REMEMBER WHEN - 11TH MARCH 1978

1978

Week 10
WEEK ENDING 11TH MARCH 1978

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	.......	LW	.......		.......
1		5		Kate Bush		Wuthering Heights
2		1		Abba		Take A Chance On Me
3		2		Darts		Come Back My Love
4		3		Rose Royce		Wishing On A Star
5		11		Blondie		Denis
6		4		Bee Gees		Stayin' Alive
7		15		Eruption		I Can't Stand The Rain
8		14		Gerry Rafferty		Baker Street
9		7		E.L.O.		Mr Blue Sky
10		8		Yellow Dog		Just One More Night
11		12		Free		Alright Now
12		17		Bob Marley & The Wailers		Is This Love
13		6		Brotherhood Of Man		Figaro
14		16		Samantha Sang		Emotion
15		21		Earth Wind And Fire		Fantasy
16		9		Sweet		Love Is Like Oxygen
17		10		Scott Fitzgerald & Yvonne Keeley		If I Had Words
18		37		Brain And Michael		Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs
19		23		Stranglers		Five Minutes
20		13		Rod Stewart		Hot Legs / I Was Only Joking
21		32		Andy Cameron		Ally's Tartan Army
22		27		Elkie Brooks		Lilac Wine
23		22		Tonight		Drummer Man
24		28		Nottingham Forest & Paper Lace		We've Got The Whole World In Our Hands
25		19		Billy Joel		Just the Way You Are
26		18		Tom Robinson		Don't Take No For An Answer
27		36		Hot Chocolate		Every 1's A Winner
28		30		Donna Summer		Rumour Has It
29		20		Baccara		Sorry I'm A Lady
30		24		Stargard		Which Way Is Up
31		NEW		Real Thing		Whenever You Want My Love
32		39		Player		Baby Come Back
33		NEW		Nick Lowe		I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass
34		40		Queen		Spread Your Wings
35		NEW		Manhattan Transfer		Walk In Love
36		25		Rita Coolidge		Words
37		35		Clash		Clash City Rockers
38		NEW		Jam		News Of The World
39		NEW		Dan Hill		Sometimes When We Touch
40		33		Wings		Mull Of Kintyre / Girl's School

Kate Bush

Wuthering Heights

This was the first of many hits for lazy Kate. At the time it was one of the strangest things I'd ever heard. For some reason, I didn't hear it when the chart was announced in the week of it's entry, and I dared to miss TOTP that week too, going to the swimming baths at nearby Plas Madoc instead. But I got a full report on Kate from my Mum and Sister when I got home. They told me how this awful witch woman with a terrible screeching voice was singing (or maybe not) a terrible song and they hoped that they didn't hear it again. Of course they did hear it again as it went on to spend four weeks at number one.

Abba

Take A Chance On Me

Three weeks at number one for this one. It was the final number one of their most successful spell in the UK singles chart. Of their last seven singles (inclusive of this one), only the below par "Money Money Money" had failed to reach number one. But after this, they would have to wait two and a half years before they got there again.

To be honest, I found this song to be very irritating (yes, the Erasure version too), but I did like the B side "I'm A Marionette". In fact, apart from "TACOM", the whole of their latest album "Abba-The Album", was quite enjoyable and easily their best album to date. It was of course accompanied by Abba-The Book, Abba- The Soap and an awful film called (yes you've guessed it), Abba- The Movie.

Darts

Come Back My Love

Darts hit number two with this, just as they would with their following two singles. Much better than their "Daddy Cool" chart debut, and from here on, Darts were much better than their revivalist competitors Showaddywaddy.

Rose Royce

Wishing On A Star

Rose Royce were having their biggest hit to date with a song that has since been covered many times. As recently as February 1998 original lead vocalist Gwen Dickey guested on the top 20 cover by 'Jay-Z'. Rose Royce would better the number three peak of this single six months later.

Blondie

Denis

Blondie made their chart debut with this cover of 'Randy and the Rainbows' 1963 US top ten hit, "Denise". It took Blondie to number two for a three week stay. All the boys thought that Debbie Harry was gorgeous, so the girls would come out with stories about her being in her forties.

The rest is History, but who would have thought that they would be having a number one single almost 21 years to the day later ?

Bee Gees

Stayin' Alive

The Bee Gees reached number four with this, and they were now two singles into their most successful spell, not just in the UK, but Worldwide. The B.Side to this single was a song that just three months later was taken to number four by 'Yvonne Elliman'. Both songs were later covered and taken into the charts in the 1990's, but a little known cover is the one by Richard Ace that could only reach number 66 in December 1978. The A.Side was a reggae cover of "Stayin' Alive", while the B.Side was a reggae cover of, yes you've guessed it, "If I Can't Have You".

Eruption

I Can't Stand The Rain

Eruption took six weeks to reach number five with this one. The song had reached number 41 when recorded by Ann Peebles in 1974, and was to reach number 57 for Tina Turner in 1985. Something bothered me about this in the late '90s. I feared that the Eruption version was just the type of song to be re-mixed 90's style. I was right, but fortunately it didn't chart.

Gerry Rafferty

Baker Street

Gerry Rafferty had his debut solo hit with this classic. The single would reach number three in it's sixth chart week, and remain in the top 40 for 12 weeks. I have to say that I did get sick of hearing it at the time.

A dance cover of the song by 'Undercover' disgustingly peaked one place higher at number two in 1992. For a better cover try the 'Foo Fighters' 1998 single "My Hero" which includes their version of Gerry's hit.

E.L.O.

Mr Blue Sky

E.L.O. were having the first of three consecutive hits to peak at number six. It was the second of four singles (Yes, that many !) to be lifted from the hugely successful 'Out Of The Blue' album. It could also be said that this was the single that kicked off their most successful period.

Yellow Dog

Just One More Night

Yellow Dog peaked at number eight with this only top 40 single they ever had. Their gimmick was that the singer would wear an old fashioned pilot's uniform complete with goggles, and wore a heavily starched scarf sticking out from his neck. They were something to do with Kenny Young, who was the man behind Fox, and at least one other member of the band had also been in Fox (a kind of orange dog !)

There were two decent enough follow up singles called "Wait Until Midnight" and "Little Gods". The latter was available in luminous white vinyl and was very good indeed.

Speaking of Fox, afew days ago someone e-mailed me to tell me that I was quite definitely wrong about Macy Gray really being Noosha Fox, stating facts such as Macy isn't old enough, has different coloured skin etc *LOL*

It's taken two years for someone to 'not get it'. I think I'll tell him that Macy and Noosha used to be known as Patsy Cline or something ;-)

Free

Alright Now

Free were having a top 20 hit with "All Right Now" for the third time in eight years, and hit number 11 this time around. The difference this time was that it was the lead track on an E.P. that also included their other classic hits "Wishing Well" & "My Brother Jake". The same E.P. would just miss out when released again in 1982, but "All Right Now" was given the resicks treatment in 1991 following it's use in a chewing gum commercial and it went to number eight (don't women look common when they chew gum ? ).

Bob Marley & The Wailers

Is This Love

This peaked at number nine, just as the previous single "Jamming" did. Not reallly sure which I liked best of the two, they were both great singles.

Brotherhood Of Man

Figaro

Brotherhood Of Man were having their third number one in less than two years, with possibly the weakest of the three songs to hit the top. It was clearly very Abba inspired,so I suppose it was fitting that Abba should depose them at the top. This was their last top ten hit.

Samantha Sang

Emotion

In the week ending 11th February 1978, numbers 31, 32 and 33 were all Gibb written songs on the way up the chart. Samantha Sang's "Emotion" featured Gibb backing vocals and was in the top forty for 12 weeks despite only reaching number 11. I like this, even if it does remind me of being in bed with the flu.

Before this single had fallen out of the 40, it was joined by another version of the song on the B.Side of the 'Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams' hit "Too Much Too Little Too Late". It was also a hit when covered by Destiny's Child in 2001 (not the best thing they ever did).

Earth Wind And Fire

Fantasy

Earth Wind & Fire reached number 14 with the excellent "Fantasy". The intro to this song is still one of my favourite song intros ever. They would get the success that they richly deserved the following year.

Black Box took their cover of this to number five in 1990, and the Average White Band released a single titled "Atlantic Avenue" which sounded remarkably similar to "Fantasy".

Sweet

Love Is Like Oxygen

The Sweet were having their first big hit in almost three years, but this number nine peaking single was to be their last. This was being performed in the famous TOTP clip where Andy Scott is wearing a Wrexham FC rosette (he is from Wrexham after all). This was of course the time when Wrexham were knocking top sides out of both the League and F.A. Cup on a regular basis. The previous season they had disposed of Leicester, Tottenham and Sunderland. But this season they beat Division one side Bristol City twice (both cups), and thrashed Newcastle United 4-1, before falling in the quarter finals of both cups to Liverpool and Arsenal (dodgy decisions in that one, but they took revenge 14 years later).

As I was originally preparing this commentary in February 1997, I was saddened by the news of lead vocalist 'Brian Connolly's' death at the age of 47. He had suffered numerous heart attacks. Just a few weeks before preparing this update in 2002, drummer Mick Tucker passed away. I will refrain from updating my comments on this song again..

Scott Fitzgerald & Yvonne Keely

If I Had Words

Scott Fitzgerald and Yvonne Keely were one hit wonders with this number three peaking single, but Scott would just miss the top 40 ten years later, with the UK's Eurovision Song Contest entry, "Go". Yvonne did release at least one solo single, her cover of "Concrete And Clay", it was quite a decent version but failed to chart.

Brian And Michael

Matchstalk Men And Matchstalk Cats And Dogs

Brian and Michael spent three weeks at number one with their tale about the artist 'Lowry'. It's success was helped in no small part by it being plugged strongly by Noel Edmonds on 'Multi Coloured Swap Shop' months before it even hit the chart. The backing singers were St Winifred's School Choir, who went on to hit number one with "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" at the end of 1980.

Stranglers

5 Minutes

The Stranglers peaked at number 11 with this one, and were probably disappointed with that position considering their previous three singles had all made the top 10. In hindsight, I find it quite amusing how many of the bands of the day seemed to be trying to be controversial for controversy's sake as they tried to live up to some bad boy image. The Sex Pistols were naturally the biggest culprits, but the Stranglers had their moments. This song included the lyric "They came on a Saturday night, they killed his cat and they raped his wife".
The thing is, anyone who wasn't really interested in the Stranglers, probably wouldn't have even understood Burnel's vocals, so it didn't really work. I did know what he was singing, and I liked the Stranglers (well, I was but a child and this kind of imaturity appealed to me). And it so happened that I did some naughtiness of my own when I bought this single. To buy it meant that I wouldn't have enough bus fare to get home, but I went and bought it anyway. I then walked home the five miles from Wrexham to Ruabon along the railway line. Well, it was much quicker than walking by road due to railway lines being more or less straight. And no, I didn't get caught and fined for trespassing.

Rod Stewart

Hot Legs / I Was Only Joking

Rod Stewart was having the first of three top five hits in 1978. He reached number five this time around, with "Hot Legs" being the track given priority airplay. The song has since become a favourite during his live performances.

Andy Cameron

Ally's Tartan Army

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

And some of us believed it, we really thought that Scotland could win the World Cup. Enough said, number six.

Elkie Brooks

Lilac Wine

Elkie's vocal performance on this was second to none. To be honest, I'm not even sure that the song itself is actually any good, Elkie's performance of it could just make it seem as though it is. It reached number 16.

Tonight

Drummer Man

Tonight peaked at number 14 with this sole top 40 hit. I did quite like it, though it does sound as if a band had been put together by a production team to try and sound punk. Save for the disappointing follow up "Money That's Your Problem", I have no idea what happened to them afterwards.

Nottingham Forest & Paper Lace

We've Got The Whole World In Our Hands

Well, they were the best team in the country at the time, and would be European Champions for the following two years. OK, OK, that's no excuse for this. But at least it's most unlikely that they'll ever chart again, now the glory days have gone :-(

Number 24.

Billy Joel

Just The Way You Are

Billy didn't get any higher than number 19 with this. That's very surprising considering that it is one of his most popular songs, and has probably been covered more than any of his others. Soppy, maybe, but it's quite obvious that the lyrics came from the heart. One of the best love songs of the decade, no doubt about it. It's just a pity that some of his earlier work didn't chart over here (most notably "Piano Man").

BTW Not too long afterwards, Billy split with the object of his affections in the lyrics of this song !

Tom Robinson

Don't Take No For An Answer

This number 18 peaking record was actually an E.P. entitled 'Rising Free (Live)', and though "Don't Take No For An Answer" is listed as the lead track, the anthemic and controversial "Sing If You're Glad To Be Gay" was clearly the most popular one. The E.P also included another of his most popular songs "Martin" as well as "Right On Sister". Tom was very outspoken on 'Gay Rights' and organised rallies against fascism in the 70's, but in the 80's he decided to admit that he was actually bi-sexual. He has since appeared to have completely changed his mind and has married (a woman) !

Hot Chocolate

Every 1's A Winner

Hot Chocolate were still notching up the hits with this number 12 peaking single. It's popularity was heightened by it's inclusion in the film 'The Stud'.

Donna Summer

Rumour Has It

Just as Donna's 13 week stayer "Love's Unkind" was saying goodbye in it's final chart week, "Rumour Has It" entered at 40 and would reach number 19 to become her sixth top 20 hit since the previous July.

Baccara

Sorry I'm A Lady

No need to apologise for the fact, they were a couple of fine looking ladies (well, one of them was anyway).

They were following up the number one single "Yes Sir I Can Boogie" and peaked at number eight this time. They too tried for further success by entering the Eurovision Song Contest this very year. Despite being Spanish, they represented Luxembourg in the contest, and finished seventh with a song called "Parlez Vous Francais" !

One of the music mags of the time carried a letter damning Baccara for their loose morals, appearing on TOTP in their bras last time around, and in their knix this time !

Stargard

Which Way Is Up

Stargard achieved their highest ever chart position of number 19 with this. Very Rose Royce like, it was the title song from a film that I think starred Richard Pryor. They only made one further appearance on the chart, and that was with the number 39 peaking "What You Waiting For" later this same year.

Real Thing

Whenever You Want My Love

Theis put them back in the top twenty for the first time in a year, and peaked at number 18. A very ordinary song from a band that had done better in the past, and would also do better in the future.

Player

Baby Come Back

One of those songs that you just know would be massive in the States, but not do an awful lot over here. True to form, it spent three weeks on top of the Billboard chart at the beginning of the year, but struggled to number 32 over here.

Nick Lowe

I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass

This was Nick Lowe's first hit and it peaked at number seven. Nick had previously released three singles that had failed to chart, including the EP "Bowi", which was apparently a response to David Bowie releasing an album titled 'Low'. Nick was a very hardworking performer in the late seventies, and was also involved in 'Rockpile' along with 'Dave Edmunds'. His commercial success came to an end as the decade ended, but he's still actively recording over twenty years later. Since the 80s his career has concentrated in the US, where he's been involved in the new country market and working with people like Ry Cooder. There's a distinctly friendly helping hand for Nick whenever he needs it from a good number of people he's worked with over the years, Elvis Costello (especially on 'Blood and Chocolate'), Dave Edmunds and the like - not surprising as he is seen as a certified pop genius by many. His studio production skills have made sure that there's no shortage of work when he wants it. One day there should be proper recognition for his personal output and skills with others over the years. Alcohol problems and a little tinge of erraticness may have prevented him being as well known as he should be, but he's a demon songwriter.

Queen

Spread Your Wings

Queen were having one of their least successful hits with one of the best songs lyrically they ever recorded. It peaked at number 34.

Manhattan Transfer

Walk In Love

Manhattan Transfer were surprising everyone who thought they would disappear after "Chanson D'Amour" by continuing to have hit records. This was their second biggest hit and peaked at number 12. They were to have two more hits and a near miss before the year was out, all taken from the surprisingly enjoyable 'Pastiche' album.

Rita Coolidge

Words

Rita Coolidge was a damn fine singer but it wasn't too often she got hold of the right material, this despite being married to Kris Kristofferson. This was a cover of the Bee Gees' 1968 number eight peaking hit, but she only reached number 25 with it. The song was taken all the way to number one by Boyzone in 1996.

Clash

Clash City Rockers

Another good single from the Clash, and one that seemed to get more airplay than the previous three. They were still waiting for a major hit though as this stumbled to number 35.

Jam

News Of the World

Not one of the best singles that the Jam ever released. But, they had already built up a fan base strong enough to ensure at least a minor hit with every release. This one reached number 27.

The 1980 re-issue made number 53, while in 1983 it made number 39.

Dan Hill

Sometimes When we Touch

Dan Hill hit number 13 with his sole hit. "Sometimes When We Touch" has been covered by other acts many times over the years. Some dodgy teen act called 'Newton' took his attack on the song into the lower reachesd of the UK charts in 1997. The best cover of it that I've encountered is the one by Rod Stewart on his album 'If We Fall In Love Tonight'.

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.

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

Generation X

Ready Steady Go

Ok for about the first minute, and then got more than a little tiresome. Doesn't really sound like Billy Idol on lead vocals either, maybe it was Tony James. Reached number 47.

David Essex

Stay With Me Baby

One of many covers of the song that most associate with 'Lorraine Ellison', even though she didn't have a hit with it. In fact, the highest that anyone has taken this song to in the Uk chart is number 26 when the Walker Brothers recorded it in 1967. This David Essex version wasn't bad, and it would have been reasonable to expect it to become the highest charting version, but it only reached number 45.

A better cover of this released in the late '70s, was the one by Kiki Dee, which completely failed to chart.

Fleetwood Mac

Rhiannon

A flop when released in 1976, it was now given the re-issue treatment following the success of the 'Rumours' album. But this apparent tale about a Welsh Witch was more or less a flop again as it peaked at number 46.

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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Email: nige@innotts.co.uk
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