Records That Got To No 15 In The UK Charts In The 1970s

 

The 1970s was one of the best decades for music, mainly because you could have anything and everything in the charts. It was a time where fun and serious and the stupid could reach the top of the charts, but so many songs came and went its easy to forget some of the classics.

So here we have drawn a line at No. 15. Yes, here are all the songs that made No. 5 in the UK single charts during the fantastic 1970s.

Sit down with a bottle of wine and enjoy 120 15 minute episodes plus bonus tracks.

https://www.mixcloud.com/john-grant4/playlists/no-15s-of-the-1970s/

70s Music Artist watch: Queen

Back in 1971 a group was formed, the group was called "Queen", who would have thought they would have  now survived the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and were the kings of global stadium rock band? Their 70s music  hits laid the paving stones for the group, and Brian May C.B.E.( who is now married to ex British soap star Anita Dobson), and Roger Taylor already had a group called "Smile".

With Farrokh Bulsara a songwriter, they joined a group called "Queen", along with a few others, who came and went, they settled with John Deacon the guitarist, and the 70s music magic was born. Who was Farrokh?, well he became Freddie Mercury the writer and lead singer of the group.

Seventies Music Chart Top Ten: January 1979

Here are the pop charts of the week ending 6th January 1979 (BBC)

Seventies Music Chart No1's From 1975 October

We continue looking at the big No. 1 songs of the year 1975. We now move into the month of October, and the U.S. singles looked like this.

Seventies Music Charts No.1's from 1975 October (US)

Here are all the No1 records from the year 1975 from the US charts of that year. It really is a who's who of  the 1970s, SO turn it up really loud and enjoy the  music. We continue with October of that year.

Bad Blood by Neil Sedaka

Not a hit in the UK, but a big No. 1 in the U.S. for Neil along with Elton John, who joins him on this single. The record was written by Neil and Phil Cody.

Lyrics to Bad Blood

Island Girl by Elton John

Elton stayed at No. 1 again with this great single  from his album "Rock of the Westies". Amazingly the lyrics are about a man trying to take a prostitute (could even be a gay prostitute) back to Jamaica. Elton himself did not "come out" until many years later.

Lyrics to Island Girl

In Memory 2011 Dobie Gray

Dobie Gray was born in 1940 and died in December 2011. He was a hardworking singer in the 1960s, and had the 1965 hit The "In" Crowd which was covered by Bryan Ferry from Roxy Music fame. in the 1970s. and entered the 1970s by appearing in the musical Hair, and he also joined a band called Pollution. The manager of the group was the actor who played Jethro in the 1960s TV series The Beverley Hillbillies, and with his help managed to sign up to Decca in 1972.

In The 1970s The New Seekers

After the Australian group called The Seekers split in 1969, the singer Keith Potger went on to form The New Seekers in the UK in which the early group members included Eve Graham, Marty Kristian, Chris Barrington and Sally Graham. Only a year later the line up was changed to include Eve,Marty and now joining the group was Lyn Paul, Peter Doyle and Paul Layton, who scored a 1970 hit with Look What They Done To My Song Ma, which charted high in the U.S. and failed to make the Top Thirty in the UK.

The album Beautiful People in 1971 gave The New Seekers their first British Top Ten hit with Never Ending Song Of Love. David Mackay was the producer on this hit, and would be the main producer for The New Seekers going forward. David was also part responsible for the Coca Cola Commercial I'D Like To Teach The World To Sing.

Lyrics to Never Ending Story Of Love.

It was in December 1971 that the Coca Cola Commercial became a huge hit for the group.I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony), and the song came about after a few arguments after a flight into Ireland, and as soon as people were given Coca Cola the arguing stopped. Roger Cook noticed this and wished they could buy the whole world a coke. The commercial was born, and The New Seekers changed the lyrics and it was a global hit.

In march 1972 The New Seekers scored a big UK hit again with Beg Steal or Borrow which was also the Eurovision Song Contest entry in 1972.It came second that year.

In June 1972 the group had a number four hit with a sweet singalong hit called Circles written by Harry Chapin from his album Sniper and Other Love Songs, and Harry died in 1981.
Lyrics to Circles.

Still in November of that year they managed to squeeze into the Top Twenty with the hit Come Softly To Me which dates way back to 1959 and was a hit for The Fleetwoods.

In February 1973 the group charted again with Pinball Wizzard See Me Feel Me which was written by the Who's Pete Townsend and was a hit for the Who in 1969. The film Tommy made the song popular again, and The New Seekers made a great cover of it. The song and film was about Tommy, who was blind, but was still great at playing the arcade games.

Two more singles followed, but they failed to enter the top forty, but this was only a short gap in the hits of the group, as there next hit would become their second huge No. 1. You Wont Find Another Fool Like Me and was the first single that Lyn Paul was the lead voice on a hit single. The song was co-written by Tony Macaulay who also wrote Marmalade's hit Falling Apart At The Seams and David Soul's Don't Give Up On Me Baby. The other writer was Geoff Stephens, who wrote another David Soul hit Silver Lady.

It was in March 1974 that they had a follow up single called I Get A Little Sentimental About You from the album Together. 


Peter Doyle died in 2001 of throat cancer.

Hermans Hermits in the 1970s

Not a group you first associate with music in the 1970s, but apart from some re-releases they also had a handful of hits during the 1970s decade.

The group was formed way back in 1963, and after nearly eight huge years at the top in the U.S., lead singer Peter Noone left, along with Keith Hopwood in 1971. The Hermits 1960s hits included "NO Milk Today","Sunshine Girl" and many more.

In Memory 2011: John Walker of the Walker Brothers

John Joseph Maus was born in the U.S. in 1943 and went on to become part of the Walker Brothers in the 1960s. He died in May 2011 from liver cancer.

SCOTT WALKER DIED IN 2017

In Memory 2011 Phoebe Snow

In January 2011 Phoebe Snow went into a coma after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. She survived in hospital until late April, and died at the age of 60.

Top Ten Singles of 1972 U.S.

1972

1. Superstition - Stevie Wonder

2. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone - The Temptations

3. Smoke on the Water - Deep Purple

4. Lean on Me - Bill Withers

5. Heart of Gold - Neil Young

6. Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed

7. You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder

8. If You Don't Know Me by Now - Harold Melvin &the Blue Notes

9. I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers

10. Tumbling Dice - The Rolling Stones

In The 1970s Stylistics

The amazing harmony of this group spurred several classic hits. Headed and formed in 1968 by Russell Thompson Jnr. The group all came from Philadelphia and began their 1970s invasion with a group consisting of Herbie Murrell, James Smith and James Dunn.

In 1971 the Stylistics had yet to cross the big pond to the UK, but in the U.S. they were already having hits like You're A Big Girl Now followed by Stop, Look Listen To Your Heart which was written by Thom Bell (previously with the Delfonics) and Linda Creed who died in 1986.

Lower Charts January 3rd 1970

The pop charts in the 1970s were a huge part of life. In fact, people would queue  at a local shop to buy a vinyl record. Now with the downloads the younger generations have no idea what we loved and adored when the pop charts came out. Some of the greatest songs never even made the top twenty during the 1970s as it was such a huge competition of talent.

So now we present a new series of articles taking a look at some of the charts from the 1970s, showing some of the amazing singles in the charts between numbers 40 and 21 in the BBC charts of that time.

Let's take a look at January 3rd 1970.

In Memory Dan Peek of America

Dan Peek was born in the U.S. in 1950, and became a member of the group America between 1970 and 1977. There first single hit in the UK came in 1971 with the enjoyable Horse With No Name. The song was a late starter in the U.S. and actually banned by a few radio stations, as the word "horse" is also a street word for drugs.

Dan during his time with the group would be lead singer, guitarist, keyboards and harmonica. Although Dan was born in Florida he was actually educated in the U.K. from 1963. They would become a huge group in America in the 1970s.

The group when the Grammy for the best new group.

Groups In The 1970s The Manhattan Transfer

This U.S. vocal group were named after a 1925 novel of the same name by John Dos Passos. The group actually formed in 1969 and had a lot of people come and go during the lifetime of the group. Tim Hauser was right there from the very start, although he launched the group twice once in 1969 and then revamped again in 1972. There first album in 1971 called Junkin' managed to reach No. 202 in the U.S. The next album in 1975 called The Manhattan Transfer did far better, and was a very well acclaimed jazz album getting to No. 49 on the UK album chart in 1977 and No. 33 in the U.S. in 1975.

The album spurred a hit in the UK in 1976 with a single release of the track Tuxedo Junction getting to No. 24. The song had been a hit many times before, including being a big hit for Glen Miller Orchestra. The song is all about a club in Birmingham Alabama.

Sex In The 1970s

Wow. The title got your attention.

Maybe this is not the sex in the 1970s you expected, but instead it is a look at some of the singles hits that had the word sex in it. There are not that many at all.
So lay back and think of sex.

Of course we accept the word sexy too.

1970s Music: James Bond themes

UPDATE OCT 2020   SEAN CONNERY DIED

The first James Bond movie theme in the 1970s started with the original Sean Connery, who in 1971 hit the cinema with "Diamonds Are Forever" sang so dramatically by Shirley Bassey, the welsh songstress who would later become Dame Shirley Bassey. This was Shirley’s 2nd hit  from a James Bond theme, the first being in 1964 with "Goldfinger". The man behind the song was John Barry who died in 2011 at the age 0f 77, he who was the composer of the actual Bond theme, we all sang that in the school playground, and along with Don Black this must be one of the most powerful Bond themes.

Shirley was to have over 20 single hits in the 1970s, with another james bond movie theme too, "Moonraker".

Shirley Bassey official site

See the Diamonds are Forever video here

Part of the lyrics

Diamonds are forever,

They are all I need to please me,

They can stimulate and tease me,

They won't leave in the night,

I've no fear that they might desert me.

Diamonds are forever,

Hold one up and then caress it,

Touch it, stroke it and undress it,

I can see every part,

Nothing hides in the heart to hurt me.

I don't need love,

For what good will love do me?

Diamonds never lie to me,

For when love's gone,

They'll lustre on.

70s awards

1972 – Best Female Singer – TV Times

1973 – Best Female Singer – TV Times

1974 – Best Female Entertainer – American Guild of Variety Artists

1976 – Best Female Singer – Music Week

1976 – 22-day British tour to mark twenty years as a recording artist

1976 – EMI Award for twenty years as a recording artist – UK

1977 – Best British Female Solo Artist in the previous 25 years – BRIT Award

1977 – Golden Rose of Montreaux nomination for The Shirley Bassey Show

New Bond in 1973, a Mr Roger Moore, formally "The Saint" from the 1960s TV series. The new film was "Live and Let Die", the soundtrack this time was performed by Paul McCartney and Wings. The song was even Oscar nominated, and it was a mini reunion in the fact that Beatles producer George Martin worked on the single with Paul. This version was not the original to be used, but thanks to Paul’s insistence that only he would do it, it became a Bond anthem, and later covered by 80s group Guns and Roses.

Part of the lyrics

When you were young and your heart was an open book,

You used to say live and let live.

(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)

But if this ever-changing world in which we live in

Makes you give in and cry,

Say live and let die!

Live and let die,

Live and let die,

Live and let die.

Live and Let die chords

In 1974 John Barry took back the control of the theme, and "The Man With the Golden Gun", this time 60s female singer Lulu, her with the big voice of "Shout" and long term friends to the Beatles. Not much to say about this record, but its still a great pop record.

Alice Cooper had a song of the same name that was to be used, but it was dropped in favour of the Lulu version. 

See the Bond video here

It was three years later that in 1977, the next Bond film hit the cinemas, this time "The Spy Who Loved Me", was the title, but John Barry brought in Carol Bayer Sager , who had her only 70s hit with "Moving Out Today", she supplied the lyrics to the theme, called "Nobody Does It Better", sang by Carley Simon, her of "You’re So vain " fame. Complicated? Well add this fact too, Marvin Hamlisch had the music score, he of other 1970s hits like "The Sting" and "The Way We Were".

Some of the lyrics

Nobody does it better

Makes me feel sad for the rest.

Nobody does it half as good as you.

Baby, you're the best.

I wasn't lookin' but somehow you found me.

I tried to hide from your love light,

But like heaven above me the spy who loved me

Is keepin' all my secrets safe tonight.

And nobody does it better

Though sometimes I wish someone could.

Nobody does it quite the way you do.

Did you have to be so good?

The way that you hold me whenever you hold me.

There's some kind of magic inside you

That keeps me from runnin' but just keep it comin'

How'd you learn to do the things you do?

Bond Guitar chords

Still with Roger Moore in 1979, and the last film of the 1970s was "Moonraker", again it was sang by Shirley Bassey, after Johnny Mathis turned it down. He went on to have many hits in the 1970s including "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late"."Moonraker" It was not a big hit, and is not that well remembered either.

Bond is still going and the james bond movie hits still flow.

James Bond Official site   



John Barry 

In The 1970s Helen Reddy

Helen Reddy, the Australian singer behind feminist anthem I Am Woman, has died aged 78. Reddy died on Tuesday in Los Angeles, her family said in a statement on Facebook. Her children Traci Donat and Jordan Sommers described her as a "wonderful mother, grandmother, and a truly formidable woman". "Our hearts are broken. But we take comfort in the knowledge that her voice will live on forever." Reddy, who had Addison's disease and was diagnosed with dementia in 2015, spent the last years of her life in a celebrity care home in Los Angeles. She had a string of pop-rock hits in the 1970s, but is best known for the 1972 anthem I Am Woman - which became prominent in the women's liberation movement.

Helen Reddy was born in 1941, and her Australian roots kept her securely grounded for the fame that was to come. Her parents and brothers and sisters were all in the showbiz game, so Helen was well suited for the stardom that will engulf her.

In 1969 Helen moved to LA and was signed up by Capitol Records, and after a bumpy start she had her first hit In 1971 from Jesus Christ Superstar called  I Don't Know How To Love Him written by Webber and Rice.

70s Music Artist watch: Leo Sayer

Mr Gerald Sayer came into the world back in 1948, and he became a huge part of the music from the 70’s , with his ability to sing pop songs and ballads, and to dress up and entertain, and entertain he did.

Leo started his song writing career by having a co written hit for Roger Daltry from The WHO called "Giving It All Away". Gerald  later became Leo Sayer.

Seventies Music Chart Top Ten: January 1976

Here are the pop charts of the week ending 3rd of January 1976.

1 Bohemian Rhapsody See Queen article  

2 I believe in Father Christmas by Greg Lake

Wow what a record, this record sounded like a huge musical to me when I first heard it, all those years a go in the pop chart.

Greg Lake was in so many groups including Uriah Heap,then in 1970 he formed Emerson,Lake and Palmer, and this hit was a surprise to him, as he wrote the record as an anti Christmas song.