REMEMBER WHEN - 10TH MARCH 1979

1979

Week 10
WEEK ENDING 10TH MARCH 1979

TOP 40 SINGLES

TW	LW
1	1	Bee Gees	Tragedy
2	3	Elvis Costello	Oliver's Army
3	4	Gloria Gaynor	I Will Survive
4	8	Lene Lovich	Lucky Number
5	14	Real Thing	Can You Feel The Force
6	2	Blondie	Heart Of Glass
7	24	Sex Pistols	Something Else / Friggin' In The Riggin'
8	6	Edwin Starr	Contact
9	5	Abba	Chiquitita
10	26	Boney M	Painter Man
11	11	Gene Chandler	Get Down
12	10	Darts	Get It
13	20	Skids	Into The Valley
14	23	Gary's Gang	Keep On Dancing
15	25	Chic	I Want Your Love
16	12	Members	Sound Of The Suburbs
17	7	Leif Garrett	I Was Made For Dancing
18	9	Three Degrees	Woman In Love
19	33	Herbie Hancock	You Bet Your Love
20	13	Rod Stewart	Ain't Love A Bitch
21	17	Meat Loaf	Bat Out Of Hell
22	28	Queen	Don't Stop Me Now
23	16	Judas Priest	Take On The World
24	15	Dr. Feelgood	Milk And Alcohol
25	NEW	Thin Lizzy	Waiting For An Alibi
26	36	Dennis Brown	Money In My Pocket
27	32	Dooleys	Honey I'm Lost
28	39	Clash	English Civil War
29	40	Violinski	Clog Dance
30	22	Nazareth	May The Sun Shine
31	37	Doobie Brothers	What A Fool Believes
32	NEW	David Essex	Imperial Wizard
33	NEW	Neil Diamond	Forever In Blue Jeans
34	35	Donna Summer	Heaven Knows
35	31	Toto	Hold The Line
36	29	Cars	Just What I Needed
37	34	Pretenders	Stop Your Sobbing
38	19	Shadows	Don't Cry For Me Argentina
39	27	Peaches And Herb	Shake Your Groove Thing
40	NEW	Roxy Music	Trash

Bee Gees

Tragedy

Just about everyone knows this one, and most seemed to be waiting for it's release. It sounded like a number one on first listen, and sure enough it spent two weeks there. The surprising thing is, the Bee Gees didn't hit the top ten again until October 1987.
Almost twenty years later, Steps took their cover of this song to number one.

Elvis Costello

Oliver's Army

This was Elvis' biggest hit and reached number two. Elvis only ever had three top ten hits, and on each occasion the follow up performed dismally.

Gloria Gaynor

I Will Survive

This spent four weeks at number one. Gloria also reached number one in the States for a two week stay. This song is considered by many to be the best disco song ever, but I'm not convinced. I can count twelve better disco records that were on the chart when this entered, let alone what had come before and would follow. It's the intro for one thing, it spoils it.
Shortly afterwards 'Billie Jo Spears' just missed the top 40 with her country cover of the song, while Gloria was back with the number five peaking re-sicks in 1993. Three years after that two further covers of the song made the top 20 courtesy of 'Diana Ross' and 'Chantay Savage'.

Lene Lovich

Lucky Number

Lene told us all that her lucky number was one. Then near the end of the song decided that she would change it to two. But her lucky chart position was number three. Utter rubbish lyrics, but we seemed to like it.

Real Thing

Can You Feel The Force

Just when it looked as though the Real Thing were getting past their sell by date (the previous two singles had peaked at 39 + 40), they came up trumps with this classic hit. Full page advertisements to accompany the release of this single, 12 inch, and album didn't exactly do them any harm, and this single gave them a number five hit, their biggest since 1976. It re-appeared in the chart courtesy of a dreaded re-mix in 1986, when it reached number 24.

Blondie

Heart Of Glass

This was Blondie's first ever number one in the UK, and by the end of the following year, they had achieved five chart toppers with a combined total of 12 weeks at the summit (this attained four of them). The amazing fact about this (at the time), was that it was the third single to be lifted from the 'Parallel Lines' album. They didn't stop there either, as a fourth single from the said album also hit the top a few months later.

Sex Pistols

Something Else / Friggin' In The Riggin'

The Sex Pistols seemed to be on a roll since Johnny Rotten's resignation from the band and Sid Vicious' death. "Something Else" with vocals by Sid went all the way to number three. It was backed by the X rated "Good Ship Venus" renamed "Friggin' In The Riggin". One thing that may have worried Sid had he still been with us, was that my Mum loved his version of "Something Else". She didn't like the other one though ;-)

Edwin Starr

Contact

This was Edwin Starr's first hit in eight years. "Contact" is one of the greatest songs of the disco era, and one that I suspect is also liked by many who didn't particularly like disco music. It reached number six, failing to match the number three peak of "War" from 1970, and has since been included on almost every disco compilation album to be released since. I lived near Edwin a couple of years ago.

Abba

Chiquitita

"Chiquitita" was the highest new entry that Abba ever had. It entered the chart at number eight, but thankfully stalled at number two the following week. To most listeners this is just a nice inoffensive song by one of the best bands of all time. To me it's an awful piece of junk that was untypical of Abba. I've always thought of Abba as being over-rated, but most of their music was at least OK (despite the unneccesary accents). There are only two of their songs that I despise. This is obviously one of them, but the one I hate the most is the lyrically infantile "The Day Before You Came". Next record please !

Boney M

Painter Man

I was ok about all that Boney M had done before this, in fact I even liked most of it (I know I probably shouldn't have, but there you go). But this was awful. It seemed as though they were deliberately trying to appeal to children,which would have been ok if that's what they had been doing all along, but they hadn't. They had built up something of a fan base who would have bought anything they released, so this was exploitation as far as I was concerned.
It was in fact a cover of a single by 'Creation' that had only got as high as number 36 in 1966. This version made number ten.

Gene Chandler

Get Down

The first six months of 1979 saw disco music hit a peak in the UK charts. Not only was there so much of it in the top 40, there was a hell of a lot of it that didn't make it, but was still good anyway.
This was Gene's first hit since "Nothing Can Stop Me" had reached number 41 in 1968, and was one of the best 12 inches of the disco years. It's number 11 peak didn't do it justice.

Darts

Get It

Great sixties sounding single from Darts (probably a cover of a sixties song, but I'm not sure). It didn't match the number two peak of their first three releases of the previous year, but it did return them to the top ten with a number ten peak.

Skids

Into The Valley

The Skids had finally got themselves a hit, and in reaching number Ten, it proved to be their biggest. The B Side was an odd thing titled "TV Stars" that consisted entirely of the names of TV Stars, mostly ones from Coronation Street such as Ena Sharples, Albert Tatlock and Annie Walker. But does anyone know if "Into The Valley" really meant anything, or was it just total nonsense ?

Gary's Gang

Keep On Dancing

There were early rumours that this single was Gary Glitter using an alias, but of course it wasn't. It was a disco track (what else ?) that you either loved or hated. I fit into the former category, especially where the 12 inch is concerned. It peaked at number eight. The follow up "Let's Lovedance Tonight" was also good, but too similar to this one.

Chic

I Want Your Love

This was Chic's highest charting UK hit and reached number four. Don't you just love those bells ?
I felt as though I got ripped off with this one though. I bought the 12 inch single and discovered that it was exactly the same length as the 7 inch. Great instrumental B Side called "Funny Bone" though.

Members

Sounds Of The Suburbs

The Members were also having their first hit, and this single that was available in clear vinyl peaked at number 12. They followed up with a minor hit a few months later and also released a half decent album titled 'At The Chelsea Nightclub'. At least I thought it sounded ok the only time I ever heard it, I didn't go out and buy it though.

Leif Garrett

I Was Made For Dancing

This was Leif Garrett's only UK top 20 hit. "I Was Made For Dancing" fitted in very well with the chart at the time (anything goes) and reached number four. It was quite a good single in my opinion, extremely catchy.

Three Degrees

Woman In Love

The Three Degrees were enjoying a revival in their UK chart fortunes, and reached number three with their biggest hit in almost five years. It was actually their first single to make the top ten since "Take Good Care Of Yourself" climbed to number nine in April 1975. It was one of six singles on the Ariola label to be pressed on gold vinyl in January 1979

Herbie Hancock

You Bet Your Love

Another one that I loved. The follow up to "I Thought It Was You" was a slow climber that did a bit of bobbing up and down before finally peaking at number 18.

Rod Stewart

Ain't Love A Bitch

Another single that I thought didn't do as well as I thought it should have. When it fell from 11 to 13, it was only the second single from Rod to peak outside the top ten since 1971. But he had to wait until November 1981 before he next ventured into the top ten. Indeed, his follow up to "Ain't Love A Bitch" which was the title track from his album "Blondes Have More Fun" was a cracker of a rocking track, with an equally cracking ballad called "The Best Days Of My Life" on the B.Side, not only failed to reach the top ten, but didn't even reach the top 40. It peaked at number 63.

Meat Loaf

Bat Out Of Hell

So in 1978, someone who called himself Meat Loaf had two minor hits that I didn't take a deal of notice of. Then on New Year's Eve (or rather the early hours of New Year's Day), my sister and I watched 'Old Grey Whistle Test Pick Of The Year' (as we usually did). And there was Meat Loaf performing "Paradise By The Dashboard Light", hurling abuse at this poor woman, screaming and shouting, they threw each other about the stage, we'd never seen anything like it.
Six weeks later this track entered the top 40 at number 35 so I sat up and took notice. What an epic (and I don't just mean the record label). It dropped to 37 the following week, but then surprisingly shot up to a peak of number 15. It didn't stay around too long, in fact two weeks after it's big climb, it was spending it's last week in the chart at number 21. But from then on, the album sold and sold. But it would be almost three years before Meat Loaf next appeared in the top 40.
"Bat Out Of Hell" finally became a top ten hit when it reached number eight in 1993.

Queen

Don't Stop Me Now

This was another one that I wasn't sure should have been released as a single. The record buying public seemed to take a while to be convinced too, as it took seven weeks to reach a peak of number nine.

Judas Priest

Take On The World

This was the very first hit for Judas Priest and it reached number 14. I remember seeing them on Top Of The Pops, and they seemed to have an image that said "Don't mess with us". They must have scared every Punk/New Wave band into hiding in the toilets. Vocalist Rob Halford would have no doubt found them first.

Dr. Feelgood

Milk And Alcohol

Doctor Feelgood hit the top 20 for the only time with this single. It reached number nine, and they never climbed above number 40 again.

Thin Lizzy

Waiting For An Alibi

Thin Lizzy were in the chart with the first of three singles to be lifted from the excellent 'Black Rose' album. This number nine peaking single was their first top ten hit for almost three years.

Dennis Brown

Money In My Pocket

Dennis Brown has been one of the biggest Jamaican singers since the mid-70's. At the last count he'd recorded about 230 lps, the international sales of which would put most artists to shame. Poor old Dennis only had this one hit and peaked at number 14 with it. In the song he sang "Money in my pocket, cos I just can't find no love". At the time I wondered to myself if this song was quite what it seemed (I was at an impressionable age). Instead of him having the money because he had no woman to spend it for him, I wondered if he had the money with the intention of finding a lady of the night !

Dooleys

Honey I'm Lost

It wasn't as bad as "A Rose Has To Die" (everytime you tell a lie-Ugh), but it wasn't very good either. They had done better and would do better again. This peaked at number 24.

Clash

English Civil War

The Clash were following up their first top twenty hit with a song based on the traditional song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home". Come to think of it, I'm not really sure that they added anything to the original apart from the obvious anger, but they did OK anyway. It only reached number 25 but stayed for six weeks.

Violinski

Clog Dance

Violinski was violinist 'Mik Kaminski', a member of E.L.O. since 1973. This was his only solo hit and reached number 17. It's ok if only heard once a year.

Nazareth

May The Sun Shine

I was surprised to see this in the chart, I thought that Nazareth had gone. It was no "Broken Down Angel" or "This Flight Tonight", but I liked it. It reached number 22 and then they really were gone.

Doobie Brothers

What A Fool Believes

The Doobie's had reached number 29 with both of their previous hits, but this looked a surefire bet to put those performances to shame. But it didn't happen like that. It went to number 31 in it's second week and then fell. It did make number one in the US though, as did it's parent album "Minute By Minute".
A cover by Aretha Franklin failed to make the top 40 a year later, and in 1998 ex 'Go West' frontman 'Peter Cox' made number 39 with it.

David Essex

Imperial Wizard

David was telling us to free the people or something. I was never quite sure about this one. It rose no higher than it's debut position of number 32.

Neil Diamond

Forever In Blue Jeans

One of Neil Diamond's good 'uns. This peaked at number 16 in it's seventh week and Neil has failed to chart that high since.

Donna Summer

Heaven Knows

Not the big hit that you might have expected from Donna. It struggled to a number 34 peak, and that was that. The other vocals on this track came from 'Brooklyn Dreams', and it was of course an excerpt from "MacArthur Park Suite" on the "Live And More" album.

Toto

Hold The Line

Toto were all ex-session musicians, and while it is widely known that they took their name from the dog in 'The Wizard Of Oz', what doesn't get mentioned is that the name also partly came from vocalist Bobby Kimball's real name 'Robert Toteaux'. This was their first single and had already gone to number five in the US before release over here. It reached number 14 in the UK, and it was to be four years before they hit the UK for a second time.

Cars

Just What I Needed

The Cars were having their second hit in six months, and this one was even better than the first. But they had to settle for a number 17 peak and then wait five years for another big hit in the UK. It's always amazed me how this band were never accepted in the UK.

Pretenders

Stop Your Sobbing

The very first single from the Pretenders was a cover of a song from the Kinks' eponymous debut album (Chrissie of course later had a child with Ray Davies of the Kinks). Strangely, it wasn't the big hit that many expected, it entered at it's peak of number 34.

Shadows

Don't Cry For Me Argentina

Great with lyrics, great without. This song had already hit number one exactly two years to the week before this version peaked at number five, when recorded by Julie Covington. But it was now being given the Shadows instrumental treatment. It was the Shadows first hit since their Eurovision entry "Let Me Be The One" back in the spring of 1975. It was also their first instrumental hit for 12 years and the biggest hit for the band since "The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt" in 1964.

Peaches And Herb

Shake Your Groove Thing

Peaches And Herb were having their UK chart debut with "Shake Your Groove Thing", and reached number 26. But they had already had 11 hits in the USA before this, the 11th being a cover of "The Sound Of Silence" in 1971. That line up had comprised of 'Herb Fame' and 'Francine Barker' (replaced by 'Marlene Mack' on three of the hits). In this late '70s line up, female vocals were supplied by 'Linda Green'.

Roxy Music

Trash

The first single from the re-formed Roxy Music and they decided to call it "Trash", the critics had a field day with that. Come to think of it, I might as well use it to my advantage too, it was slightly better than the title suggested, and spent one week in the top 40.

A few days ago (on March 20th 2001), I not only saw Dean Friedman in concert, but I also shook the hand of the great man. I shall be adding my review of the show to the site as soon as I have the time to type it out.

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
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BACK TO THE 1979 INDEX
THE REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN DAYS INDEX

Email: nige@innotts.co.uk
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