REMEMBER WHEN - 18TH FEBRUARY 1978

1978

Week 7
WEEK ENDING 18TH FEBRUARY 1978

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	.......	LW	.......		.......
1		2		Abba		Take A Chance On Me
2		1		Brotherhood Of Man		Figaro
3		4		Scott Fitzgerald & Yvonne Keeley		If I Had Words
4		12		Darts		Come Back My Love
5		14		Rod Stewart		Hot Legs / I Was Only Joking
6		11		Rose Royce		Wishing On A Star
7		3		Althia And Donna		Uptown Top Ranking
8		16		E.L.O.		Mr Blue Sky
9		18		Sweet		Love Is Like Oxygen
10		8		Baccara		Sorry I'm A Lady
11		7		Bill Withers		Lovely Day
12		5		Wings		Mull Of Kintyre / Girl's School
13		6		Odyssey		Native New Yorker
14		13		Heatwave		The Groove Line
15		15		Tonight		Drummer Man
16		26		Yellow Dog		Just One More Night
17		25		Smokie		For A Few Dollars More
18		31		Bee Gees		Stayin' Alive
19		29		Stargard		Which Way Is Up
20		33		Samantha Sang		Emotion
21		22		Stranglers		Five Minutes
22		10		Bob Marley		Jamming / Punky Reggae Party
23		20		Imperials		Who's Gonna Love Me
24		21		Gordon Giltrap		Heartsong
25		NEW		Free		Alright Now
26		30		Billy Joel		Just the Way You Are
27		NEW		Kate Bush		Wuthering Heights
28		32		Rita Coolidge		Words
29		9		Donna Summer		Love's Unkind
30		NEW		Tom Robinson		Don't Take No For An Answer
31		NEW		Eruption		I Can't Stand The Rain
32		NEW		Earth Wind And Fire		Fantasy
33		24		Rich Kids		Rich Kids
34		38		Adverts		No Time To Be 21
35		17		War		Galaxy
36		27		Bonnie Tyler		It's A Heartache
37		35		Linda Ronstadt		Blue Bayou
38		NEW		Jacksons		Even Though You're Gone
39		40		Radio Stars		Nervous Wreck
40		NEW		Carpenters		Sweet Sweet Smile

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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..

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 !

Bill Withers

Lovely Day

Did he really have to repeat the title so often ?

This was Bill's first chart hit since "Lean On Me" had leaned on number 18 in 1972 (I know, corny but effective), and he had such a lovely time of it that he spent a couple of weeks at number seven this time around. He must have thought that he was on to a good thing as his follow up was "Lovely Night For Dancing", but it failed miserably. His next appearance in the chart was as the uncredited vocalist on Grover Washington Jr's 1981 minor hit "Just The Two Of Us" (yes Will Smith made an arse of it in 1998). But in 1988 "Lovely Day" came back to annoy us with a re-sicks version and peaked at number four.

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.

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.

Heatwave

The Groove Line

Eight months since the release of their last hit single, Heatwave had returned with the first of two consecutive hits to peak at number 12. I liked this one more than their previous releases, but my favourite was the one that followed.

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.

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 ;-)

Smokie

For A Few Dollars More

Not up to the standard of many of their other hits, but still good enough to give them their ninth top twenty hit. It peaked at number 17.

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".

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.

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).

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.

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.

Imperials

Who's Gonna Love Me

This began with "You can't take the car", and went into a nice pop-soul song that I felt should have gone higher than it's number 17 peak. There was another version of this doing the rounds too, I think it was by someone called 'Alfie Davidson'.

Quite soon afterwards, they released a follow up called "Do What I Gotta Do", a song that was in my opinion much better, but failed to chart. It heavily featured the line "I'll do what I gotta do to get over". Some 12 months later, Tony Blackburn was playing it almost day on his afternoon show as he lamented about his break up from actress wife Tessa Wyatt.

Gordon Giltrap

Heartsong

There seemed to be a lot of attention paid to Gordon at the time, but I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. It did little for me and peaked at number 21.

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 ? ).

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 !

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.

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.

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.

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) !

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.

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".

Rich Kids

The Rich Kids and their eponymous single only went to number 24. They wouldn't spend another week in the top 40 after this single dropped out, but their line up included ex Sex Pistol 'Glen Matlock' and future 'Ultravox' lead vocalist 'Midge Ure'.

Adverts

No Time To Be 21

Not bad if I remember correctly. Peaked at number 34.

War

Galaxy

The third hit in two years for 'War' gave them their second biggest hit and peaked at number 14. I much preferred it to "Low Rider". This was their last hit to climb beyond number 40.

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.

Linda Ronstadt

Blue Bayou

Linda's first UK top 40 entry, and the only one that she had as a solo act. It was a very poor cover of Roy Orbison's number three hit from 1963 and only reached number 35.

Jacksons

Even Though You're Gone

The Jacksons peaked at number 31 with "Even Though You're Gone". This is one of the great forgotten Jackson tracks, but was still more successful than the following single "Music's Taking Over" which didn't chart at all.

Radio Stars

Nervous Wreck

Around this time, there was a pop quiz on TV, I think it was Wednesdays. It wasn't like the one Mike Reid presented with various celebrities taking part. No, this was for realo people with a prize at the end (I think Kid Jenson may have presented it). I found most of the questions to be fairly easy, but in almost every show, there would be a question related to the 'Radio Stars', and I didn't know the answer. I still don't know the answers and I can't even remember this song, even though I'm sure I would if I heard it. It was their only chart hit and it only made number 39.

Carpenters

Sweet Sweet Smile

Considering how much airplay this received, especially by Terry Wogan on his breakfast show, it's amazing that it only spent a week in the chart and that at number 40. I thought it was pretty good myself. It was the very last top 40 entry for the Carpenters, save for a re-issue almost 13 years later.

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

Nazareth

Gone Dead Train

Energetic foot stomper from Nazareth, almost back to the glam rock era in fact. Number 49 peak.

Kellee Patterson

If It Don't Fit, Don't Force It

Boring attempt at disco that was probably big on the gay scene. Reached number 44.

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 1978 INDEX
THE REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
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Email: nige@innotts.co.uk
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