REMEMBER WHEN - 5TH FEBRUARY 1977

1977

Week 6
WEEK ENDING 5TH FEBRUARY 1977

TOP 40 SINGLES

No.	LW
1	1	David Soul	Don't Give Up On Us
2	2	Julie Covington	Don't Cry For Me Argentina
3	3	Barry Biggs	Sideshow
4	4	David Parton	Isn't She Lovely
5	15	Leo Sayer	When I Need You
6	8	Boney M	Daddy Cool
7	5	Drifters	You're More Than A Number In My Little Red Book
8	7	10CC	Things We Do For Love
9	13	Elvis Presley	Suspicion
10	10	Rose Royce	Car Wash
11	9	Status Quo	Wild Side Of Life
12	18	Thin Lizzy	Don't Believe A Word
13	6	Stevie Wonder	I Wish
14	25	Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes	Don't Leave Me This Way
15	12	Tina Charles	Dr. Love
16	28	Moments	Jack In The Box
17	16	Paul Nicholas	Grandma's Party
18	19	Mike Oldfield	Portsmouth
19	30	Heatwave	Boogie Nights
20	23	Eagles	New Kid In Town
21	38	Brothers	Sing Me
22	14	Smokie	Living Next Door To Alice
23	20	Liverpool Express	Everyman Must Have a Dream
24	11	Showaddywaddy	Under The Moon Of Love
25	24	Pussycat	Smile
26	29	Gary Glitter	It Takes All Night Long
27	32	Boz Scaggs	What Can I Say
28	NEW	Silver Convention	Everybody's Talkin' About Love
29	NEW	Tavares	Mighty Power Of Love
30	37	Boston	More Than A Feeling
31	26	Jesse Green	Flip
32	NEW	Detroit Spinners	Wake Up Susan
33	39	Gallagher & Lyle	Every Little Teardrop
34	17	Abba	Money Money Money
35	NEW	Al Stewart	Year Of The Cat
36	27	Bread	Lost Without Your Love
37	NEW	James Brown	Body Heat
38	NEW	Thelma Houston	Don't Leave Me This Way
39	31	Steely Dan	Haitian Divorce
40	NEW	Manhattan Transfer	Chanson D'Amour

David Soul

Don't Give Up On Us

Starsky and Hutch star, David Soul spent four weeks at number one with this debut hit. It was a pleasant enough song and finished top of the pile on Music Week's official chart of the year, but I seriously doubt that it would have got anywhere near the top had it not been for David's popularity in the TV show. He was also a woman beater, so any success at all was more than the evil bastard deserved.

Julie Covington

Don't Cry For Me Argentina

After three weeks at number two, Julie Covington finally hit the top in February 1977 for just one week. This single became the best selling single ever by a female vocalist. A whole new generation was made aware of this classic song through Madonna's number three hitting cover version taken from the movie version of 'Evita' in 1996. But that isn't the only cover version of the song to chart. The Shadows reached number five with their instrumental cover of the song in February 1979, and Mike Flowers Pops reached number 30 with their 1996 cover. Good covers that have not appeared on the top 40 include one by Sinead O'Connor from 1992, Elaine Paige's version from the Evita stage cast recording, the Carpenters version from the 'Passage' album, and the one by 'Donna Summer', from her 'I'm A Rainbow' album. There was also the number three peaking single by David Essex called 'Oh What A Circus' that resembled "Argentina" a lot.

Barry Biggs

Sideshow

Barry Biggs spent three weeks at number three with this, his first hit single. When he had fallen from that position he wasn't going to go quietly and amassed a total of 14 weeks in the top 40. And that still wasn't the end of it, because almost a year later one of those BBC strikes (that always seems to disrupt Top Of The Pops more than any other show) occurred. To compensate us regular Top Of The Pops viewers (there were a lot of us in those days), the show from exactly a year ago was repeated (That's the only time I can recall the Beeb doing that), and you guessed it, "Side Show" was featured.

David Parton

Isn't She Lovely

David Parton peaked at number four with the song that Stevie Wonder decided not to release as a single (or he couldn't because of this version being such a big hit). Stevie had written and recorded it for his 'Songs In The Key Of Life' album, but had opted to release "I Wish" as the first single. I don't suppose Stevie worried too much, as his second single from the album was more successful than David's record anyway.
Now, I have a different opinion of this song than the one I had for almost the first 24 years after it's release. Instead of just being average sentimental slush, it's actually a very good well written song.

Leo Sayer

When I Need You

After reaching number two three times, Leo Sayer finally reached the top with his sixth hit single (ironically not composed by himself). On the other side of the Atlantic however, this was to become Leo's second consecutive number one. Having ignored his superior (and original) version of "The Show Must Go On", the North Americans had finally warmed to him with what was his third British hit "Long Tall Glasses" and given him a number nine hit in 1975. They then ignored him again until he released the uncharacteristic "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" in late 1976. This gave him his biggest Stateside hit in reaching number one and spending 17 weeks in the top 40. A 1998 cover version of "When I Need You" by Will Mellor hit number five.

Boney M

Daddy Cool

Boney M were having their first hit and giving no warning whatsoever that they would be treating us to "Rivers Of Babylon" & "Mary's Boy Child" in 1978. "Daddy Cool" made number six and spent 12 weeks in the top 40. This was also a minor hit in the States. At the time they were regarded as just another 'Disco Group', but before long they would earn the ultimate accolade to be given to any pop band by critics. They would be described as being 'More plastic than the records themselves', and this invariably means that the act in question is getting it right and the critics are pissed off about it !

Drifters

You're More Than A Number In My Little Red Book

This was the last top 10 hit for the Drifters in their long career, and they would not even appear in the top 40 again once this had fallen out of the chart. For the record, they peaked at number five. For no apparent reason, my ten year old younger brother bought me this for Christmas in 1977.

10CC

Things We Do For Love

Fears that they wouldn't survive without the recently departed 'Kevin Godley' and 'Lol Creme' were dashed as '10.C.C.' notched up their ninth top ten single. Taken from their highest charting album "Deceptive Bends", this single reached number six.

Elvis Presley

Suspicion

Elvis Presley was having a comeback in terms of chart fortunes as "Suspicion" was the second of three top tenners in six months. This was the first time since 1972 that Elvis had managed three consecutive top ten hits. His death six months later would boost this total to five by the end of the year. "Suspicion" had originally been a track on his 1962 album 'Pot Luck'.

Rose Royce

Car Wash

Rose Royce were having the first of the seven top 40 hits they were to have over the next three years. This number nine peaking single was the title song from the supposedly very funny 'Car Wash' film. It was quite funny in places, but certainly not 'Very'. The best thing about it was the soundtrack that included more future hits from Rose Royce (I think 'Stargard' were featured too). "Car Wash" the single has since been re-issued/re-mixed and diced more times than I care to remember, the latest being near the end of 1998.

Status Quo

Wild Side Of Life

Another good single by Status Quo, and their version of a Tommy Quickly song that seemed to be doing the rounds at the time. Rod Stewart had a cover of this on his then current album "A Night On The Town". It's also a very popular song on the country music scene. Quo's version is the best that I've ever heard, and it reached number nine at the end of January.

Thin Lizzy

Don't Believe A Word

Having made a successful comeback the previous Summer with '"The Boys Are Back In Town" and the 'Jailbreak' album, the band had returned with their seventh (officially released) album 'Johnny The Fox' just seven months after the last one. Just one single was released from that album, and this was it. It was their 11th single to be issued in the UK (including an EP), but only the fourth to chart. It reached number 12.

Stevie Wonder

I Wish

This was Stevie's first single to be culled from the 'Songs In The Key Of Life' album. The album is widely regarded as Stevie's best (I prefer 'Hotter Than July' myself), in much the same way as the follow up 'Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants' is regarded as his worst. "I Wish" gave Stevie his first top five placing since December 1969.
Unfortunately, Will Smith copied it for the melody to his Summer of '99 hit "Wild Wild West".

14		Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes		Don't Leave Me This Way
38		Thelma Houston		Don't Leave Me This Way

Harold Melvin drew first blood in the "Don't Leave Me This Way" battle in the UK, by entering at number 36, 2 weeks before Thelma Houston entered at number 38. By then, Harold had climbed to number 14. It took Harold another three weeks to hit his peak of number five, by which time it looked as Thelma had peaked at 18 as she had fallen to number 21. But as Harold then dropped a couple, Thelmaa's single had a second wind and climbed to number 13. Both songs then descended down the chart with Thelma managing to outsell Harold just one week during her Eight week run compared to Harold's Ten weeks. It was a different story in the States though, where Thelma reached number one and the original failed to chart (possibly not released as a single). Over nine years later the battle in the UK was belatedly won by the Communards who hit number one and had the biggest selling single of 1986 with a cover that owed more to Thelma's cover than the original. Despite this, they could only reach number 40 over the water. All three stand up as fine recordings.

Tina Charles

Dr. Love

The fourth hit for Tina was extremely catchy, and I felt that it was a better song than her early 1976 number one "I Love To Love". It became her second biggest hit and peaked at number four on it's seventh week in the chart. It was all downhill after and she never made the top twenty again.

Moments

Jack In The Box

The Moments were enjoying the last of the three top ten hits that they had between '75 & '77. This one peaked at number seven and owed more to 'Pure Pop' than it did to 'Soul' or 'Disco'. Despite them having 12 Hot 100 hits in the States, only one of those hits came close to the UK top 40. The song in question was 'Look At Me (I'm In Love)' which peaked at number 42 in 1975.

Paul Nicholas

Grandma's Party

I liked his debut hit "Reggae Like It Used To Be", but couldn't stand this single. I think that it was actually an EP with 4 tracks, but the title track was the one that received the airplay. It peaked at number nine in January '77.

Mike Oldfield

Portsmouth

A million miles away from "Tubular Bells" was this jolly sea shanty. Not disimilar from his previous "In Dulce Jubilo", or the later "Blue Peter", it hit number three in January after seven weeks on the chart. It is his highest charting single ever.

Heatwave

Boogie Nights

Heatwave were having the first and biggest of their seven hits with "Boogie Nights" and reached number two. Heatwave had first come to the attention of the public (well, some of them) through the TV talent show 'New Faces' and their hits spanned a period of four years. Rod Temperton of the band later penned one of Michael Jackson's most well known songs "Thriller", while vocalist J.D.Douglas later joined the Commodores and featured on their last big hit "Nightshift".

Eagles

New Kid In Town

The Eagles couldn't get any higher than number 20 with the US number one "New Kid In Town". This was the first of three singles to be lifted from the highly successful 'Hotel California' album, and also the first to feature 'Joe Walsh' who'd recently replaced 'Bernie Leadon'. A classic single, they do't make 'em like this anymore.

Brothers

Sing Me

The Brothers were having their first and only hit with a song that would reach number eight. I 'think' that this band had also been winners of the 'New Faces' talent show, but either way I didn't like it at all.

Smokie

Living Next Door To Alice

Previously recorded by Opportunity Knocks cheats 'New World', this single put Smokie in the top 5 for the first time since their debut hit "If You Think You Know How To Love Me" in the summer of '75. It reached number five and stayed in the chart for 11 weeks.
In 1995, Smokie teamed up with comedian Chubby Brown to re-record the track and it became an even bigger hit peaking at number three.

Liverpool Express

Everyman Must Have A Dream

Liverpool Express took eight weeks to reach their high of number 17 with the second of their three top 40 hits. It was quite a nice song, but contained some very dodgy lines for the sake of rhyming. They are best known for their number 11 hit "You Are My Love" from the previous summer, a song that George Michael had obviously heard before writing his 1997 hit "You Have Been Loved".

Showaddywaddy

Under The Moon Of Love

This was quite an unfortunate hit, all things considered. This band had come onto the scene with an original composition that had reached number two in the chart. They had followed it with a further three original songs that had become top twenty hits. OK, they were playing an old style of music, but they were original songs. They then had two top ten hits with cover versions of classic rock and roll songs before going back to their own songs. They released two good singles during the summer of '76, one was called "Trocadero" and I think the other "Take Me In Your Arms". I'm not 100% certain that the latter was released as a single, as the authors of rock discography books don't deem Showaddywaddy or other major acts such as 'The Osmonds', 'Bay City Rollers', 'David Cassidy', 'Mud', 'Brotherhood Of Man' or 'Bucks Fizz' important enough to be in their publications. But they did perform it on 'Summertime Special' a few weeks after the demise of "Trocadero".
Anyway, those two (or one) 'Showaddywaddy' singles failed to chart, so they went back to the cover version with this version of "Under The Moon Of Love" which had been an American hit in 1961 for Curtis Lee. It went to number one and stayed for three weeks (it would have been six were it not for Johnny Mathis and Christmas), becoming their biggest ever hit. It didn't take them long to work out where their future lay, and they devoted the rest of their career to covering old hits. They spent the next six years hitting the chart with their (mostly woeful) covers before the British public finally decided enough was enough. But 'IF ONLY' this single had failed to capture the public's imagination, it may have been a completely different story, they may have still been having hits with their own songs even now.

Pussycat

Smile

Not bad, but easily forgettable follow up to the massive "Mississippi". It reached number 24 and they then disappeared forever.

Gary Glitter

It Takes All Night Long

Gary Glitter was attempting a return to past glories, after almost two years away from the top ten. But it would be almost eight years before he succeeded in reaching the top ten hit again. This peaked at number 25.

Boz Scaggs

What Can I Say

It's Boz again with the biggest of the five tracks to be lifted as singles from his 'Silk Degrees' album (that was a little naughty Boz ! ). This was his only top ten hit and reached number ten. It was OK I suppose.

Silver Convention

Everybody's Talkin' 'Bout Love

Silver Convention peaked at number 25 with their fourth and last hit, though they did later take part in the Eurovision song contest with a song called "Telegram". Someone did sed me some information about that a couple of years ago, and I intended to use it here. Sadly I can't find it, and so I apologise in advance for any lack of sleep caused.

Tavares

Mighty Power Of Love

After two number four singles, they had to settle for a number 25 peak with this 'more of the same' single. Still, it didn't take them long to release the follow up to this, and it returned them to the top five.

Boston

More Than A Feeling

Boston were in the UK top 40 with a single that got no higher than number 22. To tell the absolute truth, I thought this was a brand new Queen track when I first heard it, as it had that sound to it. Surprisingly, this is the only hit that the band have had in the UK. they have fared much better in the States where they had a number one single in 1986 with "Amanda" taken from the excellent 'Third Stage' album.

Jesse Green

Flip

A song that turns up on far too many compilation albums when we consider that it only reached number 26. If it was really that good it would have been a much bigger hit, as it wasn't short of exposure on TV, Jesse seemed to be a guest on every programme possible.

Detroit Spinners

Wake Up Susan

The Detroit Spinners (known as just 'The Spinners' in the states) peaked at number 29 with this sixth hit single. It was quite a good one too, but their best period in terms of chart activity was to come three years later.

Gallagher & Lyle

Every Little Teardrop

I don't remember hearing this one, yet I'm sure that I have it on a compilation album. It was the last of the duo's four hits and peaked at number 32.

Abba

Money Money Money

"Money Money Money" was almost as dreadful as "The Day Before You Came". They appeared to be taking the piss out of the very people who had put them where they were, and also left themselves wide open for parodies. It failed to give them a fourth consecutive number one, but their undoubted popularity helped it to a number three peak position

Al Stewart

Year Of The Cat

Most reading this will know this single, as will the fanatics of seventies music that do not have internet access. The chart watchers will know that it only reached a peak of number 31, the non chart watchers will think that it was a big hit. I think that most of those would consider the song a classic. The rest of the population probably don't even know that it exists. Over in the USA it was an entirely different story, as it was a big hit reaching number eight.
There have been many stories concerning what the song is actually about, but the official story is that it's about a tourist trapped in the 'Casablanca' of the hit film. This was Al's sole UK hit, but he managed four more in the US.

Bread

Lost Without Your Love

We'd heard it all before, but still quite a nice song anyway. It was Bread's first hit since 1972, but they were never big in the UK anyway. Ther only time they had made the top 10 was with their very first hit "Make It With You" which had gone to number five in 1970. This one was their last ever hit over here and peaked at number 27.

James Brown

Body Heat

I've just heard this for the first time, in fact I'm still listening to it. The instrumental backing is great, sounds just like Earth, Wind And Fire. But James Brown's vocals, well, they sound just about the same as they did on everything else that he did in the Seventies. He could have done this over any old tune. I vote it a miss, it peaked at number 36.

Thelma Houston

Don't Leave Me This Way

See number 14 - Harold Melvin

Steely Dan

Haitian Divorce

I didn't like this at first, but it slowly grew on me. It had a kind of different sound to it, something we weren't used to hearing in the UK chart. It only got to number 17, but was still the band's biggest UK hit. In actual fact, they never hit the top 40 again, but singer Donald Fagen went on to release one of the best albums of the eighties in 1983's 'The Nightfly'.

Manhattan Transfer

Chanson D'Amour

Manhattan Transfer's cover of a very old song that surprisingly reached number one and spent three weeks there. It was the second of the eight top 40 hits that they had between 1976 & 1984, and yet was the only one to make the top ten. Some of us prefer to fondly associate this song with the sitcom 'Are You Being Served ?' (Right Shawn ?).

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

Slade

Gypsy Road Hog

Just a year previous, Slade were enjoying their 17th consecutive top 20 hi with "Let's Call It Quits". They followed that with the single "Nobody's Fool" which completely missed the chart. Now almost a year later they had returned with this. I remember seeing them perform it on TV a few times, but it just wasn't good enough, and climbed no higher than number 38.

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