1974
Week 21
WEEK ENDING 25TH MAY 1974
TOP 40 SINGLES
1974
Week 21
WEEK ENDING 25TH MAY 1974
TOP 40 SINGLES
| TW | ..... | LW | ...... | ...... | ||
| 1 | 1 | Rubettes | Sugar Baby Love | |||
| 2 | 4 | Bay City Rollers | Shang-A-Lang | |||
| 3 | 9 | Sparks | This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us | |||
| 4 | 3 | Peters And Lee | Don't Stay Away Too Long | |||
| 5 | 7 | Paper Lace | The Night Chicago Died | |||
| 6 | 2 | Abba | Waterloo | |||
| 7 | 10 | Alvin Stardust | Red Dress | |||
| 8 | 18 | Status Quo | Break The Rules | |||
| 9 | 24 | R. Dean Taylor | There's A Ghost In My House | |||
| 10 | 21 | David Cassidy | If I Didn't Care | |||
| 11 | 6 | Wizzard | Rock And Roll Winter | |||
| 12 | 15 | Osmonds | I Can't Stop | |||
| 13 | 5 | Wombles | Remember You're A Womble | |||
| 14 | 14 | Jim Stafford | Spiders And Snakes | |||
| 15 | 8 | Chi-Lites | Homely Girl | |||
| 16 | 22 | Gigliola Cinquetti | Go | |||
| 17 | 11 | Stevie Wonder | He's Misstra Know It All | |||
| 18 | 29 | Mouth And McNeal | I See A Star | |||
| 19 | 13 | Three Degrees | Year Of Decision | |||
| 20 | 19 | Mungo Jerry | Long Legged Woman Dressed In Black | |||
| 21 | 34 | Cliff Richard | (You Keep Me) Hanging On | |||
| 22 | 25 | MFSB | T.S.O.P. (The Sound Of Philadelphia) | |||
| 23 | NEW | Showaddywaddy | Hey Rock And Roll | |||
| 24 | 20 | Terry Jacks | Seasons In The Sun | |||
| 25 | 16 | Charlie Rich | Behind Closed Doors | |||
| 26 | NEW | Bryan Ferry | The 'In' Crowd | |||
| 27 | 12 | Limmie & The Family Cookin' | A Walkin' Miracle | |||
| 28 | 33 | Cockney Rebel | Judy Teen | |||
| 29 | 26 | David Bowie | Rock And Roll Suicide | |||
| 30 | 17 | Mud | The Cat Crept In | |||
| 31 | 28 | Marvin Hamlisch | The Entertainer | |||
| 32 | 23 | Sunny | Doctor's Orders | |||
| 33 | 27 | Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye | You Are Everything | |||
| 34 | 32 | David Essex | America | |||
| 35 | NEW | Harry Chapin | W.O.L.D. | |||
| 36 | NEW | Perry Como | I Want To Give | |||
| 37 | NEW | Andy Williams | Getting Over You | |||
| 38 | 31 | Wombles | The Wombling Song | |||
| 39 | 37 | Diana Ross | Last Time I Saw Him | |||
| 40 | NEW | Ray Stevens | The Streak |
| 1 | Rubettes | Sugar Baby Love |
| This
first hit for the Rubettes spent four weeks at number
one. They never managed another number one, but many more
good singles followed over the next three years. Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington had created the band from session musicians after quite a few existing acts had rejected "Sugar Baby Love". But the apparent lead vocalist Alan Williams was miming the vocals to this song when performing. The vocals had actually been recorded by Paul Da Vinci (who later had a hit in his own right with "Your Baby Ain't Your Baby Anymore"). I say that they didn't manage another number one, and indeed as the Rubettes they didn't. But band member Tony Thorpe formed a new band called 'The Firm' in the early '80s, and in 1987 they reached number one with "Star Trekkin' ". I remember getting a Rubettes flexi single in 1974 called "Saturday Night" free with a magazine (Record Mirror or Pop Swap). |
| 2 | Bay City Rollers |
Shang-A-Lang |
| The
follow up to "Remember" and the one that
informed everyone that 'Rollermania' was well and truly
upon us. Close examination of the lyrics proves that it
was just a load of nonsense, but it was so damn catchy it
should have given them their first number one. It failed
by just one place, and the following year lent it's title
to a certain weekly pop show starring the Rollers. Does anyone else remember the one that Freddie & The Dreamers starred in in the late 60's-early 70s ? Simon Moore reminded me that It was called "Little Big Time" and featured some evil robots and a sinister looking clock. I once saw a live version of this in a Blackpool theatre. |
| 3 | Sparks |
This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us |
| This was the first hit for the Mael brothers, and was also their biggest reaching number two. On the first few listens, I wasn't sure if Russell was singing in a foreign tongue, but this was not the case. They re-recorded this with the help of Faith No More in 1997, but it did little chartwise, just creeping into the anchor position of the 40. But the original, yes, it was quite original. |
| 4 | Peters And Lee |
Don't Stay Away Too Long |
| Peters And Lee were back with what was to prove a number three hit. They would notch up two more top 20 hits during the next two years, before going the same way of most talent show winners. I think that this was the best of their chart hits though, I don't mind it at all. |
| 5 | Paper Lace |
The Night Chicago Died |
| This
second hit for Paper Lace reached number three, but was
more successful worldwide than their British number one
hit "Billy Don't Be A Hero". It hit number one
in the US, and I didn't get annoyed with it after a while
as I had done with Billy. This song is very much derided, one of the reasons being that it it begins "Daddy Was A Cop, on the East side of Chicago", and there is no East side of Chicago. So what ? That's no worse than "Slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball", "Look inside the eye of your mind" or "Semolina Pilchard climbing up the Eiffel Tower". |
| 6 | Abba |
Waterloo |
| This is where Abba made their UK chart debut. "Waterloo" debuted at number 17 just weeks after their Eurovision Song Contest win with the same song. They were to be at number one just two weeks later. With all due respect to Abba, the Gigliola Cinquetti song "Go" was probably the best song in the contest that year, but she didn't look as exciting and different as Abba. Having said that, Abba winning was probably the best thing that ever happened to the contest. They raised the profile of the contest, a high profile that it kept for the next 8 years. |
| 7 | Alvin Stardust |
Red Dress |
| When this shot from just outside the top forty to number eleven, it seemed that Alvin would soon be celebrating a second successive number one. Personally, I thought that it was his best to date. But it didn't get anywhere near the top and stalled at number seven. |
| 8 | Status Quo |
Break The Rules |
| I
recall the first time that I ever heard this. I was
sitting in my bedroom listening to Radio One when the DJ
introduced the new Status Quo single. There was something
said about it being an old track from many years earlier
that had either been left unrecorded or recorded and in a
vault somewhere. It was slower paced than their previous two singles, but still pretty good all the same. It was all the eights as it reached that position and spent that many weeks in the chart. Two years later, it appeared on a slightly harder than usual flexi single given away by saving empty Smiths Crisp bags. |
| 9 | R. Dean Taylor |
There's A Ghost In My House |
| 1967
recording that didn't even sound like an old recording,
finally becoming a hit. It had taken him three years to
follow his number two hit "Indiana Wants Me",
but it was worth waiting for. In 1987, The Fall achieved their first top 40 hit when their adequate cover of this song reached number 30. Actually it was their biggest hit. |
| 10 | David Cassidy |
If I Didn't Care |
| Cover of a Connie Francis record from my Mum's record collection. I didn't care too much for this at the time, but it's sort of grown on me through the years. It just crept into the top ten by making number nine. |
| 11 | Wizzard | Rock And Roll Winter |
| Another good one from Roy Wood's lot, but what a strange time to release it. It entered the chart over Easter, and we had quite a warm Easter that year, but here was a song about winter. Fifth single in 17 months, and they had all made the top six, this one peaking at six, just as the first one had. They wouldn't get that high again though. |
| 12 | Osmonds |
I Can't Stop |
| This was an old track from when all the group had squeeky voices, and was issued by MCA as a cash in on the huge success being enjoyed by the brothers. Somehow, I can't see how this song would have worked with mature voices anyway. The boys didn't promote it, and when it was time to feature it on TOTP, Pans People danced around traffic lights. It reached a credible number 12. |
| 13 | Wombles |
Remember You're A Womble |
| The Wombles were having the second of five hits that they were to have this year with "Remember You're A Womble", and peaked at number three. It did of course return to chart action in 1998 and it was a spiritual experience to see them back on Top Of The Pops. As for Zoe Ball's suggestion that it could well be 'The Verve' underneath those outfits, it was nothing short of an insult to the Wombles glorious memory. Their previous hit "The Wombling Song" was still charting when this debuted. |
| 14 | Jim Stafford |
Spiders And Snakes |
| A
strange thing to find in the charts at that time. It was
a countrified novelty hit from someone who'd previously
played in a band named the 'Legends' with Lobo and Gram
Parsons. I clearly remember watching the promo for this
on TOTP, something to do with pulling snakes out of a
river with a stick and scaring a girl with it. It quickly
reached number 14 and spent seven weeks in the top 40.
Over in the USA, it spent 15 weeks in the top 40 reaching
number three. Now, who would you expect to have written a song called "Spiders And Snakes" ? No, not Spiderman, think again. That's right, 'David Bellamy' ! It wasn't that one though, it was David from the Bellamy Brothers. |
| 15 | Chi-LItes |
Homely Girl |
| The
Chilites were having their first hit in two years and
eventually reached number five. I have a couple of memories regarding this song. First of all - As my Birthday is April 18th (hint !), it often coincided with the school Easter holidays. That year it was my twelth birthday and the first since I'd taken an interest in music. So that year I received a Harvard portable cassette recorder in a horrible mustard colour. It didn't work off the mains supply, so that caused a few problems, but at least I could take it out onto the lawn with my newly aquired K.TEL compilation tape 'Dyna-Mite', my few blank tapes and the portable radio. So until the batteries went flat, I was quite happy out there on my birthday recording songs from the radio (Shhhhh), and "Homely Girl" was one of the first. The other memory of this song is of Pan's People dancing (ish) to it on Top Of The Pops wearing school uniforms (No, I wasn't aware of any pervy aspects to that *l*). As I discovered later in the year after I bought an ex-jukebox copy of it, it also boasted a great B Side titled "I Never Had It So Good". The song was taken into the top ten all over again by UB40 in 1989, and to be honest I didn't think it was a bad cover. But all the same, it does disturb me a little when modern acts take songs from my childhood and put their inferior covers in the chart. |
| 16 | Gigliola Cinquetti | Go (Before You Break My Heart) |
| The
best song to compete in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest
(well, I think so anyway). If I was asked it's peak
position in a quiz, I would have said number four and
been completely wrong as it peaked at number eight. I'm surprised that this woman didn't have further hits. But she did have an earlier one. In 1964, her Eurovision winning song "Non Ho L'Eta Per Amarti" reached number 17 AND spent 17 weeks in the top 50. |
| 17 | Stevie Wonder |
He's Misstra Know It All |
| Stevie Wonder was having what would prove to be his last top 10 hit for almost three years with the number ten peaking "He's Misstra Know It All". Quite what A 'Misstra' is I'm not sure. But I've always taken it to be a variation of 'Mister'. Must be a ghetto thing ! |
| 18 | Mouth & McNeal |
I See A Star |
| I
think we all liked it because of the monkey and the
Barrel organ didn't we ? It was third place in the Eurovision Song Contest and it reached number eight in the UK chart, quite impressive going really. They had no further hits and neither was this an American hit. But, they had hit number eight in the States back in 1972 with "How Do You Do" and had followed it with a number 87 peaking single called "Hey, You Love". Their real names were Willem Duyn & Maggie Macneal, except that wasn't really Maggie's name, it was "Sjoukje Van^t Spijker". |
| 19 | Three Degrees |
Year Of Decision |
| This was the Three Degrees' first ever hit, and it peaked at number 13. This first hitmaking phase of their career would only last just over a year (just as their second phase did). This was when the phillysound really started to gather momentum, and April-August 1974 saw a fair number of 'Philadelphia International' acts make their chart debuts. Songword magazine 'Disco 45' had a special feature on the label in one of it's issues during that period, and a competion was held in which winners received the latest album by six of the label's acts which included The Three Degrees, O'Jays, Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes and the Intruders. |
| 20 | Mungo Jerry |
Long Legged Woman Dressed In Black |
| Mungo
Jerry were having the last of their eight hits over a
four year period, and peaked at number 13 with "Long
Legged Woman Dressed In Black". I quite liked it,
but it was the kind of thing that I didn't want to hear
too often, especially the "In the night, in the
night, in the noo noo night" part. It was also
ALWAYS annoying when one of your school friends sang it
at the bus stop in the morning. Ray Dorset went on to write and produce one of 1980's biggest hits "Feels Like I'm In Love" for Kelly Marie, while at the same time was still part of the band (now named 'Ray Dorset & Mungo Jerry'). They even released a cover of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door' in 1981 (but doesn't everybody, even Roger Waters has done that). After 1983 it all went quiet apart from the regular re-recordings and re-sicks of "In The Summertime", and a single called "Come On You Latics" that I believe is something to do with Leyton Orient Football Club (But I could be wrong). |
| 21 | Cliff Richard | (You Keep Me) Hanging On |
| Not the Supremes classic, this was a ballad type thing and one of Cliff's best recordings from that era. Funny how it seems to have been forgotten, I don't think it tends to turn up on his compilations. It reached number 13 and Cliff would have to wait almost two years for his next hit. |
| 22 | MFSB |
T.S.O.P. (The Sound Of Philadelphia |
| One
of my favourite instrumentals ever. A really catchy piece
of music from the backbone of most of Philadelphia
International's biggest hits. Of course it wasn't
completely instrumental, there were a few lines of vocals
from the Three Degrees near the end, but you hardly
noticed them (I didn't anyway). This tune was adopted by
popular American TV show 'Soul Train' as it's theme and
it went all the way to number one over there. Over here,
it had to settle for number 22. Whenever I Think about this record, I also think of one by a band named 'The Philly Flyers' called "Hotline To Your Heart". That one was played on radio a lot for a month or so, but not an actual Philly record. I got hold of it a couple of years later and it's on a label named 'Gii' or 'Oii', it's hard to tell which. I have my suspicions that it was actually a British band. |
| 23 | Showaddywaddy | Hey Rock and Roll |
| This first hit for Showaddywaddy reached number two. For those of you who only remember (and despise) them for the 50's covers that they kept having hits with, they were quite different for their first year of chart life. This and the next three singles were original compositions, and were quite good. I believe they were once contestants on either 'Opportunity Knocks' or 'New Faces', but I can't remember them appearing |
| 24 | Terry Jacks |
Seasons In The Sun |
| Terry
Jacks spent four weeks at number one with this, and three
weeks on top of the Billoboard chart. This single has
often since been described as one of the worst singles of
the decade, but I like it, one of the best singles of the
decade as far as I'm concerned. Canadian Terry was in a group called 'The Chessmen' at the age of 16 and wrote a song titled "The Way You Feel". The other members of the group liked it, but didn't know who would sing it. Terry himself ended up doing it and that's how he became a singer. They recorded it and it reached number two in the Vancouver chart. He later met and married singer Susan Pesklevits forming a new band 'The Poppy Family' with her. They had a UK hit when "Which Way You Goin' Billy" reached number seven in 1970. But three years later, the band and the marriage ended. After working with the Beach Boys, Terry recorded "The Dying Man", an adaptation of Jacques Brel's "Le Moribond" with lyrics by Rod McEwan. Terry modified to suit his needs, but it remained unreleased for some time. It was only after much enthusiasm from friends that he initially released it on his own 'Goldfish' label under the new title "Seasons In the Sun". Bell Records were impressed enough by those early sales to distibute nationally, and sales of over Six Million followed. In 1999, the song became the final number one of the 1900s when covered by Westlife. I find that version the least offensive of all Westlife recordings that I've heard. But that's probably due to my liking the original so much, and Westlife changed nothing aside from not having the slightly breathy vocals that Terry seemed to possess. My biggest problems with it were that it meant Westlife will forever go down in History as having the final number one of the century when it could have been one of then biggest names of the century, one Sir Cliff Richard. |
| 25 | Charlie Rich |
Behind Closed Doors |
| This
had been an American number 15 peaking hit a full year
before it became a hit over here. It was of course issued
to cash in on the popularity of Charlie's number two
peaking "The Most Beautiful Girl". I thought
that it was a much better song, both lyrically and
musically. But it only reached number 16. What I associate most with this song is a BBC programme called "Behind Closed Doors" that was being aired at around that time. It dealt with the Watergate Scandal, the downfall of Richard Nixon. I was disappointed about that (even if I didn't understand it 100%). To me, Richard Nixon was that nice man who spoke to the Astronauts when they landed on the moon, I was pleased when he won the 1972 election to remain in power, he also had a similar name to the Legendary master of the Wurlitzer organ "Reginald Dixon", and he was a nice man too. Perhaps one of the first indications to me that then world was crooked. |
| 26 | Bryan Ferry |
The 'In' Crowd |
| A cover version of a Dobie Gray minor hit from 1965 that wasn't even interesting in the first place. Terrible, reached number 13. |
| 27 | Limmie & The Family Cookin' |
A Walkin' Miracle |
| Limmie And The Family Cooking were having their third hit in less than 12 months. "A Walkin' Miracle" didn't do as well as "You can Do Magic", but still reached a creditable number six. However, they were never heard of again. |
| 28 | Cockney Rebel |
Judy Teen |
| The
critic's darlings made number five with this, their first
hit. Unfortunately being critics favourite usually means
a short career, and this was again the case with Cockney
Rebel. Just over two years later they were having their
last hit, though Steve Harley did briefly return to have
a top ten hit in a duet with Sarah Brightman called
"The Phantom Of The Opera" in 1986. I didn't mind this song, just wasn't a big fan of it. But the Rocking Berries version of Steve Harley singing "Little Miss Muffet" to the tune of this a few months later, was very impressive. Check lower down the page for the MP3 of "Rock-A-Bye Nursery Rhyme" that also includes Gary Glitter doing "Ring A Ring A Roses" to the tune of "Always Yours" and Rubettes doing "Humpty Dumpty" to the tune of "Sugar Baby Love". Not really Steve Harley, Gary Glitter & Rubettes of course. |
| 29 | David Bowie |
Rock And Roll Suicide |
| David Bowie had belatedly released "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide" as a single, but he could only reach number 22. Without wishing to start a pointless debate about it, I was very surprised that the single didn't get any higher, considering the performance of his previous four hits. Let's just remember that I was barely 12 years old, and didn't understand that people didn't buy it on account of them already having it on the 'Ziggy Stardust' album. Not having heard that album, I didn't even know that it was on it (until I bought the single of course). Anyway, it became the second Bowie single in my collection. |
| 30 | Mud |
The Cat Crept In |
| Mud were aiming for their second number one of the year, and went straight into the chart at number eight. But they had to settle for a high of number two. It was from this point that Les Gray seemed to be making a consious effort to be 'Elvis'. I wasn't initially sure about this one, but within a few weeks regarded it as the best Mud single to date. Now, I still regard it as one of their best (Moonshine Sally, Show Me Your A Woman & Shake It Down were better). Yes I know it has very little originality (not in the vocals anyway), but I like it. Oh yes, I think the music was played quite well too, an instrumental would have sounded good. |
| 31 | Marvin Hamlisch |
The Entertainer | ||
Ragtimers |
The Sting |
| The Ragtimers entered the top forty a week before Marvin Hamlisch, but Marvin won the battle of "The Sting". His version was the one used in the film 'The Sting' and it climbed as high as number 25. The Ragtimers' version only reached number 31. There was another version released by Opportunity Knocks winner 'Bobby Crush', but that failed to chart altogether. In the US, only Marvin Hamlisch's version charted and it made number three. It was composed by Scott Joplin. |
| 32 | Sunny |
Doctor's Orders |
| There
are many expressions that either confuse or irritate me.
Someone describing something as "Bad" or
"Wicked" when they actually like it is a
killer. Then there's "Making Out", it should be
quite the opposite really shouldn't it ? The world of music has a few of it's own. We used to have this music we called Soul, in the nineties it became known as R 'n' B. There's "Still sounds as fresh today". That's a bit daft. If I heard a record 25 years ago, it doesn't sound fresh, it sounds like a track I heard 25 years ago. The classic one is "Hasn't dated well". Normally, this is one that really annoys me. I think "If it was a decent track then, it's a decent track now". I mean it's not as if music has made a great deal of progress since the early '80s (if any at all). But this number seven hit from 1974 does give me a little insight into what may be meant by that expression. I really liked this at the time, but when Iheard it again a few weeks back, I thought it was an awful record. And believe me, that is weird because normally if I like a song, I keep on liking it. So maybe that's what "hasn't dated well" means. |
| 33 | Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye |
You Are Everything |
| Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye were having the first of two hits that they were to have in duet this year. "You Are Everything" had failed to make any impact on the charts when earlier released by the Stylistics, but peaked at number five thanks to this cover version. |
| 34 | David Essex |
America |
| David's third top top forty and a disappointment performance wise with it peaking at it's number 32 debut position. I thought that this was his best single yet, but there you go. |
| 35 | Harry Chapin |
W.O.L.D. |
| Played
to death on the radio, but still not a significant hit.
It only reached number 34, and his other really well
known song, "Cat's In The Cradle" didn't chart
at all for the original artist. Harry passed away in July 1980. |
| 36 | Perry Como |
I Want To Give |
| The final top 40 hit for Perry, over 21 years after he first hit the chart with the number one single "Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes". This peaked at number 31, but I don't remember it at all. One place higher, and I probably would have done. |
| 37 | Andy Williams |
Getting Over You |
| Another one of the greats who was now struggling to make the chart. And yet again, it's a song that I don't remember. This one only reached number 35. |
| 38 | Wombles |
Wombling Song |
| This
was the theme to the popular children's TV show and was
the first of eight Top 40 hits for The Wombles ! This
single went on to spend two weeks at number four and a
total of 19 weeks in the top 40. In reality, the vocalist
was Mike Batt who had a hit single in his own name,
"Summertime City", and wrote the million
selling Art Garfunkel hit "Bright Eyes". "The Wombling Song" made a brief return to the chart in 1998 when it reached number 27. In 2001 & 2002, the series was still being aired on TV and I heard this song just about everyday as my baby daughter liked it. In fact, this and Bob The Builder were the first songs that she seemed to recognise. |
| 39 | Diana Ross |
Last Time I Saw Him |
| Nice jolly follow up to those ballad things she'd been doing lately. Thought it would have been huge, it wasn't, number 35 peak. |
| 40 | Ray Stevens |
The Streak |
| This was number one the world over due to the current streaking craze. At the time I thought it was funny, but now it's a song that I'd prefer to not admit liking. It certainly won't go down in history as a classic. It was Ray's 4th UK hit single and his second 'novelty' hit following 'Bridget The Midget' in 1971, but surprisingly his classic 'Turn Your Radio On' had only got as high as number 33 in 1972. |
A 1974
MP3
Rocking Berries -
Rock-A-Bye Nursery Rhyme
Some More 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.
THIS
WEEK IN 1973
THIS
WEEK IN 1975
THIS
WEEK IN 1976
THIS
WEEK IN 1977
THIS
WEEK IN 1978
THIS
WEEK IN 1979
THIS
WEEK IN 1980
THIS
WEEK IN 1981
THIS
WEEK IN 1982
THIS
WEEK IN 1983
THE
REMEMBER WHEN ARCHIVES
GOLDEN
DAYS INDEX
Email: nige@innotts.co.uk
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