REMEMBER WHEN - 7TH JANUARY 1978

1978

Week 1
WEEK ENDING 7TH JANUARY 1978

TOP 40 SINGLES
Only a Top 30 was compiled this week

TW	.......	LW	.......		.......
1		1		Wings		Mull Of Kintyre / Girl's School
2		2		Brighouse And Rastrick Brass Band		The Floral Dance
3		3		Bee Gees		How Deep Is Your Love
4		6		Donna Summer		Love's Unkind
5		4		Ruby Winters		I Will
6		7		Bonnie Tyler		It's A Heartache
7		8		Darts		Daddy Cool
8		18		Crystal Gayle		Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
9		14		Elvis Presley		My Way
10		19		Chic		Dance Dance Dance
11		21		Yannis Markopoulos		Who Pays The Ferryman
12		11		Boney M		Belfast
13		17		David Soul		Let's Have A Quiet Night In
14		10		Hot Chocolate		Put Your Love In Me
15		12		Showaddywaddy		Dancin' Party
16		5		Bing Crosby		White Christmas
17		13		Dooleys		Love Of My Life
18		34		Althia And Donna		Uptown Top Ranking
19		24		Julie Covington		Only Women Bleed
20		25		Status Quo		Rockin' All Over The World
21		16		Boomtown Rats		Mary Of The Fourth Form
22		NEW		Odyssey		Native New Yorker
23		28		Bob Marley		Jamming / Punky Reggae Party
24		9		Jonathan Richman		Egyptian Reggae
25		20		E.L.O.		Turn To Stone
26		31		Carl Douglas		Run Back
27		29		John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett		Really Free
28		NEW		Terry Wogan		The Floral Dance
29		35		Abba		Name Of The Game
30		26		Donna Summer		I Love 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Elvis Presley

My Way

Excellent cover, I'm not saying that it was better than Frank's, but this is the kind of thing that I feel Elvis did best. I was surprised that it didn't make number one for Christmas, instead it peaked at nine in the first chart of 1978.

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.

Yannis Markopoulos

Who Pays The Ferryman

A Greek orchestra with the theme to another TV show that I didn't watch. It reached number eleven and I could take it or leave it.

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.

David Soul

Let's Have A Quiet Night In

Seemingly released with the intention that it would be poised nicely within striking distance of the number slot in the New Year clearout. But this time it didn't work and he had to settle for number eight. Not a bad thing as it wasn't very good anyway.

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.

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.

Bing Crosby

White Christmas

Would you believe that this was the first time Bing's "White Christmas" made the UK top 40 ?
Well it was, and I suspect that much of it's 1977 success can be attributed to his death a few months previous. It reached number five in time for Christmas, and that was where we had a unique situation. While this stood at number five, "Mull Of Kintyre" was at number one. This means that the best selling single in the world ever, and the soon to be best selling single in the UK ever, were both in the top five at the same time. Of course, both lost their status in the years to come, 1984 for Wings and 1997 for Bing. The next time that Bing made the top 40 with this single was in 1998 when he made number 29.
Incidentally, for many years, I hated this single, but I don't mind it at all now (must be what they call getting old).

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.

Althia And Donna

Uptown Top Ranking

This duo were one of the Ultimate One Hit Wonder acts. They spent one week at number one but then had nothing else, not even a top 75 entry. But they do have another claim to fame, this single displaced the biggest selling single of all time ("Mull Of Kintyre" by 'Wings') at the top of the chart after a nine week run at pole position. IT has also been claimed that they stole this song from someone else.
Ali & Frazier took their cover of this to number 33 in 1993.

Julie Covington

Only Women Bleed

A cover that WAS superior to the original, much better than the Alice Cooper original. I also thought that it was better than her big hit "Don't Cry For Me Argentina", but it was nowhere near as big. It took seven weeks to peak at number 12. Julie didn't chart again, though she did release a really food cover of "I Want To See The Bright Lights Again" in late 1978. She later went back to the boards in London's West End.

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.

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.

Odyssey

Native New Yorker

What a great single this was. It was the first hit for the wonderful 'Odyssey' and spent two weeks at number five. They were absent from the chart for almost two and a half years after this has dropped out, but they then returned with a number one.

Bob Marley

Jamming / Punky Reggae Party

I'm going to be truthful about this. Just as I think Nirvana's 'Bleach' is worse than all of the Bros albums, and I would rather listen to Cilla Black than most of the Beach Boys surfing songs, I didn't like Bob Marley very much before this single. Most of his pre "Jamming" stuff just passed me by as very repetative, but above all 'Boring'. That changed with this single. It became his first top ten hit and reached number nine. As far as I was concerned he didn't put a foot wrong from then on, and it's a great pity that he passed away just over three years later.

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.

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.

Carl Douglas

Run Back

Forget the Kung Fu stuff from 1974, here was a really good single (even if it did lean a little towards Northern Soul). It only reached number 25 though, and that was the last we heard of Carl until 20 years later when his vocals were sampled for Bus Stop's 'cover' of "Kung Fu Fighting".

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett

Really Free

I suspect that most had similar thoughts to me when they first heard this. Thoughts not too different from "What the hell is this" ?
But after a few listens, someone of an impressionable age (ie still a bit of maturing to do), would decide that they like it. So there I was, I mean someone was, liking it for the rest of it's chart run before forgetting about it for many years. Then some ten years later, 'Whistle Test' would show it as an archive clip and that someone would again realise just how bad it really was and wonder what possessed anyone to buy it.
It reached number 27. The B side "Beware Of the Flowers ('Cos I'm Sure They're Gonna Get You, Yeah)" was slightly amusing and much better.

Terry Wogan

The Floral Dance

Terry's vocal version of the instrumental that he'd helped become a hit by spinning it every day on his Radio Two breakfast show. Not as bad as it's usually made out to be, but hardly a work of genius. Reached number 21.

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.

Donna Summer

I Love You

Here was the latest Casablanca Records contribution to the continued chart residency of Donna Summer. Here was another excellent single (if you like this sort of thing), and it debuted just a week after the chart debut of GTO's latest Donna single "Love's Unkind". In my opinion this should have at least matched the number three peak of the other, but it struggled to begin, and after reaching number 25, dropped for two successive weeks to find itself at number 30. Then, in the second week of January, it suddenly moved back up twenty places to peak at number ten.
This was the first single to be taken from the 'Once Upon A Time' album, the first of four successive double LPs to be released by Donna, and that's not including her contributions to the 'Thank God It's Friday' soundtrack.

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.

ON TO THE FOLLOWING WEEK
BACK TO THE PREVIOUS WEEK
BACK TO THE 1978 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