REMEMBER WHEN - 3RD DECEMBER 1977

1977

Week 49
WEEK ENDING 3RD DECEMBER 1977

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	.......	LW	.......		.......
1		5		Wings		Mull Of Kintyre / Girl's School
2		2		Queen		We Are The Champions / We Will Rock You
3		3		Status Quo		Rockin' All Over The World
4		1		Abba		Name Of The Game
5		6		Bee Gees		How Deep Is Your Love
6		4		Showaddywaddy		Dancin' Party
7		7		Darts		Daddy Cool
8		14		Ruby Winters		I Will
9		13		Brighouse And Rastrick Brass Band		The Floral Dance
10		10		Barron Knights		Live In Trouble
11		18		Jonathan Richman		Egyptian Reggae
12		8		Tom Robinson		2-4-6-8 Motorway
13		9		Baccara		Yes Sir I Can Boogie
14		11		Santana		She's Not There
15		12		Rod Stewart		You're In My Heart
16		15		Smokie		Needles And Pins
17		16		Carpenters		Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft
18		22		Elvis Costello		Watching The Detectives
19		17		Boney M		Belfast
20		23		Boomtown Rats		Mary Of The Fourth Form
21		25		Dooleys		Love Of My Life
22		21		E.L.O.		Turn To Stone
23		NEW		Hot Chocolate		Put Your Love In Me
24		NEW		Yes		Goin' For The One
25		NEW		Chic		Dance Dance Dance
26		26		Jacksons		Goin' Places
27		31		Diana Ross		Gettin' Ready For Love
28		29		Tubes		White Punks On Dope
29		30		Crystal Gayle		Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
30		27		Dorothy Moore		I Believe You
31		35		Noosha Fox		Georgina Bailey
32		NEW		Carvells		L.A. Run
33		39		Billy Paul		Only The Strong Survive
34		NEW		Bonnie Tyler		It's A Heartache
35		37		Kenny Williams		You're Fabulous Babe
36		NEW		Donna Summer		Love's Unkind
37		20		Nazareth		Hot Tracks EP
38		24		La Belle Epoque		Black Is Black
39		34		David Bowie		Heroes
40		33		Deniece Williams		Baby Baby My Love Is All For You

Wings

Mull Of Kintyre / Girls School

Well, we know all about this one. For seven years it reigned supreme as the biggest selling single of all time in the UK. It actually spent it's first chart week just outside the top 40, but then took a massive leap to number five, before spending nine weeks at number one. This song does tend to get ridiculed, but the fact still remains that it must have appealed to over two million people in order to have sold that many copies.

Queen

We Are The Champions / We Will Rock You

I could have been in the video for this you know !
I'd been in the fan club for a couple of years when I received a letter inviting me to travel down to London to take part in the filming of a promotional film for Queen's forthcoming single "We Are The Champions". Of course, I would have loved to have gone, but we didn't have a car and the rail fare from North Wales to London was very expensive (no, expenses would not have been paid). So I missed out on three minutes of fame.
It was a massive hit and spent three weeks at number two, the third time in four years that Queen had a number two peaking single in the last few weeks of the year (the year that they didn't do it, 1975, they had a nine week number one). They did it in 1979 too.
Over in the US, some DJs played both tracks as though they were one track, got to admit it did seem that way. I think it made number one on some charts there, but in the important Billboard one, it peaked at number four.
Since then, it has been played at the end of many sports events, including the World Cup Final.

Status Quo

Rockin' All Over The World

THE classic Quo track. Who would have thought when they heard this song for the first time, that it would herald the beginning of the greatest show ever, featuring most of the biggest rock acts ever ?
Even though they have only had one hit in the USA (and that was over 30 years ago !), they are one of the biggest bands in the World ever. This was their 13th hit and although not their highest charting, is probably their best known. It finally reached number three in it's seventh week on the chart, and then spent three weeks there. Like many, I dismissed the Quo as a bit of a joke (even though I happily bought their singles, a few albums too), until I saw them support Queen at Knebworth in 1986. They were tremendous, and they re-affirmed my opinion of them five years later while supporting Rod Stewart in Manchester. I promise you, you will not see many bands perform live better than Status Quo do. While I was still naive about their ability, I often compared them as a British version of 'The Beach Boys' (only MUCH more bearable and without the surfing). It seems I must have got something right, as they joined up with the happy surfers for a hit with "Fun Fun Fun" in 1996.

Abba

Name Of The Game

Now, this WAS a good one, still is. It gave Abba their second number one of the year, and it's four week reign took their total for the year to nine weeks. This meant that for the second year running, they spent more weeks on top than anyone else, even if it was three weeks less than the previous year.

Bee Gees

How Deep Is Your Love

I must have seen my Mum cry more than once. I only remember one occcasion though, and it's relevent to this song.
After the chip shop business came to light, I was kept in for over a month (they call it being grounded these days). The day that I was finally released, I met up with a friend who's name I won't reveal. To cut it short, for reasons that I can't remember, I set fire to a car that was less than six months old. Thing is, the fire brigade were on strike and the Army had to come in their green goddess and put it out. There was a report in the Evening Leader the following night in which the owner said "I looked out of the window and the car was burning merrily away".
It took about four days this time for Mr C.I.D. (my pet name for him was Bulb Head) to knock the door. I denied it of course, that is until he asked me a second time, then I admitted it. Well, he wouldn't have come to my house if someone hadn't told him it was me would he ?
So, off to the cop shop again for another statement. Funny thing, my accomplice was not charged with anything (just as he wasn't for his part in the chip shop burglaries).
When I eventually went to court on Valentines Day 1978, I was charged with both offences as well as a charge of receiving 50p from someone who'd burgled another property. When it came to me, the magistrate announced the compensation that I had to pay for the chip shop and the 50p, before coming to the car. It was over two thousands pounds damage and he said that he couldn't see how there was anyway possible that I could repay that money and then took a long pause.
........
...........
You can guess what I thought was coming, I thought that I was going away to be a guest at her Majesties pleasure.
But I was lucky, he decided that I should be fined twenty five pounds instead. Yes, I had been extremely lucky and I didn't burn any more cars after that. I did get convicted of criminal damage to a JCB in late 1978, but I didn't do that, just got fined for it. I still maintain my innocence over that today. Four times over the last 8 years I have been stopped by the police while driving. Each time, they have come up with that one as last Criminal offence on the police computer. Each time, I have said "I didn't do that". But they've always argued with me about it.
Anyway, while this lovely record from the Bee Gees was being played on the top twenty while it was spending one of it's five weeks at number three, that was when my Mum cried. It was something to do with how I seemed to be turning out, even after the strict (but fair) way in which she'd brought me up.
I still feel guilty for that.

Showaddywaddy

Dancin' Party

Horrible, even by Showaddywaddy's standards. I can't imagine that Chubby Checker's 1962 original was much better either. It reached number four.

Darts

Daddy Cool

In late 1976, Boney M made their chart debut and reached number six with a song titled "Daddy Cool". Twelve months later, and Darts were making their debut with an identically titled song. It sounded nothing like the other one of course. This was a rock 'n' roll type thing, and the first of eight top 40 hits. And, it reached number six of course.

Ruby Winters

I Will

Very nice song. It finally reached number four in it's sixth week and spent three weeks there, taking it right through Christmas. In all, it spent 12 weeks in the top 40.
Billy Fury had previously taken this song to number 14 in 1964.

Brighouse And Rastrick Brass Band

The Floral Dance

Not to my taste and like many others, I did get sick of it at the time. But there were also many that did like it as it spent six weeks at number two, only being deprived of those weeks at the top by the (then) biggest selling single in the UK ever. Terry Wogan was to blame, he played it to death on his breakfast show, the most listened to Radio show in the country. It doesn't seem so bad now anyway.
I can't drive past junction 25 of the M62 (the Brighouse junction) without this tune entering my head.

Barron Knights

Live In Trouble

This was the first time that the Barron Knights were in the UK chart since 1968, and the first time that they made the top 40 since "Under New Management" made number 15 at Christmas 1966. This band are the all time masters of the parody record and it was great to have them back. This single treated us to their interpretations of "Angelo", "Float On", "Loving You", "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing", "D.I.V.O.R.C.E." and "Lucille" spread over both sides of the disc. Very funny at the time, can still raise a chuckle now, it reached number seven.

Jonathan Richman

Egyptian Reggae

Good instrumental and much easier to listen to than "Roadrunner". Reached number five just before Christmas and spent 11 weeks in the 40.

Tom Robinson Band

2-4-6-8 Motorway

I always found this one irritating. I remember the day after it was on TOTP, my friend Tony Waters said he didn't like the look of Tom and would like to punch him in the face. While it was charting, Tom came out and revealed his homosexuality. A few years later he changed his mind and decided that he was Bi-sexual, and a few years later decided that he was straight and became a father !
This spent two weeks at number five, and some good singles followed it.

Baccara

Yes Sir I Can Boogie

Opinions have always seemed to be divided on this one. Baccara were a Spanish duo of lovely ladies who took to wearing little more than their underwear when performing on Top Of The Pops. Their biggest fault was in employing the Abba trick of exaggerating their accents as they sang (it's so false, don't you think ?). Despite this, I still like this single, and it's a shame that they only had one more hit after this number one. They did go on to represent Luxembourg in the 1978 Eurovision song contest with the song "Parlez Vous Francais",but came in a disappointing seventh.

Santana

She's Not There

Very good cover of the Zombie's number 12 hit from 1964. For my money, this was a much better version, and this was reflected in it's number 11 peak. It remained Santana's biggest hit until "Smooth" reached number three in March 2000.

Rod Stewart

You're In My Heart

When it entered at number seven, this single looked a sure fire bet to hit the top, but instead it climbed to number three and spent three weeks there. It must have come as some surprise to many young lovers who'd adopted this song as 'their song', when they discovered that it wasn't about the love of a woman at all, but about Rod's love of football (the 'real football' with a round spherical object, that I refuse to call the 'S' word). In hindsight the references such as United, Celtic were obvious as they refer to Rods favourite Football clubs (I wonder why he didn't mention Brentford though, he was once on their books).

Smokie

Needles And Pins

Never been that keen on this song, why Needles and Pinza ?
This cover of the Searchers 1964 chart topper was always going to be a top ten hit though, and it just made it with a number ten peak.

Carpenters

Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft

The last top ten hit for the 'Carpenters' was totally different than all the previous ones, in that apart from being an 'Epic' was also one that featured different subject matter than the familiar 'Girl meets/loves/misses boy etc'. Not that any of that mattered, Karen could have sang the weather forecast and it would have sounded good. Whatever, this was a great way to end their top 40 career, and there was even a promo video of sorts that was shown on 'Multi Coloured Swap Shop', 'Tiswas' as well as 'Top Of The Pops'. It peaked at number nine just over halfway through an eight week chart run. Oh yes, someone had recorded it before them, but I've never heard the earlier version.

Elvis Costello

Watching The Detectives

He'd already released better singles than this debut hit, and he would release many other superior ones over the next few years. But, that doesn't make this a song to be sniffed at. It was still better than most of the records surrounding it in the chart. It reached number 15 and was the beginning of a long chart career that saw him having hits right up to the end of the century. And who'd have thought from this, that he would later chart with a cover of the Charles Aznavour hit "She" ?

Boney M

Belfast

In hindsight, it seems unbelievable that the group who gave us "Rivers Of Babylon" and "Mary's Boy Child" gave us this slice of politics about the situation in Northern Ireland. But we should also remember their 1981 single "We Kill The World", a song that may have been a huge hit if it didn't have the stigma of being recorded by Boney M attached to it.
"Belfast" struggled a little and took seven weeks to reach it's number eight peak. In all, it spent 12 weeks in the top forty.

Boomtown Rats

Mary Of The Fourth Form

A very disappointing follow up to "Looking After Number One". The B Side "Do The Rat" was awful. Peaked at number 15.

Dooleys

Love Of My Life

Second hit for the Dooleys, and though I didn't think it was as catchy as the first one, it reached number nine to become a bigger hit.

E.L.O.

Turn To Stone

This brought an end to their run of three successive top ten hits when it peaked at a lowly number 18. But this first single from the double album 'Out Of The Blue' was just a blip on their pregress. The other three singles from the album all peaked at number six.

Hot Chocolate

Put Your Love In Me

Probably my least favourite Hot Chocolate single, it just tended to drone on and on without getting anywhere. Pity, as it was the follow up to their only number one hit. It reached number ten in time for Christmas.

Yes

Goin' For The One

Apparently millions were STILl flocking to see them as the ad was still being shown on TV. I liked this, but it wasn't reallt the kind of thing you'd expect to find in a 1977 singles chart. It peaked at it's number 24 debut position.

Chic

Dance Dance Dance (Yowsah Yowsah Yowsah)

The debut hit for the team responsible for so many hits during the following five years or so. It took seven weeks to climb to it's number six peak and spent eleven weeks in the top 40.

Jacksons

Goin' Places

Very ordinary single that reached number 26.

Diana Ross

Gettin' Ready For Love

This had a cabaret sound to it (like "The Happening"), but I liked it all the same. Remember hearing this playing in Woolworths and deciding I'll get that when it drops out of the chart and becomes budget priced (I had to save for my impending court fine). I didn't have to wait too long, it peaked at number 23 and was gone by the first week of January.

Tubes

White Punks On Dope

Supposed to be some kind of classic this one. The Tubes did some interestimng stuff, but this doesn't really appeal to me. Reached number 28.

Crystal Gayle

Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue

Very pleasant song from a beautiful lady. It was a slow burner though, not reaching it's number five peak until the second week of January, it's tenth week in the chart. It spent a total of 14 weeks in the chart.

Dorothy Moore

I Believe You

Nice song, I preferred it to her biggest hit "Misty Blue". I remember it being the first song to be played on the top Twenty one Sunday. It must have been the 20th November, because that's where it peaked, number 20.

Noosha Fox

Georgina Bailey

A tale about a naughty lady who fell for a man and then discovered he loved another man. It was quite dodgy subject matter at the time and some would say it was brave of her to do it. Quite a good single, pity about the number 31 peak.

Carvells

L.A. Run

I don't remember this one. I have a feeling that I may like it, but I also have a feeling that it may have sounded like the Beach Boys, in which case I probably wouldn't have liked it. So, I don't know whether I'm pleased that it only made number 31 and he (Alan Carvell) had no further hits.

Billy Paul

Only The Strong Survive

Change of pace from Billy's usual smoochy stuff, he probably got out of bed to record this one. Best thing he ever did in my humble opinion. It reached number 33.

Bonnie Tyler

It's A Heartache

Another one that took seven weeks to reach it's peak, this time number four. This is when we discovered that Bonnie now had a gravel like voice following an operation.
She released a follow up to this called "Here Am I" that sounded almost identical.

Kenny Williams

You're Fabulous Babe

This was another song adapted from a TV commercial. I think it was an ad for "Cinzano" but I'm not 100% on that. Rubbish anyway and reached number 35.

Donna Summer

Love's Unkind

Donna Summer spent three weeks at number three in January, stayed in the 40 for 13 weeks with this track. It taken from the 'I Remember Yesterady' album, and also her first 'Greatest Hits Album' (there have been many). I received the 'Greatest Hits' album for Christmas that year. I remember being woken after my Mum got home that night. She'd brought back some of her friends and took them to sit in the front room (the room kept for best of course). I remember her best friend Anne giving me some lecture on why I should behave myself and keep out of trouble from now on. But the worst thing of all, the very worst, I had to unwrap the present that Anne had bought for me.
Surely not, it may have gone midnight, but it's not really Christmas Day until the morning (unless you're at a disco AND they play "Merry Christmas Everybody" at midnight). I don't open any presents now do I ?
Yes, I opened it and it was a Music For Pleasure 'Glitter Band' LP. It wasn't bad, I still have it to this day in extremely good condition and Anne was a lovely woman. BUT, this opening of the Christmas presents on Christmas Eve was well out of order. While I'm ranting, another thing I dislike is the dumping of the Christmas presents under the tree. Don't be lazy cheapskates. Get a sack, put them in, and put it at the end of your child's bed so that he/she discovers them upon waking.
So, the following morning I discovered the Donna Summer LP and thought that she looked very, mmmm, nice on the sleeve and I felt a bit funny when I looked at it ;-)
"Love's Unkind" was covered and taken to number 21 by soap star 'Sophie Lawrence' in 1991.

Nazareth

Hot Tracks EP

A welcome return to the chart for 'Nazareth' after a two year break. The lead track on this EP was "Love Hurts", a track that flopped when released as a single in 1974 (despite making the Billboard top ten). But the other tracks on this EP were outstanding too. They were another flopped single "Hair Of The Dog" and two of their biggest hits, "Broken Down Angel" and "This Flight Tonight", both from 1973. The A Side featured "Love Hurts" and "This Flight Tonight", and received regular play on the Juke Box at the Duke Of Wellington pub for many years afterwards. It took eight weeks to reach number 15, after which it only spent a further two weeks in the chart.

La Belle Epoque

Black Is Black

This too was ok (for a cover). Personally, I do prefer it to the Los Bravos version that also peaked at number two in 1966. This version stayed at number two for three weeks, and sold more copies than many of the year's number ones. And what does it remind me of ?
Well, some may say I started mixing with the wrong crowd, but I'm not so sure. All through school I'd done quite well. I was in the top class for most subjects including Maths & English. But most of the other pupils in those classes were not really my kind of people, nothing wrong with them, just not people that would remain in my social circle once school was over. Most of them were going to go to University, I wasn't. I did intend staying on for the sixth form, but that was about as far as it went, I wanted to get into the real adult world and get a job.
So, in the second week of that school year, I was easily persuaded to skip a few lessons, and before long I was often missing from every lesson ojn certain days. In truth, I didn't have a full week in school for the remainder of that final year . Got caught a couple of times, but hijacked the letters that were sent home to my mother, and told her that I was watching the school football team while attending detention.
But things went further than that. I was persuaded to take part in a burglary at the local chip shop. It was a simple plan, I was small enough to get in through a small window, and then unbolt the back door for Tony to go in and get the money out of the till while Shaun and Karen kept watch at the front of the shop. They'd done it before, but the previous small person wouldn't do it again. So I did my bit, Tony got in but had trouble opening the till. So I grabbed a bottle of pop (soda) and followed him out. When Shaun saw it, he told me to take it back. So while they were at the front of the shop, I went back in through the back, put the pop back, then decided to try and open the till myself. I did it and took the £38 that was in there. Instead of the £5 that I'd been promised, I was given £6 (a kind of bonus I suppose), and was quite happy about that. Less than two weeks later, the C.I.D. came to visit me and I was taken to the police station. We had all been caught and appeared in court the following February.

David Bowie

Heroes

Considered by many to be David's greatest song. Strange then how it only rose one position a week until it peaked at number 24. There have been covers of this down the years including the 1997 one by Oasis (not great, but passable) on the CD single of "D'You Know What I Mean".

Deniece Williams

Baby Baby My Love's All For You

Her two previous singles were good, but even her sweet voice couldn't save this dull affair. I think she had a cheek if she expected a top ten hit with this effort. Peaked at number 32.

In the top 50 this week, but failing to reach the top 40.

Village People

San Francisco (You've Got Me)

I don't know it, but know what it sounds like anyway. It reached number 35. Their version of "Just A Gigalo" from around this time was quite good though.

Some 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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BACK TO THE 1977 INDEX
THE REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN DAYS INDEX

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