh Boy

The best one they did as far as I'm concerned. It reached number eight and the "Oh" was a taster for things to come.

Barry Biggs

You're My Life

Barry Biggs was having his third top 40 hit in nine months, but despite his previous hit "Sideshow" reaching number three, this one couldn't rise above number 36.

Smokie

Lay Back In the Arms Of Someone

Smokie were following up their number five hit "Living Next Door To Alice" with "Lay Back In The Arms Of Someone", and went to number 12. It wasn't very exciting.

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

Roger Daltrey

Written On The Wind

I don't know this one at all. It reached number 46.

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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THE REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN DAYS INDEX

Email: nige@innotts.co.uk
But please be patient waiting for my reply :-)
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